Taking A Look At The Importance Of Neuropscyhological Testing In The United States

From dyslexia to ADHD to autism, living with a condition that impacts how you learn and how well you tolerate an educational environment can be overwhelmingly difficult. Though many such people are considered to be very intelligent, struggling in school as a result of one of the aforementioned conditions is far from unheard of. It can even impact the direction of their lives, as their needs for education are often not understood and therefore often not met, thus discouraging them from pursuing further education to better their future lives.

Fortunately, awareness and understanding are both growing, and certain accommodations can now be provided to such students. From LSAT accommodations to GMAT accommodations to SAT accommodations, testing accommodations represent just one way in which the educational world can be adjusted – and even this small adjustment can bring about a big change in the performance of the students who struggle with the aforementioned conditions. Having a neuropsychological evaluation done can help to prove that a student needs accommodations.

A neuropsychological evaluation can also help a child – or even an adult, such as in the cases of college or even grad school students – get a proper diagnosis for the first time. Because a neuropsychological evaluation or cognitive assessment is likely to be relatively intensive if not fully intensive, its results are typically able to be trusted. And it is thanks to the conduction of a neuropsychological evaluation that many people are able to not only get the school accommodations that will help them to succeed and even to thrive, but the treatment outside of the learning environment that is likely to better the overall total quality of their lives.

Such is the case with ADHD, an incredibly common condition. ADHD, officially known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is frequently diagnosed among people of all ages. However, it is most commonly diagnosed among children, with the average age of diagnosis falling at the still very young age of only seven years old. All in all, very nearly six and a half million children who fall between the ages of four and seventeen here in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD, though the severity of the condition will vary from child to child and from person to person.

If ADHD is at all suspected, a neuropsychological evaluation should be conducted as quickly as possible. After all, ADHD can impact concentration as well as the overall behavior that the child exhibits. Many people who are not well versed in ADHD will even believe that child is simply poorly behaved, instead of dealing with a neurological condition out of their control. Once ADHD is diagnosed, the proper accommodations can finally be provided, such as giving the child in question more time to complete tests and other such evaluations, something that many children with problems concentrating thanks to ADHD are very much in need of.

Aside from ADHD, a neuropscyhological evaluation should be conducted in cases where dyslexia is suspected. Dyslexia is a learning disability that is also incredibly common here in the United States and likely in many other places of the world as well. In fact, up to two million people have already been diagnosed – and it is estimated that there are forty million more people living with the condition in the United States alone who just have not received such a diagnosis for whatever reason. The growing prevalence of the neuropsychological evaluation can help to begin to rectify this.

As having dyslexia does not, contrary to far too many opinions, impact your overall IQ in any way, shape, or form, going through the process of neuropsychological testing can be hugely helpful for the person who is dealing with dyslexia on a daily basis. Having the proper diagnosis as a resut of a psychoeducational evaluation can help sufferers get what they need in their educational course, opening them up to what is often an entirely new world of opportunity.

From diagnosing ADHD to dyslexia, a neuropsychological evaluation is a great way to get the accommodation you or your child need in the United States.

Leave a Reply