How do you choose the right neuropsych for eval ?

[Ummto4]

So, I really don't know what I should look for in a neuropsych.

 

I tried to ask my local HS mailing list for a recommendation, but answers vary - from neuropsych in local children hospital, to neurodevelopmentalist, to neuroregeneration neurologist.

 

Really, I don't know what kind of test I should look for.

 

Anybody kindly enlighten me what kind of things I should ask ? What kind of test should be given ? What sort of report I expect from a neuropsych.

 

Basically, I'm looking for these things:

1. Identification of my ds's strength.

2. Identification of the sources of his weaknesses (some skipping words when he reads, some difficulties in memorization, etc), and possibly identify more weaknesses which I may overlook. He's not dyslexic per se - but he does have dyslexic tendencies.

3. Suggestion on how to improve the situation and how to help him soar with his strength.

4. Identification of his learning style to help me to modify homeschooling (if needed).

 

I'm pretty knowledgeable in the area of LD thing, but I don't want to miss anything, esp. the underlying cause of his glitches (KWIM). So I want it to be a thorough check.

 

Thanks

Edited January 26, 2012 by mom2moon2

[PeterPan]

Well there IS a neurodevelopmentalist out in TX that may be near you that is well known... But that doesn't mean you should do it. What you NEED is a neuropsychologist evaluation. I suggest you google dyslexia and your town or state and pick them that way. Ours was on the board of a dyslexia association for our state. I figured if anyone was going to tell it to me straight, he would.

 

The neuropsych is going to do IQ testing, achievement testing (if you haven't already done that, ours used our WJIII scores), and then detailed tests for phonological processing, attention, etc. So the things you're talking about are what comes OUT of the testing, but it's not the tests themselves. You just need a neuropsych.

 

Now the neurodevelopmentalist is another breed. They're somewhat controversial, being self-proclaimed and self-labeled. They TRY to get to the root of things and DO have some interesting points to make. But, at least the one from TX that I met, also has a lot of holes and grandiose claims. So they stuff they say is good, just sometimes incomplete, expensive, and keeping people from proper help. Like they told me that my then 11 yo would have all her eye problems correct if she would crawl every day. Yeah. I went to a COVD doc and got VT done right. I still had her crawl, but crawling WASN'T going to correct her eye problems, not at that point.

 

So if you can put up with that kind of potential for stupidity and misguidance, yes they have some good things to say.

 

Didn't I send you some names? Or was that someone else? Just call those people and talk with them. Every np I called was more than happy to talk with me. And by the time you talk to a few, you'll have a good sense of who you want and what you feel comfortable with. Be very specific, asking them what they charge, how they feel about homeschooling, how many hours they spend testing, what tests they would be likely to run, how many pages long the write-up will usually be, what amount of time will be spent with you before and after, taking a history and explaining results. These can all vary with the np, so you'll get a sense pretty quickly of what you think.

 

I got really perfectionist about the np thing and was going to hold out, looking for someone perfect, but then I realized (after some whomping from people on the boards) that almost ANYONE could run that IQ test, a few others, and give me some decent feedback. It's not like my kid was such a hard case. So I finally picked someone I thought could probably do it, someone who showed up in a few places (cross-referenced) and just went for it. It worked out fine for us, and I think it will work out fine for you. If you like them on the phone (demeanor) and they answer your questions and are going to spend a good amount of time with you and are comfortable with homeschooling, I think it will be FINE, honest. You're not a hard case.

[NittanyJen]

If your child has a specific disorder, finding a neuropsych who specializes in that disorder can be very helpful; there is not a "one size fits all" bank of tests, or even manner of interpreting these tests. For example, Dr. Carole Samango-Sprouse in Annapolis, MD (EdD) specializes in kids with SCA's (different numbers of X or Y chromosomes such as trisomy X or 47,XXY or XYY), autism, and dyslexia. The children's hospital in Denver has an entire wing devoted to 47,XXY.

 

If your child does not yet have a specific diagnosis, it's still worth an evaluation; just do your homework, starting with looking for someone at your nearest children's hospital, or googling neuropsychs in your state or nearby states and see if they are associated with any particular specialty-- even if they specialize in a disorder that shares characteristics with your child, that may be good enough; or you may find people to contact who have used their services and find out if they are happy (or if insurance paid).

 

Good luck. We have never regretted getting the eval done on our DS8; the insights we gained have never stopped paying off.

[Ummto4]

Thank you for OhElizabeth and Nittajen.

 

One more question. What if I am dealing with a group practice ? Should I interview every one of them (that would be weird) ? How do you deal with a group practice which would assign 'anybody availlable' for any patient ? It's a gamble, right ?

[PeterPan]

I would see if the practitioners have specialties and find the one that fits your kid best and hold out for that person. Or ask the secretary to describe their personalities so you can see who would be a best fit. Or find someone who has used that practice. Probably it would work out fine no matter who you saw, but you'd probably prefer one over another. The VT place we used had lots of docs like that and would just set you up, or you could specify if you had an opinion.