Understand Your Child's Mind. Unlock Their Potential.
Our comprehensive assessment services help you understand how your child learns, thinks, and experiences the world.
What Are Our
Evaluation Services?
At Mind Matters, we provide specialized assessment services designed to illuminate your child's unique cognitive profile, learning style, and social-emotional functioning.
Our evaluations go beyond simply identifying challenges—they uncover strengths, explain patterns, and provide practical strategies for supporting your child's development.
We offer two primary types of evaluation services to meet your family's specific needs:
→ Comprehensive Psychoeducational & Neuropsychological Evaluations
Our most thorough assessment option—and the one we recommend for most families—examines multiple areas of functioning to provide a complete picture of your child's cognitive, academic, attentional, and social-emotional profile. Even when concerns initially seem focused in one area, our experience shows that a comprehensive approach typically reveals important connections and patterns that would otherwise be missed.
These evaluations answer both obvious and underlying questions, providing in-depth recommendations for home, school, and therapeutic settings that address the full complexity of your child's needs.
Comprehensive evaluations are ideal for:
✔ Understanding complex or overlapping challenges
✔ Addressing multiple concerns simultaneously
✔ Obtaining detailed documentation for school accommodations
✔ Creating a comprehensive support plan
✔ Identifying subtle learning or processing differences
→ Focused Neurodevelopmental Screenings
While we offer targeted assessments designed to address a specific question about your child's development, learning, or behavior, we often find that what appears to be an isolated concern is connected to broader patterns. These screenings are more streamlined than comprehensive evaluations and may serve as a starting point, but many families ultimately benefit from a more thorough assessment.
During our initial consultation, we'll help determine whether a focused screening would be sufficient or if a comprehensive evaluation would better serve your child's needs from the outset, potentially saving time and resources in the long run.
Focused screenings are ideal for:
✔ Addressing a single, specific question
✔ Initial exploration of a particular concern
✔ Determining if a more comprehensive evaluation is needed
✔ Monitoring progress in a specific area
✔ Updating a previous evaluation with targeted information
Comprehensive Psychoeducational & Neuropsychological Evaluations
Our comprehensive evaluations provide an in-depth understanding of your child's cognitive strengths and challenges, learning style, and the ways these factors influence academic performance and social-emotional functioning.
Step 1
Initial Parent Meeting (90 minutes)
In-depth discussion of your concerns and questions
Review of developmental history and previous evaluations
Overview of the evaluation process and timeline
Step 2
School Observation & Teacher Input
For elementary-aged children, observation in the classroom setting
For older students, detailed teacher interviews and questionnaires
Collection of information about academic performance and behavior
Step 3
Comprehensive Testing Sessions (8-10 hours)
Multiple sessions tailored to your child's specific needs
Assessment of cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, memory, language, and social-emotional functioning
Testing conducted in a supportive, comfortable environment
Step 4
Parent Feedback Meeting (90 minutes)
Detailed explanation of findings and recommendations
Opportunity to ask questions and clarify understanding
Discussion of next steps and implementation strategies
Step 5
Written Report
Comprehensive document detailing results, diagnoses, and recommendations
Clear, accessible language with minimal jargon
Practical strategies for home, school, and other settings
Step 6
Implementation Support
Assistance finding appropriate resources and providers
Guidance on school advocacy and accommodations
Optional follow-up services to support implementation
Areas Assessed
Cognitive Abilities: Thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills
Academic Achievement: Reading, writing, math, and other academic skills
Attention & Executive Functioning: Focus, organization, planning, and self-regulation
Memory & Learning: How information is stored, processed, and retrieved
Language Processing: Understanding and expressing language
Visual-Spatial Processing: Making sense of visual information
Social-Emotional Functioning: Emotional regulation, social skills, and psychological well-being
Key Benefits
Comprehensive Understanding: A complete picture of your child's learning profile
Diagnostic Clarity: Identification of specific learning or developmental differences
Targeted Recommendations: Practical strategies tailored to your child's unique needs
Educational Advocacy: Documentation to support school accommodations and services
Strengths Identification: Recognition of capabilities that can be leveraged for success
Long-Term Planning: A roadmap for educational and developmental support
Focused Neurodevelopmental Screenings
Unlike our comprehensive evaluations that assess multiple areas of functioning (which most families ultimately need), our focused screenings provide targeted assessment of specific developmental, learning, or behavioral concerns.
