Way to cancel neuropsych?

[Anonymous]

I took my child in for a neuropsych, and at the debrief the day of the testing was really thrown off by how off base the psych's perception of my kid was. Is there a way to cancel it? To ask them not to write the report? I want to get a second opinion from another neuropsych. This was done through a hospital, not private.

[Anonymous]

Is it for financial reasons that you want to cancel? I wouldn't otherwise. The tests are supposed to be somewhat objective, so you may find the results are actually similar. And some medical professionals just have a really bad bedside manner but are good at what they do.

[Anonymous]

If you try to re-test too soon, some of the new testing may be invalid. Agree that the testing is objective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it for financial reasons that you want to cancel? I wouldn't otherwise. The tests are supposed to be somewhat objective, so you may find the results are actually similar. And some medical professionals just have a really bad bedside manner but are good at what they do.

+1 As an educator in a large city, I've known of similar situations. OP, I'd follow through on getting the information, then get additional opinions if needed. Someone once told me, and I think there's a lot of truth in it--don't be afraid of information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it for financial reasons that you want to cancel? I wouldn't otherwise. The tests are supposed to be somewhat objective, so you may find the results are actually similar. And some medical professionals just have a really bad bedside manner but are good at what they do.

Wouldn't they still charge you at this point anyway?

[Anonymous]

That would be incredibly short-sighted, OP!

They've done the work, your child has made the effort, and they're going to charge you since they did the actual testing. Getting the report is crucial because it's the only official proof that you did the testing and whether your child has diagnoses. Schools will need this report before offering services and accommodations to your child. If you don't like it, it's even more important, because it will allow you to compare this testing to additional testing you might wish to do in the future. Additional testing will either confirm or infirm the evaluation that was done this year.

If you are seeking to do the same type of testing, know that repeating during the same year is frowned upon. I did ask for a WISC-V (IQ test) to be repeated 6 months later, because one was without medication, the other with medication, and it made a significant difference in my child's score. I received some pushback from the school, though, who claimed the second test was invalid because my child could have "remembered" the questions (sure, he doesn't remember what I've just told him!). However, the psychologist, as well as the test-maker, both claim that 6 months is an acceptable interval. Of course, they may be biased, but personally I agree. The one year interval is just arbitrary.

I advise you to post in the special needs forum, where people are well-versed in those kinds of issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took my child in for a neuropsych, and at the debrief the day of the testing was really thrown off by how off base the psych's perception of my kid was. Is there a way to cancel it? To ask them not to write the report? I want to get a second opinion from another neuropsych. This was done through a hospital, not private.

Did you ask the psych where he got his perception? Did he say your kid couldn't do things you know he could do? A good debrief goes through each of the tests and explains what they are designed to measure, how they measure it, and what it means about your child.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all. I posted this in the wrong forum because I posted in the middle of the night. It should go in special needs. Sorry.

My concern is that the neuropsych was WAY off in terms of understanding the motivations for the behavior that my child is showing. And I don't care about getting a diagnosis -- what I want is a report that really digs into what accommodations would help my kid. And they didn't pick up on his anxiety at all -- which is completely baffling to me. It was so shocking in my conversation with them that I was just dumbfounded. Given that they missed that, how is the report (which will help with a 504) recommend the right accommodations? Because that's the point right?

They also diagnosed him with ODD -- and that pisses me off because it's a controversial diagnosis and they did it in large part on the basis of a teacher evaluation -- and the teacher has only had him in class for 6 weeks. And my kid is only 6 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all. I posted this in the wrong forum because I posted in the middle of the night. It should go in special needs. Sorry.

My concern is that the neuropsych was WAY off in terms of understanding the motivations for the behavior that my child is showing. And I don't care about getting a diagnosis -- what I want is a report that really digs into what accommodations would help my kid. And they didn't pick up on his anxiety at all -- which is completely baffling to me. It was so shocking in my conversation with them that I was just dumbfounded. Given that they missed that, how is the report (which will help with a 504) recommend the right accommodations? Because that's the point right?

They also diagnosed him with ODD -- and that pisses me off because it's a controversial diagnosis and they did it in large part on the basis of a teacher evaluation -- and the teacher has only had him in class for 6 weeks. And my kid is only 6 years old.

