Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluation
Our Practice' Evaluation
Helping Families Understand, Plan, and Move Forward
Children and adolescents develop at different rates, and questions about learning, attention, behavior, or broader development often emerge when everyday functioning does not match expectations. Neuropsychological evaluation is designed to provide a structured, objective understanding of how a child is thinking, learning, and regulating behavior, and how those processes are affecting performance at home, in school, and in other daily environments.
For children who are candidates for cochlear implants, neuropsychological evaluation can also play an important role in understanding cognitive and developmental functioning prior to implantation, supporting treatment planning, and guiding expectations and support needs following implantation. In these cases, evaluation helps clarify how hearing differences intersect with language development, learning, and attention over time.
At Coherence, pediatric neuropsychological evaluation is provided by both Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP. Each brings extensive experience working with children and adolescents across a wide range of developmental, learning, emotional, and neurological presentations. The focus in both practices is on careful clinical interpretation paired with practical recommendations that families, schools, and other providers can actually use. Feedback is shared with parents in a structured way, and when appropriate, children are also included in developmentally appropriate discussions so they can better understand their own strengths and areas where support is helpful.
Families often seek evaluation when something feels off but is difficult to clearly define. This may include concerns about attention or distractibility, uneven academic performance, delays or differences in language development, memory or executive functioning challenges, or behavioral and emotional difficulties that are affecting school or home life. In other cases, families are navigating broader developmental differences or neurodevelopmental profiles, or seeking clarification following medical events, injuries, or interventions that may affect cognition or learning, including cochlear implantation.
Many families arrive after trying multiple supports or receiving different explanations from different providers. A comprehensive evaluation helps organize these pieces into a clearer picture by identifying underlying patterns, clarifying diagnoses when appropriate, and explaining how those patterns influence real-world functioning. The goal is to translate findings into actionable guidance that supports decision-making at school, at home, and in daily life.
Pediatric Evaluation
Common Reasons Families Seek Pediatric Evaluation
Referrals come from families, pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and schools. Common reasons include:
- Unexplained academic struggles in a child who appears capable and is working hard
- Concerns about attention, impulsivity, or behavior that are affecting school or home life
- Suspected learning disability, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia
- Questions about whether autism spectrum disorder is present and how it is shaping functioning
- Developmental delays or uneven patterns of skill development in young children
- Traumatic brain injury or concussion and questions about cognitive recovery
- Changes in functioning following a medical event, illness, or medical intervention
- IEP eligibility, 504 planning, extended time accommodations, or school placement decisions
- Diagnostic clarity when prior evaluations reached conflicting or incomplete conclusions
coherence and Evaluations
What Pediatric Neuropsychological Evaluation Examines
A neuropsychological evaluation is not a single instrument or isolated test. It is a comprehensive clinical process that integrates multiple sources of information to understand how a person is functioning across cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and developmental domains.
Assessment is built using a carefully selected set of standardized measures, combined with a detailed clinical interview, developmental and medical history, input from parents and teachers when available, and direct behavioral observation during testing. Together, these sources create a multi-layered picture of functioning that cannot be captured through testing alone.
The specific battery of tests is not fixed in advance. Instead, it is selected based on the referral question and the individual’s presentation. This allows the evaluation to focus on what is actually being asked, whether that involves questions about attention, learning differences, memory, behavior, or broader developmental concerns.
Across pediatric evaluations, areas commonly examined include intellectual functioning, attention and sustained concentration, processing speed, working memory, executive functioning skills such as planning and organization, learning and memory for both verbal and visual information, language abilities, visual-spatial reasoning, fine motor coordination when relevant, and academic achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. Social, emotional, and behavioral functioning is also assessed as part of understanding how cognitive patterns are expressed in daily life.
When indicated, adaptive functioning and practical daily living skills are also evaluated, particularly in cases involving developmental differences or questions about independence across settings.
The most clinically meaningful conclusions do not come from any single score in isolation. They come from the way patterns of strengths and weaknesses appear across domains, and how those patterns interact in real-world environments. The integration of these findings forms the foundation for diagnosis when appropriate, as well as for recommendations that guide support at home, in school, and in therapeutic settings.
The Evaluation Process at Coherence
- Inquiry and intake. Families contact Chelsea at Coherence. After a brief intake conversation, forms are sent electronically and records are requested with written authorization.
- Record review. Before any appointment, clinicians review all records provided. Families do not need to re‑explain their child’s full history at the start of the testing session.
- Clinical interview. The evaluation begins with a comprehensive developmental and clinical interview with parents, covering history from early development through current functioning.
- Testing sessions. Standardized neuropsychological testing across one to two appointments, tailored to the referral question and the child’s age and stamina.
- Scoring and interpretation. Clinicians score all measures, integrate rating‑scale data from parents and teachers, and interpret the full pattern of results.
- Written report. A comprehensive report including developmental and clinical history, test results, integrated clinical interpretation, diagnostic impressions, and specific individualized recommendations.
- Feedback session. A dedicated appointment with parents in which clinicians walk through the findings in plain language, answer questions, and ensure recommendations are clear and usable. Reports are typically ready within two weeks of intake.
Report Turnaround at Coherence
Feedback and written reports are typically completed within approximately two weeks of the intake appointment. Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP understands that families are often waiting for information they need to make decisions about school, treatment, and support, and she prioritizes timely delivery as part of the service.
To inquire about scheduling a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation, reach out to Chelsea by email. She will respond within one business day and help identify the appropriate next step.
Contact: info@coherenceneuropsych.com
Contacting the practice does not establish a provider-patient relationship.
Our Team
Who Conducts Pediatric Evaluations at Coherence
Pediatric neuropsychological evaluation at Coherence is available through both Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP. Each clinician brings extensive experience in pediatric assessment across a wide range of developmental, learning, behavioral, and neurological concerns, and both work within the same structured, evidence-based evaluation framework.
Selection of the evaluating clinician is based on clinical fit, referral question, and scheduling availability. In some cases, the nature of the concerns being explored may make one clinician a better match for a particular evaluation, while in others timing and availability may be the primary factor. This determination is typically made during the intake process after initial information has been reviewed.
When families are unsure where to begin or which clinician may be most appropriate, initial guidance is provided during the first consultation conversation. This step is focused on understanding the presenting concerns and helping determine the most suitable starting point for evaluation.
Regardless of which clinician conducts the evaluation, the process follows the same comprehensive structure, including a tailored assessment battery, integration of multiple data sources, and a focus on translating findings into clear, usable recommendations. Reports are designed to be practical and actionable, supporting decision-making in school, home, and treatment settings.
How we work
After the Evaluation
The evaluation is the beginning of a process, not the end of one. The written report from a Coherence evaluation is designed to be actively used by parents, schools, treating clinicians, and, when appropriate, by the child in a developmentally meaningful way. Recommendations are specific and individualized, grounded in the actual pattern of findings rather than broad suggestions tied only to a diagnostic label.
With written authorization from the family, Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP or Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP may coordinate directly with schools, physicians, therapists, and other involved providers. This can include participating in school meetings when appropriate, clarifying findings for educators who have questions, and helping translate neuropsychological results into practical understanding of what supports may be indicated in educational settings.
When ongoing therapy within Coherence is part of the care plan, coordination can also occur between Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP. In those cases, evaluation findings can inform therapeutic goals from the outset, helping ensure that treatment is aligned with the cognitive and developmental profile identified during assessment. This continuity allows recommendations and intervention strategies to remain connected rather than operating in separate tracks.