What Caregivers Should Know About Neuropsychological Assessment

A conversation with neuropsychologist, Dr. Anny Yang

Children are full of mystery. Caregivers often find themselves wondering why their child is struggling with learning, attention, emotions, or social relationships. When questions about development arise, a neuropsychological evaluation can bring clarity and direction.

To help caregivers understand what this process looks like, we spoke with Dr. Anny Yang, a NYC-based pediatric neuropsychologist who specializes in learning, behavior, and school-based supports.

Q1: What is a neuropsychological evaluation, and how does it differ from other types of psychological or medical testing?

Dr. Yang: Imagine that your brain is a computer. A neurologist works with the hardware and the neuropsychologist specializes in understanding the software. Pediatric neuropsychology focuses on the developing brain and how it impacts a child’s learning, behavior, socialization, and emotional well‑being.

A neurologist might run brain imaging studies (like MRIs or CT scans) to check whether the structure and physiology of the brain are developing as expected. In contrast, children may undergo psychological evaluations that primarily focus on social, emotional, behavioral, and personality strengths and growth areas. These help clarify or deepen understanding of a child’s mental health support needs.

Psychoeducational evaluations are commonly recommended when questions center around a student’s academic functioning. They mainly focus on intellectual ability and academic achievement. These are often sufficient to identify where academic weaknesses lie and to advocate for school supports or interventions. However, when a child’s profile is complex and the goal is to explain how and why learning or behavior problems occur, a neuropsychological evaluation is better equipped. It can answer how and why learning or behavior problems happen.

Not only do neuropsychological evaluations inform how a child pays attention, reasons, solves problems, processes language and visual materials, and retains information in memory, but they also cover socialization, friendships, and emotional responses to life’s challenges.

Q2: What kinds of concerns or symptoms usually lead someone to be referred for a neuropsychological evaluation?

Dr. Yang: A neuropsychological evaluation is typically recommended when there are questions about how a child’s brain development may be influencing their thinking, learning, emotions, or behavior. The evaluation can help pinpoint with greater precision the specific kinds of supports or interventions needed to help a child grow cognitively, academically, socially, and emotionally.

At younger ages, concerns may center around peer relationships, play, or social engagement. Language skills, attention regulation, anxiety, or social cognition might act as barriers to successful friendships, but the underlying reason can be hard to find without objective data — this is where a thorough neuropsychological evaluation can help.

As children grow older, questions often arise about school engagement, independent working ability, academic performance, and participation in extracurriculars. For example, if there’s resistance around school or a specific subject (say reading comprehension or writing), a neuropsychological evaluation can clarify whether support should focus on self‑regulation, language skills, executive functioning, anxiety, motivation, or mood changes among other factors.

Q3: What should parents and children expect during the evaluation process? What does a typical appointment look like?

Dr. Yang: It’s very important to me that students feel comfortable and at ease during their evaluation, so I can see the most authentic and accurate picture of who they are. When I first meet a student, I take time to chat and get to know them before beginning. I also give them a preview of what will happen and the types of activities we’ll do, so they feel informed and in control. This is especially helpful for children who are anxious or slow to warm up.

The evaluation typically takes place over two or three appointments, each lasting between 90 to 150 minutes for school age children or four hours for teens and up. Your child’s attention and stamina are factored in as well when deciding which testing plan is best for your child.  My goal is to make the process comfortable, and even enjoyable, whenever possible. Children are welcome to bring their favorite snacks to help them stay relaxed and focused.

Testing activities are a mix of paper-and-pencil tasks, computer-based exercises, and iPad games. A typical neuropsychological evaluation includes measures of the following areas:

• Intelligence

• Language

• Visual perception

• Problem‑solving

• Planning and organization

• Attention and memory

• Processing speed

• Fine motor (control over hand movements)

• Academic skills

• Emotional well‑being

• Behavior

• Social skills

Q4: How are the results of the evaluation used to guide treatment, school supports, or everyday life planning?

Dr. Yang: The findings from the evaluation inform a comprehensive profile of a child’s cognitive, academic, social, emotional and behavioral strengths and barriers to success. The most important outcome is a detailed action plan that considers how to capitalize on strengths while supporting and prioritizing the growth areas that create the biggest roadblocks.

This might look like forming a partnership with your child’s school or therapist, where a summary of the child’s profile and learning style is shared with the goal of developing an action plan that directly maps to the identified challenges. Often this includes:

• Learning plans or accommodations

• Therapy support (e.g., speech/language, occupational therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy; parenting support)

• Behavior plans

The purpose is to translate evaluation results into real‑world support and planning, so that your child can succeed academically, socially and emotionally.

Q5: What advice would you give to someone who feels nervous about going through this process?

Dr. Yang: It’s completely normal to feel nervous before a neuropsychological evaluation, especially when you’re not sure what to expect. My goal is to make the process as comfortable and supportive as possible for both children and families.

Here’s what I often recommend to parents:

• Preview what to expect with your child ahead of time: explain who I am, and that my job is to learn how their brain learns — what they’re really good at and what feels trickier.

• Normalize the experience: share that everyone has subjects or skills that come easily, and others that take more time and practice, and that I’m here to help with both.

• Building trust and connection with your child is first and foremost. We chat and go over the day so the student feels some predictability and control. That helps reduce anxiety, especially for kids who are cautious or need time to warm up.

• Remind your child this isn’t a test they can “pass” or “fail.” It’s more like puzzles and games that help me understand how their brain learns best. All that matters is that they do their best.

• Encourage families to talk openly about the process, bring comfort items or favorite snacks, and remind the child that the goal is help, not to judge.

Key Takeaways

• A neuropsychological evaluation offers an in‑depth look at how a child’s brain learning, behavior, and emotional processing interact beyond what standard psychological or academic tests provide.

• It’s typically used when there are concerns about how brain development is influencing thinking, learning, behavior, or social/emotional functioning.

• The process is designed with comfort and clarity in mind, using a mix of tasks and games over multiple sessions, and beginning with rapport‑building.

• Results are translated into actionable plans involving school, therapy, and daily life supports tailored to the child’s unique profile.

• Nervousness is normal; preparing your child, framing the process positively, and emphasizing that it’s about understanding not judgement makes a big difference.

If you have concerns about your child’s learning, attention, or emotional development, you don’t have to navigate those questions alone. Dr. Anny Yang offers comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations that bring clarity and guidance.

At Evoke, we work closely with caregivers, neuropsychologists, and schools to ensure that insights from evaluations translate into real-world support—so children can thrive at home, in the classroom, and in their communities. Reach out today to learn whether a neuropsychological evaluation may be the right next step for your child.