Neuropsychological testing is a specialized assessment method used to evaluate a person’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning that may be affected by brain function. These tests require a higher level of experience and training to administer. We provide neuropsychological testing, but there are some limitations, so contact us to see if we might be a match for what you are looking for.
Neuropsychological tests cover a wide range of cognitive domains, including attention, memory, language, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, and problem-solving. The tests are often standardized, meaning they have been developed and normed on a large group of people to provide a basis for comparison.
Purposes of Neuropsychological Testing
Neuropsychological testing aims to identify and quantify deficits or changes in brain function resulting from various neurological conditions, injuries, or diseases. Some of the common reasons for undergoing neuropsychological testing include the following.
Testing for Developmental Issues 
Neuropsychological testing can be used in children or adults with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In these cases, neuropsychological testing can determine how best to overcome each diagnosis’s challenges and how to best tap into strengths. Neuropsychological testing can also help identify learning disabilities and the specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses that may be contributing. In both cases, the testing can help map out accommodations and modifications in school plans to help the student succeed.
Testing for Medical Issues
Neurological testing can assess cognitive function in individuals with neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, or traumatic brain injury. It can also assess the cognitive abilities and areas of impairment after stroke. The test results can help determine the extent of progression or improvement and how best to support the person.
Dementia and more general memory problems are often assessed with neurological testing. This helps track cognitive changes over time and may provide better treatment strategies.
Neuropsychological Testing for Diagnosis
Various neurological and psychological conditions can be diagnosed through neuropsychological testing. It can identify specific deficits in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, language, and executive function, which can indicate various disorders like ADHD, anxiety, and learning disabilities. It can also help differentiate between conditions that may present similar symptoms. For instance, it can help distinguish between ADHD and anxiety, and between depression and certain neurological disorders.
Treatment Planning Using Neuropsychological Testing
Neuropsychological assessments provide valuable information for developing individualized treatment plans. By identifying a person’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, therapists can tailor interventions and therapies to address specific needs. Neuropsychological testing can then be used to track changes in functioning over time. Regular testing can help assess the treatment’s effectiveness.
Academic and Employment Accommodations
For individuals with learning disabilities, attention disorders, or other cognitive impairments, neuropsychological testing can provide documentation often required for academic accommodations (e.g., extended test-taking time) or workplace accommodations (e.g., modified job tasks) to support their success. Academic testing can be done as part of officially mandated testing in grade school or testing for accommodations in college and graduate school.
Legal and Forensic Assessments
Neuropsychological assessments are used in legal settings to evaluate a person’s mental capacity, competency to stand trial, or the impact of a neurological condition on their behavior. They are also used in personal injury cases to determine the extent of cognitive impairment resulting from an accident.
Self-Improvement through Neuropsychological Testing
Neuropsychological assessments can be valuable for educating individuals and their families about cognitive strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge can help individuals better understand and cope with their conditions and develop strategies for compensating for deficits.
Overall, neuropsychological testing is a valuable tool for understanding and managing cognitive and emotional functioning, aiding in diagnosis, treatment planning, and the improvement of the quality of life for individuals with neurological or psychological conditions.
Neuropsychological Testing Process
The neuropsychological assessment process typically involves three steps:
Background Information
Neuropsychological testing starts with an interview to gather medical and personal history from you and your caregivers. We need to fully understand why you are looking for this type of testing and what questions you want to answer. During this process, we make sure that the tests we choose will lead to the answers you seek, so we will also review any medical records you send, notes from therapists, and other information; we will work together to set up other medical appointments if we need more. Collecting all of this background information is vital for this type of testing.
Neuropsychological Testing Administration
We administer the neuropsychological testing in our office or virtually, sometimes through both methods. We build a battery of tests to suit your needs and questions uniquely. It is hard to estimate how long the testing will take, but it can be broken up into manageable bits of time. We hope to complete the testing throughout 1-3 sessions, all done within two weeks, so we fully capture your state of mind and functioning. None of the tests are particularly stressful, and we make sure you understand the directions before we start.
Neuropsychological Testing Results
The testing results in our report answer your referral questions and usually go further than that. The most important part of the report is often the “Suggestions” section, which will give suggestions for what directions in therapy would be helpful, to practical tips and interventions for work, home, and social areas. The report will also provide diagnostic information, describe the extent of impairments, and a plan to track changes over time.
Sharing Your Neuropsychological Testing Results
We can tailor a report to send to a therapist, primary care physician, or others who may provide you care. The neuropsychological testing report can be quite useful in helping them tailor your treatment specifically to your strengths and challenges. We can also tailor our report to your school so that you can get accommodations that will be helpful for your learning, or your employer if you may need accommodations there as well.
Conclusions and Summary
It’s important to note that neuropsychological testing is just one component of a comprehensive assessment process. The results are usually integrated with other clinical information to form a complete picture of the individual’s cognitive and emotional functioning. Moreover, the tests should be conducted and interpreted by qualified professionals with expertise in neuropsychology. It can be quite helpful to meet with a specialist before your testing to narrow the focus of the testing and ensure that it is the right approach for you. There may be alternative psychological evaluations or medical tests, or other testing that should be done alongside your neuropsychological testing.
Our Neurological Testing Services
We provide neuropsychological testing covering most presenting issues and concerns, particularly assessing for ADHD, differentiating between multiple diagnoses, and testing for learning differences. We do not offer services that revolve around specific medical diagnoses where a specialist may be better suited to serve you. Not all neuropsychological testing can be done virtually, so we may need to make a referral if you do not live near our offices in Massachusetts, New York, or Southern California. We will ensure that we are the best fit to provide you with neuropsychological testing; if not, we can refer you to our trusted network.
Feel free to contact us to discuss your presenting issue and whether we can help.
