Learning & Emotional Assessment Program

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LEAP Address: 1 Bowdoin Square, 7th Floor, Boston MA 02114

1 Bowdoin Square is located on the corner of Cambridge Street and New Chardon Street, approximately 0.5 miles from the Mass General Hospital’s Main Campus.

There is no parking at our building. We recommend parking in the MGH main campus garages, where you will pay the patient rate. It takes approximately 15 minutes to walk to our building from MGH. There is also a free shuttle service between the MGH main campus and Bowdoin, which the Information Desk inside the main hospital can call for you (please allow 20-25 minutes for shuttle arrival). Please note that parking fees at nearby commercial garages vary vastly in prices, and we cannot validate for these parking expenses.

MGH Parking Office

Our building is accessible via public transportation. There are several nearby MBTA stations:

• Bowdoin Station (Blue Line): 0.0 miles (~1-minute walk)
• Government Center Station (Green Line): 0.2 miles (~4-minute walk)
• Haymarket Station (Orange Line): 0.3 miles (~7-minute walk)
• North Station (Commuter Rail): 0.4 miles (~10-minute walk)
• Charles/MGH Station (Red Line): 0.4 miles (~10-minute walk)
• Park Street Station (Red Line): 0.4 miles (~10-minute walk)

• Current Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, if applicable. An IEP specifies academic services and accommodations that your child receives. It is reviewed once a year and contains goals and a service delivery plan. A 504 plan specifies academic accommodations that your child receives and is also reviewed once a year. It is helpful to us to see your child’s current IEP or 504 plan. This is different from the Progress Reports, which we do not need.
• Most recent school evaluations, if applicable. Reports may include one or more of the following: Psychological Testing, Educational Testing, Speech-Language Evaluation, Occupational Therapy Evaluation, Classroom Observation. This is applicable if your child has ever been evaluated by the public schools, and/or if they currently have an IEP.
• All previous test reports conducted outside the school system or outside MGB, if applicable. This is applicable if your child has ever been evaluated outside the school system or outside of the Mass General Brigham system (this could be by a psychologist, neuropsychologist, hospital clinic, speech-language therapist, or another provider).
• Food. It’s a long day, please bring snacks and lunch for your child (there are also local options for purchasing lunch outside of our building). There is no cafeteria in the building.
• Medication. Unless otherwise directed by your child’s neuropsychologist, your child should take medications as they always do. Call with any questions (particularly if you question whether their attention medication is helping).
• Quiet activity. Your child may have some free time during breaks – please bring a quiet activity for them to engage in independently (for example, a book, iPad with headphones, etc.). Parents/guardians should also bring a quiet activity as they must remain on site for patients under age 18 and will often spend significant time in the waiting room. We have free public WiFi in our waiting room.
• Glasses/Hearing Aid. If your child wears glasses or a corrective hearing device, please bring them.
• Payment. Self pays or co-payments, if applicable, will be collected at the time of your visit. Payment may be made by credit, debit, FSA, or HSA.

• Neuropsychological Testing. LEAP evaluations are usually completed in several steps:
• Parent/Guardian Intake. During the intake session, the neuropsychologist meets with parents/guardians to discuss your child’s history and your presenting concerns. If available, parents/guardians will be asked to provide documentation of the following: 1) prior neuropsychological or psychoeducational (school-based) evaluations, 2) school accommodation or special education plans (i.e., 504 plan or individualized education program), and 3) relevant medical records (TBD).
• Testing Appointment. Neuropsychological tests are specifically designed to measure cognitive (intellectual, language, memory, and executive function skills), academic (reading, writing, and math skills), social, and emotional skills that are linked to brain development. Tests are standardized so that the neuropsychologist can compare a child’s functioning to others at the same age or developmental stage to better understand a child’s strengths and weaknesses. Please note that academic testing is not covered by insurance; if needed, the neuropsychologist will discuss this during the intake session. Testing appointments typically last a few hours, and we strive to make all children and their families comfortable during this time.
• Parent/Guardian Feedback and Report. The neuropsychologist will integrate information from the clinical interview, behavioral observations, standardized questionnaires that are typically completed by parents/guardians and/or school personnel, and test findings. The neuropsychologist prepares a comprehensive report, which includes diagnoses, recommendations, and treatment strategies to help your child achieve greater success at school and at home. Several weeks after the testing session, the neuropsychologist will then meet with the parents to review the findings and recommendations. Sometimes, feedback is also provided to the child. The written report will be provided to the parent/guardian and included in the MGH medical record.
• Care Coordination. As needed, we report our findings and discuss effective treatment strategies with the child's teachers, school professionals, and/or mental health providers (therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists). Please note that school meetings are not covered by insurance.
• Re-Evaluations. Re-evaluations can help to monitor a child’s developmental progress and response to interventions. In collaboration with treating providers, your child’s neuropsychologist can recommend a re-evaluation.
• Consultation. Consultation services are available to established families who have targeted questions about their child’s progress. Consultation services are also available to providers within select MGB practices.

