Lynda Boucugnani-Whitehead, Ph.D. - Practice of Neuropsychology

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Sunday, May 20, 2012

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Welcome to Our Office

WELCOME TO OUR OFFICE.

This letter is designed to answer any questions you may have regarding the professional services provided. Please take the time to read over this information and feel free to ask additional questions at any time.

SCHEDULING

All appointments and messages should be made through the Fayetteville office number listed above. You are expected to give at least 24 hours notice if you must cancel an appointment. When this is not the case you will be held responsible for the usual hourly charge. Consideration will, of course, be given when an emergency arises. Please leave a message on the answering machine if no one is available to answer your call. Consultation / Evaluation sessions are based on a "50 minute hour".

INSURANCE

If you have insurance coverage, please understand that this is an agreement between you and your insurance company. You are responsible for the payment of your bill regardless of the status of your insurance claim. Please see the link on the left - Notes About Insurance - for guidance in seeking reimbursement from your insurance company.

FEES AND PAYMENT

All charges for consultation and evaluations are computed on an hourly basis. Payment is expected at the end of each consultation session. For neuropsychological evaluations, approximately 1/2 of the total fee must be paid at the time of your child's third evaluation session; the balance is due at the last session with parents when you receive the written report. Payment can either be made by check, cash or credit card. When you come for your first appointment, you will be asked to designate your preferred payment option. At the final session you will be provided with a superbill, listing diagnoses and CPT codes that you may attach to your insurance form to seek reimbursement.

Charges for consultation sessions are $200.00 per hour.

Charges for psychological / neuropsychological evaluations will vary depending on the complexity of the assessment sought. An evaluation typically includes an intake interview with parents or guardians or an adult client, administration of numerous psychological and neuropsychological tests and procedures, scoring and interpretation of findings, a review of the results with the parents or client and a written neuropsychological report detailing the assessment and specific recommendations tailored to the needs of the patient. An evaluation generally requires fourteen to fifteen hours of direct professional time.

As a guideline, the charge for a neuropsychological evaluation will generally range from $2,500.00 to $2,700.00 depending on the complexity of the case and the professional time required.

What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

A neuropsychological evaluation is a specially designed assessment to investigate how a student is processing information with the goal of understanding processing strengths and challenges. It is a comprehensive study of the student/patient and includes as well understanding academic, emotional, social and personal functioning. Through such a study a "blueprint" can be developed that will map out the specific strategies and techniques that can help the student be successful in school and life.

When an appointment for a neuropsychological evaluation is made with Dr. Lynda's office, you will receive a packet with a complete medical/developmental history for parents to complete along with some forms to be completed by teachers. The first session is with parents only where we will discuss your child's concerns, what you have particularly noted as parents and explore your child's medical, developmental and social history in depth.

The individual work with your child usually involves 6 to 7 hours of direct contact, generally broken down into three sessions. All aspects of functioning are studied including attention, verbal and visual memory, language development, organization skills and executive functions, visual-spatial skills, motoric functioning, reasoning skills, intellectual skills, and the necessary underlying processes needed for appropriate academic development. The study of your child is not complete without a full understanding of your child's academic profile and emotional and social development, so that a complete picture of your child can be obtained.

When the clinical work is completed Dr. Lynda will write a very comprehensive neuropsychological report that will detail all findings, but more importantly, the specific strategies that need to be put into place to help your child.

Finally, Dr.Lynda will meet with parents again, usually for about 2 hours, so that you will fully understand your child's strengths and challenges, the findings and the techniques and strategies that are needed. Included in the discussion will be assistance in working with your child's school to access needed services and exploring the best educational options.

Typically, students find the evaluation to be very enjoyable, fun and interesting. I am often asked by parents about how to approach the subject of the evaluation with their child or adolescent. My advice is to say "What Dr. Lynda does is figure out how students learn best so teachers know how to teach." This is exactly what we are doing and makes sense to the students.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Fayetteville Office at 770-716-8325. As Dr. Lynda will want to talk to you directly and she may be in session, you may need to leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.