Would a neuropsych exam be helpful for any child?

[Anonymous]

Well, my 12yo would immediately assume I thought something was wrong with her if I signed her up for an intense neuropsych exam for no apparent reason. I think it would probably cause unnecessary anxiety, at least for my kid.

Also, would a reputable practitioner administer an expensive exam like this if you couldn't identify any actual areas of concern? Not that it would be harmful to the kid or anything, but it just seems kind of sketchy to me.

[Anonymous]

I’d be more fascinated with getting an actual brain scan.
That would be true science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my 12yo would immediately assume I thought something was wrong with her if I signed her up for an intense neuropsych exam for no apparent reason. I think it would probably cause unnecessary anxiety, at least for my kid.

Also, would a reputable practitioner administer an expensive exam like this if you couldn't identify any actual areas of concern? Not that it would be harmful to the kid or anything, but it just seems kind of sketchy to me.

It is sketchy. Our psychologist asked me a lot of questions over the phone before she would book a date for the psychoeducational testing. They weed through people who want their kid tested privately because they have a hard time meeting demand as it is.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if it was a full neuro psych but my daughter got a WISC plus basically a full test/screen for ADHD/autism/other learning differences and it was fully covered by our HMO.

It did not result in a diagnosis (just high IQ + some rigidity and some lacking in emotional regulation) but all within the normal ranges. We have been able to manage/improve behavior with learned techniques.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any child? Heck, now I want one for myself. It's really fascinating.

And it really makes me think that schools should be providing more in-depth assessments as part of teaching and learning. You want to avoid a slippery slope of testing kids and then shunting them to specific tracks that limit them, but just knowing what works and what kids are good at seems like it would be good for kids and teachers.

We recently had a neuropsych for my 9yo. It found he has a 30+ point gap between WISC subtests. It's helpful for him that his school see he's a really smart kid who has a specific executive function challenge that makes some things more difficult for him. Sometimes with kids like him adults overlook his significant strengths because of his challenges.

[Anonymous]

I had my only Iq test when I was in 2nd grade and got picked to be screened for gifted (I didn’t get in). All I know is that I didn’t get in. I’d love to know what my score was and sub tests. It was conducted by my school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be more fascinated with getting an actual brain scan.
That would be true science.

Except brain scans can't tell you anything unless there are gross abnormalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wondering if it would be useful to get a neuropsych exam on my 12-year-old, just to find out his strengths and weaknesses, even though there are no glaring issues? I know it's expensive, but would rather discover any potential challenges sooner rather than later. Have folks found these exams very helpful in unexpected ways?

Honestly, it's unlikely to be helpful if you haven't already noticed any performance differences or problems. Finding your "strengths and weaknesses" is a gentle way of saying "things you are good at and things you suck at that are making your life a problem".

Since the tests are age normed. If the "potential challenge" has not shown its head in day to day living yet, it's unlikely the test will tap skills that measure it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s at least $500...

You're pretty out of touch. It's at least $3,000 and probably more.

Ours is $5,000. And if your child doesn’t have a diagnosis you’ll be paying entirely out-of-pocket.

[Anonymous]

I don't think so. This is not like a psychoanalysis where the neuropsych is going to cogently tell you what your child's issues are. Your child is going to be scored on various standardized tests given over a day. It's not an in depth look into your child's psyche.