Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does a neuropsychological evaluation consist of?

A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation by NESCA has both medical and educational components. It consists of four appointments--two for the parents, and two for the child. The first is an intake, or clinical interview, involving parents and doctor, which lasts about forty-five minutes. At this session, your doctor will listen carefully to your concerns, consider any that have been expressed by your pediatrician or primary care physician and take your child’s history. He or she will also explain the process for obtaining prior authorization for testing as now required by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts if you are insured by them, and our payment terms if you are not.

The next two appointments are testing sessions for your child. These are two hours each, with a break in the middle. Finally, there is a feedback session with the parents and the doctor, which lasts an hour and a half. Six to eight weeks after your feedback, you will receive a lengthy written report setting forth the test results and your doctor’s diagnostic findings, along with a detailed set of recommendations as to how your child’s individual needs might best be met, at home and at school.

Why does an evaluation at NESCA always address educational issues?

At NESCA, we considertesting for both diagnostic and educational purposes to be essential and inseparable elements of an effective evaluation. Because your child’s disability will inevitably affect his or her major life activity, which is school, it is important to understand the nature and extent of that impact. Conversely, much of any necessary remediation may well happen in school, and we need to be able to write well-reasoned, detailed recommendations about how the school should address your child’s special needs.

These recommendations need to be made persuasively, in a way that maximizes the likelihood that the school will recognize the recommended services as integral parts of the "free and appropriate public education (FAPE)" that public schools are required to provide to children with special needs. In addition, your child may need, and be legally entitled to, accommodations for his or her disability in the academic setting, and this also needs to be documented.

See How to Evaluate a Neuropsychological Assessment Report

Who should evaluate my child? How do I find the right person?

Finding a clinician with whom you can quickly establish a rapport and, ideally, build a supportive, long-term relationship can be difficult. It is a decision well worth taking seriously, as it can have far-reaching and expensive implications over the developmental life of your child. By following the link below, you will find some reasonably objective criteria to apply in choosing the “right” neuropsychologist and practice for your child.

Learn How to Find the Best Clinician for Your Child and Family Here

What does a neuropsychological evaluation consist of?

A neuropsychological evaluation by NESCA consists of four appointments--two for the parents, and two for the child. The first appointment is an intake with the parents and the doctor, which lasts about forty-five minutes. The next two appointments are testing sessions for the child, and these are two hours each, with a break in the middle. Finally, there is a feedback session with the parents and the doctor, which lasts for an hour and a half.

What does an evaluation cost, and how may I pay for it?

The cost of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at NESCA is $3600. The cost for an evaluation with Dr. Ann Helmus is $4200.

We require a 50% payment at the time of your child’s initial appointment and the balance at the second testing session. We accept personal checks and all major credit and debit cards. We do not bill any insurance companies directly. If you wish to seek reimbursement from them yourself, we will provide whatever documentation they require, that you authorize us to release to them.

What is included in the cost of the evaluation?

Included in this fee are: the initial intake session with parents, two testing sessions with the child, a feedback meeting with parents and the preparation of a detailed report with comprehensive recommendations. Participation in team meetings, school observations and consultations with other professionals are billed at each clinician’s hourly rate, ranging from $175 to $250 per hour.

Does NESCA ever offer pro-bono (free) or reduced-price evaluations?

NESCA is committed to making quality care available to those most in need and least able to afford it. To that end, we do offer free or subsidized evaluations and other services, but only through a number of charitable organizations with which we have had longstanding relationships. These include the Massachusetts Advocates for Children, the Epiphany School in Boston and the Sudanese Education Fund. We have found that this is the best way for us to leverage our limited resources.

What will the evaluation tell me about my child?

The purpose of the neuropsychological evaluation is to provide deeper knowledge of the child’s inherent strengths and weaknesses in order to better understand both the challenges that the child may experience in meeting developmental demands, and the strengths that he or she may call upon to compensate. Once the child’s learning profile is understood, recommendations can be made for direct interventions and supports at home and at school to assist the child in functioning to full potential.

Results of the neuropsychological profile are often used to make specific diagnoses and to provide parents with information about their child’s level of functioning relative to same-age peers.

See More About Non-Verbal Learning Disorder Here

Who will test my child?

All of the neuropsychologists at NESCA are psychologists who have completed post-doctoral training specifically in pediatric neuropsychology. Each neuropsychologist at NESCA worked directly with Dr. Ann Helmus for at least six months before seeing patients independently, in order to insure quality and uniformity in the assessments done through NESCA. The clinicians at NESCA consistently demonstrate an exceptionally strong commitment to professional excellence and to fully meeting the needs of the children and families we serve.

Dr. Helmus is assisted by post-doctoral fellows in all of her evaluations. Drs. Monaghan-Blout and McCormick are assisted by post-doctoral fellows in some of their evaluations. The post-doctoral fellows have completed their doctorates in psychology and are receiving at NESCA the additional supervised training in pediatric neuropsychology required for licensure. The post-doctoral fellows observe the intake and feedback sessions, and perform part of the testing under direct observation by their supervisor. Please be assured that the senior clinicians remain actively involved in the assessment of your child even when they are not personally administering the tests.

What will happen at the intake session?

The intake session is an opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s clinician alone, to discuss their concerns, ask questions and to get to know the doctor. The intake sessions are 30–45 minutes long, and typically involve a detailed review of the child’s developmental history and questions about the parents’ own observations of their child.

What can I expect at the feedback meeting?

The feedback session is the final appointment in the evaluation process and provides an opportunity for the clinician to present findings to the parents/guardians, respond to referral questions and fully explain recommendations. This meeting is scheduled as a 1 ½-hour block, some of which may be used for making phone contacts requested by the family and/or for other aspects of ongoing case management.

When will I receive a written report?

At NESCA, our goal is to deliver your written report four to six weeks after the feedback session. If you have a specific purpose (i.e., TEAM meeting, school conference) for which you will need a written document, please plan accordingly by scheduling such meetings seven to eight weeks after the feedback session. This will allow you to get the report to the school or others concerned at least a week prior to your meeting, which most schools are now requiring.

How should I prepare my child for this evaluation?

For school-age children, we recommend telling the child that you would like to have more information about how he or she learns, so that you can make sure that their teachers “know the best way of teaching” him or her. You can let your child know that they will spend about two hours working with a doctor who wants to understand how he or she learns and solves problems. The doctor will be asking the child questions, telling stories, showing pictures and asking him or her to draw.

For younger children, you may downplay the label “doctor” if this is a frightening term, and fell free to refer to your clinician by their first name. Reassure the child that this is an office with lots of toys and games in the waiting room as well as in the clinician’s office. Parents of preschool-age children may remain in the office throughout the testing.

Please try to assure that your child has adequate sleep the night before and a good breakfast on the day of the testing. It is important that you convey to your child a positive and confident attitude about the evaluation experience.

Does the NESCA office ever change appointments?

We recognize the difficulties that may be involved in making arrangements in order to bring your child to our scheduled appointments, and we make every effort not to make changes in appointment times. However, occasionally we must make scheduling changes in order to accommodate the medical, legal or educational needs of the families we serve. We will alert you to any changes as soon as possible. In the event of a schedule change, your child would be seen in the same general time frame as initially scheduled. We appreciate your patience and understanding under such circumstances.

What will I do while my child is being tested?

We invite you to make yourself comfortable in our large waiting area where your child will join you for a ten-minute break in the middle of the testing session. Feel free to bring your laptop and use our high-speed wireless internet service. If you would like to run errands in the area, we do request that you please leave your cell phone number with an administrator at our front desk, where you may also obtain a list of local businesses. Nonantum Village, with its many shops and restaurants, is just a block away.

There are times that we may request parents to remain in the waiting room. In consideration of other clients, we request that you limit cell phone usage to the lobby outside our office suite.

What about privacy?

At NESCA, we take our responsibility for your privacy very seriously! In designing our new facilities and information systems, we went to great lengths to comply fully with the privacy provisions of the federal HIPAA statute. Our hard-wired office computer network is secured by unbreakable 128-bit encryption. When clinicians use laptops in our office, they access our network through a secure wireless connection separate from a second, open wireless network we provide for your convenience. When they use their laptops remotely to communicate with our server, where some essential information may be stored, they do so through secure VPN (virtual private network) connections, rather than over the internet. Similarly, clinicians off site may access and transmit email through a secure connection for which an SSL Certificate has been issued. We are equally careful in our handling of files and other documents.