Dr. Thomas Explains What Makes the Brain Clinic Different
In the New York City area, there are a number of places to obtain evaluations for ADD and learning disabilities. But with each of the clinics and services, there are some problems that I have noticed over the 25 years that I have been doing this kind of work. They are either expensive, have inconvenient hours, have a long waiting list, or do not do a thorough enough job at testing. Sometimes it takes months in order to get a report. Most of the time graduate students, or psychologists in training, do the testing. That is fine, as long as the supervision is good. Testing goes pretty much "by the book," and as long as the testing professional has experience, then the results will be valid the vast majority of the time. However, from many places that supposedly test for learning disabilities or ADD, I have received their reports and had to do the evaluation again because it was inadequate. This is so the evaluation could stand up to a rigorous peer review, such as requesting extended time on the Bar Exam, the LSAT, or the Medical Boards. (Yes, there are plenty of doctors with learning disabilities!) Writing such evaluations is very demanding, and I often show my clients examples of the reports I have done so they can see first hand how elaborate the evaluations must be.
The Brief ADD/LD evaluations done at the Brain Clinic are a shortened version of a full evaluation, and are priced accordingly. The usual time is spent on the testing, in order to gather the proper information, and the client or the parents are requested to provide a history by e-mail, so this can be inserted into the report body. This is done to keep the cost down. Usually, our $1200 evaluations will serve the purpose of obtaining the services needed for special education and extended time for young people, but you need to check with the person requesting the evaluation. In order to have a full evaluation for extended time for SAT, LSAT, and other demanding exams, additional professional time is needed from Dr. Thomas. For more information, go to the Extended Time Evaluation Requirements page.
The main difference between the Brain Clinic and others is that the reports are streamlined because Dr. Thomas has been doing these evaluations for over 25 years and knows how to do them efficiently. He also has a breadth of services available, some of the latest technology available, including neurofeedback, QEEG evaluations, and remediation for the cognitive problems underlying learning disabilities and other conditions. Dr. Thomas's credentials are excellent, and this can be seen in the narrative resume. Briefly, this includes his being a licensed psychologist and neuropsychologist for over 25 years, on the Faculty of NYU Medical Center, on the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association, and Past-President of the Neuropsychology Division of the New York State Psychological Association, with seven books to his credit (including one on attention deficit disorder).