Full Evaluation in New Orleans
A full evaluation is a comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational assessment that goes beyond a single IQ test. It provides a detailed picture of your cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning, with actionable recommendations for academic planning, career development, or clinical intervention.
Last Updated: August 2026
Child IQ Testing
WISC-V & Stanford-Binet 5 for ages 6–16. Gifted identification, learning profiles.
Adult IQ Testing
WAIS-IV & WAIS-5 available. Comprehensive adult cognitive assessments for clinical and occupational purposes.
WAIS-IV & WAIS-5 Tests
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale® – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and Fifth Edition (WAIS-5) – the gold standard for adult IQ testing.
Gifted Testing
Identify giftedness for school placement, enrichment, and talent programs using WISC-V or Stanford-Binet 5.
Mensa Testing
Official Mensa admission testing and preparation for the high-IQ society. Accepts WAIS-IV, WAIS-5, and Stanford-Binet 5 scores.
Schedule Full Evaluation
Book your comprehensive assessment with detailed report and recommendations for academic planning. Includes WISC-V, WAIS-IV, WAIS-5, or Stanford-Binet 5 as appropriate, with a licensed psychologist in New Orleans today.
What is a Full Evaluation?
A full evaluation is a comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational assessment that provides a complete picture of your cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Unlike a single IQ test, which focuses only on cognitive abilities, a full evaluation includes multiple tests and assessments to provide a holistic understanding of your strengths and challenges.
Full evaluations are typically conducted by licensed psychologists and can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours of testing time, often spread across multiple sessions.
What a Full Evaluation Includes
- Cognitive Assessment (IQ testing): WISC-V (children), WAIS-IV or WAIS-5 (adults), or Stanford-Binet 5 to measure intellectual abilities
- Academic Achievement Testing: Measures reading, writing, math, and other academic skills
- Behavioral and Emotional Assessment: Questionnaires and interviews to assess emotional well-being, social functioning, and behavioral patterns
- Executive Functioning Assessment: Measures attention, planning, organization, and self-regulation
- Clinical Interview: Detailed interview to understand personal history, concerns, and goals
- Comprehensive Report: Detailed findings with scores, interpretations, and actionable recommendations
Full Evaluation vs. Single IQ Test
| Feature | Full Evaluation | Single IQ Test |
|---|---|---|
| What's Measured | Cognitive, academic, emotional, behavioral | Cognitive abilities only |
| Testing Time | 2-6 hours (often multiple sessions) | 45-90 minutes |
| Tests Included | IQ test + achievement tests + emotional/behavioral assessments | Single IQ test (e.g., WISC-V, WAIS-IV, WAIS-5, SB-5) |
| Report | Comprehensive, multi-page report with detailed recommendations | Shorter report with IQ scores and basic interpretation |
| Best For | Complex cases, learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional concerns, legal documentation | Gifted identification, school placement, Mensa |
| Cost Range | $1,200-$3,000 | $200-$1,200 |
When Is a Full Evaluation Recommended?
A full evaluation is recommended in several situations:
- Learning disabilities: Suspected dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or other learning disorders
- ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis and treatment planning
- Giftedness with learning challenges (2E): Twice-exceptional children who are both gifted and have learning disabilities
- Autism assessment: Comprehensive evaluation for autism spectrum disorder
- Educational planning: For Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans
- Legal documentation: For court cases, disability claims, or special education advocacy
- Mental health concerns: Anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges affecting academic or occupational functioning
- College accommodations: Documentation for accommodations on college entrance exams (SAT, ACT, GRE) or in college settings
New Orleans Hospitals and Medical Centers Offering Evaluations
Ochsner Health
- Neuropsychology: Referral-based assessment for brain-function changes involving memory, language, emotions, personality and cognitive processing.
- Scope: Adult and neurological referrals may involve dementia, injury, illness or treatment planning.
- Access: Confirm referral, insurance, location, wait time and whether the service fits the legal or educational purpose.
Children's Hospital New Orleans
- Pediatric specialty care: Developmental, neurological, rehabilitation and behavioral services can coordinate complex child referrals.
