FAQs
What are common reasons for being seen by a Neuropsychologist?
Trouble remembering words
Trouble remembering names
Getting lost or disoriented Forgetting important information
Difficulty with attention and/or concentration
Difficulty understanding or using words to communicate
Problems with doing daily tasks that previously were easy
Concerns about intellectual ability
A change in the ability to regulate mood or behavior
Difficulty tracking or understanding during a conversation
Problems with reading, spelling/writing, or doing math
When might Cognitive Rehabilitation be helpful?
For older adults experiencing changes in thinking and/or memory who would like additional tips and tools.
For an individual who is having difficulties that interfere with the management of everyday routines and responsibilities.
After a mild (concussion) to moderate head injury when there are objective cognitive deficits.
For individuals who have been negatively affected neurologically, such as after a major medical event (e.g., stroke, electrical injury, anoxic injury) in which someone experienced a decline in cognitive functioning.
How might a neuropsychological evaluation be useful?
To provide differential diagnosis- clarity in diagnoses. “Do I have ADHD? Am I on the Autism Spectrum?”
To document cognitive changes before and after a major surgical or medical event, or track improvements in cognitive functioning over time.
To better understand where a patient is at cognitively and functionally after a brain-related event (e.g., seizures, stroke, head injury). “Did my recent fall cause permanent damage to my thinking?”
To provide documentation for academic accommodations and/or testing accommodations.
To better understand a patient’s unique set of cognitive strengths and weaknesses for tailored cognitive rehabilitation.
To better understand if perceived changes in memory and thinking are normal for age, or may be related to another underlying condition or disease. “Are there any recommendations to stop and/or slow the progression of changes?”
What does “standardized” mean? How are the scores from my test interpreted for “me”?
Standardized means that each patient’s “raw” data from the evaluation is translated to “standard” scores using normative data from empirically validated datasets that account for specific demographic information (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender, years of education, etc.).
Clinical neuropsychologists are uniquely trained to also interpret these scores in a nuanced way to take into account each patient’s unique history and circumstances.