Child, Teen & Young Adult Evaluations for Harrison and Purchase, NY

The Harrison Central School District covers a wider stretch of ground than its name suggests — six schools in all: Harrison High School, Louis M. Klein Middle School, and the Harrison Avenue, Parsons Memorial, Samuel J. Preston and Purchase elementary schools. Families from across that area come to Dr. Nicole Crispinelli, a licensed psychologist and a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology (American Board of School Neuropsychology), for evaluations at her office in Mount Kisco.

The most common reason Harrison parents call

It is usually some version of the same sentence: the school says he is fine, and he is not fine.

That is not a criticism of the district. School-based evaluations are built to answer a narrow legal question — does this student qualify for services — and a child can fall short of that threshold while still having a real, identifiable difficulty that is costing them. A private evaluation asks a different and wider question: what is actually going on, and what specifically helps.

What usually prompts the call

• A child who has been told they are "just not trying," where effort is clearly not the problem

• A gap between strong verbal ability and weak written work

• Attention or organisation problems that surfaced when the workload stepped up at Klein Middle School

• Social difficulties in a verbally capable child that have been read as shyness or stubbornness

• A district evaluation that came back inconclusive, or that a family wants an independent view on

• A high school junior or senior who needs current documentation for testing accommodations

The young adult piece

This practice evaluates young adults as well as children. That matters in a community with several colleges close by: students who managed well with structure at home and then hit trouble once nobody was managing their time for them. An evaluation in that situation is often about executive functioning rather than intelligence, and the resulting documentation can be used with a college's disability services office.

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 Harrison and Purchase

The office is at 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. From Harrison or Purchase it is roughly a 25 to 30 minute drive outside of rush hour — the Hutchinson River Parkway runs directly into I-684, and the office is a short distance off the highway. 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 — a chance to describe what you are seeing and ask questions, not a confirmed appointment. Request a call → or call 914-200-2512.