What to Expect During Your Evaluation

Starting the evaluation process can feel overwhelming, especially when you're unsure what happens next. We've designed our three-part evaluation to be thorough yet manageable, with clear steps from your first conversation through receiving your comprehensive report. This page walks you through exactly what to expect at each stage, so you can prepare and feel confident about the process.

Our Three-Part Evaluation Process

Every neuropsychological evaluation at Newton Neuropsychology Group follows a consistent three-step process designed to understand your unique cognitive and emotional profile. Whether you're seeking evaluation for yourself or your child, you'll experience the same high-quality, comprehensive approach.

Each step serves an important purpose in creating an accurate, helpful evaluation that provides the clarity you need to move forward.

First Session: Your Intake Interview

Duration: Approximately 1 hour

 Format: Virtual via telehealth

Who Attends: For child evaluations, typically just parents attend. For adult evaluations, the person being evaluated attends.

Your intake session is where we get to know you and understand the concerns that brought you here. This conversation typically takes about an hour and covers your developmental history, current challenges, previous evaluations or treatments, medical background, and family history. The information you share helps your clinician determine exactly which tests will be most helpful for answering your specific questions.

This session is also your opportunity to ask any questions about the testing process. We want you to feel comfortable and know what's ahead. You'll learn more about what testing day will involve, how long the process takes, and what happens after testing is complete.

How to Prepare for Your Intake Session:

Before your scheduled intake, please complete the checklist below to ensure everything is ready. This preparation helps us make the best use of your intake time and allows your clinician to tailor the evaluation to your specific needs.

Before Your Intake: Preparation Checklist

Please make sure you have completed these important steps before your intake session:

✓ Create your client portal login

 Use the link emailed to you from Therapy Appointment to set up your secure client portal account. This is where you'll access all forms and documents.

✓ Complete all assigned forms electronically

 Sign and submit all forms assigned to you in the client portal. Be sure to check the messages tab for any additional forms that may have been sent.

✓ Input your personal information

 Add your insurance information (if using insurance for the evaluation), current address, phone number, and verify that your birthday is correct in the portal.

✓ Upload relevant documents

 If you have past private or school evaluations, IEPs, 504 plans, report cards, or other relevant documents, securely upload them through the client portal. This background information helps your clinician understand the full picture.



✓ Therapy Appointment

login to Therapy Appointment to join your virtual session and make sure it's working on the device you'll use for your intake session. At your session time, you'll receive an email prompting you to log in and join the virtual meeting.

Technical Tip: Test your internet connection before your appointment. If you need technical assistance accessing the portal, contact test@newtonneuro.com and our team can help you with your username or reset your password.

Second Session: Your Testing Day

Duration: 3-4 hours for adults, 5-6 hours for children

Format: In-person at our Newton office (199 Wells Avenue, Suite 102, Newton Centre, MA)

What to Bring: Glasses or hearing aids if needed, lunch or snacks, any comfort items for children

Testing day is when we gather the detailed information that creates your cognitive profile. This comprehensive assessment happens in person at our Newton office, where you'll work one-on-one with your clinician or psychometrist in a comfortable, private testing room.

What Testing Involves:

You can expect a variety of activities during your testing session. You'll answer questions, solve logic puzzles, play hands-on games, and complete tasks that measure different cognitive abilities like memory, attention, processing speed, and problem-solving. If your evaluation includes academic testing, you'll also complete short assessments involving reading, writing, and math skills.

We've designed the testing experience to be as comfortable as possible. The activities vary throughout the day to maintain engagement. For children, we make testing feel more like interactive games than formal tests. When developmentally appropriate, children earn small prizes throughout the day as encouragement.

Taking Breaks:

You're encouraged to take as many breaks as needed throughout the day. We want you performing at your best, which means staying comfortable and managing fatigue. Children receive a long lunch break and can go out to lunch with parents at a nearby restaurant or bring lunch to eat in our waiting room.

For Parents:

If your child is being tested, plan to stay in our private waiting room (WiFi provided) or remain nearby during the testing session. You're welcome to work, read, or relax in the waiting area. We'll update you on timing and let you know about the lunch break.

What Happens After Testing:

Once testing is complete, your clinician begins the detailed work of scoring all measures, interpreting results, reaching out to collateral sources like teachers or other providers, and writing your comprehensive report. This thorough process typically takes about four weeks.

Third Session: Your Feedback Appointment

Duration: Approximately 1-1.5 hours

Format:  Virtual via telehealth (scheduled about 4 weeks after testing)

Who Attends: For child evaluations, typically just parents attend the feedback session. For adult evaluations, the person evaluated attends. You're welcome to bring a supportive family member or partner.

This is the final and perhaps most important step of the evaluation process. Once your clinician has completed scoring, interpretation, collateral outreach, and report writing (which takes approximately four weeks after testing), we'll reach out to schedule your feedback session.

What Happens During Feedback:

Your clinician will walk through the evaluation results in detail, explaining what the testing revealed about cognitive strengths and challenges. You'll receive clear information about any diagnoses that apply, what those diagnoses mean for daily functioning, and why your clinician reached these conclusions based on the comprehensive data gathered.

Most importantly, you'll receive specific, actionable recommendations tailored to your unique profile. These recommendations might include therapy referrals, medication evaluation, school accommodations, specialized academic interventions, workplace supports, parent coaching, or strategies you can implement immediately.

Your Comprehensive Written Report:

You'll receive your detailed written report that documents everything discussed in the feedback session. This report includes test scores, diagnostic conclusions, explanation of your cognitive profile, and all recommendations. You can share this report with schools, other healthcare providers, employers, or anyone else who needs to understand your evaluation results.

After Feedback:

Many families choose to pursue therapy, parent coaching, or educational consultation services within our practice following evaluation. Your clinician already understands your cognitive profile from the evaluation, allowing treatment to build directly on assessment findings. Others take recommendations to outside providers or schools. Either path works, our goal is ensuring you have the information needed to access appropriate support.

Preparing Your Child for Testing

Many parents wonder how to explain neuropsychological testing to their child in age-appropriate, reassuring ways. We've created a helpful social story specifically designed to introduce children to the evaluation process.

Download our child-friendly explanation: 

This visual story walks children through what testing day looks like, what kinds of activities they'll do, and what makes the experience positive and manageable. You can review this together before the testing appointment to help your child feel prepared and comfortable.

Additional Tips for Parents:

Frame testing positively as a way to understand how their brain works best and what helps them learn. Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers, we're simply learning about their unique strengths and how they think. Let them know they'll take breaks whenever needed and that the day includes fun activities and games

Have Questions About What to Expect?

If you have questions about any part of the evaluation process, we're here to help. Our administrative team can answer questions about scheduling, what to bring, or technical issues with the client portal or telehealth Contact us at 617-564-1540 or admin@newtonneuro.com.

For questions about the evaluation itself, your specific concerns, or which tests will be administered, your clinician can address these during your intake session. That's exactly what the intake conversation is for, ensuring you understand the process and feel comfortable moving forward.

Ready to Schedule Your Evaluation?

Now that you understand what to expect during the evaluation process, you can move forward with confidence. Our three-part process is designed to be thorough yet manageable, providing the comprehensive information you need to access appropriate support and accommodations.