• What is a neurodevelopmental assessment? 
Our assessment aims to determine a student's profile of neurodevelopmental functions and academic skills. These functions are the basic brain processes that affect learning: attention, memory, language, spatial ordering, sequencing, higher order thinking, social thinking, and neuromotor skills. Understanding a neurodevelopmental profile helps reveal why a student is struggling in school. Each student's individualized, comprehensive learning plan is based on his or her unique profile.

• How might this assessment differ from other testing my child may have had?
Our model is interdisciplinary, which means that multiple clinicians assess each student individually and integrate their findings as a team to provide a comprehensive profile of their strengths and weaknesses that is directly linked to academic performance. Our assessment is not limited to standardized batteries, but can be individualized to identify your child's specific needs. The process is dynamic and highly interactive. Most students enjoy this experience. Read more on How Our Assessments are Different.

• What will our day be like? How long does it take? 
Your student will meet with each clinician separately. Each student's medical history and neurological status is reviewed by an experienced, board certified pediatrician. Breaks and snacks are provided. Parents view the assessment from a separate room. Following the assessment, the clinical team conferences while you go to lunch. When you return, the team meets with the student and family for demystification, a summary of neurodevelopmental findings that affect learning. A typical day begins between 8:30-9:00 am and ends between 3:30-4:45 pm.

• Should a student take prescribed medication? What if we have medical concerns?
If a student typically takes medication on school days, he/she should do so for this assessment, in order to evaluate representative performance. If you have questions about the effectiveness of medication (e.g., stimulant), do not administer it in the morning, but be sure to bring it with you. If a student wears glasses, make sure you bring them! The physician will meet with you to review any medical issues that are relevant to learning.

• What kind of report will we receive? 
Our reports are designed to provide insight into a student's individual strengths and weaknesses. The most important part of our report is the learning profile. Rather than providing a singular label that serves to blanket a particular difficulty, the learning profile provides information that specifically identifies where a learning breakdown may be occurring. In addition to the learning profile, the report includes an individually tailored learning plan to address strengths and weaknesses at home and at school. Since our assessment uses an interdisciplinary approach, the report will also include a summary of the neurodevelopmental, educational, and medical portions of the assessment. We believe strongly in reporting our findings to you in a timely fashion, so we will send the report to you within 4 weeks of your visit with us. 

• How can we use the report to help at school?   
The Yellin Center uses a dynamic assessment approach which allows us to incorporate a variety of data points into our findings, including subtest scores, clinical observations, and information collected from home and school.  The learning plan provides specific strategies that teachers can implement into their curriculum.  While we can advise you about specialized services, we cannot mandate that a school use our report. If you have specific concerns about eligibility for school services or accommodations for standardized tests, please discuss them with us prior to the scheduled assessment.

• Is this type of evaluation appropriate for all students? 
Because we focus on building academic skills, our assessments may not be optimal for students with more severe cognitive or emotional difficulties. If you are unsure if our assessment approach is a good fit, please discuss this with us prior to scheduling an assessment.