Gretchen L. Timmel, M.Ed., Educational Specialist, Learning & Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP)

Areas of Expertise:

• Language Based Learning Disabilities (e.g. Dyslexia)
• ADHD and Executive Functioning
• Mathematics Disorder (Dyscalculia)
• Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NVLD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Neurological Disorders (e.g. Epilepsy)
• Curriculum Planning

Learn more about educational consulting services

A: The first step is for your child’s MGB provider to place a referral to our clinic via Epic (order number 11892). Please note that due to high demand, as of November 5th, 2022, LEAP is only accepting new patient referrals from providers within the Mass General Brigham, or MGB Healthcare System. We are currently unable to accept referrals for new patients who do not have an MGB provider. If you are an established family with LEAP requesting a re-evaluation, we will accept a self-referral even if your child does not have an MGB provider. Please let us know (via phone or email) if this is your situation and we will provide further information about how to place a referral. Please note that referrals are needed for all evaluations, even if you have been seen at LEAP in the past.

Once we receive a referral, our insurance team will determine if prior authorization is required by the child’s primary insurance. Please ensure that your child’s insurance information is up to date in their MGH medical record. To update your information, please call Patient Registration at 866-211-6588.

We schedule in the order in which we receive referrals, and we will reach out to you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible. Please be advised that due to high referral volume, patients over 4 years old should expect to receive a scheduling call from our clinic approximately 11 months from the date of referral. The wait time for children under 4 years old is shorter. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date in the child’s MGH medical record. To update your information, please call Patient Registration at 866-211-6588.

A: Patients over 4 years old should expect to receive a scheduling call from our clinic approximately 11 months from the date of referral. The wait time for children under 4 years old is shorter. We schedule in the order in which we receive referrals, and we will reach out to you to schedule your appointment as soon as possible.

A. For young children, you might tell them that they are going to meet with a doctor to do some activities like the ones they do at school so the doctor can figure out how they learn best. For adolescents, you might tell them that they are going to meet with a doctor to do a variety of tests that will help the doctor to figure out how they learn best. It may be helpful to tell your child that they can’t study for these tests and that they aren’t expected to get everything right – they are only expected to try their best.

A. A copy of the report will be provided to the legal guardian after the feedback appointment, and will also be posted in the child's electronic medical record at MGB.

A. Self-pay is always an option for families. Please note that most insurance plans will not cover the cost of testing for learning disabilities. Please contact your insurance company directly if you have questions about your co-pay or deductible. Another option is to explore school sponsored testing (children are entitled to a free evaluation through their local school district) by contacting your local school district's special education department.

A. Yes, we offer an Educational Testing service – which includes comprehensive assessment of reading, writing and math skills. Educational Testing is not covered by insurance plans, so we charge a flat fee of $1800 for this service. You and your provider will determine if Educational Testing is necessary. This discussion will take place during the parent/guardian intake interview (typically a virtual visit) and you will decide if you want to add this service to your Neuropsychological Evaluation appointment. Payment is due at the time of service.

A: Please contact MGH Medical Records for additional copies of the report from a prior assessment.

Medical Records (massgeneral.org)

The cornerstone of LEAP's research initiative, led by Alysa Doyle, PhD, is the Longitudinal Study of Genetic Influences on Cognition (LOGIC). This project has allowed us to build a permanent but flexible research infrastructure at LEAP, including a database to organize our enormous repository of information and a mechanism that allows patients to contribute to research.

Through this study, patients allow us to use information collected from their assessments. Patients can also fill out additional questionnaires and provide DNA for genetic analyses. The fluidity between the clinical and research realms that LOGIC represents resulted in this project winning the 2014 hospital-wide Clinical Research Day Team Award at Massachusetts General Hospital.

