FAQs
General Questions
Before the
Evaluation
During the
Evaluation
After the
Evaluation
General Questions
What is the first step in getting an evaluation?
Call or email Dr. Douglas to discuss if an evaluation is appropriate. Maybe your school recommended an evaluation, or maybe this is a process you have been considering on your own. Either way, a discussion will be helpful in understanding the process, what it entails, and what you can expect from it.
How long does the process take?
In total, the process takes 4-5 weeks. Once Dr. Douglas has collected all data and finished meeting with your child, it will take up to two weeks for a formal feedback session to be scheduled. During this meeting, results from the evaluation will be reviewed, recommendations provided, and next steps discussed. About two weeks after that, the formal, written report will be sent to you.
Is the evaluation confidential?
The evaluation and its results are fully confidential. Even when Dr. Douglas is given consent to speak with your child's teachers to collect information that will be used in the evaluation, the school will only be given the evaluation if you decide to share it. (It is highly advised that you do so.) Dr. Douglas does not communicate the assessment results to anybody other than your family.
Will my insurance company pay for this?
The amount of insurance reimbursement depends on a number of factors, most important of which is your particular plan. To find out about insurance reimbursement, you should contact your insurance company and ask for the out-of-network reimbursement rate for a neuropsychological evaluation (procedure codes 90791, 96136, 96137, 96132, 96133).
Does my child need to miss school?
Typically, yes, though weekend appointments are often available for an extra fee. Schools are quite accommodating when students miss class for an evaluation. If requested, Dr. Douglas can provide a note verifying why the child missed school.
How do I get the results of the evaluation?
There are two primary ways that evaluation results are communicated to families. First, a Zoom-based feedback is held with Dr. Douglas in which the most important findings from the evaluation are discussed, along with recommendations for support. About three weeks after this meeting, a lengthy written report is sent to parents (and only the parents).
What are the different types of evaluations you offer?
The two most common evaluations provided are neuropsychological evaluations and psychoeducational evaluations. A neuropsychological evaluation (sometimes called "neuropsych" testing or a "neuropsych" assessment) provides the most comprehensive analysis of a person's cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Generally, a neuropsychological evaluation is conducted the first time a person is undergoing an evaluation, and the results can most appropriately be used to form learning and treatment plans.
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A psychoeducational evaluation, sometimes called a "psychoed" assessment, provides more of an update to a pre-existing neuropsychological evaluation. Specifically, this work - which generally includes intelligence testing and reading, writing, and math assessments - is used to provide grade levels for academic skills and, often, as a procedural step that allows schools to continue to provide school-based accommodations (e.g., extra time on tests, preferential seating, etc.) to students.
Do you work with my child's school?
While the family is Dr. Douglas' direct client, she is more than happy to communicate with the school in an effort to best understand your child's functioning. In fact, Dr. Douglas requests to speak with teachers, have them complete their own set of forms, and sometimes will conduct a classroom observation (if the school agrees, and all believe it to be necessary).
Before the Evaluation
How can I explain the evaluation to my child?
The evaluation process is a kind of "brain exploration" that people of all ages can do. The purpose of the work is to understand your child's unique brain - "we all have different brains so we all have different learning profiles" - and figure out what comes easily, what doesn't, and how to make those things, even easier.
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The activities they will do are truly nothing like traditional school tests; most of what they will be doing are game-like tasks that kids often have fun doing.
How can I help my child feel comfortable before the evaluation?
Normalize the evaluation for your child, reminding them that many, many students undergo this same process. The goal is to understand their brain to help figure out their strengths, what may be hard for them, and how to make those things easier. ​
How should my child prepare leading up to the evaluation?
There is absolutely no preparation necessary. Students should get a good night's sleep the night before testing, have a good breakfast the morning of testing, and try to have some fun. There is no way to formally prepare for these tests, nor should students (or their families) worry about doing so.
During the Evaluation
How much time does my child spend in your office?
Typically, neuropsychological evaluations can be finished in 2-3 testing sessions (psychoeducational evaluations in one). Each session lasts between 3-6 hours, depending on age, stamina, etc., with plenty of breaks and lunch built into the day. Sometimes, students fatigue before a full testing day is done; this is totally fine. It is more important that accurate results are obtained than the evaluation is rushed, and yield inaccurate results.
