Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Testing/ Evaluation
Psychoeducational testing provides accurate diagnoses of cognitive processing problems, learning disabilities as well as outlines a student’s educational strengths and weaknesses. Testing results are an invaluable tool for formulating effective interventions and/or accommodations to help a student reach their potential. One’s scores are compared statistically to same aged peers to indentify specific learning styles, compensatory strategies and more subtle processing or neuropsychological deficits.
After interpreting testing results, a detailed report is provided to the student and his or her parents during a feedback session. Individualized recommendations will be provided at this time to best guide the treatment of any identified disabilities, cognitive deficits or weaknesses. Available accommodations such as preferential seating, tutoring or extended time on tests will be discussed at the feedback session as well.
Some of the more common neuropsychological and learning disorders that are diagnosed with psychological testing are briefly described below.
An Expressive Language Disorder is evidenced by a limited vocabulary, expression of developmentally immature sentences, and errors in grammar and recall of words. Students with a Receptive Language Disorder have trouble understanding words, sentences and following spoken directions.
Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Children and adolescents with these characteristics may also experience underlying anxieties and mood difficulties.
An Executive Functioning Disorder consists of difficulties with initiation, conception and planning necessary to solve a problem or implement a plan. Most children or adolescents with this disorder know what they need to do but have trouble implementing their knowledge and abilities.
Specific learning disorders include Reading Disorder, Mathematics Disorder, and Disorder of Written Expression. In each of these disorders a student’s abilities are substantially below age and grade expectation and cause significant interference with academic achievement or activities of daily living.
Students with a Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) display strengths in learning through verbal means, but have specific weaknesses in visual and tactile perception, concept formation, and reading comprehension of complex material. Students with a NLD have trouble transferring previously learned information to new situations and contexts, which often makes it difficult to understand what is expected of them.
Emotional and Personality Testing
Emotional and behavior problems are frequently complex and caused by many different factors. Psychological testing provides clarity to one’s internal conflicts, emotional difficulties and coping styles. Objective standardized testing combined with more personal and subjective data helps form an accurate diagnosis of interpersonal and internal problems. Emotional testing can be a vital resource in guiding one’s psychological treatment or selecting particular therapeutic approaches and techniques that will be most effective. A personalized treatment plan with specific recommendations is provided after formal testing is completed at a feedback session.