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Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that many questions can arise before, during and after an evaluation. That’s why we’ve listed various questions you may have along with answers. Browse through the information below, and if you have a question not covered here, feel free to reach out to us today.
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What is neuropsychology?
Neuropsychology is a specialty field that joins the medical fields of neurology, psychology, and psychiatry. It involves determining how well the brain is functioning when it is disrupted by a brain injury or psychological disorder. A neuropsychological assessment is a comprehensive test of a wide range of mental functions, including behavior and mood.
Why has a neuropsychological evaluation been requested?
Help understand the cause of cognitive problems in relation to other medical history to arrive at a diagnosis to help guide treatment.
Determine cognitive/emotional strengths and weaknesses following a neurological event or injury.
Establish a baseline of thinking abilities before and after a medical or surgical intervention.
Help identify issues which could be the focus of rehabilitation, help therapists determine adjustments to treatment, and/or provide the basis for making decisions about the future and/or adjustments to daily life.
What does the process look like?
Typically, you will be scheduled within 2-3 weeks of calling the office and insurance benefits will be checked prior to your initial appointment. On the day of the evaluation, an initial interview with your treating clinician will be conducted to discuss and explore your areas of concern. After the interview, interactive tests are selected to examine specific areas of functioning. Testing is typically completed within a day. Following testing, the clinician will score and write a report of the results. A follow-up meeting to discuss the results will be set 2-3 weeks following the evaluation.
How long does the appointment last?
Depending on areas of concern, the appointment may last between 3-6 hours, which includes your interview with the clinician. If more time for testing is warranted, you will be scheduled on another day to complete any other assessments.
Can I get a same-day appointment? Do you offer walk-in clinic services?
Unfortunately, no. Given the structure of the assessment process, it would be very challenging to schedule appointments on the same day or have walk-in services. However, we pride ourselves in getting our clients evaluated in a timely manner and usually have appointments available within 2-3 weeks of their initial phone call with our scheduling person.
What are psychometricians, externs, and post doctoral fellows?
Psychometricians are individuals with specialized training in test administration that assist the doctors in completing routine tests. Externs are graduate students working on clinical psychology degrees.
Post doctoral fellows are doctors that have completed internship and are completing 2 years of additional specialized training.
As a training facility, we employee students with different levels of training to assist with clinic work. All student work closely with their designated supervisor to ensure high quality services. By training students, we are able to teach new psychologists how to be excellent clinicians and it allows us to help more people. Student participation depends upon their level of training but at all times is guided and monitored by their clinical supervisor.