To date, LOGIC has collected data from over 1,000 children and adolescents. We have used this information to publish papers and garner grants from various foundations and the National Institutes of Health. The questions we are interested in answering include:

• What factors contribute to risk for further difficulties versus resilience/positive outcomes in children with learning and emotional concerns?
• How does neuropsychological functioning play a role in risk and resilience?
• Does neuropsychological functioning contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems?
• Does social functioning contribute to emotional and behavioral problems?
• What are the patterns of overlapping and distinct neuropsychological impairments across different learning and emotional disorders?
• Can we capitalize on discoveries in the field of genetics to help future generations of patients?
• Can emerging genetic information contribute to better models of how neuropsychological impairment and psychopathology develop?
• Can understanding genetics help us better identify and support children and adolescents at risk for further difficulties?

This research infrastructure has also allowed us to develop collaborations across the hospital, including:

• Understanding neuropsychological functioning in children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis
• Developing a new measure to assess processing speed difficulties in youth

Our team aims to grow the baseline sample of LOGIC to data from 3,000 youth. A data set of this size with information about genetics, neuropsychology, learning and emotional problems will allow us to answer the questions above and learn more about conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and psychosis.

We also aim to launch the longitudinal follow-up of the LOGIC study. In this arm of the project, we will meet with youth enrolled in the study over time. This follow-up will allow us to learn more about why some children do well while others continue to struggle. Understanding different trajectories should also create new opportunities for early identification of those at risk.

Finally, we are using our database to train a new generation of clinical researchers. The fellows who rotate through LEAP can develop or contribute to research projects relevant to the LEAP population. Papers currently under development include understanding sensory processing and social difficulties across a range of conditions.

Depending on funding, full-time research assistant positions are often available for those who have completed undergraduate studies. Please direct any questions to Dr. Alysa Doyle, LEAP’s Research Director, at doylea@helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Molly Colvin, PhD, ABPP, Director; Co-Director, Child Psychology Internship

Ellen Braaten, PhD, Executive Director

Alysa Doyle, PhD, Director of Research

Michael Capawana, PhD, Director of Psychometric Training

Agnes Chung, PhD

Cara Cordeaux, PhD, Co-Director of Postdoctoral Training

Britt Carlson Emerton, PhD

Gina Forchelli, PhD, NCSP, Co-Director of Postdoctoral Training

Julie Grieco, PsyD

Madeline Manning, PhD

Angela Mion, PhD

Maria Stacy, PhD

Gretchen Timmel, MEd, Educational Specialist

Chardā Davis, PsyD

Marissa Roth, PhD

Amber Schaefer, PhD

Alyssa Sullivan, PhD, PAC/LEAP Lifespan Fellow

Regan Summers, PsyD

Elise Taverna, PhD

Megan Henley

Tabinda Khan

Shannon Mulcahy

Rachel Spencer

Molly Witt

Sarah Mancuso, Group Practice Administrator

Abigail Ross, Patient Services Coordinator

Our 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology focuses on clinical training in the consultation, assessment, and provision of feedback to parents, referring physicians, and schools of children and adolescents (2–22 years). Fellows have opportunities to participate in ongoing research projects with current staff and provide tiered training and supervision to clinical interns and psychometrists. Training experiences and didactics are tailored to conform with ABCN and Houston Conference/Division 40 training requirements to support eventual board certification in clinical neuropsychology with an emphasis in pediatric neuropsychology.

Positions are typically announced in the early fall, with an application deadline in early December. Applicants should have a doctoral degree from an APA/CPA-approved program in psychology, preferably in Clinical Psychology, although applicants from other programs will be accepted. Successful applicants will have prior experience in assessment and working with children/adolescents. Completion of the doctoral degree and an APA/CPA-approved predoctoral internship are required before the fellowship start date. Fellows hold clinical appointments in the MGH Department of Psychiatry and academic appointments in the Harvard Medical School.

For additional information, please contact training directors Dr. Gina Forchelli (gforchelli@mgh.harvard.edu) and/or Dr. Cara Cordeaux (ccordeaux@mgh.harvard.edu).

LEAP Fellowship Ad 2025-2027

LEAP is a primary training site for the Child Psychology Track of the APA-accredited MGH predoctoral internship. Interns spend approximately half of their time engaged in evaluation services at LEAP. The Child Psychology seminar is also coordinated by LEAP. Please direct any questions to Dr. Molly Colvin, Co-Director of the Child Psychology Internship at mcolvin@mgh.harvard.edu.

We are pleased to announce immediate openings for full-time pediatric clinical neuropsychologists.

View the Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychologist job description