Are evaluations conducted in-person, virtually, or a combination of both?
All testing work with students is in-person. Always. Some components of the evaluation are conducted virtually (e.g., parent intake session and feedback sessions), unless otherwise requested.
Do parents wait in the office while my child does the testing?
Generally, yes. Parents are welcome (encouraged!) to wait in the waiting room while their child is in Dr. Douglas' office working. There is coffee/tea and WiFi available.
Can we bring snacks?
Absolutely. Feel free to pack snacks and a preferred drink for your child. They're welcome to eat throughout the day, and this is often a helpful feature of testing. Some snacks are also available at the office.
Will there be breaks? How are they spent?
Of course. There are no set amount of breaks, as they will be offered frequently and whenever requested, accommodated. If a examinee is fatigued, testing results will not be an accurate reflection of full potential, so it is very important that steps are taken (e.g., breaks whenever needed) to avoid a test-taker working while tired.
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During breaks, students can see their parent/guardian, have snacks, play a game with Dr. Douglas, chat, read a book, check basketball game highlights, etc. The point of a break is to allow their brain to reset; this can happen in whatever way the student finds most effective.​
If my child is having a bad day, would that impact testing results? How is that handled?
People have bad days. It happens. Most of the time, the "bad day" that you see at home will look very different from the behavior that is observed within the office. If, however, a child is having a bad day that cannot be worked through in the office, yes, it is absolutely possible that this will negatively impact testing results. Should a student's mood get to this point, testing will be rescheduled. It is essential to the evaluation process that every attempt be made to obtain the most valid, representative testing data possible.​
After the Evaluation
Can your evaluation help us get an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?
Absolutely. For students attending public schools, the neuropsychological evaluation report is the only document needed in order to obtain an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The request for an IEP, ultimately determined by the school's Student Support department, is still made directly with your child's school, but after going through the process with Dr. Douglas, you will have everything needed to request an IEP and have one effectuated.​
How do your findings support accommodations or school-based services?
There are many purposes that a neuropsychological evaluation serves. A very common one is outlining - based on their neuropsychological profile - students' school-based needs in order to facilitate academic success. This includes management needs (classroom accommodations, modifications to instruction), testing accommodations, recommendations for additional in-school support, etc. Information obtained from the evaluation process, and explained in detail within the report provided at the end of the process, is used to identify and justify the recommendations made. ​
Do you work with families after the testing process is over?
Generally, once the feedback session is conducted (both with the parents and with the child, separately) and the report provided, families do not require or request ongoing work with Dr. Douglas. Some families do ask for short-term consultation to help them, their child, and their school effectuate the recommendations. While Dr. Douglas is happy to offer this service to families who want it, it is not within the scope of the neuropsychological evaluation itself and is billed separately.
Will you work with our school?
Absolutely. Often, and only with parental consent, Dr. Douglas will participate in school-led meetings subsequent to the evaluation's completion. On these calls, Dr. Douglas helps provide an overview of the evaluation findings as well as the salient recommendations to help the child academically.
I have the evaluation report. Now what?
Once the report from the evaluation is provided, that report "belongs" to the family and they can disseminate the information as they wish. Dr. Douglas will never, ever send a report to any party (e.g., school, tutor, therapist, etc.). It is strongly recommended that parents send the report their child's school, and any other individual who may be working with their child. Additionally, if a tutor, therapist, or other outside provider is involved in your child's care, it is recommended that they receive the report - or at least its relevant sections - as well.
Will my child ever need another evaluation?
Depending on your child's age and the outcome of the evaluation, it is certainly possibly that another evaluation will be necessary. One possible outcome of neuropsychological evaluations are the recommendation of testing accommodations (e.g., extended time on tests, use of a computer on tests, etc.); generally, tests such as the ISEE, SAT/ACT, GRE require evaluations to be current (aka, within 3-5 years). If an "evaluation update" is needed, they almost always - unless you request otherwise - are shorter in scope, less in cost, and faster to complete.