I have been a psychologist for nearly 40 years. I spend most of my professional time doing neuropsychological evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults. Neuropsychological testing gives a clear picture of how people think and how their minds work, and it is often the best way to understand what is going on when someone is struggling with some aspect of their life. I have also worked for many years as a therapist. I find my therapy training complements my neuropsychology training in that it helps me to understand how the situations people are in and their emotional responses play a part in their difficulties. My therapy training also helps me to explain my findings to people in a way which makes sense to them and to make realistic recommendations for potential solutions.

Uses for Neuropsychological Testing

ADD/ADHD

• A surprisingly difficult diagnosis to make because most of us have some of the symptoms some of the time.  Diagnosis is a matter of degree.

• Other problems, such as anxiety or depression, can cause some of the same symptoms.

• Medication is often prescribed, but if the person does not actually have ADHD, it can do more harm than good.

• ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider

Education
Testing is usually the best way to sort out what is going on when a student is struggling in school and determine what their educational needs are.  It can provide:

• Input for Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)’s and 504 Plans

• Documentation of the need for extra time or other necessary accommodations for the SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, MCAT, and other professional examinations

• Information about how a student should study

• Information about how a parent or tutor should work with the student

Diagnosis

• Psychiatrists and other physicians often want their patients tested in order to be sure about a diagnosis before they prescribe medication or just to provide a second opinion.  

• Sometimes therapists refer their clients for testing when the therapy is not going as expected, and they want to see if there are previously undiagnosed underlying issues.  

• Some clients or their parents request testing themselves because they (or someone else) read up on a particular diagnosis, suspect that they have it, and want to see if they are right.  

Family or Couple Relationships

• Testing can help people better understand family members or other loved ones and suggest better ways to communicate with each other.  

• Testing can suggest strategies to therapists working with families, couples, or individuals

Vocational

• Testing can give a career counselor a better sense of the person’s strengths and weaknesses and so help them to guide the person more effectively

• Testing can provide documentation for accommodations at work when appropriate

Business Consulting
Testing can be used in collaboration with business consultants to:

• Help their clients perform better or more efficiently at work

• Work with family businesses to determine which family member should have which role

• Improve communication within the business