What to expect

YES! We’re still seeing families for no-cost evaluations!

Families who participate in the Healthy Brain Network are asked to have 3-4 appointments to complete their evaluations. Some of the evaluation may be done via video or phone conferences, while other parts are done in-office at one of our locations.

During appointments, your family works with a Healthy Brain Network clinical team on a comprehensive evaluation that takes approximately 12 hours to complete. See how our evaluation compares to a Neuropsych. Below is what you can expect to take place during the process.

If you still have questions, you can meet the team members you’ll work with at our clinical centers or get additional details on our FAQ page.

Structured Psychological Interview

A qualified clinician will conduct face-to-face interviews with both the study participant and the accompanying parent or caregiver, asking detailed questions about the study participant’s past experiences and mental health history. The results of these interviews will help determine whether the participant may qualify for a diagnosis of a psychological disorder or benefit from further evaluation and treatment.

Brief Neurocognitive Testing

The study participant will complete a battery of computerized tests. These tasks will evaluate the study participant’s cognitive abilities and functioning in a number of areas, including attention, working memory, speed of mental processing, language, visual perception, memory, motor speed and dexterity, and executive functions (such as planning, organizing, and abstract reasoning). Results from these tests will provide information on the participant’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses and how the participant may best learn and succeed both inside and outside the classroom environment.

Intelligence and Achievement Testing

The study participant will complete a battery of tests with a qualified examiner. Intelligence tests are aimed at evaluating a participant’s verbal and nonverbal knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Achievement tests measure the extent to which the participant has acquired information or mastered certain academic skills, such as math, reading, and spelling. Results of these tests will help determine whether the participant may qualify for a diagnosis of a learning disorder or may benefit from further evaluation for learning differences and scholastic abilities.

Questionnaires on Feeling, Thoughts, and Behaviors

The study participant as well as the accompanying parent or caregiver will be asked to complete several questionnaires about the participant’s emotions and behaviors, as well as aspects of social experiences and academic performance. Responses to these questionnaires will provide additional details and a fuller picture of the participant’s overall functioning and quality of life.

Fitness and Physical Health Testing

The study participant will complete a brief fitness test. A modified version of the test FitnessGram, widely used within the NYC DOE, will be conducted. This includes an evaluation of each participant’s muscle strength/endurance, flexibility, and body composition. The fitness and physical health testing will provide information on each participant’s overall health and fitness. Healthy Brain Network fitness and physical health evaluations and research are funded by generous support from Christine and Richard Mack.

Imaging (including EEG and MRI)

As COVID-19 restrictions on medical procedures have lifted, we have resumed scanning procedures while taking the utmost care for your family’s safety. Study participants will complete EEG and MRI imaging to investigate overall brain structure and function. Participants will complete tasks and tests during their imaging session. All imaging data collected will be used for research purposes and will not be provided to study participants as part of their feedback report. Participants will only be made aware of any abnormalities if indicated via the MRI brain scan.