How do I get a neuropsych eval?

As a neuropsychologist, behavior analyst, therapist, & advocate for neurodivergent children, I believe in the services I provide. I love my job & try to make a meaningful impact on each family that I work with… yet there are so many families I need to turn away…

Each week I field calls & emails from families who have never heard of a “neuropsych eval,” but a pediatrician, therapist, speech & language pathologist, occupational therapist, special education teacher, friend, family member, advocate, or lawyer said they “must” get one. They are told that this type of evaluation will help them understand the “whole” child, provide needed medical diagnoses, & help them advocate for what their child needs in school… so parents begin the long, confusing, & expensive journey of securing a neuropsych eval…

“Wait, it will cost over $5,000 if I want a ‘good’ one? I need to wait over a year to get one? Insurance will only cover part of it or none of it?”

In the meantime, they consult with a lawyer, “How do I get the services my child needs in school?” The special education lawyer tells them, “Step one, get a neuropsych eval. Step two, get a school observation. Step three, get another neuropsych eval a year later. Step four, have the neuropsychologist come to the IEP meeting.” In the meantime, bills start to pile up from the advocates & lawyers. School observations & IEP meetings are never covered by insurance… families are forced to make hard financial choices…

“Do we pay our mortgage or do we pay for a neuropsych?”

Months later, & thousands of dollars later, they receive a report that says their child needs a therapist… they go back to square one. They start researching “good” therapists & come up with the same information….

“Wait, it will cost over $300 per appointment (unless I see a ‘student’ therapist)? They don’t accept insurance, even though it is the ‘best’ type of therapy?”

More waiting lists & sifting through more therapist lists… they find one. Maybe covered by their insurance (maybe not)… more months pass (& maybe more debt accrues). They don’t see progress. They are still worried about their child. They spend nights awake thinking about what they can do & try to tell themselves that they are doing what was recommended, “Maybe we just don’t see the progress yet?” They start googling & learn that there are all types of therapy… but only a few that have a lot of research to support their effectiveness in children… they start to wonder…

“What does my child do in therapy? What are their goals? Why can’t I go in with them?”

Their heart sinks… they have now spent hours, weeks, & hundreds of dollars on “talk therapy”… Therapy that has not included parent training. There are no specific goals, ways to measure progress, or research-based techniques being used…

If you are a provider in the field, you have heard this story over & over again… yet it breaks my heart every time I hear this. I spend hours on the phone each week fielding these questions, explaining things to parents, providing them with the information they need to make the best decision for their family. It is often the families that do not have the financial means or the educational resources to navigate this process that suffer the most. These are the stories that impact me. They keep me up at night & hurt my heart... essentially, this is how Neurodiversity Support for Children was born.