Caring for Your Child’s Mind

A clinical neuropsychologist is a psychology professional with special expertise in brain-behavior relationships. Pediatric neuropsychologists assess, diagnose and treat children with neurological, medical, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, as well as other cognitive and learning disorders.

This service currently accepts referrals only from Sutter-affiliated providers. Please talk to your child’s pediatrician or specialist at Sutter about your concerns and whether a neuropsychological or neurodevelopmental assessment would be right at this time.

Neuropsychological Evaluation

A neuropsychological evaluation can help guide treatment for your child’s medical or neurodevelopmental disorder and help target supportive resources. Assessments aim to determine a child’s strengths and challenges, identify a clear diagnosis and plan the best treatment.

A child’s neuropsychological evaluation often includes four major parts:

1. An interview with parents regarding the child’s developmental history and current functioning (we may request that older children are present for this interview at times).
2. A review of medical and other records, such as school assessments, developmental assessments and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
3. Tests to measure a wide range of abilities.
4. A feedback session to provide insight and recommendations about your child’s development and current pattern of strengths and challenges.

Later, you will receive a full report of the evaluation’s findings and recommendations. Your neuropsychologist will give these findings to your referring provider and help with treatment planning.

A typical neuropsychological evaluation will focus on:

• Overall cognitive functioning and abilities
• Language
• Visual-perceptual and spatial skills
• Learning and memory
• Attention and concentration
• Problem-solving skills
• Planning and organization
• Abstract thinking
• Academic skills

A neuropsychological evaluation should provide you with:

• A better understanding of how your child thinks, plus strengths and challenges.
• Information to inform ongoing care with your child’s medical provider and treatment team.
• A baseline of functioning used to compare future performance, guide future treatment and measure of the impact of certain types of brain treatments.
• Information that can guide your child’s return to school, sports and other activities.
• Recommendations for interventions and supportive resources for your child.

Exclusions

Sutter Pediatric Neuropsychology does not conduct evaluations for:

• Primary neuropsychiatric conditions (anxiety disorders, depression and behavioral disorders).
• Specific learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia and reading disorders), unless those concerns come up during an ongoing medical neuropsychology or autism evaluation.
• Gifted and talented programs or private school admissions testing.
• Auditory processing disorders (this should be conducted by an audiologist).
• School placement or SAT/ACT testing accommodations. 

Helpful Resources

• Preparing for Your Visit (PDF)
• Resources for Parents (PDF)