Understand Your Child's Mind. Unlock Their Potential.
Illuminate your child's unique strengths and challenges, providing a clear roadmap for their success at home and school.
What Are Psychoeducational & Neuropsychological Evaluations?
Psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations are comprehensive assessments that help you understand how your child learns, thinks, and processes information.
At Mind Matters, our psychoeducational evaluations provide the depth and breadth typically found in neuropsychological evaluations. We carefully assess cognitive, academic, attentional, and social-emotional functioning, offering a complete picture of your child's development and needs.
Think of these evaluations as a thorough exploration of your child's brain—not just identifying challenges, but also discovering their unique strengths and learning style.
Our evaluations are designed to answer questions like:
Why is my child struggling in school despite being bright?
Could my child have ADHD, dyslexia, or autism?
What supports would help my child thrive academically and socially?
How can we better understand and support my child's emotional needs?
At Mind Matters, our psychoeducational evaluations provide the depth and breadth typically found in neuropsychological evaluations, but also include academic testing. We carefully assess cognitive, academic, attentional, and social-emotional functioning, offering a complete picture of your child's development and needs.
Our Approach to Psychoeducational & Neuropsychological Evaluations
We believe in a collaborative, thorough, and compassionate approach that focuses on practical solutions for your family. Our process includes:
Step 1
Initial Parent Meeting (90 minutes)
We begin with an in-depth conversation to understand your concerns and questions. We'll review your child's developmental history, previous testing, and current challenges. We ask all parents/guardians attend this meeting (usually via telehealth) so we can gain multiple perspectives. For young adults, we typically meet with you first and may interview your parents separately.
Step 2
School Observation & Teacher Input
For elementary-aged children, we observe your child in their classroom environment to see how they interact with peers and respond to instruction.
For middle, high school and college students, we gather information through interviews with teachers and school staff rather than direct observation (unless special circumstances warrant it).
We also interview psychotherapists, tutors and other outside providers who are working with your child.
Step 3
Comprehensive Testing Sessions (8-10 hours)
Your child will participate in 3-4 in-person testing sessions at one of our offices in San Francisco or Berkeley. Our assessments are tailored to your child's specific needs and may include:
Cognitive testing (thinking and reasoning abilities)
Academic achievement testing (reading, writing, math)
Attention and executive functioning assessments
Memory and learning evaluations
Social-emotional and behavioral assessments
Language and communication skills testing
We create a comfortable, supportive environment to help your child perform at their best during testing.
Step 4
Parent Feedback Meeting (90 minutes)
Approximately three weeks after testing is complete, we meet with parents/guardians (usually via telehealth) to discuss our findings in detail.
We'll explain your child's learning profile, any diagnoses, and our recommendations for support at home and school.
This meeting is for parents/guardians only, creating a space where you can ask questions freely.
Step 5
Written Report
Within a week of the feedback meeting, you'll receive a comprehensive written report detailing your child's strengths and challenges, any diagnoses, and specific recommendations.
This report can be shared with schools, healthcare providers, and other professionals supporting your child.
Step 6
Child/Adolescent Feedback Stories/Letters
We provide you with separate written feedback to share with your child. For children, this usually includes an illustrated feedback story about a child who shows similar strengths and challenges. For older children, we write a feedback letter outlining their profile in a teen friendly way, and explaining what they can do to advocate for themselves. In both cases, we aim to help the child better understand themselves and to build hope and self advocacy skills.
Step 7
Child/Adolescent Feedback Meeting (Optional)
For an extra fee, we offer an additional (optional) feedback session for your child to help them understand their learning style and strengths.
These approaches help children and teens better understand themselves and build self-advocacy skills
Step 8
Ongoing Support
The evaluation fee includes follow-up support via phone and email to help you implement recommendations and find appropriate providers.
For an additional fee, we can attend school meetings or provide further consultation as needed.
Benefits of Psychoeducational & Neuropsychological Evaluations
Clarity & Understanding
Our evaluations help demystify your child's learning and behavioral patterns, giving you a clear understanding of their strengths and challenges.
Improved Self-Awareness
Understanding their learning profile helps children and teens build self-esteem and develop effective strategies for success.
Tailored Recommendations
We provide specific, practical recommendations for home, school, and therapeutic support based on your child's unique profile.
Long-Term Roadmap
Our evaluations provide a roadmap for supporting your child throughout their educational journey, with strategies that evolve as they grow.
Educational Advocacy
Our reports give you the tools and language to advocate effectively for your child at school, including support for IEP or 504 Plan development.
