What to Expect at Your Child’s Neuropsychological Evaluation

Neuropsychologists at Cincinnati Children’s offer comprehensive evaluations for children who are facing challenges with their brain function due to:

• A complex medical condition, such as epilepsy or stroke
• Medical treatment, such as chemotherapy

A neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist who understands how complex medical and brain-based disorders impact children. They pay special attention to how these medical concerns affect a child’s thinking skills, feelings, behavior, mood. An evaluation can help you understand these challenges and find new ways to help your child at home and school.

Making an Appointment for a Neuropsychological Evaluation

Helping You Understand Your Insurance Coverage

Every insurance plan is a little different. Nearly all plans pay for neuropsychological services, but the amount varies.

Someone from our team will call your insurance company to ask about your coverage and how much the neuropsychological evaluation may cost you. They will then call you to pre-register your child, discuss your coverage and schedule your first appointment.

What to Expect at Your Child’s Neuropsychological Evaluation

During the neuropsychological evaluation, the neuropsychologist will talk with you, your child and members of your child’s care team (such as the referring provider). If you wish, the neuropsychologist also will talk to people who work with your child at school (school psychologist, teacher, etc.).

The evaluation also includes tests to evaluate skills that are important for your child’s success. These skills include:

• Attention
• Language
• Learning and memory
• Problem-solving
• Thinking speed
• Visual ability

What to Expect After Your Child’s Neuropsychological Evaluation

The neuropsychologist will write an evaluation that includes:

• A summary of your child’s medical history
• Results from any tests your child took during the evaluation
• Insight about your child’s strengths and weaknesses in the context of their medical history or condition. This can help you understand how your child thinks and learns.
• Recommendations for how to help your child at home and school
• Ideas about services and treatment options. This may involve referrals for educational planning, therapy and other interventions.

You are welcome to share the report with your child’s school. If your child’s psychologist, teacher or other school personnel have questions, they may contact the neuropsychologist (with your permission).