Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

TPP 299a: Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman on Navigating the Neuropsych Evaluation Process

Jan 2, 2026

Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman, a seasoned pediatric neuropsychologist with over 25 years of experience, shares her insights on navigating the complex neuropsych evaluation process. She emphasizes the importance of considering the whole child and gives parents essential tips for vetting evaluators. Topics include differentiating assessment types, advocating for reassessment when needed, and the impact of mental health on testing. Jonine also shares advice on effectively communicating feedback to both parents and students, ensuring a supportive environment for children.

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INSIGHT

Whole-Child Neuropsych Approach

Neuropsychology combines brain science with clinical practice to understand behavior and learning.
Jonine Nazar-Biesman emphasizes assessing the whole child, not just test scores.

ADVICE

Vet Evaluators With Specific Questions

Ask evaluators how they approach testing, handle tired or off days, and adjust sessions.
Verify subspecialty training and ask whether the evaluator has postdoctoral neuropsych training.

INSIGHT

How Test Types Differ

Neuropsych, psychoeducational, and psychological tests differ by depth and training behind them.
Neuropsych testing digs into memory, executive function, motor skills, sensory processing, and social-emotional patterns.

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The neuropsych assessment process can be daunting and complicated to navigate, especially in recent years as a result of COVID, so I’m excited to share my conversation with pediatric and adolescent young adult neuropsychologist, Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman. Jonine’s work is about taking into consideration the whole child and the big picture when assessments are being done.

In this episode, we talk about what parents should think about when vetting psychologists to assess their child, the difference between a neuropsych, a psychoeducational, and a psychological assessment, and how parents can navigate getting a better assessment if they believe their child got the wrong diagnosis. We also talked about what to do with all the feedback parents get from an evaluation and how that feedback can best be relayed to our kids, and to their schools.Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman has over 25 years of experience specializing in assessing and treating children, adolescents, and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism, ADHD, learning differences, and genetic conditions. She works closely with families, treatment teams, schools, and the community to ameliorate social-emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges.

Things you'll learn from this episode:

What parents should think about when looking for someone to do an assessment for their child, as well as tips for vetting evaluators
The difference between a neuropsych, a psychoeducational, and a psychological assessment
How Jonine works with students and adjusts the evaluation process during the assessment in response to what she’s discovering
How parents can navigate getting a better assessment if they believe their child got the wrong diagnosis
Whether or not a neuropsych evaluation would benefit every neurodivergent child
How feedback is ideally shared with parents, kids, and schools after an assessment has been completed
How the COVID pandemic has impacted the assessment process
How parents can best use the detailed feedback they receive as part of the neuropsych evaluation process

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