March 2023 Educational Tips Newsletter
Importance of Testing
According to Megan Christian, PsyD, academic problems and poor performance do not always suggest that someone has ADHD or a learning disability. Poor performance may also be an indication of emotional distress, behavioral problems, environmental issues, attitude, motivation, screen time usage, substance abuse, brain injury and so much more. Proper testing can help you understand the myriad of symptoms to form an accurate diagnosis and create proper interventions. When we are asking the questions:
Why is he acting this way?
Why is she behaving like this?
What is going on for this student?
What are we missing?
Do we need a more accurate diagnosis because nothing is working with the diagnosis given originally?
Do we need to understand this client more to form a treatment plan or an IEP?
All of these questions are valid as reasons to request a full psychological evaluation to fully understand and support our clients and youth. If we do not understand the root cause we will continue to spin our wheels in supports that are not effective. We simply do not have the testing to show all of the specific deficits and how they tie together. We may have a youth with an emotional disability that interferes or is causing the learning disability or vice versa. Essentially, we do not know which one to support more or less. Yet, until the testing is interpreted, it is hard to tell. Some students have a diagnosis that is not evident until the proper testing is done. PTSD, TBI, Autism, etc. are specific diagnoses that require even further in depth specific testing.
These evaluations are an amazing tool that can help you put these pieces of a puzzle together to form a strong clinical understanding. It is also important to know how to read these evaluations once completed because testing at times seems intimidating to understand and utilize. There are important pieces of a neuropsychological or a psychological evaluation that can be utilized directly in the field.
Megan Christian, PsyD and I are hosting a webinar in April 2023 will focus on understanding the basics of psychological testing including defining, explaining, interpreting and applying psychological data and testing results to practice, planning and academics. We look forward to seeing you there!
Webinar: The Basics of Psychological Testing
April 10, 2023
10-12pm
Register Here: The Basics of Neuropsychological Testing Tickets, Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite