The world of child and adolescent mental health evaluations can feel shrouded in mystery, especially when there is pressure to find the right kind of evaluation to best serve your child’s needs. It might feel like there are many options for assessment, and it can be hard to tell the difference between them. In a prior seminar and blogs, we discussed the gold standard mental health assessment that we use at the Center for Effective Therapy: the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia (K-SADS), Top Problems, and a carefully selected group of questionnaires. This type of diagnostic assessment is a highly effective method of collecting important data about a child or teen’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. However, the Center for Effective Therapy’s Neuropsychology Program has begun offering a different kind of assessment service: a neuropsychological evaluation.
What is a neuropsychological evaluation and how is it different?
A neuropsychological evaluation is a detailed and comprehensive approach to identifying and understanding how an individual’s brain works, and the relationship between brain functioning and behavior. These evaluations go beyond the scope of a social, emotional, and behaviorally focused assessment. In addition to assessing the child in these areas, a neuropsychological evaluation examines the brain’s cognitive abilities including; intellectual functioning, attention and executive function skills, reasoning and problem-solving, language abilities, visual-spatial skills, sensory-perceptual functioning, fine motor abilities, learning and memory, academic achievement, and ability to achieve independence in daily living activities. Neuropsychologists select which abilities to assess depending on the individual’s presenting challenges, and the goal for the assessment.
Why might someone get a neuropsychological evaluation?
There are many reasons why a family might seek out an evaluation of this caliber for their child. Neuropsychological evaluations can be useful in understanding changes in thinking, memory, behavior or learning and can assist with diagnosing neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and others. For example, a child or young adult may be presenting with difficulties with attention and executive functioning skills like planning, organization, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility, which can present in several different disorders. The neuropsychological evaluation can provide comprehensive information that may support specific diagnoses. They can also be used as an educational evaluation of possible learning disabilities, and to determine the need for special education services and most appropriate interventions. In addition, neuropsychological evaluations are often used as a way for medical providers to understand how some medical conditions or injuries may affect behavior and learning. For example, an evaluation can help assess impairments or changes in functioning after a medical event, for instance, following a traumatic brain injury.
The Center for Effective Therapy assesses for the following psychological conditions: ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disorders (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia), Intellectual Disabilities, Language or communication disorders, social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
The Center for Effective Therapy assesses the impact of the following medical conditions: Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, Epilepsy, Cancer/brain tumors, Neurosurgery, Spina Bifida, and Genetic conditions. However, it is important to note that the diagnostic procedures used by the Center for Effective Therapy do not include neurological exams, EEGs, or brain imaging, and the Center does not prescribe medications.
What happens after the evaluation?
The data from the assessment comes in the form of self- and parent-report questionnaires, information from interviews with the child or teen, and caregivers, and a number of tasks that the individual completes in testing. The tests and activities administered during the evaluation are given in the same manner to everyone. The scores achieved on the tasks are compared to common results of other people the same age, or the same educational background, as the individual doing the evaluation. This comparison helps the neuropsychologist to interpret the results of the tasks and understand where the child or teen’s relative strengths and weaknesses are in their cognitive abilities. While the tests used in neuropsychological evaluations are not always normed for every population, clinicians at CET make sure to incorporate a culturally sensitive lens in all of our testing interpretation, so that the results are tailored to the individual’s background and needs.
The neuropsychologist will take the data and write an in-depth report that explains your child’s results. In many cases, the report will identify both where your child has strengths and also where they may need support. Based on these well-informed conclusions, they will provide recommendations for support and interventions that can assist your child or teen in their cognitive development. Recommendations may include school-based support, therapeutic interventions, or other types of treatment, such as occupational therapy, medicine, etc.
The comprehensive level of data provided by the neuropsychologist, and the thoughtful recommendations that come in the report, can lead to identifying helpful support to bolster a child’s success in school, at home, and socially.
Sources:
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (n.d.). What to expect at your neuropsychology evaluation. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/neuropsychology-and-assessment-service/your-childs-appointment
Children’s National Hospital. (n.d.). Neuropsychology outpatient evaluation program. Children’s National Hospital. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://www.childrensnational.org/get-care/departments/neuropsychology-outpatient-evaluation-program
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, November 21). Neuropsychological testing and assessment. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4893-neuropsychological-testing-and-assessment
McDonnell, C. (2024, July 18th). Tips for Talking About Assessment: How to Discuss Mental Health with Your Child or Teen. Retrieved from https://www.bakercenter.org/assessment4
McDonnell, C. (2024, July 17th). K-SADS, Top Problems, and Questionnaires: A Gold-Standard Child and Adolescent Mental Health Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.bakercenter.org/assessment3
McDonnell, C. (2024, July 10th). Assessment: My Child Needs Help! How Should I Get Started with Mental Health Care? Retrieved from https://www.bakercenter.org/assessment2