Services description Dr Gagnon, neuropsychologist

SERVICES DESCRIPTION Dr Gagnon, neuropsychologist:

Duration of services varies greatly from one person to the other.

Hence, services are 160$ / hour. Total cost for the evaluation and/or treatment depends on the duration. Details below.
Throughout the process, patients learn about themselves, a little more every session.
What is a full neuropsychological evaluation? In most North American Practices, a typical neuropsychological evaluation ranges from 7 to 14 hours total time. This includes time to review records, interview the patient and his or her family, conduct the evaluation, score the results, prepare a final report summarizing the findings and go over these findings with the patient/client and/or referral source.

Duration of an evaluation :

Adult (including adult ADHD)   $960 & up

  • Clinical interview. 2 hours. Arrive early to fill out the consent forms and be prepared to fill out questionnaires after our meeting – I am trying to get to know you as best and quick as I can.
  • Mini Neuropsychological Evaluation. 2 to 3 hours. Tests of attention, memory, language, reasoning, etc.  We are trying to understand how you process information.
  • Scoring the results. I look at all the questionnaires, all the tests, all the symptoms you have reported and I try to find patterns, explanations and solutions. Then I prepare either a verbal report, a 2 pages summary for you, a letter for your Physician or a full report – depending on your needs. 1 hour to 4 hours.
  • Feedback session. 1 hour. I give you my impressions and hypothesis about the Diagnosis, or we talk about the diagnosis.
  • NOTE : Discussion about the diagnosis can take longer than 1 hour. It is often beneficial for the patient to take the time to integrate all this information. Its also helpful to think about solutions for the problem and start the intervention after the diagnosis. I offer cognitive remediation for adult with ADHD, to improve functioning. This could be used with or without medication. The medication has to be prescribed and controlled by your GP. He is the one who knows best about your physical health.

Children, adolescents and young students  $1760 and up – depends on time needed

  • Clinical interview. 1 to 2 hours. Arrive early to fill out the consent forms and be prepared to fill out questionnaires after our meeting – I am trying to get to know you as best and quick as I can.
  • Neuropsychological Evaluation. 4-7 hours. The length depends on the complexity – duration of the evaluation is hard to predict. Some work faster than others. Some need more detailed evaluation than other. A throughout evaluation is very important to identify precisely what is going on. Because children and young adults are still studying, a full intellectual assessment is essential, along with tests of attention, memory, language, reasoning, etc. We are trying to understand how you process information. Also, academic achievement has to be evaluated. I will also need a copy of the report cards and I like to send questionnaires to the teacher. Its important to get an idea of the person’s functioning in many areas (home, school, work, hobbies, etc).
  • Scoring the results. I look at all the questionnaires, all the tests, all the symptoms you have reported and I try to find patterns, explanations and solutions. Then I prepare a report with all the results and recommendations for home and for school. this takes approx 4 hours but can take longer in complex cases.
  • Feedback session. 1 hour. I give you the diagnosis and some recommendations.  NOTE : I recommend at least one follow up session, one month after the diagnosis. To see how its been integrated at home and in school.  Its sometimes hard to make a real change at home and in school : most parents and students need help, even after the diagnosis and recommendation.
  • if needed, some medication has to be prescribed and controlled by your GP. He is the one who knows best about your physical health. Take an appointment and bring a copy of your report with you.

Adults over 55 (1440$ – for the complete evaluation with detailed report)

  • Clinical interview. 2 hours. Arrive early to fill out the consent forms and be prepared to fill out questionnaires after our meeting – I am trying to get to know you as best and quick as I can.
  • Neuropsychological Evaluation. 4 hours. Tests of attention, visual and verbal memory, praxis, language, reasoning, etc.
  • Scoring the results. I look at all the questionnaires, all the tests, all the symptoms you have reported and I try to find patterns, explanations and solutions. Then I prepare either a verbal report, a 2 pages summary for you, a letter for your Physician or a full report – depending on your needs. 1 hour to 4 hours.
  • Feedback session. 1 hour. I give you the diagnosis and some recommendations.
  • NOTE : Discussion about the diagnosis can take longer than 1 hour. It is often very beneficial for the patient to take the time to integrate all this information. If needed, some medication can be prescribed and controlled by your GP. Send your GP a copy of your report. He will follow up with the appropriate pharmaceutical treatment. He is the one who knows best about your physical health.

Not sure if you want / need a neuropsychological evaluation?
Initial in-person consultation. A complete neuropsychological assessment is a very thorough process and might not always be warranted. An initial in-person consultation is suggested. This initial consultations is a 2 hours appointment (320$) during which Dr Gagnon will conduct a thorough interview and basic cognitive screening, as necessary. Based on this initial assessment, a neuropsychological assessment will be recommended or not (see above). You may also receive suggestions and recommendations or a brief educational session, depending on the initial findings and clinical impressions.

Services available in both official languages

Assessment in french or in english?

Neuropsychologists should use assessment methods that are appropriate to an individual’s language preference and competence (Ethical Standard 9.02)
For children enrolled in French immersion programs, it is  crucial to complete the assessment (in part or in totality) in French language.

For children who`s first language is English, it is  crucial to complete the assessment (in part or in totality) in English language.
For adults and older clients, it is essential to complete the assessment in their first / favourite language.

Rational: A complete neuropsychological evaluation comprises comprehensive assessment of verbal and nonverbal language ability. Hence, the clinician needs to be able to evaluate, for example, word retrieval, fluency, and comprehension, in addition to subtle prosodic and attitudinal communications. Obviously, the ability to evaluate these domains is directly related to the degree to which the clinician has advanced native fluency of the target language and the degree to which the clinician is expert in clinical neuropsychological evaluation.

On this topic, see also
• Brickman & Cabo (2006)
• Artiola, Fortuny & Mullaney (1998)