Visuoconstruction abilities involve the coordination of fine motor skills with spatial abilities, usually in the reproduction of geometric figures. This domain looks not only at the individual’s aptitude for copying a figure, but how well planned and organized that figure is. Individuals who have difficulties with visuoconstruction and spatial abilities often struggle with daily tasks

This is component of the evaluation process is very important as it looks at our ability to communicate with our fellow humans. Multiple aspects of speech and language are examined including: 1) articulation; 2) expressive language; 3) receptive language; 4) phonological processing; and 5) written language (i.e., reading & writing). Phonological processing and written language

Personality is a construct that refers to the amalgam of our underlying characteristics, including temperament, behavioral, emotional and cognitive factors that we use to guide us through our interactions with our environment. It determines how we deal with other people and the situations in our lives. In some instances, components of personality, whether through genetics

The motor tests that are typically included in a neuropsychological test battery look at how effectively the individual is able to coordinate hand-eye movements, finger dexterity, balance and motor speed in general. These tasks, while appearing simple in and of themselves are critically important for to the performance of many tasks of daily living. Consider

According to researchers such as Banich (2004), memory refers to he process by which we encode, store and retrieve information. Encoding refers to the processing of the information to be stored. For instance, you may encode a list of spelling words by reviewing them multiple times. The rehearsal of the information leads to consolidation, or

Intellectual functioning, as the term implies, refers to the individual’s intellectual capacity and is what we refer to when we discuss IQ scores. Although the IQ score is often discussed as a unitary concept, it is composed of a number of components that include verbal reasoning, visuomotor abilities, working memory and the speed and efficiency

Executive functions refer to a variety of processes that have the roll of guiding, directing, and managing cognitive, emotional and behavioral functioning (Gioia et al., 2000). The processes can be likened to the foreman at a construction site whose job it is to direct and coordinate the activities of the other workers, assuring that they

Attention is one of the most important components that is assessed during the neuropsychological evaluation. When it functions as it is supposed to, attention facilitates many of the other cognitive functions that we are involved in. When problems with attention do occur, they are often the cause of deficits in other cognitive functions and even

Adaptive functioning refers to those skills that are necessary for us to navigate through the demands that are placed on us by our environments in a way that is effective. It includes such skills as our ability to communicate with one another. For example, being able to express your thoughts to others, comprehend what others

As the term implies, academic achievement referrers to those skills that are required to be a successful student. Three primary areas are evaluated within this domain: 1) reading; 2) math & 3) writing. With regard to reading, two components are examined. The first component is word decoding. This refers to the ability to sound out