Many parents grapple with whether or not to go through formal testing and diagnosis for their child when it comes to emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties. While they may see struggles with anxiety, communication, attention, or simply frustration with school, they question what a diagnosis means, fear the stigma, or worry about what impact it might have on their child’s future. They want to help their child and find resources but they are not sure where to go for answers. Neuropsychological Testing seems complicated, and diagnosis can be scary for many parents.
A formal diagnosis is one tool that can help children qualify for services such as an IEP, 504 plan, or ABA therapy. It can also provide documentation to jobs, clubs, and other organizations about what types of supports can help a child feel confident, participate, make friends, and learn to the best of their ability. While schools and insurance companies are the ones who ultimately make the decision about what services will be provided, a comprehensive neuropsychological report can provide the framework and the evidence that these services are beneficial to a child’s learning and development. Our team can provide more information and guidance on what these processes look like.
While a diagnostic label can be scary for parents, for many children, teens, and even adults, it can be a doorway to self-understanding. Being able to say “Oh, this is why I do that!” or “Wait, other people do this too? I’m not alone?” can be a powerful experience. From finding supportive communities, to developing a positive identity, self-advocacy starts with understanding your needs and it’s the goal of the teams at Blue Bird Day, Eyas Landing, and Merlin Day Academy to support this journey.
Not all children need testing. Many will thrive without these formalized interventions. They may benefit from things such as tutoring, talk therapy, or other interventions that don’t require extensive testing. And if you’re on the fence, there’s lots of options to try!
You can start by talking to teachers about supports they can provide in the classroom, like fidgets or check-in sessions, enrolling your child in peer group activities, or meeting with a therapist or pediatrician to learn more about how to best support your child.