Neuropsych - no diagnosis
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Anonymous
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A “neuropsych” is not actually a diagnostic test. It cannot diagnose ADHD (or autism).
Are you talking about actual diagnostics like the ADOD or Vanderbilt? We did the Vanderbilt and there was no ADHD found. The teachers all rated him as within normal for activity & focus. The actual neuropsychology tests showed some very low processing speed subscores which I guess can be indicative of “executive function” weaknesses and ADHD. But honestly I find the discussion of “executive function” to be very vague and over-inclusive when it comes to neuropsych results. Eg some sources will say “it’s deficits in working memory!” Well my kid had super high working memory … others will say “it’s slow processing speed!” But I still have not gotten an explanation for why slow processing speed causes my child to never bring papers home … |
Anonymous
Why are you getting him a neuropsych? That kind of testing really should be for more severe clinical impairment. “Chatty, low frustration tolerance, and impulsive *at times*” sounds really very low concern if he is doing well overall. Is he losing friends? Going to the principals office? Can he do regular sports and camps? Honestly if my child was just “impulsive at time” I would be freakin’ overjoyed. |
Anonymous
Neuropsych is shorthand for a cluster of assessments that can absolutely diagnose ADHD (and autism), more accurately than any one assessment (such as the Vanderbilt). Working memory and processing speed are measured by subtests of an IQ test, also part of (but only one part) of a neuropsych. |
Anonymous
Why do people ask questions like this? OP doesn't need to provide her child's full history to get an answer. Reading the post it sounds like a teacher or other professional recommended getting her child assessed. In any case, we don't need to know because we can just answer her question instead of demanding answers from her. OP wants to know if getting a neuropsych automatically means a diagnosis. Personally, I do not think so. In our interactions with the psychologist that did our child's eval, she seemed very dedicated to doing valid assessments and only diagnosing things DD met the criteria for. She flat out said she didn't meet the criteria for a diagnosis she previously had. She gave her a diagnosis we weren't expecting, but explained it in a way that we were left with no doubt that it was accurate. This was at CAAT which I know specializes in autism so not sure that is the right place for OP. |
Anonymous
The use of cognitive tests to diagnose ADHD is far from established. See https://www.adhdrewired.com/russell-barkley-on-life-expectancy-and-adhd-part-2-272/. And yes, a “neuropsych” is set of tests that are not defined but absolutely the basis for practitioners in the DMV to separate the worried-well parents from $4-8k. In OP’s case it would be a total fishing expedition. I suggest OP ask the school to evaluate for ADHD. They will laugh in her face (because of the total lack of any educational impact) which should be an important data point for her. |
Anonymous
It doesn't sound like OP believes her child has ADHD so I am going to guess a professional recommended she get her child evaluated for it. |
Anonymous
Why? Because OP has described extremely minimal concerns. It’s unclear why she’s concerned but the whole basis of her post is to wonder about overdiagnosis. She has not described anything that seems to warrant a diagnostic saga, certainly not spending the kind of money a place like CAAR charges. Maybe there’s more she has not disclosed. But taking her post at face value, she has a child with no clinical impact academically or socially. She sounds anxious. |
Anonymous
She can feel free to ignore them. |
Anonymous
Of course she can't, but she shouldn't ignore them just because you said so. As someone who has spent thousands out of pocket on my child's therapies I am sometimes stunned by how cheap some parents can be. Some of these people live in $2 million homes but don't want to spend $5k on an assessment recommended by a professional. We are not that wealthy but we do these things because we trust the professionals in my child's life. Not anonymous people who haven't even met my child. |
Anonymous
Lol. As someone who has spent thousands of dollars too, I am stunned at how much money I have wasted. We should have spent it on a trip to Disney instead. Certainly with the mild concerns OP describes she should NOT be paying out of pocket for a fishing-expedition private neuropsych. If the school raised the concern, the school should evaluate. If it’s a private school, then the problem may be the school. If there are concrete challenges like discipline/tantrums at home, find a reputable child psych who specializes in behavior. The best money I spent was on our KKI-trained behavioral psychologist. But based on the little OP has said, even that may be overkill. |
Anonymous
Sounds like you are projecting. You haven't even met OP's child. This is not about you. |
Anonymous
NP- but the pp is just responding to how OP described her child. There IS a growing concern over the growing medicalization of normal childhood troubles with the concern that it is bad for children and that it is perpetuated by an industry. I think this concern is legitimate- especially having a significantly impacted son and other neurotypical children. All children will seem like they have “something” at some point. |
Anonymous
Yeah I hear this concern from a lot of parents but it is not my experience when working with vetted professionals. There is enough demand for their services that they don't need to invent a need. |
Anonymous
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I had the same thought--her kid sounds pretty normal without more info on the life impacts.
Apologies if you've already been down this road OP, but you may be able to get an answer without spending $$$ on neuropsych. Talk to your pediatrician; they will give you and your kid's teacher the Vanderbilt assessment as a screener. The behavior needs to be present both at home and at school at a certain level to meet criteria for ADHD. |
Anonymous
And that is why evaluators don't typically make a diagnosis by asking the parent to write a paragraph describing their child. |