What are the main differences between neuropsych evals/ psychologists?

[Anonymous]

There are so many psychologists and groups who do neuropsychological testing...

are they are pretty similar?
is there a reason to choose one over the other, besides cost?
do they all help talk to the school, if needed?
do they all do the same type of testing?
do they all test for learning disabilities?

when calling around, is there something specific to ask or look for to know a place is accurate, quality, and will advocate wtih the school if needed?

looking a person who is thorough, accurate, and can give some concrete suggestions after coming up with the diagnosis.

(our issues do not include autism)

[Anonymous]

For the one we used, we flagged certain concerns and I believe they tailored the testing to them. It was clear they were not going to help with school stuff and, frankly, were pretty clear they were done after the meeting where they shared their conclusions.

I agree with you that the whole industry is confusing. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Neuropsychologists are specialized psychologists who do testing and assessments. They typically don’t do therapy and don’t usually follow the patients they test on a regular basis other than perhaps every 3 years for updated testing. A neuropsych looks at intelligence scales, processing speed, working memory, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, etc. It gives a broad picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the patient, learning disabilities, giftedness. It can also be used to assess for things like ADHD, ASD, anxiety, depression, etc. depending on the presenting problems. A neuropsych report gives recommendations for school and home to best support the profile of the patient.

Psychologists can assess for various diagnoses, anxiety, depression, OCD, etc. either clinically or with assessment tests, but it is typically for knowing how to proceed in therapy and how to assign diagnosis codes for billing. Psychologists can also write letters recommending accommodations for school. It depends on the school whether this is sufficient.

[Anonymous]

One good thing to know is the difference between psycho educational testing and neuropsychological testing. They both have a standard battery of tests and then can be tailored with additional tests to look at specific problems identified by parents, teachers, etc. Psycho ed testing is less expensive and not as comprehensive but can be sufficient depending on what is going on.

https://www.landmarkschool.org/our-school/landmark-360-blog?id=253264/psychoeducational-and-neuropsychological-evaluations-explained

[Anonymous]

Ok, so I am in search for a neuropsychologist then. Not necessarily ongoing treatment. I am seeking testing/eval, diagnosis, and some steps on what we can do at home and school to help/support my child.

For the PP who mentioned their experience and their person being done after sharing results, do you mind sharing who you saw?

[Anonymous]

Some people care if the doctor you speak with is the one who does the testing or if it is student trainees doing the testing. Some people want one person to do all the testing and the write-up, others don't seem to care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people care if the doctor you speak with is the one who does the testing or if it is student trainees doing the testing. Some people want one person to do all the testing and the write-up, others don't seem to care.

Thank you, this makes sense. I think I would want the psychologist to do the test and also explain the test to me as opposed to having someone else do the test.

Would appreciate more things to check for.