Dr. Michele Opper has been involved in the field of psychology since 1995 and brings extensive and varied clinical experience to her work with children, adolescents, and families. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with a concentration in School Psychology, from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2003. As part of her doctoral training, she completed extensive coursework in neuropsychology and subsequently received post-doctoral supervision in neuropsychological assessment.

Dr. Opper is a licensed psychologist in both New York and New Jersey. She also holds permanent certification as a school psychologist in both states and is a licensed bilingual (Spanish) school psychologist in New York City.

Dr. Opper began her career as a school psychologist serving students in grades K-12 in New York City and Westchester County, New York. In 2000, she expanded her work to include consultation for preschools and early intervention programs, providing developmental and psychoeducational evaluations for children from birth through age five. During this time, she developed specialized expertise in the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental conditions. She also supervised psychologists in assessment and report writing and taught child development courses at the college level.

Over the following decade, Dr. Opper continued to expand her assessment and consultation work, providing evaluations and guidance to families, schools, and multidisciplinary teams regarding a wide range of developmental, learning, behavioral, and social-emotional concerns.

In 2013, Dr. Opper established her private practice in Bergen County, New Jersey, where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological, psychoeducational, developmental, and gifted evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults. Her practice focuses on identifying learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, executive functioning weaknesses, language-based learning challenges, and social-emotional concerns.

Dr. Opper’s evaluations integrate cognitive, academic, neuropsychological, behavioral, and social-emotional data to provide a comprehensive understanding of each individual’s strengths and challenges. She works closely with families, schools, physicians, and other professionals to develop practical recommendations that support academic success, emotional well-being, and long-term growth.

In addition to private referrals, Dr. Opper has been retained by school districts to evaluate particularly complex or challenging cases and frequently consults with educational advocates and other professionals regarding diagnostic clarification, educational planning, and appropriate interventions. She is often asked to evaluate students whose learning, attentional, developmental, or social-emotional difficulties have proven difficult to understand or whose prior evaluations have not fully explained their challenges.

Known for her warm, engaging approach, Dr. Opper strives to help children, adolescents, and young adults feel comfortable throughout the evaluation process while obtaining the information needed to provide meaningful answers and recommendations.

As her practice has grown, Dr. Opper has increasingly worked with families from New York City, many of whom were referred through independent schools and professional networks. To better serve these families, she recently expanded her practice to include an office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, providing comprehensive evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Committed to lifelong learning, Dr. Opper regularly participates in continuing education workshops, professional presentations, and specialized training in neuropsychological assessment and child development. She has also completed second-language studies in both Spain and Mexico. Her bilingual training and experience enhance her understanding of the linguistic, cultural, and developmental factors that can influence learning and behavior.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Opper has presented to parents, educators, and community organizations on topics related to child development and learning. She has spoken at local preschools about the early warning signs of dyslexia and other developmental disorders, co-presented with the Gifted Child Society on the characteristics and identification of gifted students, and provided educational webinars for parents of school-age children on ADHD, learning disabilities, and related developmental concerns.

Dr. Opper resides in Bergen County, New Jersey with her husband and their three children. As both a psychologist and a parent, she understands the challenges families face when seeking answers about their child’s learning, development, and emotional well-being. She strives to make the evaluation process informative, supportive, and collaborative from start to finish. In her free time, she enjoys pickleball, travel, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

If you have questions about the evaluation process, fees, or whether an evaluation is appropriate for your child, please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to discuss your concerns and help determine the next best step.