People seek formalized testing and evaluations for a variety of medical and mental health conditions to find answers. Testing can include cognitive testing, academic testing and neuropsychological testing.
Most of the time, a medical examination and/or a psychiatric interview is sufficient to provide a diagnosis. However, many diagnoses have symptoms that overlap; therefore, it is important to find an accurate diagnosis via formalized testing. For example, evaluations can map out an individual’s specific cognitive and sensory profile, allowing for highly customized treatment plans, behavioral therapies, and/or medication management. In addition, testing can provide official documentation that is typically required to access legal and institutional support. In academic settings, it ensures Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, and in the workplace, it secures reasonable accommodations.
I focus more on evaluating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities (LD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluations. Autism and ADHD in particular share some symptoms and can show up together (as much as half the time in those with autism, and sometimes nicknamed AuDHD). In addition, ADHD frequently overlaps with learning disabilities and mental health conditions such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Therefore, testing may help parcel out these conditions.
NOTE: Although I have extensive testing experience, I am NOT a neuropsychologist or a licensed educational psychologist (LEP). A neuropsychologist is a licensed psychologist who specializes in how the brain and nervous system affect a person’s cognition, behavior, and emotions. They evaluate and diagnose conditions like dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and neurological disorders. They have two years of specialized training after receiving their doctorate that I do not have. An LEP usually has a master’s degree and has comprehensive training in an educational setting, and therefore, are more suited for assessing more complicated cases that a school district cannot manage. Therefore, if during your consultation I find that the concerns you have are out of my scope of practice, I will refer you to someone who is a better fit.