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FAQs:
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What is a Neurodevelopmental Assessment?
How might this assessment differ from other testing my child may have had?
What will our day be like? How long does it take?
Should my child take prescribed medication? What if we have medical concerns?
What kind of report will we receive? Can we use the report to get school services?
Is this type of evaluation appropriate for all children?
Will Dr. Mel Levine be part of my child's clinical team?
How can I help support families through financial assistance?
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Our assessment determines a student's profile of neurodevelopmental functions and links these functions to the student's academic skills to explain how they learn. Neurodevelopmental functions are the basic brain processes that affect learning: attention, memory, language, spatial ordering, sequencing, higher order thinking, social thinking, and neuromotor skills. Understanding a neurodevelopmental profile helps reveal why a student is struggling in school.
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Our model is interdisciplinary and collaborative, which means that the clinicians assess the child individually and then integrate their findings as a team to provide a comprehensive profile of a child's strengths and weaknesses.
It is interactive, involving the child, as opposed to simply asking questions. Most students enjoy this experience.
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Your child will spend several hours with the clinical team. The clinical team consists of a learning specialist, a pediatrician, and a neurodevelopmentalist, who may be the same pediatrician or a psychologist. Breaks and snacks are provided. Parents view the entire assessment from a separate location. Following the assessment, the team conferences while you go to lunch. When you return, a clinician meets with you for a demystification, a summary of neurodevelopmental findings that affect learning. A typical day begins between 8-9:15am and ends between 3-4:30pm.
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If your child typically takes medication on school days, he/she should do so for this assessment, in order to evaluate representative performance.
If you have questions about the effectiveness of medication (e.g., stimulant), please check with Student Success Intake staff in advance of the assessment so that a pediatrician can address questions and the need for administering the medication in the morning prior to an assessment. A pediatrician will meet with you to review any medical issues that are relevant to learning.
If your child wears glasses, make sure you bring them!
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A detailed report includes relevant background information, summary of medical and neurological examinations, the neurodevelopmental assessment, the educational assessment of academic concerns, a learning profile, and a learning plan that includes specific recommendations for home and school. It is generally mailed within one month of the visit.
Because of the dynamic nature of our assessment, no standard scores (e.g., I.Q. or achievement) or diagnostic labels are generated. We can advise you about specialized services but cannot mandate that a school use our report.
Typically, parents share the learning plan with teachers, most of whom are receptive to specific recommendations.
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We focus primarily on learning problems within the general classroom for students in grades 1-12. Our model is not suitable for children with more severe needs. We do not address significant emotional or behavioral conditions. Children with low cognitive functioning would benefit from specialized assessments related to their needs.
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Dr. Levine is instrumental in refining our clinical model, but he does not assess students at the office. All of our clinicians, however, are trained to replicate his approach.
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