How to Prepare for a Meeting with a Neuropsychologist

Neuropsychologists can help parents identify strengths and weaknesses in their child’s learning and development. Whether you are concerned that your child may have a learning or developmental disability, a neuropsychologist has the tools necessary to identify any problem areas. For parents who think that their child might be gifted in one or more areas, neuropsychologists can administer a variety of tests to determine a child’s strengths. It is important for parents to know how to prepare for a meeting with a neuropsychologist.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Pregnancy and birth history
• Child’s developmental milestone history
• School records
• Medical records
• Additional testing records
• Pen and paper
• Phone

1. Write down a brief history of your pregnancy and birth experience with the child scheduled to see the neuropsychologist. If you had any pregnancy or birth complications, it is important to provide as much detail about these as possible. If, however, the pregnancy and birth was normal and complication-free, less detail is needed.
2. Browse through your child’s baby book and write down when they met all of their major developmental milestones. Some important dates to include are: first coo, first babble, first word, rolling over, sitting, crawling and walking. If your child is older you will also want to have details on when they were potty-trained, when they were able to tie their shoes and even when they mastered riding a tricycle.
3. Obtain a copy of your child’s school records if applicable. Depending on the purpose of the visit to the neuropsychologist, the school records will be helpful in identifying areas of concern.
4. Acquire copies of all of your child’s medical records. If they are being seen by a specialist, be sure to get a copy of all of these records as well. Some developmental disabilities are common among individuals with certain medical conditions and these records will be useful to the neuropsychologist.
5. Copy any additional testing records that you may have. If your child has previously had psycho-educational testing, it will be important that these records are available for the neuropsychologist.
6. Call the neuropsychologists’ office to determine if they have any additional paperwork that is suggested or required for the initial appointment. Neuropsychology fees are rarely covered by insurance and can run upwards of $100 per hour. Being adequately prepared for the meeting could save you both time and money.

Tips & Warnings

• Explain to your child about the office visit. If a child is prepared for the meeting, she is more likely to cooperate fully with the neuropsychologist.