- School integration: Pediatric evaluations should include records, teacher information and educational recommendations.
- Scope check: Families should verify whether current services include the specific cognitive, neuropsychological or learning evaluation needed.
New Orleans VA Medical Center
- Eligibility: Services are for eligible veterans enrolled in the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System.
- Integrated care: The teaching hospital provides medical, mental-health, rehabilitation and specialty services.
- Referral: Neuropsychology or cognitive testing generally requires clinical referral and a relevant medical question.
University Medical Center New Orleans and LCMC Health
- Academic medical setting: UMC supports trauma, neurology, rehabilitation, behavioral health and specialty care.
- Neuropsychology: LCMC lists neuropsychology within behavioral-health services and affiliated providers.
- Coordination: Hospital-based evaluation may integrate imaging, medical records and rehabilitation needs.
Tulane and LSU Health Academic Services
- Tulane: Psychiatry, psychology and child services operate in academic and clinical settings.
- LSU Health: Academic testing resources include intelligence, achievement, memory, attention and psychological functioning.
- Training context: Some services are delivered in supervised training clinics with defined eligibility and scope.
Private-Practice Psychologists and Neuropsychologists
- Educational evaluations: Private clinicians may assess giftedness, learning disorders, ADHD, autism and school accommodations.
- Adult evaluations: Services may address capacity, disability, brain injury, dementia, work functioning or personal understanding.
- Forensic evaluations: Legal-purpose assessments require specialized competence and clear retention terms.
- Verification: Confirm Louisiana licensure, specialty training, test versions, report purpose, fees, records policy and expected turnaround.
New Orleans Evaluation Costs by Provider
- Brief IQ assessment: $300–$800 depending on age, instrument and report.
- Psychoeducational evaluation: $1,500–$4,000 or more for cognitive, achievement and diagnostic measures.
- Adult neuropsychological evaluation: $2,000–$6,000 or more depending on complexity and time.
- Pediatric neuropsychological evaluation: $2,500–$6,000 or more when medical and school integration is extensive.
- Forensic evaluation: Often billed hourly with retainers and separate testimony, travel or record-review fees.
- Hospital billing: Medical systems may bill insurance when testing is clinically indicated and authorized.
- Training clinics: Supervised university clinics may offer reduced fees when the referral matches their services.
- Written estimate: Request a written scope covering interview, testing, scoring, records, report, feedback and cancellation policies.
New Orleans Legal and Forensic Evaluations
- Capacity: Questions may involve medical decisions, financial management, guardianship or independent living.
- Disability: Evaluations may address functional limitations for benefits, employment or accommodations.
- Personal injury: Brain injury, toxic exposure and emotional damages may require neuropsychological or psychological expertise.
- Criminal matters: Competency, mitigation and other forensic questions require court-focused methods and role clarity.
- Family matters: Parenting or custody evaluations are specialized services and are not substitutes for IQ testing.
- Civil-law context: Louisiana’s legal system has distinctive terminology and procedures; counsel should define the exact referral question.
- Expert independence: Forensic evaluators should explain confidentiality limits, data sources, payment terms and who receives the report.
New Orleans Evaluation Timeline and Process
- Referral clarification: Define the educational, clinical, occupational, disability or legal question.
- Provider matching: Choose a psychologist with the correct age range and specialty.
- Authorization: Obtain insurance authorization or agency approval when required.
- Records: Collect school, medical, employment, imaging, prior testing and treatment records.
- Interview: Review history, symptoms, language, culture, education, sleep, medications and daily functioning.
- Testing: Complete cognitive, academic, memory, attention, personality or adaptive measures as indicated.
- Collateral information: Parent, teacher, partner or provider input may be needed with consent.
- Scoring and integration: The evaluator compares results with norms and all other evidence.
- Feedback and report: Findings are explained and translated into recommendations.
- Contingency planning: Storm closures, evacuation, illness and records delays may require rescheduling or staged appointments.
New Orleans Insurance Coverage for Evaluations
- Medical necessity: Coverage is most likely when a physician or qualified provider documents a clinical need.
