What to Expect on Testing Day
Schedule
Estimated Time Frame
- For adults, this appointment will typically last 3-5 hours. However, Neuropsychological testing may take up to 7 hours.
- For children over the age of 8, this appointment will typically last 3-7 hours.
- For children 7 years of age or younger, this appointment typically lasts 1-4 hours.
**This overall time frame varies by patient, tests ordered by the psychologist, and is an approximation. Please note this does not include the time taken for a lunch break. Lunch breaks will be provided for people testing past noon.
Lunch Break
Patients will be given a 1-hour lunch break around noon. Lunch is NOT provided. If the patient is a child, the child will be returned to the parent during this break. Patients will resume testing at 1pm.
What to Expect
- You will be working with a testing examiner to complete your evaluation (not your psychologist).
- Examples of testing activities include working through puzzles, playing with toys (if patient is a child), answering questions asked by the examiner, completing computer tasks, completing questionnaires, etc.
How to Prepare for your Testing Appointment
- Be sure to wear/bring any prescribed contacts, eyeglasses, and/or hearing aids.
- Please do not take stimulant medication or nonstimulant medication prescribed for ADHD.
- You may, however, take any other daily medications. You may also bring medication for ADHD with you to the assessment appointment and take it after completing assessments of attention. Be sure to tell your examiner that you would like to do so.
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol and/or illicit drugs at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. You will be asked to reschedule your appointment and will incur a no-show fee if substance use is endorsed.
- If you can avoid caffeine without getting a headache, it is recommended that you do so. However, if this is not possible, consume the minimum amount of caffeine necessary to avoid a headache (no more than usual).
- It is also recommended that you bring snacks and bottled water.
Notes for Parents
Where you may go during testing
- Typically, parents will wait in the waiting room while their child is being assessed. For very young or shy children, sometimes parents will accompany the child to the testing room until comfortable. However, it is ideal for the child to complete the testing assessments without parent/guardian present.
- Parents should plan to be at Athena during their child’s testing appointment (in the waiting room). For older, very independent children, parents may step away for some period of time, however, parents need to remain within 15-20 minutes of the testing location.
- If parents choose to step away, they need to provide cell contact information and return well before the lunch break at 12pm.
- Parents MUST return for the lunch break if they do leave, as children are returned to their parents for the lunch break.
Forms
- If parent and/or teacher forms were given to you prior to the testing appointment, please bring the completed forms to the testing appointment, or scan and email the forms to our office at [email protected] prior to the date of testing.
- If teacher forms are given on the date of testing, it is important to give these to your child’s teacher ASAP and have the teacher scan and email them back quickly.
- If no forms were given prior to the child’s testing appointment, the testing examiner will provide any forms and parents will be able to complete them during the child’s appointment.
- If we lack parent or teacher questionnaires, test results may be delayed and rescheduled to a later date.
Cancellation/No Show
- Appointments must be cancelled 48 hours prior to the scheduled appointment time. Failure to cancel a testing appointment within this time frame will result in a $150 fee.
- Emergencies and illness are an exception to this rule. Please reach out to discuss if this occurs. Please do not come to your testing appointment sick.
- Rescheduling Policy: We will only reschedule a testing day appointment two times. After a third testing day appointment is cancelled, we will no longer reschedule the client for any testing day appointments.
If you have any questions, please call (615) 320-1155
If you’d like to read more about the testing process, please click here.