Memory

Everyone forgets things sometimes. A name that slips your mind, a word that will not come, the keys left in the wrong place. Most of the time, these moments are ordinary and unremarkable. But when memory lapses become more frequent, more significant, or more disruptive, when they are affecting your work, your daily functioning, or your peace of mind,  they deserve a closer look. A memory assessment is exactly that: an objective, comprehensive evaluation of how your memory is functioning, how it compares to others your age, and what, if anything, needs attention. Think of it as a thorough check-up, not for your body, but for one of the most essential systems in your brain. 

At Old Town Psychology, we offer expert memory assessments for children, adolescents, and adults in Alexandria, VA, with immediate openings and no waitlist. 

What Is a Memory Assessment?

A memory assessment is a standardized psychological evaluation that measures how well an individual encodes, stores, and retrieves information; the three fundamental stages of memory functioning. It is not a test of general intelligence, and it does not measure how much someone knows. It measures the processes by which the brain takes in new information, holds it over time, and retrieves it when needed.

Memory is not a single system. It operates across multiple distinct domains, including working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory, and it processes different types of information differently. Verbal memory (the ability to learn and recall language-based information) and visual memory (the ability to learn and recall images, shapes, and spatial information) can be affected independently and to different degrees. A comprehensive memory assessment evaluates all of these dimensions, providing a complete and nuanced picture of how memory is functioning across each domain.

Memory assessments are clinically appropriate at any age. Children and adolescents can experience memory difficulties just as adults can, and the causes and implications vary considerably depending on age and circumstance. Whether the concern involves a young student struggling to retain new academic material, an adult experiencing changes in day-to-day memory, or an older adult seeking clarity about age-related cognitive changes, an assessment provides the objective data needed to understand what is happening and what to do about it.

Signs You Need a Memory Assessment

Memory concerns exist on a spectrum, and not all of them are obvious. Some people seek an assessment because they have noticed a clear and concerning change in their memory. Others come in because a medical event has occurred, and they want to understand its impact. Still others are being proactive, establishing a baseline because of family history or simply wanting to understand how their memory functions. The following are common signs and circumstances that may point someone toward a memory assessment:

Day-to-day memory concerns:

• Forgetting recent conversations, appointments, or events more often than seems normal
• Repeatedly asking the same questions or sharing the same information without realizing it
• Losing track of familiar words mid-sentence or experiencing frequent tip-of-the-tongue episodes
• Getting disoriented in familiar places or losing track of dates and sequences
• Difficulty following multi-step directions or retaining instructions long enough to act on them
• Noticing a meaningful change in memory ability compared to a year or two ago

Academic and occupational impact:

• Difficulty learning and retaining new information in school or at work
• Problems with working memory that make it hard to organize, integrate, or apply new skills
• Struggling to recall information on exams or during important professional tasks despite having studied or prepared
• A significant gap between the effort invested in learning and the information actually retained

Following a medical event:

• A recent concussion, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or seizure
• A diagnosis of epilepsy, a brain tumor, or a neurodegenerative condition such as Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease
• Any medical event known to affect brain function, where understanding the cognitive impact is important for treatment planning and rehabilitation

Family history and preventive assessment:

• A family history of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other memory-related conditions, making a documented baseline assessment a proactive and clinically sound step
• A desire to establish a cognitive benchmark that can be compared with future assessments to monitor change over time

For children and adolescents:

• Difficulty retaining material in school despite effort and instruction
• Memory-related challenges that may be contributing to academic underperformance or a diagnosed learning disorder
• A head injury, seizure, or other medical event affecting a child’s cognitive functioning

What Does a Memory Assessment Help With?

Memory assessments serve a broad range of clinical and practical purposes. At Old Town Psychology, our evaluations are used to address the following:

Identifying the nature and extent of memory difficulties: A comprehensive assessment pinpoints exactly which aspects of memory are affected, whether working memory, short-term recall, long-term retention, verbal memory, visual memory, or some combination, and provides the specific clinical information needed to guide treatment and support.

Distinguishing normal aging from cognitive decline: Approximately 2 in 5 adults over 65 experience some degree of age-related memory change. A memory assessment provides an objective measurement of where an individual falls relative to same-age peers, making it possible to distinguish normal variation from changes that may indicate something more clinically significant.

Diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative conditions: Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders affect memory in specific and measurable ways. Memory assessments are used both in the diagnostic process and in ongoing monitoring, tracking cognitive changes over time and informing medical decision-making.

Concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI): Memory problems are among the most common and disruptive consequences of concussion and TBI. An assessment identifies which memory systems have been affected and to what degree, providing critical information for rehabilitation planning, return-to-activity decisions, and determining appropriate accommodations during recovery.

Stroke and vascular events: Strokes frequently affect memory and cognition, sometimes in ways that persist long after initial recovery. A memory assessment clarifies the full scope of cognitive impact, guides treatment planning, and can be repeated over time to track recovery progress.

Seizures and epilepsy: Seizure activity and epilepsy can significantly disrupt memory encoding and retrieval. Assessments help quantify the impact of seizure events on cognitive functioning and inform decisions about management and support.

Brain tumor:  Both the tumor itself and its treatment can affect memory functioning. Assessments help characterize the nature and extent of memory impairment (whether difficulty recalling past memories, forming new ones, or both), supporting the broader treatment and rehabilitation process.

Academic and workplace accommodations: Memory difficulties are a recognized feature of many learning disorders and medical conditions. A formal memory assessment provides the documented evidence required to request and receive accommodations in academic settings, standardized testing, or the workplace.

What Does a Memory Assessment Look Like?

At Old Town Psychology, memory assessments are conducted by licensed psychologists using gold-standard, nationally normed instruments. The evaluation is structured to be both clinically rigorous and as comfortable as possible for the individual being assessed. Here is what to expect:

Clinical Interview

Your assessment begins with a thorough interview covering your memory concerns, relevant medical and developmental history, current medications, and any events or conditions that may be affecting cognitive functioning. For children, parents are interviewed as part of this process. This context shapes how the results are interpreted and ensures the findings are relevant to your specific situation.

Psychological Testing

We administer a comprehensive battery of standardized memory assessments and tests, selected based on the individual’s age and the clinical questions being addressed. The testing battery at Old Town Psychology includes:

• WRAML (Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning): A comprehensive memory assessment battery appropriate for both children and adults, the WRAML evaluates verbal memory, visual memory, attention and concentration, and learning efficiency across multiple formats. It is particularly well-suited for pediatric and adolescent memory assessment and for evaluating learning-related memory difficulties, making it a valuable instrument for evaluating the full lifespan.

Comprehensive Report and Feedback Session

Once testing is complete, we prepare a detailed written report that documents the findings across all memory domains, compares performance to appropriate age-based norms, and provides a clear clinical interpretation of what the results mean. We then schedule a dedicated feedback appointment to walk through the findings with you, answer your questions, and provide specific, actionable recommendations for next steps, including memory strategies and aids, referrals to appropriate medical specialists, guidance on accommodations, or a plan for repeat assessment to monitor change over time.

What Our Patients Say

"We brought our daughter in for testing and the OTP team was amazing. They were so kind, caring and great with children. My daughter is shy and takes a little time to warm up when first meeting someone new. The Doctor was patient and encouraging and my daughter had a wonderful time. They also provide fast results and meet with you to explain everything in the report. I would definitely recommend them."

"Very prompt response to our inquiry. Welcoming environment and very professional, thorough communication. The staff genuinely seems to care that your needs are met."

"Excellent service, knowledgeable staff, incredible responsiveness, diligence and follow through -- we feel lucky we found such a great therapy practice. We cannot recommend them highly enough!"

“My daughter took WISC-V test there and we are very pleased with our experience. They are professional, patient and wonderful throughout the entire process. My daughter had such a great time that she hardly felt that was a test - she even asked when she could take it again. I would highly recommend them to whoever needs child IQ testing services.”

“I took my children here for TAG testing. Both of my kids actually enjoyed their assessments. I was very pleased with the time and care taken to assess my children, the thoroughness of the report, and the fact that there was a follow-up session to discuss any questions that I had relative to the assessment included. Also-- the tea selection in the waiting room is top tier :)”

“Very prompt response to our inquiry. Welcoming environment and very professional, thorough communication. The staff genuinely seems to care that your needs are met.”

Take the Next Step

Whether you are concerned about recent changes in your memory, recovering from a medical event, establishing a baseline for the future, or supporting a child who is struggling to retain what they learn, a memory assessment at Old Town Psychology provides the clarity and direction you need. We maintain immediate availability for new assessment clients, with no lengthy waitlist standing between you and answers.

At Old Town Psychology, our mission is simple: to provide exceptional, personalized psychological care for every client, from young children to adults, right here in Alexandria, VA.

To schedule a memory assessment or to ask any questions, contact us today.