Peace of Mind
Many parents tell us that they understand their child much better following our evaluations, which brings tremendous relief and helps the whole family move forward with confidence.
Who Provides These Evaluations?
Our evaluations are conducted by licensed clinical and educational psychologists with extensive training in child development, learning differences, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
San Francisco Office
Dr. Jessica Yu, PsyD - Licensed Psychologist CA PSY 32117
Dr. Kelly Hughes, PhD - Licensed Psychologist NV PY 1116
Dr. Emily Hunt- Licensed Psychologist CA PSY 35233
Dr. Lauren R. Bangert, PhD - Licensed Psychologist CA PSY 35573
Dr. Jaclyn Wolf, PhD - Licensed Psychologist CA PSY 33665
Dr. Emma Hassall, PsyD - Licensed Psychologist CA PSY 34317
Lynn Atkinson, LEP - Licensed Educational Psychologist CA LEP 2664
Jihye Jung, EdS, LEP - Licensed Educational Psychologist CA LEP 4518
Kristi Quinby, LEP - Pediatric Testing Psychologist CA LEP 4762
Dr. Sara Rosenblum, PhD - Licensed Psychologist CA 29104
Berkeley Office
Lynn Atkinson, LEP - Licensed Educational Psychologist CA LEP 2664
Dr. Veronique Lee, PsyD - Licensed Psychologist CA 28772
Fees
We charge a flat fee for our evaluations that includes all parent meetings, testing sessions, report writing, school observations, and teacher interviews.
→ Discounts Available:
$200 discount when paying by cash, check, or Zelle
$300 discount for returning clients or siblings of prior clients
Discounts can be combined
Mind Matters offers a limited number of fee adjustments based on family household size & total income.
*Discounts only apply to full evaluations. We do offer a smaller discount for screenings. But we don't discount our other services for siblings or cash.
→ Additional Services (Billed at $300/hour):
Separate Intakes (for 2-parent households that cannot meet together)
Child/Adolescent feedback sessions
School meetings
Follow-up consultations beyond initial feedback
Travel time for school observations and meetings (first 30 minutes free)
Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluation
$7,500 with all Mind Matters Clinicians
Frequently Asked Questions
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The entire process typically takes 8 weeks from the initial parent meeting to the final report. This includes 1-2 weeks for the intake and school observation/teacher input, 2-3 weeks to complete all testing, and approximately 3 weeks to analyze results and prepare the report and hold the parent feedback meeting.
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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, attention, emotional regulation or social connections. An evaluation may also be helpful if you suspect your child might have ADHD, a learning disability, autism, or other neurodevelopmental differences. Sometimes schools, psychotherapists, tutors and other providers will recommend an evaluation to deepen their understanding of your child and help them provide better support.
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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. Please contact our Client Care Coordinator for our OON Insurance Reimbursement Guide.
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Neuropsychological evaluations traditionally focus more deeply on brain-behavior relationships, while psychoeducational evaluations emphasize academic functioning. At Mind Matters, our comprehensive evaluations blend both approaches—we assess cognitive, academic, attentional, and social-emotional functioning to provide a 360 degree view of your child's learning profile.
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Re-evaluations are most helpful at transition periods (e.g. entering Middle or High School), or when a significant change or new question arises about your child's profile. Most evaluations remain relevant for at least three years, though this varies depending on your child's age and development. For young children (under 8), more frequent updates may be needed as they develop rapidly. For college accommodations, evaluations completed after age 16 are often accepted throughout the undergraduate years.
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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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Explain the evaluation process in age-appropriate terms—for younger children, describe it as "brain games" or activities to help adults understand how they learn best. For older children, let them know that we will ask them to show their academic skills and their problem solving abilities, and answer questions about their experiences and how they view themselves. It can be helpful to talk with your child about questions they might want us to answer about them.
Please reassure your child that we don't expect (or want) them to study or prepare in advance. Ensure your child gets adequate sleep the night before testing sessions and has a good breakfast. Let them know there are no "right" or "wrong" answers—we just want to see how they approach different types of tasks.
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Yes, our evaluations include the necessary testing to determine if accommodations may be appropriate, and we are familiar with the requirements of both the SAT and ACT. While we may recommend accommodations when warranted, approval is ultimately up to the testing agencies. If a request is denied, we can help you evaluate whether an appeal is worthwhile and how to proceed.
Ready to Understand Your Child Better?
Let's Work Together to Support Your Child's Unique Journey!
Our comprehensive evaluations provide clarity, direction, and hope for families seeking to support their child's unique learning journey.