I agree with you that ODD is a dangerous diagnosis, especially so young.

Did you ask the evaluator about anxiety and why he wasn't diagnosing him with anxiety?

You can ask that no report be written or you can take the report and stick it in your bottom drawer; either way, you're going to pay the same amount and then go get a second opinion.

I'm sorry, OP. We also began our introduction into the SN world with a bad evaluation. It was a waste of time and money, but otherwise no harm done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all. I posted this in the wrong forum because I posted in the middle of the night. It should go in special needs. Sorry.

My concern is that the neuropsych was WAY off in terms of understanding the motivations for the behavior that my child is showing. And I don't care about getting a diagnosis -- what I want is a report that really digs into what accommodations would help my kid. And they didn't pick up on his anxiety at all -- which is completely baffling to me. It was so shocking in my conversation with them that I was just dumbfounded. Given that they missed that, how is the report (which will help with a 504) recommend the right accommodations? Because that's the point right?

They also diagnosed him with ODD -- and that pisses me off because it's a controversial diagnosis and they did it in large part on the basis of a teacher evaluation -- and the teacher has only had him in class for 6 weeks. And my kid is only 6 years old.

I agree with you that ODD is a dangerous diagnosis, especially so young.

Did you ask the evaluator about anxiety and why he wasn't diagnosing him with anxiety?

You can ask that no report be written or you can take the report and stick it in your bottom drawer; either way, you're going to pay the same amount and then go get a second opinion.

I'm sorry, OP. We also began our introduction into the SN world with a bad evaluation. It was a waste of time and money, but otherwise no harm done.

I did ask, and they just said they didn't pick up on that. Which leads me to believe they are not that skilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all. I posted this in the wrong forum because I posted in the middle of the night. It should go in special needs. Sorry.

My concern is that the neuropsych was WAY off in terms of understanding the motivations for the behavior that my child is showing. And I don't care about getting a diagnosis -- what I want is a report that really digs into what accommodations would help my kid. And they didn't pick up on his anxiety at all -- which is completely baffling to me. It was so shocking in my conversation with them that I was just dumbfounded. Given that they missed that, how is the report (which will help with a 504) recommend the right accommodations? Because that's the point right?

They also diagnosed him with ODD -- and that pisses me off because it's a controversial diagnosis and they did it in large part on the basis of a teacher evaluation -- and the teacher has only had him in class for 6 weeks. And my kid is only 6 years old.

Yikes. I understant where you are coming from. Still, I think it would be worthwhile to see the report because it may have testing results that are useful. I would also want to engage them on why they didn't see anxiety, and how they reached the ODD diagnosis, so you can better understand. My guess is you won't get any money back at this point so you might as well get all you can out of it.

[Anonymous]

09:08 again.

I understand what you mean, OP, except where you don't care about getting a diagnosis - the formal diagnosis will be necessary to obtain services at school. Schools tend to primarily offer accommodations based on what they observe in school, so ideally this shouldn't matter. The diagnosis just opens the door to be eligible for accommodations. However, a wrong diagnosis sends everyone off on the wrong track and confuses things.

We had our neuropsych done at Stixrud's and were very impressed with the sensitivity and intelligence displayed by Dr. Henderson there. It cost us $3.2K out of pocket, which was a stretch for us.

Get the report anyway, and request an interview with the head of that particular department to relay your concerns. Come with facts and observations. They will take you seriously. Was your child evaluated by a post-doc there? Experience is very important.
I would ask point-blank for a re-evaluation. It's unlikely you'll get it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Do not send the report to the school if you feel it is wrong. Contact another reputable psychologist practice in the area and explain your predicament. They will put you on their waiting list, which is fine because your child needs to wait before being tested again.

While you wait, you can always ask the school to evaluate your child themselves. Public schools will do this. Usually I advise against this because I feel they have a conflict of interest, and their psychologists are not as good as ones in private practice, but your situation is special in that you cannot give them a private report within the next 6 months. You might as well see what the school psychologist says!

[Anonymous]

Thank you! This is helpful. I am trying to figure out next steps -- I may call the postdoc and request a re-evaluation.