ADHD Testing and Neurofeedback in Chicago: What to Know Before You Choose

Reviewed by Dr. Joseph Shoshana, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Chicago.

Most people who contact us about ADHD are not looking for a new label. They are looking for an explanation that fits — and a plan that does not begin and end with a prescription.

This page covers what ADHD testing involves, where neurofeedback fits, what it can and cannot do, and how to decide what to try first.

Start With the Right Question

The most common mistake we see is choosing a treatment before confirming the problem.

Attention difficulties are not one thing. Trouble focusing can come from ADHD — but also from anxiety, disrupted sleep, depression, a learning difference, the after-effects of a concussion, chronic stress, or several of these together. They can look nearly identical from the outside, and they respond to very different approaches.

That matters practically. Treating anxiety-driven inattention as though it were ADHD tends to disappoint. So does the reverse. Getting the question right first is not an extra step — it is the step that makes everything after it worth doing.

What ADHD testing involves

A thorough evaluation typically includes a detailed clinical interview and history, standardised rating scales completed by you and, for children, by parents and teachers, and formal testing of attention, executive function and related abilities. Where relevant, it may include qEEG brain mapping to add a functional picture of brainwave activity.

What you should receive at the end is not a single word. It is a written report explaining what was found, what it means in ordinary language, and what to do next — something you can hand to a school, a physician or a therapist.

What it costs and how long it takes

Most Chicago practices do not publish either figure. We will.

• Our fee for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is $2,000–$3,000, depending on scope. Comparable evaluations in the Chicago area commonly run $3,000–$4,000 and higher.
• We are in-network with Medicare, Aetna and Cigna. For insured patients, the typical remaining responsibility after we bill is up to around 40% of the fee — though this varies with your specific plan, deductible and authorisation, so treat it as a guide, not a quote.
• Most other plans carry out-of-network benefits for neuropsychological testing, which often reimburses a meaningful portion. We provide the documentation you need to claim it.
• We verify your benefits before you commit to anything. You will be told what you are likely to pay before testing is scheduled, not after.
• Reports are delivered in 3–4 weeks. We aim for 2–3 and commit to 4. Waits of three to four months are common elsewhere in Chicago, and hospital programmes frequently run six months to over a year and require a physician referral.

Testing is billed under standard codes including 96116 and 96121 (neurobehavioral status exam), 96132 and 96133 (neuropsychological testing evaluation), 96130 and 96131 (psychological testing evaluation), and 96136 and 96137 (test administration and scoring). If you are calling your insurer to check coverage, those are the codes to ask about.

One important distinction. Testing undertaken for a suspected medical or psychiatric condition is generally billable to insurance. Testing undertaken purely to obtain school or exam accommodations often is not, because the purpose is educational rather than medical. We will tell you which category you fall into before you start, rather than after you receive a bill.

Where Neurofeedback Fits

Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback for the brain. Sensors read your brain’s electrical activity, and a computer provides real-time feedback — usually through a film that plays smoothly when the brain produces the patterns being trained. Nothing is sent into the brain. Over a course of sessions, the brain becomes better at producing those patterns on its own.

For ADHD specifically, this is the strongest part of the evidence base. In 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics’ review of psychosocial interventions rated biofeedback and neurofeedback as a Level 1 — “best support” — intervention for attention and hyperactivity behaviours in children. A widely cited 2009 randomised trial of 102 children found greater improvement after 36 neurofeedback sessions than after computerised attention training.

The honest counterweight: more recent trials using strict blinding and sham conditions have often shown smaller effects, and researchers continue to debate how much of the benefit comes from the training itself versus the structure and attention that accompany any sustained programme. Both of these are true. Neurofeedback for ADHD is well-studied and legitimate, and it is not a settled question. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

Honest Pros and Cons

Reasons families consider it

• It is non-invasive and drug-free, with no systemic side effects.
• It targets self-regulation rather than suppressing symptoms while a dose is active.
• It can be combined with medication, therapy, coaching or school support — it is not either/or.
• Progress can be measured against a baseline rather than judged on impressions alone.

