412 Plymouth Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Appointments: 616.780.0590
How We Help Children
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Children with medical conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, concussions, autism, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, and many others, can have difficulty learning. In order to design the best education plan for each individual child it is often necessary to test dozens of different aspects of thinking and learning. Dr. Rush is an expert in helping children and their families to assess and deal with those issues.
Behavioral Health
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Children with cognitive disorders often have unique behavioral difficulties. Children are not little adults and cannot be expected just to sit still and take tests. Dr. Rush has a great deal of experience in specifically working with children to get the most accurate assessment of their abilities.
Communication Assessment
Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluations
Communication Assessment
Many children also have difficulty with speech and language. As the only Pediatric Neuropsychologist in Michigan who holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, Dr. Rush is uniquely able to assess your child's needs.
Guardianship Evaluations
Communication Assessment
Comprehensive assessment to determine if an individual has the mental capacity to make independent decisions about their personal care, finances, and medical needs. Evaluations may be court-ordered or requested by family members to assess competency.
Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but generally involve the following:
Records Review: Of medical, educational, and psychiatric history.
Clinical Interview: Collateral information about the individual’s orientation, memory, reasoning, insight, and communication abilities.
Cognitive Testing: Standardized tests to assess intellectual and cognitive functioning, including memory, attention, and executive functioning.
Functional Assessment: Of the individual’s ability to manage activities of daily living tasks such as finances, capacity for making informed decisions, and maintaining personal hygiene.
Reporting: A written report will be generate for the probate court detailing the person's functional capacity and making recommendations on whether full, limited, or no guardianship is necessary.
Court Appearance: The psychologist will testify in court as required to verify clinical results and report findings to the judge.
Independent Education Evaluations (IEE)
Independent Education Evaluations (IEE)
Obtaining special education services starts with the school – the school’s multidisciplinary team determines if your child qualifies for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). When there is disagreement between the school and the parents about the school’s assessment, findings, recommendations, and/or ongoing provision of special education services, a second opinion in the form of an IEE maybe be needed at the request of either the school or the parents/guardians.
An IEE is defined broadly by federal law as “an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the education of the child in question.” Some IEEs are conducted at public expense (meaning, the school district pays for the evaluation), and others are paid for by the parents.
If the evaluation complies with the criteria used by the school system, results of any evaluation must be considered by the school system to make decisions about a child’s free appropriate public education (FAPE). The results of any independent evaluation may also be presented as evidence in a due process hearing.
Independent Medical Evaluations (IME)
Independent Education Evaluations (IEE)
The majority of neuropsychological evaluations completed at Rush Pediatric Neuropsychology are done at the request of a physician or other service provider. A much smaller number of neuropsychological evaluations are completed at the request of the lawyer, claims adjuster, or other person involved in a case where there is a disagreement about the nature or cause of the problem. Under those conditions, the neuropsychologist performing an IME agrees to do an impartial, fair, and objective evaluation. In an IME, the neuropsychologist will only do a one-time evaluation, will not continue as your treating doctor, and also will not be able to give direct feedback to you about the child’s test results.