Neuropsychological Testing Woodland Hills
Could You Benefit From The Clarity Neuropsychological Testing Offers?
Are you or your child living with undiagnosed ADHD or autism?
As someone who is neurodivergent, do the challenges you encounter each day make it difficult to feel accepted and fully integrated at school, work, or social situations?
Would a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses help you navigate the world with more insight and confidence?
When your brain has a unique way of processing information that doesn’t conform to what is considered “normal,” each day can be filled with unforeseen obstacles. You may be unable to control what you pay attention to, which makes trying to abide by a rigid schedule feel nearly impossible at times. Or perhaps you struggle to pick up on social cues and find that you often feel like you have to guess what other people are feeling and thinking.
You May Have Reached Adulthood Without A Proper Diagnosis
If you’re an adult born before the 00s, there’s a possibility that you struggled academically and socially in childhood without ever receiving a formal diagnosis. Perhaps these same issues have affected you in the workplace or resulted in marital conflicts due to communication challenges.
Perhaps you need to formalize a diagnosis for yourself or your child because, without one, you can’t receive the accommodations you need at school, college, or work. Whether you suspect ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or a learning disability—such as dyslexia or dysgraphia—understanding how your brain works is crucial information.
Don’t let living with uncertainty limit your options. Neuropsychological testing for ADHD, Autism, and learning disabilities offers answers. In addition to highlighting your strengths, an assessment will drill into the specific areas where you may struggle, providing details that will help you create a customized treatment plan to ensure you or your child can thrive.
Without A Formal Diagnosis, Support Options May Be Limited
If you are trying to work with your child’s school to develop an Individual Education Plan to support their academic success, it can be challenging to get very far without a diagnosis. Most schools require a formal diagnosis to access state-funded resources set aside for children with learning difficulties.
Unfortunately, in California, there’s a shortage of providers who offer neuropsychological testing. Per state law, evaluations can only be conducted by a licensed psychologist, which limits the number of available testers. Some families must wait for months or travel out of state to receive an in-person assessment.
We Offer Neuropsychological Testing In Woodland Hills, CA
Embracing You Therapy is proud to offer neuropsychological testing to kids, teens, and adults residing in Southern California. Understanding the need for this important service in our community, we invested our own resources to ensure we could provide evaluations to those who need them at a competitive price point.
Although some are alarmed by the rise in autism and ADHD diagnoses, we see it as an encouraging sign. Our goal isn’t to misdiagnose but, rather, through neuropsychological testing, to give our clients accurate feedback about common patterns. We want to help them understand how their brain processes information and how they can improve social relationships so they can achieve their goals and thrive at any age of their lives.
Neuropsychological Testing Provides The Answers And Guidance You Need
If you or your child is continually frustrated by setbacks academically, professionally, or socially, it may have begun to impact your mental health negatively. You may feel anxious or depressed about not fitting into a neurotypical world and wishing you there was a way you could level the playing field.
As the parent of a neurodivergent child, you see firsthand all the special gifts they possess, along with what challenges them. Witnessing your child’s self-esteem be negatively impacted can be especially painful.
More than anything, you want to know how to help them reach their full potential. And if you’re a neurodivergent adult yet to be diagnosed, it takes vulnerability and courage to face your challenges head-on. But by receiving a diagnosis, you can get a better picture of what sort of treatment plan will help you thrive.
Neuropsychological evaluations take an evidence-based approach to understanding and studying ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities. An accurate diagnosis offers measurable data that can be used to support advocacy, validation, and normalization. Neuropsychological testing is more than just a diagnosis. Evaluation results can help you create an effective treatment plan. We equip you with a comprehensive strategy that may include medication, therapy, accommodations, and other appropriate resources to ensure neurodiversity never holds you back again.
An Overview Of The Process
Neuropsychological testing for children and adults looks at overall functioning to determine a diagnosis. In addition to evaluating social, emotional, and psychological functioning, the evaluation will also assess academic ability, memory, processing, and Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
Most importantly, your evaluation will provide you with action steps to receive the support and accommodations that will make a positive impact on your quality of life. If your child is undergoing neuropsychological testing, the earlier an evaluation is administered, the higher the likelihood they will have a beneficial outcome.
A typical neuropsychological evaluation includes:
- An initial interview and one-hour consultation;
- A series of tests that evaluate cognition, executive function, attention span, academic performance, and social aptitude;
- For children, interviews to elicit feedback from their support group, including parents, teachers, and other caregivers;
- A comprehensive written report outlining the applicable diagnoses, customized treatment recommendations, and follow-up strategies once all evaluations have been conducted;
- A follow-up session to discuss the results of your neuropsychological evaluation and provide appropriate referrals, such as individual psychotherapy, skilled group therapy, or couples therapy, plus referrals to care providers who can prescribe medication;
With clear insight and understanding of your neurodiversity, the ultimate goal of a neuropsychological examination is to foster more self-acceptance and self-love. Rather than think of yourself as a lab rat being studied, consider the process to be one of self-exploration and discovery of your unique strengths and challenges. Bringing more awareness to what makes you who you are allows you to move beyond a diagnosis and create an authentic life that embraces all aspects of yourself.
Because the past provides information about the present, a key component of anxiety treatment is to reflect on your past experiences. Not only will you gain deep insight into who you are, but an anxiety counselor will help you transform this insight into action. But the discoveries made during a therapy session won’t be helpful if they never leave the therapy room—once you apply what you learn to your life, you will experience the fruits of your hard work.
You’ll be able to let of worry, rumination, and self-loathing. And by finding closure from past unresolved experiences, you will unburden yourself and gain more positivity and peace. You will learn to tolerate mistakes because you will have a sense of true self-confidence, resilience, and love. You will start to feel more centered and grounded.
But You May Wonder Whether Neuropsychological Testing Is Right For You Or Your Child …
As an adult, I worry that receiving neuropsychological testing at this point will be too late to be useful.
Understandably, if you have reached adulthood without a formal diagnosis of ADHD or autism, you may think you’ve missed the window of opportunity to find a treatment plan that will help you. However, it’s never too late to reap the benefits of an in-depth neuropsychological assessment. The results of your testing will reveal strengths as well as weaknesses, allowing you to harness your talents and abilities in ways you may not have considered before.
Isn’t a neuropsychological examination expensive?
Before ruling out testing due to its expense, we recommend you check with your health insurance provider. Depending on your plan, they may reimburse some of the cost of neuropsychological assessments to diagnose autism, ADHD, and other learning disabilities. We can provide you with a superbill to submit to your provider to determine coverage. Regardless of cost, receiving an accurate diagnosis is worthwhile because it can potentially improve your quality of life in so many different ways.
How will neuropsychological testing and receiving a diagnosis actually help my child?
While a neuropsychological evaluation will confirm a diagnosis, it is far more than just another label. The goal of testing is to create a unique picture of how your child’s diagnosis shows up in their life by identifying areas where they excel in addition to ones where they struggle. Having this knowledge helps them find hobbies and career choices that will align with their strengths as well as find behavioral tools that will help them when challenged.
Identifying Your Gifts Can Help You Flourish
When you can harness your strengths while gaining insight into what challenges you, you can unlock your full potential. To schedule an appointment for neuropsychological testing at our Woodland Hills therapy practice or online, please fill out the contact form to schedule a free phone consultation.
