Families are at the heart of what we do. Our team model and flexible approach allows us to tailor our services to the child’s specific needs and ensure quality care. Our goal is to always develop meaningful and actionable recommendations and to advocate for our patients and families as they work through the process of determining which educational and therapeutic paths to take.
Our Services
A consultation is a meeting in which we obtain your child’s developmental, medical, educational, and psychosocial history. While our team reviews and considers all past evaluations and reports, we make our own independent assessment of your child. Recommendations regarding treatment options or further evaluation will be provided. We offer ongoing consultation as needed at any point through your child’s development and education. You may also schedule a consultation when seeking a second opinion about your child’s diagnosis or lack thereof.
CONSULTATION
Our practice is comprised of Clinical, Counseling, School, and Neuropsychologists, all trained and experienced in assessing and documenting developmental, learning, neuropsychological, and psychiatric diagnoses. All evaluations are conducted by doctors in our practice, along with professionals from other disciplines when appropriate. Family, outside educators, medical specialists, and therapists round out the evaluation process and provide information that is vital to our understanding of your child. While we will certainly assign diagnoses as appropriate as well as educate your child and family on the implications of the diagnosis, we are searching for far more than a “label.” We are committed to a holistic understanding of your child, one that considers family, school, and therapeutic interventions, as well as your child’s strengths and weaknesses. All of this information together helps us develop an actionable plan uniquely tailored to your child’s profile.
ASSESSMENTS
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
The purpose of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is to determine an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and to provide recommendations for highly individualized and specific educational and treatment plans. Individuals are typically referred when there are questions about developmental delays or difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional functioning. Other reasons to seek an evaluation include medical conditions such as a chronic illnesses and genetic diagnosis or an acquired brain injury caused by trauma. Neuropsychological evaluations generally assess cognitive abilities, academic skills (reading, writing, mathematics), attention, executive functioning (e.g., planning, organization, etc.), language, memory and learning, sensory, and fine motor skills. An evaluation of social, emotional, and behavioral functioning is included to obtain a comprehensive picture of the individual. A classroom observation may also occur in your child’s school setting. A parent conference will be scheduled with the doctor to review the test results and create a plan for your child. Children also can receive feedback about their results depending on their age and abilities. You will be provided with a comprehensive report following the feedback session. Psychological Evaluation A psychological evaluation focuses on an individual’s personality, behaviors, and social-emotional functioning. The evaluation typically consists of a combination of observation, interviews, behavior rating scales, projective testing, personality inventory testing, and other norm-referenced standardized psychological tests. We incorporate collateral information from outside therapists, school, and family to obtain a complete picture of the child’s social-emotional functioning. Academic Evaluation Educational testing is conducted as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation or in isolation from preschool and beyond. Various measures will be used and integrated with other findings in order to make appropriate diagnoses and recommendations. Academic testing is also helpful when monitoring your child’s progress.
We will provide you with specific educational recommendations and interventions based on your child’s unique learning profile and help you navigate the special education process when necessary. School Observations Observing your child in their school or therapeutic environment can be critical when assessing skills outside of the evaluation process and determining whether changes should be made to your child’s educational plan and/or setting. We can continue to observe your child through the years as they develop or change classrooms or schools. Placement Recommendations We have extensive experience with all public, private, and special education placements in the New York City area. In addition, we work with students in schools throughout the country and internationally. We will help you to determine whether your child’s current placement is appropriate and the right fit for your children. We will also make recommendations for the existing placement or help you to find a school or classroom better suited to your child. Advocacy We work with families through every step of the process to obtain services and implement interventions at every stage of development from Early Intervention (EI) through college and graduate school. We are committed to advocating on behalf of your child in any school environment and work closely with all members of your child’s treatment team. Examples include developing 504 plans, participating in IEP team meetings, testifying in impartial hearings, and joining school conferences.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Something about school consulting
SCHOOL CONSULTING
A behavior specialist can provide support to families and schools in order to help manage challenging behaviors using practical evidence-based strategies. Parent Coaching Our Parent Coach, whose background and training are in early childhood education and behavior analysis, is available to work with your family, providing individualized and hands-on strategies to manage challenging behaviors that are interfering with your daily life. School Consultation If your child is engaging in challenging behaviors in their classroom setting, our behavior specialist is available to observe and consult with the school staff and create an individualized behavior management plan to help support your child’s learning and development. Support Services for Schools We are available to collaborate with schools in New York City and surrounding areas to offer training and professional development opportunities for classroom teachers and other staff. Professional Development Trainings Large and small group trainings on a variety of topics, such as Behavior Management Strategies in the Classroom, Early Childhood Development, and Supporting Children with Special Needs in the Classroom, among others, are available to school staff to help further their professional development. Classroom Consultation Includes classroom observations and meetings with staff to discuss general teaching strategies to meet the needs of all students. Behavior Coaching A Behavior Specialist is available to work with classroom staff (along with the child’s family) to address the challenging behaviors and/or specific learning needs of individual children in your classroom.
BEHAVIOR SUPPORT SERVICES
Our clinicians have extensive training and experience working with children, adults, and families across a range of issues, including adjustment issues, emotional and behavioral disorders, trauma, and bereavement. For more information regarding our clinicians’ areas of clinical interest and training, please refer to the staff biographies Individual Psychotherapy Psychotherapy is targeted at helping individuals cope with their emotions, with the goal of facilitating changes in their feelings and/or behavior. Our clinicians have experience with play and talk therapy and are well-versed in providing evidence-based treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We work with a wide range of clients and conditions. Family Therapy Family therapy focuses on the interaction between parents, children, and siblings to help improve communications and behaviors and resolve conflicts.
THERAPY
REFERRAL SERVICES
We provide referrals that are specific to each child’s individual needs. We have close relationships with exceptional behaviorists, speech and language therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychotherapists, tutors, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatric sub-specialists, educational consultants, and educational attorneys. We can also make referrals to summer camps, after-school programs, and other supportive environments for your child as needed.
Cognitive Remediation is treatment using exercises targeted at improving an individual’s language, memory, attention, and executive functioning skills. We bring extensive experience from working with children and young adults who have suffered sequelae from concussions, late effects of cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, strokes, and other acquired or traumatic brain injuries. We design plans and recommendations to fit your child’s needs.
COGNITIVE REMEDIATION
Students work one-on-one with our learning specialist to improve their executive functioning and academic skills by developing a toolbox of techniques to help them become more mindful learners. Our learning specialist will collect information from the student’s family, school, and the clinical team to create a customized plan to reach the student’s goals, empowering them to be their own advocates. Students’ will learn explicit strategies, improving their self-confidence, and ultimately cultivating a love for learning.