What to Expect from an Evaluation
At Dinklage Associates the goal of the assessment is to help our clients adapt successfully at work, school, and in relationships. The assessment will include differential diagnosis of specific learning, attention, and psychological disorders, but to be useful it must go beyond these labels/categories. Many individuals have cognitive and emotional styles that are not "disorders"; these styles may be very helpful in some settings but less adaptive in others. In our comprehensive assessments we attempt to understand how a client's strengths, weaknesses, and particular style match with school or work expectations. The same neuropsychological profile has very different consequences for different ages, school systems, families, and individual motivational states. At Dinklage Associates we look past the test scores to create a picture of the client in the world. This individualized approach gives great importance to environmental demands as well as to internal client characteristics, which leads to real life, practical interventions and recommendations.
Neuropsychological evaluations involve the analysis of highly technical information but at Dinklage Associates, the reports are written in plain language and the implications of the findings are projected into the client's real life. After receiving and discussing the report with the neuropsychologist, the client should have a clear understanding of the cognitive and emotional contributions to their current adaptive challenge and both a short term and long term (multi-year) strategy for dealing with the challenge.
Logistical Process
After scheduling an appointment (by telephone or email), history forms, questionnaires, and directions will be mailed to your house. Bring completed forms along with any previous testing and relevant medical/school summaries to the first appointment. Neuropsychological testing typically involves 2 sessions ranging from 2 to 3 hours each. We start with an interview (parent interview for children) and then the testing begins. Sometimes additional testing time is required, depending on the findings. For older children and adults, testing all in one day can usually be arranged. Sometimes brief feedback can be provided at the end of the last session. Expect the report to take about two weeks to be completed. A feedback session can be scheduled after the review of the report.
