Neuropsychological evaluations blend the knowledge of school psychology, neuropsychology, clinical psychology, and pedagogy to better understand the nature, diagnosis, and treatment of learning difficulties. A neuropsychological evaluation includes all of the testing included in a psychoeducational evaluation with additional testing to measure areas of attention, executive functioning, language, visual spatial, and memory. A neuropsychological evaluation is often requested due to the comprehensive nature of the evaluation, the level of expertise involved, and the broad areas covered.
Recommendations are typically focused on remediation, accommodations, or a combination of both. They also are directed at encouraging the child to become engaged with tasks and a fully active participant in the classroom. The evaluation is to help the parents and child understand the profile of the child based on the specific strengths and weaknesses and the impact they have on functioning. It is usually helpful to tell children that you are interested in finding out the best way he or she learns to help the teachers know how to teach the student.
Contact the office to determine if an evaluation is deemed appropriate. If so, the child will be scheduled, with appointment confirmed via email. After approximately two weeks after the final information source (i.e.: rating scales, observation, etc.) is received, an extended feedback session with the parents is conducted. The report is typically given after the meeting.
AD/HD Evaluations Specific testing for attention disorders, including AD/HD and similar processing disorders, can help diagnose and determine issues related to the impact of attention and processing impairments in the school setting. These evaluations include cognitive, attention, and processing testing as well as completion of behavior rating scales to determine impact. They are typically 2-3 hours in length. Contact the office to learn more about the AD/HD Evaluations and help determine if they might be helpful for your child.
Dyslexia Evaluations Dr. Kelly also offers specific evaluations for the identification and diagnosis of dyslexia, with research-based recommendations offered for school to help guide programming. In addition, Dr. Kelly offers an intensive intervention program that is used to advance reading skills in a 16-week time period. For more information, contact Dr. Kelly.
Accommodation Testing/Evaluation Standardized examinations and other high-stakes tests encourage equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to fairly compete for and pursue such opportunities by requiring testing entities to offer exams in a manner accessible to persons with disabilities. Examples of covered exams include:
High school entrance exams (such as the SSAT or ISEE)
College entrance exams (such as SAT or ACT)
Accommodations to receive for college
For more information, contact Dr. Kelly's office.
INTERVENTIONS
ReAD.IT Dyslexia Treatment
ReAD.IT is a 16-week reading fluency intensive program that is provided in the clinic for children who have not responded to alternative reading programs. Children come into the office once weekly for a 3-hour period and learn to read using the structure of the English language and patterns associated with spelling. This program is designed for students in elementary through high school. Pre and post testing is conducted, with ongoing monitoring also provided weekly.
In addition, ReAD.IT is offered as a research-based alternative to in-school reading remediation intervention for dyslexic students and has shown to improve the reading fluency of dyslexic or reading disabled learners. It can be considered specially-designed instruction as part of a student's IEP to improve reading fluency and automaticity and can be funded through a school district, including use of COVID Compensatory Funding allocated to districts to help make up for lost growth due to the pandemic.
ReAD.IT is based on the most recent research-based interventions for dyslexic students, including intensive work in phonology and morphology, repeated reading, and speed drills delivered in a multi-sensory methodology, as well as daily guided oral reading. The comprehensive program includes an initial reading screening and a follow-up screening to determine responsiveness to the program. Students often experience a dramatic improvement following completion.
In addition, ReAD.IT Comprehension is also offered as an intensive reading comprehension program using visual imagery as a means to increase the reader's ability to comprehend text. Contact the office to learn more.
MiND.IT Mindful Neurocognitive Development through Intensive Training
Calmness
Self-Regulatory Skills
Stress Reduction
Attentional Improvement
Self-Education
Self-Awareness
Attributional Shifts
Communication Skills
MiND.IT is an intensive 12-hour program that combines Dr. Kelly's mindfulness curriculum with an additional auditory vagal nerve intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), which was created by Dr. Stephen Porges. In addition to direct work with mindfulness training, the additional SSP program has been shown to help children and adolescents calm the nervous system through acoustic stimulation. It is based on polyvagal theory and works by stimulating the nervous system, improving emotional regulation, anxiety, and social engagement. SSP trains the middle ear muscles/vagal nerve to shift the nervous system from defensive states (fight/flight/freeze/collapse) intomore adaptive and stable regulation. MiND.IT combines the training of intentional focus and intention of mindfulness with additional acoustic stimulation to help develop awareness and regulation skills.