Briarcliff Manor, NY Evaluations — An Independent View

Briarcliff Manor is a small district in the best sense — three schools, staff who know children across years rather than semesters, and a genuine continuity of care. What a small district cannot always give you is a second set of eyes. Dr. Nicole Crispinelli is a licensed psychologist and a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology (American Board of School Neuropsychology). She evaluates children, adolescents and young adults from Briarcliff Manor at her office in Mount Kisco.

The Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District

The district runs Todd Elementary School for the elementary years, Briarcliff Middle School for grades six through eight, and Briarcliff High School.

Continuity is a real advantage: a concern raised in third grade is not lost by fifth, and the adults involved have usually watched the child grow up. The limitation is that a small staff sees a smaller range. When a child's profile is unusual — strong in ways that mask a weakness, or weak in a way that does not match the familiar pattern — an outside evaluation brings standardized comparison and a different kind of expertise to the same question, without displacing what the school already knows.

What usually prompts the call

• A long-standing concern that has been watched for years without being formally established

• A student whose written output has never matched their obvious understanding

• Reading that is accurate but effortful, where the cost shows up under time pressure

• Organisation difficulties that surfaced at Briarcliff Middle

• Attention difficulties in a quiet, compliant student who is getting by

• Social difficulties in a verbally able child where autism has not been considered

• A junior or senior needing current documentation for testing accommodations

• A young adult whose first year of college revealed what home structure had been covering

What the evaluation involves

• A free 15-minute call first — a conversation, not a booked appointment

• A one-hour intake with parents, without the child present. Any previous testing is reviewed as part of that intake

• Six to eight hours of direct testing with the child, usually across more than one session

• A one-hour feedback meeting with parents to go through the findings before the report is finalized

• The written report, typically one to two weeks after testing is complete

• Attendance at a CSE or 504 meeting, by request, is included

Appointments can usually be scheduled within a few weeks. Sessions are not recorded. Office hours are 9:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday.

How the report is used at school

Two routes exist. A 504 Plan provides accommodations — extended time, a separate testing location, assistive technology, reduced written output — for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity. An IEP provides specially designed instruction and related services, and requires classification under one of New York's disability categories. A private evaluation can support either, and part of the feedback meeting is spent on which route actually fits your child.

New York State regulations set the timelines once a district evaluation is requested: an initial individual evaluation must be completed within 60 days of the district receiving parental consent, and where a student is found eligible, the district must arrange programs and services within 60 school days of that consent.

Dr. Crispinelli spent more than ten years working inside New York public schools, and chaired both CSE and 504 committees. She has sat on the district side of these meetings, which is why the reports are written the way they are.

This is general information about how the process works in New York. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a special education attorney or advocate.

Getting here from Briarcliff Manor

The office is at 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 — roughly 20 minutes northeast of Briarcliff Manor. Testing is scheduled in longer blocks rather than many short visits.

Fees, payment and insurance

This is a private-pay practice. A superbill is provided so you can pursue out-of-network reimbursement with your insurer if your plan allows it; reimbursement is never guaranteed and depends entirely on your individual plan. The codes that typically appear on a superbill for this work are 90791, 96132, 96133, 96136 and 96137.

Payment is accepted by check, Zelle, or credit card (credit card payments carry a 3.5% processing fee). Half is due when testing begins, and the balance is due upon receipt of the final report.

Start with a call

A free 15-minute call is the place to begin — describe what you are seeing and ask whatever you want to ask. Request a call → or call 914-200-2512.