Preschool/Developmental Evaluations

Developmental evaluations are for children ages four to five when parents, educators, or pediatricians seek to understand how a child’s cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional development is progressing. Developmental concerns often include language and communication delays, behavioral and attentional issues, and social difficulties. Similar to a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation, the evaluation includes the following components:

• Parent Intake Session (1-1.5 hours)
  After the consultation, this session serves as a parent meeting to gather an extensive understanding of the current concerns relating to 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 (about 6 hours)
  Testing sessions take place over the course of several days. 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 your child 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, basic reading, basic writing, and number sense)
  • Attention
  • Language Development
  • 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 provider involved in the child’s academic, developmental, and/or psychological well-being via questionnaires and/or phone calls.

Feedback (1-1.5 hours)
Feedback is offered to parents, 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. 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.