Reasons it may not suit you

• Time. Meaningful protocols run to dozens of sessions. That is a real commitment for a family with school, work and travel to manage.
• Cost. Many insurance plans do not cover neurofeedback. You should get a clear figure before starting.
• Variability. Some people respond well; some respond modestly; some do not respond. Nobody can tell you in advance which you will be.
• It is slower than medication. Stimulant medication, when it works, often works within days. Neurofeedback does not. If a child is in acute crisis at school, that difference matters.

The Medication Question

Many parents arrive hoping to avoid medication, and many adults arrive hoping to reduce theirs. Both are reasonable positions and we take them seriously.

What we will not do is tell you medication is a failure of parenting, or that a drug-free path is automatically better. For some people stimulant medication is genuinely life-changing, and framing it as a last resort does real harm.

What we can do is help you make the decision with better information: a clear picture of what is actually going on, an honest account of the alternatives, and a plan with checkpoints. If you are already on medication and want to explore reducing it, that is a conversation for you and your prescriber — never something to change because a training programme is going well.

For Parents: What Helps at Home

Children with ADHD usually have difficulty with executive function — planning ahead, organising, controlling impulses and finishing what they start. Until those skills develop, a parent ends up acting as the child’s external executive function. That is exhausting, and it is not a sign you are doing it wrong.

A few things that consistently help:

• Externalise the structure. Visible checklists, timers and routines do work the brain is struggling to do internally.
• Break tasks down further than feels necessary. “Clean your room” is several tasks wearing a trenchcoat.
• Separate the behaviour from the intent. A child who is ignoring you often is not choosing to. Knowing that changes how you respond, which changes how they respond.
• Protect sleep. Insufficient sleep looks almost exactly like worsening ADHD.
• Get the documentation. A formal evaluation is often what unlocks school accommodations under an IEP or 504 plan.

One caution worth stating: evaluations undertaken specifically for school accommodations are often not covered by insurance, because the purpose is educational rather than medical. Evaluations for a suspected medical or psychiatric condition frequently are. It is worth being clear about which you need before you begin.

Common Questions

How long does an ADHD evaluation take?

Testing itself is usually completed across one or more appointments totalling several hours. What varies enormously between providers is how long the written report takes afterwards — ask specifically about that, not just about the appointment.

Can adults be evaluated for ADHD?

Yes. We evaluate from age 8 through older adulthood. Many adults reach us after years of managing, often when responsibilities increase past the point where their strategies hold. Adult evaluation also matters for ruling out other explanations, which is frequently the more useful outcome.

Do you evaluate for college, graduate school or exam accommodations?

Yes — including university, graduate and professional programmes. We have completed evaluations supporting accommodation requests for medical students among others. These evaluations need to document functional impact in the specific form the institution or testing body requires, which is why generic reports are often rejected. Note that accommodation-only evaluations are usually not covered by insurance.

Is neurofeedback a replacement for medication?

It is not positioned that way. Some people use it alongside medication, some instead of it, some as a way to explore whether a lower dose is workable with their prescriber. That decision is a medical one and belongs with the person who prescribes.

What is a qEEG brain map, and do I need one?

A qEEG records brainwave activity and compares it against normative data, producing a visual picture of how regions are functioning. It is not required to diagnose ADHD, and it is not a standalone diagnostic test. It is useful for guiding training and establishing a baseline you can measure against.

Will neurofeedback cure my child’s ADHD?

No, and we would be wary of anyone who says it will. ADHD is a difference in how the brain regulates attention and impulse. The realistic goal is better regulation and better daily functioning — school, home, relationships — not elimination.

My child was diagnosed years ago. Is testing again worth it?

Often, yes. Brains change, circumstances change, and a diagnosis made at seven may not describe a fourteen-year-old well. Re-evaluation is also frequently required for updated school or testing accommodations.

Where to Start

If your child is struggling, or you have spent years suspecting something about your own attention, the first step is understanding what is actually happening — not choosing a treatment.

We offer a free initial consultation to talk through your situation and whether an evaluation makes sense. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.

Call (847) 670-8544 or send us a message. Chicago Brain Health, 1021 W Adams St., Suite 201, Chicago, IL 60607.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and does not create a clinician–patient relationship. Individual results vary. Always consult a qualified professional about your own situation.