Evaluations
What is a neuropsychological evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation can answer questions related to how your child’s brain function affects their thinking, learning, emotions, and behaviors. Whether you’re looking for diagnostic clarity, wondering about the impact of your child’s medical history, or just unsure how to help your struggling child, an evaluation can help identify your child’s unique strengths and weaknesses to optimize their development. Dr. Tan also works with you to create a comprehensive treatment plan and follows your child throughout their development. Below are some examples of questions a neuropsychological evaluation can answer:
THINKING
What are my child’s unique strengths and weaknesses?
Is my child delayed in their developmental milestones?
Does my child have ADHD?
Why does my child have difficulty remembering information?
How does my child’s medical history affect how they process information?
How is my child improving after his medical history or treatment?
LEARNING
How does my child learn best?
Why is my child struggling to learn in school?
Why are my child’s grades declining?
Does my child have a learning disability?
Does my child need special education services?
Does my child need accommodations for testing?
EMOTIONS
Why does my child have so much difficulty with regulating their emotions?
Does my child have depression or anxiety?
How can our therapist better help our child?
How can I help my child develop socially and emotionally?
BEHAVIORS
How do I help with my child’s disruptive or defiant behaviors?
Why does my child have so much difficulty with daily living skills?
Why is making friends so hard for my child?
Does my child have autism?
What makes Dr. Tan’s neuropsychological evaluations unique?
Both a science and an art, Dr. Tan’s distinctive approach means that his evaluations are comprehensive and evidence-based, while also being individualized and personalized to maximize your child’s potential.
Comprehensive
Unlike other kinds of evaluations, a neuropsychological evaluation is oftentimes the most comprehensive evaluation you can receive, as it assesses every part of your child’s functioning, including medical history, development, cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and psychosocial functioning. The evaluation will provide you with thorough answers to all of your questions, both face-to-face and in the form of a comprehensive written report that will provide your child’s family, schools, and other professionals with everything they need to support your child.
Evidence-Based
Dr. Tan is an expert in the field and has specialized knowledge about a variety of neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. These medical conditions include acquired insults or injuries to the brain, such as epilepsy, brain injury, concussion, brain tumors, strokes, and multiple sclerosis, or conditions affecting the brain that present from birth or early development, such as genetic disorders, prenatal exposure, congenital heart disease, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or learning disorders. He also has an extensive, up-to-date library of evidence-based tests, and is trained in many specialized tests that not all professionals are trained in (e.g., ADOS-2, gold standard instrument for autism spectrum disorder).
Individualized
Every part of Dr. Tan’s evaluation is individualized to your child’s needs, from using an assessment battery that is chosen to answer your specific questions to a full written report that is tailored to ensure they have all the necessary supports. He is focused on your unique child’s strengths and weaknesses, and the test results will highlight what your child needs to succeed as well as what assets to build on.
Personalized
Dr. Tan’s process is uniquely structured to provide you with all the personal time you need, including adequate time to talk openly and confidentially about your concerns and answer all of your questions. He also spends an entire day with your child to really get to know and observe them, and he does all parts of the evaluation personally instead of working with a technician or student.
What does the neuropsychological evaluation process look like?
Step 1
Initial Consultation
During the initial consultation, Dr. Tan will give you the chance to express your concerns and ask you questions to collect additional information. This appointment will allow him to customize his evaluation to answer all of your questions and can also help you decide if a neuropsychological evaluation is necessary. Prior to the evaluation, please send any records of previous testing that has been conducted by other providers (e.g., educational or psychological evaluation) and/or documentation related to special education services or educational accommodations (e.g., IEP or Section 504 Plan). The initial consultation will be conducted via Zoom, and your child does not need to be present.
Step 2
Testing Session
During the testing session, Dr. Tan will work with your child 1-on-1 to assess his thinking, learning, emotions, and behaviors. Your child will be asked to engage in hands-on activities, answer questions, or complete paper-and-pencil tasks. You will be asked to complete some paperwork, and in some cases, to observe a portion of the evaluation. The duration of the testing session is different for each child, but typically will include a full morning, break for lunch, and finishing up in the afternoon.
Step 3
Feedback Conference
During the feedback conference, Dr. Tan will meet with you to present his findings, answer your questions, and discuss a comprehensive treatment plan. Once the feedback conference has been completed, you will also receive a comprehensive written report to follow detailing the findings and recommendations of your child’s evaluation, which can be shared with their school or other medical and educational providers. The feedback conference will be conducted via Zoom, and your child does not need to be present.