When families call our office requesting a comprehensive evaluation of their minor child, it’s almost always because something deeply important is at stake. Maybe a child is struggling with reading, attention, or social-emotional/behavioral functioning, or a medical concern. Maybe there are multiple areas of concern and you’re trying to understand
A guide for families seeking clarity, collaboration, and the right professional fit. Families often ask what they should consider before scheduling an evaluation. While cost and convenience are important, the right fit depends on the evaluator’s training, process, and collaboration style. This guide outlines key questions to help you make
A Strengths-Based, Whole-Child Approach to Testing A family friend recently reached out to me about testing for their third-grade daughter. She’s been receiving excellent, evidence-based reading intervention but still struggles, and now her parents are wondering if she might have Dyslexia. They’d seen “Dyslexia-only” evaluations advertised and wanted my perspective.
The word testing doesn’t always bring a smile. For many adults, it stirs up memories of filling in bubbles or staring at long exams. Not exactly fun. So, when parents learn that their young child needs to complete an admissions test before entering school or transferring, it’s natural for the
Not Broken, Just Different: A Neuropsychologist’s Take on Neuroaffirming Care It’s a question I hear more and more often—and I’m so glad people are asking.“Do you offer neuroaffirming care?”The short answer? Yes, I do. But what does that actually mean?Let’s start with this: every brain is different.That’s not just a
“If only they came with instructions!” It’s something I say almost daily—and for good reason. Most of us enter parenthood with an idea of how we’ll raise our kids. We picture how we’ll speak to them, how they’ll behave, and how things will unfold. But parenting isn’t a curated itinerary.
I’m a developmental neuropsychologist—a passionate advocate, creative problem-solver, and proud neuroscience nerd. I dive into data, decode complex cognitive patterns, and help people understand what’s going on in their brains and what to do about it. I love the elegance of statistics and the challenge of putting puzzle pieces together
At Shapiro BrainHealth Group, I believe in the power of focusing on strengths. It’s the cornerstone of our approach when working with children, adolescents, and adults. You may have heard of a strengths-based approach, but what does it really mean? And why is it so important when it comes to
As a psychologist, my work is rooted in respect for human dignity. Our Code of Ethics explicitly mandates Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity, calling on us to honor each person’s autonomy, privacy, and worth while being mindful of differences in culture, background, lived experience, and more. This isn’t about
What a treat to spend the weekend in Iowa working and getting to watch the NCAA semi-finals with my daughter and my Iowa friends. Growing up in the heart of ACC basketball country, and as a daughter of a UNC grad and a proud Wahoo myself, March madness was always
Do You Evaluate for Neurodiversity? Well the answer is, yes. And no. Prior to 2022, no one had ever asked me that question. Terms like neurodivergent and neurodiversity have become increasingly popular in public conversations around individuality, differentness, disability, and ability over the last several years in particular. They have
Are sleep trackers accurate? Is it worth it? We Americans live in a driven, productivity-inspired world. As I started writing this post I googled “productivity books” and in less than a second Google found around 271,000,000 references!
