People have many different reasons for testing, but generally start with a sense of “there is something wrong but I don’t know what it is”.  An assessment helps to identify or narrow down the many possibilities of what is potentially contributing to symptoms.  Depending on the question being asked, different areas of functioning can be evaluated and recommendations made based on the results.  Areas evaluated may include intellectual functioning, academic skills, school readiness, attention processing, auditory processing, developmental progress, cognitive style, personality, and symptom assessment (ex., depression, anxiety, thought disorder).

What is “Educational Testing”?
A parent may be told by a teacher or educational management team to get “educational testing” for their child.  This refers to testing which focuses on identifying specific learning challenges.  To do so, generally an intellectual test is administered to measure natural ability.  Then an achievement test is administered to measure academic skills.  The data is then studied to determine if there is a significant discrepancy  between what level of academic achievement is expected, compared to how the child is actually performing.  Classroom and home behavior, executive functioning and developmental history are important components to evaluate in this process. This information is often the basis for developing an individualized educational plan, an “IEP”, by the education management team or an education specialist. Most importantly, parents most often comment that they have a much better understanding of their child as a result of the evaluation.

What is “Executive Functioning”?
Executive functioning has to do with the coordination of varied neurological skills which execute complex behavior to initiate and engage in independent, goal-directed activity.  Effective executive functioning requires adequate ability in multiple neurological skills such as:  Mental flexibility (shifting), inhibition (suppressing impulses), initiation, planning, attention, self-monitoring, multi-tasking, and rule learning. Deficits in executive functioning can manifest as problems with impulsivity, perseveration, inattention, lack of motivation, disorganization, poor adjustment, and/or poor judgment. An evaluation of these skills is often an important component of a psychological assessment.

How do you test for ADHD?
Certain adults and children are affected in multiple ways daily by the challenges resulting from problems with sustaining focused attention.  Difficulty with sustaining attention and with inhibiting responses are neurobiological conditions, yet individuals with these struggles are often just considered lazy, rebellious or irresponsible by others in their environment. Psychologists are continuing to re-define, expand their knowledge base and better understand “Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder”.  Problems with attention can have a huge impact on an individual’s sense of accomplishment and success. We have come to the understanding that ADHD can look very different in different people, and can be easily misdiagnosed, as symptoms can overlap with or be similar to other conditions.  An ADHD evaluation includes cognitive testing and a measure of the individual’s ability to attend visually and aurally under varying circumstances, as well as a screening for depression, anxiety, and central auditory processing problems.

What about depression and anxiety?
Evaluations are also important in attempting to differentiate types and severity of depression, anxiety or other symptoms.  A prescribing physician may be seeking more direction in diagnosis for medication purposes.  A treating psychologist or counselor may be seeking direction in planning therapeutic intervention.  Organizations may request psychological evaluations when hiring individuals for sensitive positions, or when gathering data in regard to an employee who may be eligible for disability. These are among the multiple reasons you or your child may be referred for an evaluation.

For information on the assessment procedure, click on Assessment:  The Procedure.