These streamlined evaluations answer particular questions efficiently while still providing valuable insights and practical recommendations.
Step 1
Initial Parent Meeting (90 minutes)
Discussion of your specific concerns and questions
Review of relevant developmental and educational history
Explanation of the screening process and timeline
Step 2
Targeted Assessment & Observations
Focused testing in areas directly related to your concerns
Questionnaires for parents and teachers
Observations in relevant settings when helpful
Step 3
Feedback & Written Report
Discussion of findings and recommendations
Brief written report summarizing results and next steps
Practical strategies for addressing identified concerns
Step 4
Guidance on Next Steps
Specific recommendations for support
Referrals to appropriate specialists if needed
Information about whether more comprehensive assessment is warranted
Types of Screenings
ADHD Screenings: Assessment of attention, impulse control, and executive functioning
Autism Screenings: Evaluation of social communication and behavioral patterns
Dyslexia Screenings: Assessment of reading, phonological processing, and related skills
Learning Differences Screenings: Targeted assessment of specific academic challenges
Developmental Screenings: Evaluation of developmental milestones and functioning
Kindergarten Readiness Screenings: Assessment of skills needed for school success
Behavioral Screenings: Evaluation of behavioral challenges and contributing factors
Key Benefits
Focused Efficiency: Addresses specific questions without the time and expense of a full evaluation
Early Insights: Identifies potential concerns when intervention can be most effective
Practical Guidance: Provides concrete recommendations tailored to specific needs
Informed Decision-Making: Helps determine whether further assessment or intervention is needed
Timely Support: Offers strategies that can be implemented quickly
Which Evaluation Is Right for My Child?
Choosing between a comprehensive evaluation and a focused screening depends on several factors:
→ Consider a Comprehensive Evaluation If:
You have multiple questions or concerns about your child's development
Your child is struggling across several academic areas
You need detailed documentation for school accommodations or an IEP
You're noticing complex patterns of strengths and challenges
Previous interventions or supports haven't been effective
You want a thorough understanding of your child's learning profile
→ Consider a Focused Screening If:
You have one specific question or concern
Your child is generally doing well but struggling in one particular area
You want to determine if more comprehensive assessment is needed
You're looking for targeted strategies for a specific challenge
You need initial insights to guide decision-making
You're monitoring progress in a specific area of development
Still not sure which service is best for your family?
Our Client Care Coordinator can help you determine the most appropriate assessment based on your specific concerns and questions.
We also offer Parent Guidance Consultations for families who are uncertain about whether testing is the right next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consider an evaluation if your child is struggling academically despite effort, showing significant behavioral or emotional challenges at school or home, or if teachers have expressed concerns about learning or attention. An evaluation may also be helpful if you suspect your child might have a learning difference, ADHD, autism, or other developmental variation that's affecting their progress or well-being.
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For comprehensive evaluations, the entire process typically takes 6-8 weeks from the initial parent meeting to the final report. Focused screenings usually take 3-4 weeks to complete. This timeline allows for thorough assessment, analysis of results, and development of personalized recommendations.
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Yes, our licensed psychologists are qualified to diagnose learning differences, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression, and other conditions that impact learning and development. However, we focus not just on diagnosis but on understanding your child's unique pattern of strengths and challenges.
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Our comprehensive evaluations are $7,200 with most clinicians and $8,100 with Dr. MurrayMetzger. Focused screenings typically range from $4,200-$4,800. We offer discounts for cash/check/Zelle payment and for returning clients or siblings, and we have a limited number of fee adjustments based on family size and income.
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We don't accept insurance directly, but many clients successfully obtain partial reimbursement from their insurance as an out-of-network service. We provide a detailed superbill after services are complete that you can submit to your insurance company.
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We work with children ages 3 and older, adolescents, and young adults. For evaluations of children younger than 3, we can provide referrals to appropriate developmental specialists.
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For younger children, describe it as "brain games" or activities to help adults understand how they learn best. For older children and teens, you can be more direct about the purpose while emphasizing that the evaluation will help identify strengths as well as areas for support. Ensure your child gets adequate sleep the night before testing sessions and has a good breakfast.
Ready to Understand Your Child Better?
Let's Work Together to Support Your Child's Unique Journey!
Our comprehensive evaluations and focused screenings provide the insights and guidance you need to help your child thrive.