Children's HealthCare

Special Education Info

WHAT IS A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIC EVALUATION?

Children are referred for neuropsychological testing because of one or more problems, such as:

• Difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control;
• A disease or inborn developmental problem that affects the brain in some way;
• A brain injury from an accident, birth, trauma, or other physical stress.

A neuropsychological evaluation assists in better understanding your child’s functioning in areas such as memory, attention, perception, coordination, language, and personality. This information will help you and your child’s teacher, therapists, and physician provide treatments and interventions for your child that will meet his or her unique needs.

A typical neuropsychological evaluation of a school-age child may assess these areas:

• General intellect
• Achievement skills, such as reading and math
• Executive skills, such as organization, planning, inhibition, and flexibility
• Attention
• Learning and memory
• Language
• Visual-spatial skills
• Motor coordination
• Behavioral and emotional functioning
• Social skills

Some abilities may be measured in more detail than others, depending on your child’s needs. A detailed developmental history and data from the child’s teacher may also be obtained. Observing your child to understand his or her motivation, cooperation, and behavior is a very important part of the evaluation.

By comparing your child’s test scores to children of similar ages, the neuropsychologist can create a profile of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

• Testing can explain why your child is having school problems
• Testing can help detect the effects of developmental, neurological, and medical problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, epilepsy or a genetic disorder.
• Testing can also help differentiate between attention deficit and depression or determine whether a language delay is due to a problem in producing speech, understanding or expressing language, social shyness, autism, or cognitive delay.
• Most importantly testing provides a better understanding of your child’s behavior and learning in school and at home. This evaluation can guide teachers, therapists, and parents to better help their child to achieve his or her potential.

It is important that you speak with a representative at your health insurance company to discuss your coverage before scheduling a neuropsychological evaluation. It has proven difficult, however not impossible, to have this form of testing covered. When speaking with you insurance company, one piece of advice. DO NOT mention school or difficulties your child may be having educationally. Most, if not all insurance companies will not cover educationally related concerns/issues. I know how confusing this may sound, so please do feel free to call Barbara Kneeland at 978-388-7250 to discuss this further before speaking with you insurance provider.

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Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE)- FAPE helps parents and advocates improve educational results for children with disabilities. When you click on this page, scroll down and click on (FAPE-27) School Accommodations and Modifications. http://www.fape.org/pubs/index.htm

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Questions regarding extended school year special education programs? http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/ta/esyp_qa.html

Massachusetts Department of Education Special Education Regulations- www.doe.mass.edu/sped/

Massachusetts Department of Education Special Education Appeals- www.doe.mass.edu/bsea/

Parent Friendly Information Regarding Special Education Regulations- www.wrightslaw.com

Federation for Children with Special Needs- FCSN provides information support and assistance to parents of children with disabilities. www.fcsn.org