Neuropsychological and Educational Evaluations

Neuropsychological evaluations are thorough assessments of cognitive, academic, behavioral, social, emotional, and adaptive abilities. It is a tool for identifying and understanding the strengths and obstacles regarding you or your child’s ability to think, learn, and perform daily life activities. Based on the findings of the evaluation, Dr. Katz can recommend various research-based strategies and resources for helping students succeed in school and in life. The evaluation is a dynamic and interactive process. It is my goal to touch base with parents and be accessible throughout the evaluation.

• Intake Session (1-1.5 hours)
  This session serves as a parent (or young adult) meeting to gather an extensive understanding of the current concerns relating to you, your child or adolescent, and how you plan to use the evaluation. This session also includes a detailed developmental, social, educational, and medical history review.
• School/classroom observation (1 hour)
  In certain circumstances, an in-person observation of your child in his or her classroom/school setting can be a helpful component of the evaluation process.
• Testing session (6-10 hours)
  Testing sessions are several hours long and take place over the course of several days, depending on the age of the individual. Sessions include a comprehensive set of norm-based assessments in the form of paper-and-pencil, interactive, and computerized/iPad administered tasks to figure out how you or your child/adolescent uses his/her brain to process information.  The tests selected are highly personalized to meet your needs and concerns. All testing is performed by Dr. Nicole Katz, which allows her to see how each task is approached. Areas assessed may include:

• • Intellectual functioning
  • Academic skills (Pre-literacy skills, reading, writing, and math)
  • Attention
  • Executive Functioning (Planning, organization, problem-solving)
  • Language development (Comprehension and Expression)
  • Learning and Memory (Verbal and Visual)
  • Visual-spatial processing, Visual Motor, and Fine Motor Skills
  • Social skills and social-communication
  • Emotional and behavioral functioning
  • Adaptive functioning

• Collaboration
  With permission, I hope to collaborate with schools, therapists, or any other supportive service providers involved in the student’s academic, developmental, and/or psychological well-being via questionnaires and/or phone calls.
• Feedback (1-1.5 hours)
  Feedback is offered to parents, children, educators, and clinicians: The purpose of this session is for parents to gain a greater understanding of how their child learns, why their child is struggling, and what the next steps include. Student feedback sessions are tailored to the individual’s developmental level and are available so that he or she can better understand how he or she learns. Dr. Katz will make every effort following this session to connect parents with appropriate providers.
• Report
  Following the feedback session, parents will receive an extensive, user-friendly report outlining all results, your child’s learning profile, the relevant history, behavioral observations, summary of findings, and recommendations.
• Follow-up consultation
  With parental consent, Dr. Katz can participate in a school or treatment team meeting to discuss the evaluation results and ensure coordinated and consistent support.