Evaluations for Bronxville, NY Families — A Private Second Opinion

Bronxville is a one-square-mile village with a single school district serving it, and the district's elementary, middle and high schools sit together on one campus on Pondfield Road. Almost every family knows almost every other family. That closeness is one of the reasons people love the village — and it is also, quite often, the reason a parent wants an evaluation done somewhere else. 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 Bronxville at her office in Mount Kisco.

Why distance is sometimes the point

An evaluation is a private matter. In a small district, a child who is pulled out of class for testing is noticed, and parents are often weighing the value of the information against how visible the process will be. An outside evaluation is not part of the school's file unless you choose to share it. You decide whether it goes to the district at all, and when.

That independence has a second benefit. A private evaluator is not employed by the district whose provision is being discussed, which means the findings and the recommendations stand on their own.

What usually prompts the call

• A school-based evaluation that came back as "not eligible," where the difficulty is clearly still there

• Wanting an independent view alongside what the district has already found

• A capable student whose output has never matched their understanding

• Attention or executive functioning problems that appeared when the workload increased

• Social difficulties in a verbally able child where autism has never been formally considered

• Documentation needed for College Board or ACT accommodations, usually against a deadline

• A young adult whose first year of college exposed something that had been managed at home

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 Bronxville

The office is at 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Bronxville is the furthest south of the communities this practice regularly sees, and the drive is roughly 40 minutes outside of rush hour — the Bronx River Parkway north to the Sprain and across, or the Hutchinson River Parkway into I-684. It is a real drive, which is why testing is scheduled in long blocks rather than many short visits, and why the free 15-minute call happens by phone before anyone gets in a car.

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

If you are a Bronxville parent wondering whether an evaluation is worth the trip, say so on the call and you will get a straight answer. Request a call → or call 914-200-2512.