- Prior authorization: Many plans require approval before neuropsychological testing.
- Educational testing: Gifted, school-placement and admissions evaluations are often excluded.
- ADHD and learning questions: Coverage varies by diagnosis, provider, setting and benefit design.
- Network status: Verify both the psychologist and facility because hospital systems may bill separately.
- Deductible and coinsurance: A covered evaluation may still create substantial out-of-pocket costs.
- Denials: Ask about appeal rights and what documentation is required.
- Storm disruption: Confirm cancellation, telehealth-interview and rescheduling policies during emergencies.
New Orleans Evaluation Referrals
- Primary care: Can identify medical contributors and refer to specialty services.
- Neurology: Appropriate for seizures, stroke, movement disorders, dementia, brain injury and other neurological conditions.
- Psychiatry: Useful when mood, trauma, psychosis, attention or medication effects are central.
- Pediatrics: Coordinates developmental, medical and school concerns.
- Schools and LEAs: Initiate public educational evaluations and gifted referrals.
- Attorneys: Should state the legal question without directing the desired outcome.
- Employers or agencies: May authorize disability, fitness or accommodation evaluations with appropriate consent.
- Self-referral: Private-pay clients can often contact psychologists directly for educational, personal or career questions.
Benefits of a Full Evaluation
- Complete picture: Understand the full picture of your or your child's functioning – cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral
- Accurate diagnosis: Receive precise diagnoses for learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, or other conditions
- Legal documentation: Obtain documentation for IEPs, 504 plans, college accommodations, disability claims, or court cases
- Personalized recommendations: Receive tailored recommendations for academic planning, career development, therapy, or treatment
- Peace of mind: Understand your or your child's strengths and challenges and how to address them effectively
- Long-term planning: Use the findings for educational, career, and personal planning
Full Evaluations in New Orleans
- Children: Common questions include giftedness, dyslexia, ADHD, autism, language, school placement and twice-exceptionality.
- College students: Evaluations may address accommodations, learning, attention and academic functioning.
- Adults: Common referrals include ADHD, disability, career questions, capacity and diagnostic clarification.
- Older adults: Memory and neurological concerns generally require neuropsychological rather than IQ-only assessment.
- Veterans: The New Orleans VA may coordinate evaluation for eligible veterans.
- Bilingual clients: Language proficiency, acculturation and education must guide test selection and interpretation.
- Disaster exposure: Trauma, displacement, interrupted schooling and chronic stress should be considered.
- Local access: Bridge traffic, public transit, heat, flooding and hurricane closures should be built into scheduling plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
A full evaluation typically includes cognitive testing (IQ), academic achievement testing, behavioral and emotional assessments, a clinical interview, and a comprehensive written report with recommendations.
Testing typically takes 2-6 hours, often spread across 2-3 sessions. The entire process from consultation to receiving the report usually takes 2-4 weeks.
The report includes background information, test scores, normative comparisons, interpretation of findings, diagnostic impressions (if applicable), and actionable recommendations for academic planning, treatment, or accommodations.
No. A full evaluation is much more comprehensive and includes cognitive testing, academic testing, emotional/behavioral assessments, and a clinical interview. An IQ test only measures cognitive abilities.
Some insurance plans cover full evaluations when they are deemed medically necessary. Coverage varies by plan and provider. We recommend checking with your insurance provider.
Yes. A full evaluation provides the documentation needed for college accommodations, including extended time on exams, note-taking assistance, and other academic support services.
Some components of a full evaluation can be done via telehealth, but many tests (especially cognitive and achievement tests) require in-person administration for accurate scoring. Contact us for details.
Get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy meal, and arrive relaxed. Bring any relevant documents (previous evaluations, school records, medical history). No specific preparation is needed for the tests themselves.
Typical fees range from $1,200 to $3,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the evaluation. Some insurance plans cover testing when medically necessary.
Yes. A full evaluation provides the comprehensive documentation needed to qualify for IEPs, 504 plans, and other educational accommodations in New Orleans Metropolitan School District and other districts.