A neuropsychological assessment is like a check-up for your brain. Akin to your GP’s physical exam, this assessment gives us a detailed look at how well your brain is working. It creates a profile of your cognitive strengths and challenges. We can then use it to identify ways to improve your daily functioning and enhance your quality of life.
A neuropsychological evaluation considers a wider range of concerns and medical histories than other types of psychological assessment. It is useful when multiple diagnoses or injury are involved.
Why Might You Want a Neuropsychological Assessment?
People seek neuropsychological assessments for many different reasons, especially if they’re experiencing cognitive concerns. Neuropsychological testing can play an important role in both diagnosis and treatment planning. Here are some common reasons to consider this type of assessment:
- ADHD Diagnosis: For people struggling with focus, attention, or impulsivity, this assessment can help clarify if ADHD is part of the picture.
- Learning Challenges: If learning new things feels unusually difficult, we can identify specific areas that need support, helping you or your child succeed academically. Can inform academic placement, interventions or accommodations.
- Head Injury: After a concussion, head injury, or conditions such as epilepsy, an assessment helps us understand any lasting effects on memory, focus, and other cognitive abilities and to assess changes over time.
- Memory Concerns: For those experiencing changes in memory or thinking, such as the early signs of dementia, or depression, an assessment can provide helpful insights.
- Attention and Concentration Concerns: For those having trouble concentrating, sustaining attention, it can give a good sense of why.
- Motor or Sensory Concerns: Odd movements or sensations or even feeling awkward in visual spatial domains can prompt further exploration.
- Language Concerns: If you are noticing difficulties with word finding, understanding others, or formulating your thoughts.
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Mental health issues like depression or anxiety can also affect brain functioning, and an assessment can identify areas impacted.
- Decreased Mental Performance or speed of processing: As we age, our cognitive function may decline. In some cases, it can be helpful to have a baseline against which to measure future change and plan interventions to help slow progression.
- Unexplained Personality Changes: Unexplained changes can be symptoms of an undiagnosed problem.
- Adaptive Functioning Concerns: If there are challenges with the basic tasks of daily living or for a determination of disability.
Types of Neuropsychological Assessment
Dr. Swan offers two levels of neuropsychological evaluation: a cognitive screening and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. All neuropsychological assessments are offered from her office in Kelowna, BC.
Cognitive Screening Assessment
A cognitive screening assessment is best for general concerns such as a specific diagnosis, challenges in the classroom, or other general cognitive complaints. You can expect a 1–2-hour clinical interview, 3-4 hours of testing, some questionnaires to complete and a brief report of findings with next steps. It may result in a diagnosis or a query for further testing to clarify the findings for diagnosis.
The cost for this type of assessment begins at $2600, depending on various factors. Psychoeducational assessments in Kelowna are available for ages 6+.
Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment
A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment takes a broad-based approach to the concerns and then offers additional investigation into specific areas of concern. It entails a review of medical/educational records, a 2-3-hour clinical interview, up to 8 hours of testing and questionnaires to fill out. There may also be interviews with people close to you to understand their observations. It results in a full report with any resulting diagnoses, next steps and treatment recommendations.
This type of assessment begins at $3800, depending on the complexity of needs, and is available for ages 16+.
The cognitive screening assessment is suitable for many singular requests, such as questions about one specific diagnosis or set of challenges, such as reading or attention, in an otherwise healthy individual. The comprehensive neuropsychological assessment is suitable for individuals with multiple diagnoses who want clarity on the cause of specific challenges, are trying to differentiate between similar diagnoses or have a complex medical history.
Need help deciding? Book a 15-minute consultation call.
The Neuropsychological Assessment Process
Clinical Interview
Dr. Swan begins with a clinical interview via telehealth to fully understand the questions that lead you to the assessment, the history of your concerns, your personal life history and who you are as an individual. In this meeting, we collaboratively plan the assessment process and who will be involved.
Test Day
The next step is the testing day. This is a full day of varying activities. You should expect to be at the office for 4-8 hours, depending on the type of assessment. There is a large variety of tasks, with many described as puzzles or games. Some may seem easy, while others may feel more challenging. Everyone is different, but often, people enjoy at least some of the activities.
Interpretation and Report Writing
After testing, Dr. Swan scores each test and begins interpreting it. No single test answers all our questions. The gathered information is analyzed to identify patterns. Those patterns and a careful understanding of you, your life history, and your questions are carefully considered against any relevant diagnostic criteria. Dr. Swan will then write a formal report outlining the data and conclusions of the testing.
Feedback Session
The final step is the feedback session, where Dr. Swan reviews your results. Not all assessments result in diagnoses. In some cases, further testing is needed. These could be a second test session or tests with another professional, such as a GP. These are necessary to rule out other concerns. Often, problems are best addressed in treatment with a psychologist, and the rationale with recommendations is included in the report to facilitate that. Dr. Swan will outline all the next steps and recommendations. She will then answer any questions that you may have and provide you with a copy of the full report. If you have additional questions after reading the report, please feel free to reach out for further discussion.
How to Prepare for the Testing Session
To get the most accurate results, it helps to:
- Sleep Well: A good night’s rest before your assessment is key.
- Eat a Healthy Meal: Staying energized helps with concentration.
- Bring Snacks and a Water Bottle: Staying comfortable is important.
- Take all medications as directed: If you are taking stimulant medications such as those for ADHD, please check with Dr. Swan about whether you should take these on the day of testing.
- Bring a list of all medications: Include prescription, over-the-counter or supplements that you take regularly.
- Bring Any Necessary Items: Glasses, hearing aids, or any tools that support your abilities should come along with you.
Dr. Swan is happy to offer Independent Medical Evaluation for third party questions such as disability, vocational rehabilitation or insurance decision-making.
Need help deciding? Book a 15-minute consultation call.
All testing is conducted at 301-2755 Tutt Street, in Kelowna, BC. Free parking is provided in the parkade off Osprey Road when you log your license plate in our waiting room.
Looking for a different type of assessment? See what assessments Dr. Swan offers.