Low-Cost Neuropsychological Testing for Kids in NYC

A full neuropsychological evaluation can run $4,000 to $6,500 out of pocket in New York City. That hurts.

Most insurance doesn't cover it, and the DOE voucher for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) — currently around $4,200 — often doesn't stretch to cover a comprehensive eval at full private rates.

There is hope. The clinics below are training sites run by university psychology programs, a CUNY-affiliated assessment center, and one hospital-based program that doesn't charge at all. None of them are secret. I didn’t know they existed until yesterday.

A quick note on what you're trading for the lower price: every clinic below except Mount Sinai uses doctoral students to conduct the testing, supervised by licensed psychologists. That's pretty standard, I’m told, for training clinics, and the supervision is real — but it also means longer sessions, longer report turnaround, and less flexibility than a solo private practitioner.

The most concrete number on this list. A child neuropsychological evaluation costs $250 flat, with the clinic stating outright that it won't turn anyone away for financial reasons. It's also the fastest: an initial intake appointment can usually be scheduled within two weeks. That’s pretty incredible.

The catch is location — the Parnes Clinic is in the Bronx, at the Jacobi Hospital/Einstein College of Medicine campus, open Monday through Thursday until 8 p.m. and Friday until 2 p.m. For children 2 to 17, a parent or legal guardian has to make the call. There's a dedicated intake line for child assessments specifically, separate from the general child therapy line — ask for that one.

The clinic also runs the Lemle Clinic for Non-Verbal Learning Disorders out of the same building, with remote options available for New York State residents.

Parnes Clinic: 646-592-4399

Separate child assessment email: [email protected]

An assessment runs $350, or $300 if your child receives financial aid, with a sliding scale available for documented need. The whole thing happens over Zoom — full tele-assessment, HIPAA-compliant, no commute.

The tradeoff is the intake process: there's no walk-in option, and there's no posted wait-time estimate. You call, leave your name and number, get a callback for a phone screening, and then your name goes on a waitlist. If QCPC isn't a fit, they'll point you elsewhere.

QCPC: 718-570-0500

[email protected]

The only fully free option on this list — not sliding scale, not subsidized, just free. The clinic has an actual neuropsychologist on staff, not students-in-training, plus psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers.

Here's the real catch: to get the learning disabilities evaluation, your teen has to already be enrolled in the Center's mental health services. It's not something you can call up and book directly. Budget time for that on-ramp before you count on this as your fast option — call and ask how long that intake typically takes before you build a timeline around it.

Mount Sinai: 212-423-3000

Run out of City College's Harlem campus, with 75+ comprehensive neuropsychological assessments completed annually. The fee structure is sliding scale, determined case by case — there's no posted dollar figure. To apply for a reduced rate, you'll need a W-2, three recent pay stubs, proof of housing costs, and documentation of dependents.

The initial screen is free. After that, expect the testing itself to span up to eight weeks across several 3- to 6-hour sessions. A 50% deposit is due once your fee is set, and the full balance has to be paid before you get the report. It's in-person only — no remote option, and you'll need ID to get past campus security.

CCNY: 212-650-6602

Same sliding-scale structure as CCNY: no published rate, fees set after you bring in income verification. What McShane does publish is the intake fee — $60 for an assessment consultation, separate from and before the sliding-scale testing fee itself.

The process: one consultation session, then 2 to 4 testing sessions of 2 to 3 hours each, then a feedback session where you get the full report. McShane is open to the general public — no Pace affiliation required — but does not offer custody evaluations, which matters if your situation involves a custody dispute alongside the IEP question.

Pace: 800-874-PACE

Adelphi's main base is Garden City, Long Island, but it now has a Manhattan location on Madison Avenue and a child-specific site, the Derner Child and Family Center, in Hempstead. Assessment is described as a 15-hour commitment, sliding scale, no published number.

This is the thinnest entry on the list in terms of public information — no general intake phone number, no stated wait time. If you're considering Adelphi, plan to call the program office directly rather than expecting an online booking path.

Adelphi: 800-ADELPHI

This one works differently from everything else here: it's funded by the Robin Hood Foundation and only serves children referred through Robin Hood Partnering Groups — nonprofits and programs already connected to that funding network. You can't call CAL directly and ask for an appointment.

What you get if you qualify is real: detailed neuropsychological evaluations, including bilingual Spanish assessments, conducted by pediatric neuropsychologists, plus child advocacy help and family support services. The clinic has a formal partnership with Advocates for Children of New York (AFC). If you're already working with AFC or a similar nonprofit, ask them directly whether they can refer you to CAL — that's the actual path in.

Northwell Health: (212) 702-7374

Sliding scale from $900 to $2,500 based on income and expenses, no insurance accepted. Doctoral-level students and experienced examiners handle intake, testing, and report writing, covering specific learning disabilities, ADHD, and socio-emotional concerns. This one came up through Hunter College's resource directory rather than NIP's own site, so the details are thinner than the others — worth a call to confirm current numbers before you commit.

NIP: 646-765-4958

Run out of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian, at the Harkness Eye Institute (635 West 165th Street). This is the most full-service option on the list — beyond testing, Promise assigns an educational advocate who works with the school on the recommendations and attends the IEP meeting alongside you. Testing itself runs 8 to 10 hours across three or four sessions, plus a feedback meeting where you get the full report.

The catch: it's income-restricted, serving NYC families below poverty guidelines, mainly in Washington Heights, Harlem, and the South Bronx. No published fee, because there generally isn't one if you qualify.

Promise at Columbia: 212-590-9404

"Sliding scale" doesn't mean "call and find out the number in five minutes." At CCNY, McShane, and Adelphi, you'll need to bring income documentation before a fee gets set. Have your W-2, recent pay stubs, and a sense of your monthly housing cost ready before you call.

Free isn't always faster. Mount Sinai and the Robin Hood-funded CAL program both have real gates in front of the free evaluation — enrollment in services, or a referral through a partner nonprofit. If you need an eval fast, a flat $250 or $350 fee with a two-week wait may get your child tested sooner than a free option with an unclear on-ramp.

Training clinics mean longer sessions, not lower quality. Every clinic here except Mount Sinai uses doctoral students under licensed supervision. That's the tradeoff for the lower cost — testing tends to take longer, spread across more sessions, with more weeks between intake and report than you'd get from a solo private neuropsychologist charging full price.

If you're going the IEE route, ask each clinic directly whether they accept the DOE's IEE voucher and what they charge above it. None of the clinics on this list publish that information directly — it's the single most useful question you can ask on the phone.

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