In my experience, when you have a kid with complex struggles, it’s often not a one and done situation. Sometimes the diagnosis evolves, they fall farther behind their peers, parents are better able to articulate specific struggles, behavior that’s on the edge of typical at a younger age is very outside the norm a few years later. I kept a list in my phone for a long time of things that seemed off or anecdotes that really illustrated a particular struggle or behavior. For an evaluation at age 15, I had a much longer list to share than I did at age 8.

Anonymous wrote:Neuropsych evals can be very helpful in the situations you described, but there is also a tendency on this board for people to recommend neuropsych evaluation as a first step when there are other options that may be faster, cheaper, and effective. For example, if a parent suspects their child may have mild to moderate anxiety or ADHD, an intake appointment with a child psychologist or psychiatrist may be fully effective in diagnosing, treating, and getting school accommodations.

Why don't you respond to those posts specifically instead of detailing every single thread that asks about neuropsychs

There are all kinds of tests and your child may or many not need one vs. something else. The quality really varies depending on the evaluator. We've gotten some great evaluations and ones not worth the paper they were written on.

Neuropsych evals can be very helpful in the situations you described, but there is also a tendency on this board for people to recommend neuropsych evaluation as a first step when there are other options that may be faster, cheaper, and effective. For example, if a parent suspects their child may have mild to moderate anxiety or ADHD, an intake appointment with a child psychologist or psychiatrist may be fully effective in diagnosing, treating, and getting school accommodations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why you felt the need to start your own thread on this. Your opinion is not monolithic and you continue to refuse to understand what people are actually saying on the subject.

(also I am not the only person posting this but it is interesting that despite believing you know the universal truth based on yours and everyone’s experience, you are threatened by an opposite minority view. So threatened that you need to post a special call-out. Talk about hostile!)

Nothing about the OPs post was hostile, or a minority view. Can't believe you're serious, but here we are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why you felt the need to start your own thread on this. Your opinion is not monolithic and you continue to refuse to understand what people are actually saying on the subject.

(also I am not the only person posting this but it is interesting that despite believing you know the universal truth based on yours and everyone’s experience, you are threatened by an opposite minority view. So threatened that you need to post a special call-out. Talk about hostile!)

The OP does not read as hostile at all, but you certainly do. OP's PSA is very useful to confused parents who are in the first throes of considering professional involvement. I don't think your comment serves anyone.

+1000

Stop harassing people PP

Practice by starting your posts with: "I paid a lot of money for our neuropsych and this is why I was dissatisfied with our experience." Then list specifically what you didn't like. Use I statements.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why you felt the need to start your own thread on this. Your opinion is not monolithic and you continue to refuse to understand what people are actually saying on the subject.

(also I am not the only person posting this but it is interesting that despite believing you know the universal truth based on yours and everyone’s experience, you are threatened by an opposite minority view. So threatened that you need to post a special call-out. Talk about hostile!)

The OP does not read as hostile at all, but you certainly do. OP's PSA is very useful to confused parents who are in the first throes of considering professional involvement. I don't think your comment serves anyone.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks. Yeah didn’t like the result or was unsatisfied but they are very aggressive and I feel for people trying to sort it all out. They just don’t need that

People just don’t need a range of information? ok then!

Considering you are still apparently conflating a “full neuropsych” with a diagnosis and claiming that it is necessary for effective therapy, I’d say you are the one spreading misinformation.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why you felt the need to start your own thread on this. Your opinion is not monolithic and you continue to refuse to understand what people are actually saying on the subject.

(also I am not the only person posting this but it is interesting that despite believing you know the universal truth based on yours and everyone’s experience, you are threatened by an opposite minority view. So threatened that you need to post a special call-out. Talk about hostile!)

Not sure why you felt the need to start your own thread on this. Your opinion is not monolithic and you continue to refuse to understand what people are actually saying on the subject.

My son with special needs is now 21 and DCUM's SN forum helped me so much when he was younger! I am sad to learn that there is now a poster who disparages neuropsychological evaluations.

My son had two: one at 10 years old, to confirm his suspected (severe) ADHD, and another at 17, to get accommodations for college, which he took with Adderall, because the goal was also to confirm his autism, which had been masked by his ADHD symptoms previously.

The neuropsychs were crucial to get him the accommodations he needed in school and college.

OP here. Thanks. Yeah didn’t like the result or was unsatisfied but they are very aggressive and I feel for people trying to sort it all out. They just don’t need that

I agree, OP. I also suspect that that one poster, may have actually had a neuropsych done and not liked the diagnosis for whatever reason.

Agree, that poster is extremely dismissive and aggressive. If they had a bad experience they should share that experience, not harass people about how terrible they think neuropsychs are (often with false statements).

There is one person or a handful of people on this forum recently who are dead set against neuropsychs. I don’t know if based on their personal experiences—if so I wish they would just say that—or other issues that they have with them. They can be extremely expensive and weightlisrs can be difficult. I am sure there are varying qualities of outputs. With that said, I’ve never encountered such contempt on this forum—it’s usually very supportive and helpful.

However, if you have a child with special needs, and they are struggling, and or you have confusing information as to what they may or may not be dealing with, a neuropsych can be invaluable. I say this from my own personal experience as well as those of friends and family who did not get the answers that they needed to seek the proper treatments until they had done a full neuropsych.

Do your research and talk to people, but please know that there is one outside voice on this forum and it should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

And on a personal note, I am saddened by this because this because I know how vulnerable and scary it feels when you know things are going on with your kid but you don’t know what.