Behavioral Health Evaluations
Behavioral health evaluations are typically conducted by a psychiatric or clinical psychologist, but when there are learning concerns, parents and schools often come to seek a neuropsychological evaluation for a deeper understanding.
Our behavioral health-related evaluations are conducted as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation to discover a youth’s strengths and weaknesses cognitively, socially, emotionally and behaviorally.
Why Choose A Neuropsychologist for
Behavioral Health Evaluations
Seeking objective testing data
Some parents want objective data and feel uncertain basing a diagnosis only on subjective input via rating scales and observational input.
second opinion to drive interventions
Youth experiencing significant behavioral health difficulties impacting their functioning may require specific, specialized treatment. An accurate diagnostic understanding can guide effective intervention & programming.
differential diagnosis
Differentiating between typical adolescent behavior, mental health conditions, emotional effects of learning differences, and/or a potential late-childhood autism diagnosis are common concerns when a neuropsychological evaluation is sought.
concern for Adolescent "self-diagnosis"
Some adolescents are savvy regarding the evaluation process and report a “self-diagnosis” of autism, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, or another condition. These adolescents oftentimes respond more open-mindedly to an evaluation with objective data collected.
Our Approach to Behavioral Health Evaluations
Our behavioral health evaluations, take a comprehensive approach to understand how a youth’s cognitive functions—such as attention, executive functions, & reasoning —affect their behavior and emotional regulation.
We conduct in-depth interviews, gather multi-setting input, and we use ratings scales completed by the student (if age-appropriate), parents and teachers.
Unlike psychiatric evaluations, our approach includes neurocognitive testing to identify underlying learning or processing challenges that may influence self-perception and behavior. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding to guide effective, tailored treatment.
Our Behavioral Health Testing Process
Initial Consultation Call
This 15-minute call is designed to answer any questions and determine if neuropsychological testing is the right fit for your needs.
Intake Call
This is a one-hour call where we aim to understand all concerns and capture a complete history of the child.
Evaluation Sessions
Three appointments will take place, each of approximately two to three hours in length. The sessions take place in-person, during the day, at our office in Waldwick, New Jersey in Bergen County.
Report
After the last evaluation session, we deliver a comprehensive report that outlines all our testing and provides a series of recommendations for how to best support the youth’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
Follow-Up Meeting
For parent scheduled evaluations, a virtual parent conference is held approximately two to three weeks after the last testing session to provide additional context and answer any questions about the report. Schools contracting the evaluation have an option to have the report reviewed with the parents and school team.
