FAQs
All doctors provide evaluations that assess any potential area of concern. This includes but is not limited to: developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and more!
We provide a medical diagnosis as well as an educational eligibility, so the report can be used to gain support in the school system, a referral for therapy, access to medical services, or support at home.
Though reasons vary, we suggest an evaluation when clear direction is needed to determine the root cause of difficulties in order to receive appropriate treatment/intervention. For example:
- Do you have concerns about reading and think your child may need extra support at school?
- Has your child has been attending therapy but does not seem to be making progress?
- Might there be overlapping symptoms that make it difficult to determine why a particular behavior continues to cause difficulties?
Call Angela, our Administrative Assistant, at 817-989-6312 or fill out the “Request for Referral” form. Angela will be able to answer questions to guide you in this process! If choosing to use insurance, she will take your insurance information in order to provide an estimate based on your individual policy. Both insurance and private pay estimates are based on the age of the client and presenting concerns. If you accept the estimate, Angela will schedule the parent intake appointment and testing appointment.
Brainstorm Learning provides comprehensive evaluations for individuals aged 18 months to 25 years of age.
Yes! We are in-network providers with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Tricare East, and United Health Care/UMR. We are NOT in-network with any Medicaid programs, such as Superior or Magellan, or Tricare West. For those with a health share, we can provide a super bill for you to submit.
Yes, we are accepting new clients. Our timeline for appointments varies, and Angela will give you the latest scheduling options when you contact the office.
After making an appointment, you will be emailed the dates and times of the intake and assessment. You will be sent a developmental history form and typically one rating scale to complete PRIOR to the intake appointment. Adult(s) with legal authority to make decisions for the child can complete the parent paperwork. You will also be provided with forms for your child’s teacher or childcare provider to complete, so our evaluation can address concerns and compare functioning across settings.
The first appointment (for parents only if testing a minor) is to review all previously completed paperwork and takes approximately one hour. One of the doctors will meet with you in order to better understand the presenting concerns, plan the assessment, and explain in more detail what the assessment will look like for you and your child.
The second appointment is testing directly with the client. For younger clients, a parent may need to be present, and this decision will be reviewed during the intake. Older clients, typically those above age 6, should be dropped off. All appointments begin at 9:00am and typically last until early afternoon. Again, our best estimate is provided during the intake. All doctors typically only see one testing client per day to ensure we have adequate time to complete all testing and work at the pace of the client. All testing is completed in one day.
The third and final appointment is the feedback and takes approximately one hour. If testing a minor, this appointment is typically for parents only. This appointment is typically 2-3 weeks after testing to give the doctor time to score all assessment materials and write a comprehensive report. The same doctor that completed the intake and testing will meet with you to review the results, go over recommendations and next steps, discuss referrals if needed, and provide a copy of the comprehensive report.
Yes! Evaluations through a public school are free. These evaluations have a specific purpose of determining if your child meets educational eligibility, which is different from a medical diagnosis. If the school agrees to complete an evaluation, they have 45 school days (approximately 9 school weeks) from the time you sign consent to finish the evaluation. They then have 30 days to meet for an ARD meeting, which is when you will discuss the report as a group and decide if your child would benefit from accommodations and/or modifications in the school setting.
Private evaluations provide a broader scope of assessment and can look at a child’s functioning across all settings, not just the school environment. This can be particularly helpful when looking to pursue services outside of the school, such as therapy or intervention, as well as medication in some cases, or to provide support to the home environment.
At Brainstorm Learning, all doctors are Licensed Psychologists and Licensed Specialists in School Psychology. That means we are able to provide BOTH the medical diagnosis and the educational eligibility. As each doctor has worked in the school setting, we are well informed of educational rights and can help guide how to pursue these for your child if needed.
A neuropsychological evaluation is a systematic assessment of brain-behavior relationships. The areas of functioning that are evaluated include attention, executive functions, learning, memory, language, visuospatial, and sensory-motor processes, as well as social-emotional functioning and achievement. These evaluations are based upon the highest scientific integrity, and the administration of these assessments requires highly specialized training and expertise. A neuropsychological assessment is not a panacea or a cure all; however, it is the best clinical and scientific methodology for identifying and characterizing neurocognitive processes, achievement, and adaptation of problems.
A thorough evaluation that examines the aforementioned areas of functioning is essential in formulating an accurate diagnosis and creating an intervention plan for the home and classroom setting. Problems with attention, learning and memory, planning and organization, problem-solving, and task completion directly impact a child’s performance in the classroom setting. Thus, the results of this type of assessment will not only identify how well a child reads, spells, completes math, pays attention, etc. compared to his peers but also provides some insight into why and how this will play out in the classroom.
Why Choose Brainstorm Learning?
Every practitioner at Brainstorm Learning is dually licensed as a Licensed Psychologist (LP) and as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP). Because of this, evaluations can provide both a medical diagnosis and an educational eligibility. Each doctor has worked in the public school system, conducted Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings, and understands special education law and services. Our goal at Brainstorm Learning is to use evaluations to provide each client with the best plan moving forward. These recommendations can include a wide variety of services, such as individual therapy, how to receive help at school, books to read, but are tailored to fit the individual needs of our clients.