Neuropsychological Evaluations

Neuropsychological evaluations are available at Collegiate Coaching Services for individuals ages 12 and up.

What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

Neuropsychological evaluations are used to determine how well the brain is functioning after injury or in light of genetic or developmental issues. They provide a more in-depth look at cognitive functioning than psychoeducational assessments. They also help guide someone’s short and long-term goals, clarify diagnoses, reveal areas of strength, and provide solutions for deficit areas, including treatment planning.

Some of the mental processes evaluated in a neuropsychological evaluation include mood, personality, intellect, attention, concentration, processing speed, learning, reasoning, novel problem-solving, language abilities, spatial abilities, memory, and executive functions like planning and organizing.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

Collegiate Coaching Services provides neuropsychological evaluations to adolescents and young adults ages 12 and up. Individuals referred for neuropsychological evaluation often have compromised or changed social, occupational, or academic functioning. This is often due to a brain injury, or a genetic or developmental issue. They could be experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  • Short-term memory issues
  • Losing things frequently
  • Difficulty paying attention and following conversations
  • Difficulty speaking, remembering the right words, or understanding the words of others
  • Difficulty identifying visual and spatial relationships between objects
  • Exhibiting poor decision making or poor judgment
  • Sudden change in personality
  • Getting lost frequently
  • Increased anxiety
  • Hallucinating
  • Experiencing delusions
  • Sudden inability to manage finances
  • Cognitive challenges after experiencing a concussion or head injury, or illness like COVID-19

How Does a Neuropsychological Evaluation Work?

Only a trained, licensed clinical psychologist can perform a neuropsychological evaluation. The process begins with an intake interview where the client is asked a series of questions about their history and day-to-day life. They may be asked to provide medical and school records. Teachers, parents, or other people close to the individual being evaluated may also be interviewed. Tools of psychological measurement are then used to gauge the individual’s cognitive functioning in the domains listed above. These tools consist of standardized puzzles, surveys, questionnaires and more informal observational data.

Dr. Nicole Hipp is a licensed psychologist at Collegiate Coaching Services who has undergone extensive, formal postdoctoral training in neuropsychological evaluations and psychoeducational assessments. Dr. Hipp provides neuropsychological evaluations at CCS using validated and gold-standard measures of functioning. Every individual’s assessment battery is tailored to their specific needs.

Neuropsychological evaluations typically require 5-6 hours of face-to-face evaluation with Dr. Hipp. These meetings can be completed in one day in the office or broken up over two separate days. Dr. Hipp may also ask to collaborate with the client’s psychologist, psychiatrist or other parties who know the client well.

Dr. Hipp will then meet with the client (and their family if needed) to explain test results, strengths and weaknesses, diagnoses, and treatment plan/intervention recommendations.

Contact us to discuss a neuropsychological evaluation for you or your child at Collegiate Coaching Services.

Contact Dr. Hipp here to schedule a complimentary consultation.