Each neuropsychological evaluation at Lighthouse is tailored to your unique story. Our comprehensive testing in Athens and Oconee County uncovers the strengths, challenges, and needs behind each concern, providing clear answers and a plan you can trust.
Comprehensive assessments connect symptoms with underlying causes, guiding the next steps for treatment and long-term well-being.
When symptoms are broad or complex, a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation helps clarify the underlying cause. This type of evaluation explores thinking, memory, problem-solving, processing speed, mood, and personality to understand how brain functioning may be affecting daily life.
It is often recommended for individuals experiencing head injury, post-concussion symptoms, stroke, dementia, developmental delays, or cognitive decline. Evaluations may also help identify overlapping emotional conditions such as anxiety or depression that impact attention or learning.
You will receive a detailed report explaining your results in clear, practical terms, with recommendations for medical treatment, therapy, educational planning, or accommodations as needed. These evaluations are an essential first step toward personalized care and lasting improvement in daily functioning.
Testing helps you or your child recognize patterns in organization, motivation, and emotional regulation, leading to practical strategies for success. Every attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder evaluation includes testing for behavioral functioning and psychological status including depression and anxiety. If the impression is not of an attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, we seek to identify the causes of your symptoms and provide solutions for relief.
ADHD and executive functioning evaluations help you understand how attention, focus, organization, and emotional regulation affect daily life. The process begins with behavioral and emotional checklists completed by the individual, parents, and teachers (when applicable). These help identify real-world patterns of distractibility, impulsivity, and self-management.
Direct testing evaluates cognitive and intellectual development, attention span, academic achievement, processing speed, and visual-motor coordination. Detailed behavioral observations during the sessions reveal how attention and motivation fluctuate across tasks.
The evaluation also screens for conditions that commonly occur alongside ADHD, such as anxiety, depression, or emotional dysregulation. In some cases, additional testing such as the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) or MMPI may be used to clarify personality and mood-related concerns. The final report provides specific, actionable strategies for improving focus, building structure, and managing energy—at school, at work, and at home.
Evaluations identify social communication patterns, sensory needs, and strengths—helping you create an environment where your child can thrive. Autism spectrum evaluations typically include intellectual testing, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Second Edition (ADOS-2), Childhood Autism Rating Scale - Second Edition (CARS-2), and other instruments that help to identify autism or other factors that are causing signs and symptoms.
Each autism evaluation offers a detailed understanding of your or your child’s communication style, sensory experiences, and cognitive profile. The assessment includes a full developmental history that explores early milestones, repetitive movements, sensory imbalances, focused interests, and social communication patterns.
For child evaluations, parents complete questionnaires that capture daily living skills, emotional and behavioral functioning, and observable signs of autism. Direct testing measures intellectual development (using Wechsler tests), social communication style, understanding of social norms, emotional processing, executive functioning, attention and processing speed.
Standardized diagnostic tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2), and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-3) provide data-driven insight. You’ll leave with a comprehensive report that clarifies your child’s diagnosis, outlines personalized recommendations, and, for children, connects you with local school and community resources for continued support.
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Adult evaluations uncover overlooked diagnoses such as ADHD, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social (pragmatic) communication disorder or autism and provide personalized recommendations for work, relationships, and daily life. Evaluations may be further tailored at your request and we can plan an assessment together. Talk to us if you're an adult interested in diagnostic clarification.
Dr. Finley provides expert witness testimony and independent medical examinations in civil and criminal cases. Common concerns may include capacity to independently manage financial, medical and/or legal matters; personal injury including motor-vehicle accidents; and employment/disability issues. Call for a free consultation.
As a licensed neuropsychologist based in Athens, GA, Dr. Finley provides expert witness testimony and independent medical examinations (IMEs) in civil and criminal cases. Evaluations are conducted with objectivity, precision, and professionalism, offering courts and attorneys clear, evidence-based insight into cognitive and psychological functioning.
Reports are written to withstand legal scrutiny and are supported by current neuropsychological research and clinical best practices. Attorneys, judges, and legal teams rely on Dr. Finley’s expertise to interpret complex findings and present them in understandable terms for legal proceedings. Dr. Finley has experience in expert witness testimony, providing depositions remotely and in-person.
Evaluations clarify school needs and provide documentation and recommendations for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and classroom supports. Our assessments typically involve many tests, including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – V (WISC – V), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) and instruments for discovering how a specific learning disability affects other areas such as independent living skills and social, emotional and behavioral adjustment.
School readiness evaluations and IEP planning assessments help parents make informed decisions about education and classroom supports. These evaluations address common questions such as:
The evaluation provides diagnostic clarity and practical recommendations for school participation. Reports are written in language that is clear and actionable for IEP committees, allowing school teams to “plug and play” areas of focus for accommodations and interventions.
Teachers also receive practical strategies that can be implemented immediately in the classroom. The final report empowers parents to advocate confidently for their child’s needs and to collaborate effectively with educators and support staff.