Question 1

My child's school offered to evaluate him. Why would I pay for a private evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes you should not. A district evaluation is free, and for many children it is enough. A private evaluation is worth considering when the district has declined to evaluate, when the school's evaluation did not explain what you are seeing, when you need a diagnosis the school does not make, or when you want a fuller picture than an eligibility decision requires.On the free call I will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

Question 2

What is the difference between a school evaluation and a private one?

Accepted Answer

A school evaluation exists to answer one question: does this child qualify for services under the law. A private evaluation asks a broader one: how does this child think, learn and cope, and what should the adults around them do differently.The two overlap, but they are not the same document and they are not written for the same reader.

Question 3

What if we talk and you do not think we need an evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Then I will say so, and tell you what I would do instead. It happens regularly and it is one of the more useful fifteen minutes I spend.

Question 4

Is this ADHD, or is it anxiety, or is it a learning disability?

Accepted Answer

Frequently it is more than one, and frequently they look alike from the outside. A child who cannot focus may have attention difficulties, or may be anxious, or may be struggling to read and avoiding the work.Untangling that is most of what an evaluation is for.

Question 5

Do you take my insurance?

Accepted Answer

No — this is a private-pay practice. I provide a detailed superbill you can submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Insurance, payment and timelines sets out exactly what to ask your plan, including the five billing codes to read them over the phone.

Question 6

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

I discuss fees openly on the free 15-minute call, and you receive a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges before anything begins.Payment is half when testing begins and the balance when you receive the final report. I accept check, Zelle, and credit card. There is a 3.5% processing fee on card payments.

Question 7

How long until we get the report?

Accepted Answer

Most families have the written report within one to two weeks of the last testing session, which is faster than most practices in this area. If you are working to a school deadline, tell me on the first call.

Question 8

We already had testing. Can you look at it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I review prior testing and school records as part of the intake, at no extra charge. A fresh reading often changes what still needs measuring, and sometimes it answers your question without repeating the testing at all.

Question 9

How old does my child need to be?

Accepted Answer

I evaluate children from age five through young adulthood.

Question 10

What actually happens, and how long does it take?

Accepted Answer

A typical evaluation is about an hour with you at the start, six to eight hours of testing with your child — usually across two sessions of three to four hours, though every child is different — and an hour with you at the end. The written report follows within one to two weeks of the last testing session. What actually happens, start to finish walks through each stage in detail.

Question 11

What will you actually do with my child?

Accepted Answer

Structured tasks: puzzles, questions, reading, drawing, memory games, timed activities. It looks more like school-flavoured games than a medical appointment. There are breaks, and nothing is painful or invasive.

Question 12

Will my child know something is wrong?

Accepted Answer

I tell children the truth in an age-appropriate way: we are figuring out how their brain learns best, so the grown-ups can help better. Most leave feeling more understood, not less.

Question 13

Do I have to tell the school?

Accepted Answer

No. The report is yours. You decide whether to share it, with whom, and when. If you do want to share it, I can help you think through the timing.

Question 14

Will the school have to follow your recommendations?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. A district must consider an outside evaluation, but it is not bound by it. That is precisely why the recommendations are written the way they are: specific, tied to what was measured, and phrased in the language a committee works in.

Question 15

Can you come to our CSE or 504 meeting?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is included by request at no extra charge. Before opening this practice I spent more than ten years inside Westchester school districts as a school psychologist and CSE and 504 Chairperson, so I know how a committee reads a report and which recommendations get implemented.

Question 16

Do you offer therapy afterwards?

Accepted Answer

No. Evaluations are all I do. That is deliberate, because it means I have no reason to recommend a service I happen to sell. When therapy is the right next step I will point you toward clinicians who do it well.

Frequently Asked Questions About Neuropsychological Evaluations