Why Seek a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation?

As a parent, understanding your child’s unique needs and abilities is essential. If you have concerns about your child’s development or suspect they might have autism, a neuropsychological evaluation can provide valuable information.

This evaluation helps identify your child’s strengths and challenges in areas like thinking, memory, language, and social skills. With this information, you can get a clearer picture of your child’s needs and receive tailored recommendations for their care and education.

A neuropsychological evaluation is a proactive step towards ensuring your child gets the best possible support, both at home and in school. It’s an investment in your child’s future, helping them reach their full potential with the right guidance and resources.

Why Seek a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation?

Identify or rule out autism

Understand difficult or challenging behavior

Identify individual strengths

Support gaining access to appropriate services

Understanding Neuropsychological Evaluations

So What Is A Neuropsychological Evaluation?

A neuropsychological evaluation for autism is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a trained psychologist to understand a child's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. This evaluation helps to identify whether a child has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and provides detailed insights into their strengths and weaknesses. It involves a series of standardized tests and observations designed to assess various aspects of a child’s development, including their thinking, problem-solving, memory, language skills, and social behaviors.

What Happens During The Evaluation?

When your child undergoes a neuropsychological evaluation at KGH Autism Services, they’ll engage in a variety of activities such as answering questions, completing paper-and-pencil tasks, and participating in hands-on exercises with a psychologist. The psychologist observes how your child approaches these tasks and behaves in structured settings, then compares your child’s performance to that of other children their age. They’ll also gather extra information through behavior checklists, interviews with you, and reviewing any available records.

How Can a Neuropsychological Evaluation Help?

This evaluation process helps the psychologist identify your child’s individual levels of functionality or areas of struggle, leading to a well-informed diagnosis and personalized recommendations for instruction, intervention, and treatment. It also provides you and other caregivers with a deeper understanding of your child’s learning style and needs. Any diagnoses, including the presence or absence of autism, will be discussed with you. With this insight, you can walk away with treatment approaches for home, school, and community settings. All this information will be shared with you and provided in a written report that you can share with other providers if you choose.

By understanding your child's unique abilities and challenges, you can better support their development and ensure they receive the best possible care and education.

Meet Our Evaluation Team:

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Dr. Lindsay McCary

Dr. Lindsay McCary serves as KGH’s Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. McCary is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism. Dr. McCary received her PhD in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina and completed a two-year combined research and clinical fellowship in developmental disabilities with an emphasis on autism. She has demonstrated expertise in the field through peer-reviewed publications, national and international presentations, and holds the highest level of certification in autism diagnostic tools. At KGH, Dr. McCary ensures our staff provide services backed by research and that services are delivered with the highest quality to support our clients and their families.

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Dr. Maureen Wood

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Dr. Kathryn Smith