11.20.13

If my child is having academic difficulties, can’t I just have his or her school psychologist do an evaluation?

There are several scenarios where an evaluation conducted by a school psychologist may be helpful.  However, there are many differences between evaluations conducted through the school district versus ones provided at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center.  First, clinicians at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center have extensive years of training, including internship and post-doctoral training, regarding brain behavior relations, neuropsychology, developmental issues, psychopathology, assessment of various clinical conditions, and in-depth knowledge of psychometrics and assessment.  Second, a neuropsychological evaluation is generally much more comprehensive and detailed regarding the client’s strengths and challenges and offers detailed recommendations across both academic and social-emotional domains.  Third, clinicians at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center are able to diagnose various clinical conditions, whereas school psychologists are not able to do this in their role on the school team.  Clinicians at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center value the respective expertise provided by school personnel and welcome the opportunity to collaborate with school teams to best inform educational planning.