What is Psychological Testing?
Psychological testing for ADHD and learning disorders is a comprehensive, evidence-based process designed to evaluate attention, executive functioning, academic skills, cognitive abilities, and emotional factors that may impact learning and daily functioning.
We are all unique in our experiences, strengths, and challenges. Many different factors can contribute to long-standing difficulties with attention and learning, including but not limited to early childhood history, neurodevelopmental and biological factors, and social-emotional factors. As such, comprehensive psychological testing can help clarify the nature of attention and learning difficulties, identify relevant contributing factors, and highlight strengths and areas of growth. Assessment should inform intervention, and psychological testing is commensurately used to inform diagnosis and guide personalized recommendations for support accommodations, and treatment planning.
Psychological Testing Process
Psychological testing involves collecting data from multiple different formats and sources (when possible and relevant) to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of factors that could explain and account for attention and/or learning difficulties. This includes the completion of self-report paperwork and forms, a clinical interview (i.e., diagnostic intake evaluation), and formal testing sessions. Records and other collateral information are also retrieved and reviewed when possible and relevant.
The following is an outline of the psychological testing process in comprehensive evaluations I offer:
Client paperwork: You will be asked to provide information regarding your background and history, and complete self-report measures. This information will be important to help guide the focus of your assessment.
Diagnostic intake interview: The interview is a one-hour (either online or in-person) appointment used to gather additional information about your history, strengths, and presenting concerns. Your responses to clinical paperwork will be reviewed and follow-up questions may be prepared in order to gather more information. This helps identify an appropriate and comprehensive testing battery.
Testing appointments: These appointments (exclusively in-person) involve administering standardized measures of cognitive, academic, attention, executive functioning, memory, and personality/social-emotional functioning, during which you will be asked to complete multiple tasks and activities varying in lengths. Testing appointments are typically scheduled for 2 or 4 hour time blocks to adhere to testing standardization and allow for short breaks.
Report writing: Information collected via paperwork, clinical interview, and standardized psychological testing will be integrated into an assessment report document. This report document will provide a comprehensive summary of the evaluation process, including background information, behavioral observations, test results, and interpretation of findings, and highlight strengths and areas of growth, all of which will be used to inform specific diagnoses (if any). This document will also include recommendations for increasing your overall well-being and other opportunities for personal growth and support.
Feedback Appointment: Once the assessment report document has been finalized, a 50-minute session (online or in-person) will be scheduled to review your results and answer questions you may have. Your report document will be sent to you in a secure format.