A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive process that assesses an individual’s skills and development in the following domains:

• IQ

• Academics

• Executive functions

• Language

• Memory

• Social/emotional functioning

The purpose of a comprehensive evaluation is to identify your (or your child’s) unique profile of cognitive and psychological strengths, challenges, and characteristics. 

People seek out assessment for a variety of reasons.  At Understanding Minds, Dr. Backe works with young people from school age to early adulthood and their families as they navigate challenges and/or questions associated with development, education, mental health, and neurodivergence.  Referral questions that are a good fit for assessment include:

• My child has so many wonderful qualities, but they are hard on themselves and their grades are slipping.  What can I do to help?

• Parenting lately has been tough.  Is this one of the typical challenges of child development, or is something more going on?

• What are the unique strengths and weaknesses of my child’s profile? We are homeschooling and I want to tailor my educational decisions to meet their needs.

• I’ve tried therapy in the past, but it didn’t work. Why? What could help in moving forward?

• My child has been really struggling lately and we can’t figure out what is going on.  What should we do?

• One of my clients had been making gains in treatment, but hit a plateau. Are there other factors at play that might be helpful to consider?

• Is my daughter autistic? Do I have ADHD?

• How could a neurodiversity framework help my child better understand themselves and build a positive self-concept?

• Clinical interviews with client and parent(s)

• Four blocks (2-3 hours each) of direct testing scheduled over two days

• Opportunity for check-ins over the course of the evaluation process to clarify any questions that emerge

• Virtual feedback session with the child or adolescent

• Virtual feedback session with parent(s)

• Written report that summarizes diagnostic conceptualization, strengths, concerns, history, and recommendations

School-based evaluations typically focus on academic achievement, cognitive abilities, behavioral observations, and classroom performance. They are used to determine eligibility for services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

Private neuropsychological evaluations are broader in scope, and center understanding of brain-behavior relationships. Customized to meet client and family needs, they explore a wider range of functions at a greater level of detail.

There are many natural variations in the ways that people experience, interact with, and understand the world. Neurodiversity is a term that acknowledges and affirms those differences as part of human diversity, to be understood and respected rather than pathologized. As a neurodiversity-affirming practice, Understanding Minds helps clients understand their own unique ways of encountering and interacting with the world in order to live, learn, and work at their best.