New Arrival Neuropsychological Assessment

This is an assessment to determine developmental levels upon arrival. It can be done on the same day as the medical examination, and is preferably scheduled to occur two to four weeks after arriving in the United States. The usual developmental screening is cursory and does not truly reflect the developmental level of a child being adopted from another country. We take this into account when interpreting test results by integrating professional observations and contextual information in order to better understand your child. Assessments are also specialized for infant, toddler, and older child adoptions. Services include:

  • Review of pre-adoption medical screening results
  • Parent interview about developmental, emotional, and behavioral concerns
  • Formal testing of cognitive, motor, and language development
  • Play and behavior observations
  • Advice around difficult parenting questions
  • Detailed summary of findings, including age equivalents, recommendations for how to encourage development, advice related to parenting questions, and, when indicated, referrals to specialist

If delay is present that is out of the range typically found in an internationally adopted child, we will offer recommendations and referrals for remedial help. Follow-up evaluations are also made available in order to track your child's development over time.

In the event that your child's difficulty stems primarily from a significant emotional or behavioral problem that existed before adoption or that has developed since your child entered your family, we will help you find an appropriate therapist (ideally near your home).

Translation Needs: Children over the age of 2.5 years ought to be accompanied by an interpreter. We help you arrange an interpreter for your child's visit. Interpreters need to be oriented to the testing process and situation to provide interpretation that supports objective test outcomes.

Follow-up Neuropsychological Assessment

Follow-up assessments are recommended for children who show substantial delays upon arrival and therefore need to be tracked over time in order to adjust treatment recommendations. Follow-up assessments are tailored to focus on the areas of development that were identified in the new arrival assessment but can also be expanded to address new questions or concerns.

Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment

For children who have been living with their adoptive families for an extended period of time, we recommend a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Such an assessment provides a more in-depth understanding your child's neurocognitive, academic, social and emotional strengths and challenges. Internationally adopted children have particularly complex issues to consider. In addition, each child's history is unique. These factors are taken into account in understanding your child and providing practical individualized treatment recommendations so that you will ge able to make more informed choices about how to support your child's development