3015 Piedmont Road Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, United States
Research overwhelming supports significant overlap across symptoms of many learning and psychological disorders. Therefore it is essential to obtain a differential diagnosis. For example, children with anxiety, depression, processing issues, attention issues, and/or learning disabilities often present with similar symptoms (i.e., inattention, distractibility, difficulty completing tasks). Further, comorbidity (coexistence of two or more disorders) is in some cases, as high as 40%. The origin, or cause, of these behaviors cannot be determined without a full evaluation. Additionally, some behaviors are developmentally appropriate depending on the age of the child. An evaluation will help determine the severity and appropriateness of these behaviors in relation to his/her chronological age.
A psychological or psychoeducational assessment is a way of learning more about a person’s mind, brain, emotions, and learning style by asking that person to participate in several different tasks. These tasks test many kinds of abilities, such as problem-solving, language skills, visual/spatial skills, organization / planning, reasoning, attention / concentration, and memory. In addition, the clinical psychologist will conduct a clinical interview to learn more about symptoms, medications, medical and psychiatric history, and other important areas, then will often spend several days analyzing the data, reviewing records, and writing a report that explains the reasons for the testing, the person’s history, test results (including a person’s strengths and weaknesses), and recommendations / referrals for future treatment.
Dr. Matheson and Dr. Patton will spend a little time at the beginning of the interview talking with your child about why people get assessments, but it’s a good idea for you to talk with your child first. Kids can be pretty insightful and usually know when something is wrong in school or at home, even if they don’t know the exact reason why there is a problem. It’s usually best to be honest with kids about the reasons for the assessment. For example, “You know how frustrated you get when you have to do writing for school? We want to understand why it’s hard for you and how we can help to make it easier." Most of the tests will be like puzzles; some will be like games; a few will be like tests in school, but with no grades. Some of it might be boring. The testing is a partnership—it only works if a child cooperates, and no one can force him or her to take the tests. Also reassure your child that everyone’s brain works a little bit differently, so people of all ages want to take these tests to learn more about how they think, and what they are good at as well as the areas where they need help. If your child has specific concerns about the evaluation, please tell your doctor so that she can address them.