When you know that there is a glitch in you or your child's cognitive functioning, but you are unable to get a proper diagnosis, you need to see an expert in the field of clinical neuropsychology. For example, ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities are frequently misdiagnosed; in order to get a proper diagnosis or correct an improper one, you need to have a professionally administered neuropsychological evaluation
Ideally, your neuropsychological evaluation should be conducted in a clinical environment that offers a wide array of services and that is staffed by highly qualified clinicians who act as consultants. Conditions such as ADD/ADHD frequently present as different disorders, which may otherwise make getting a proper diagnosis difficult. Since ADD/ADHD is so frequently mislabeled, it may be difficult to get the appropriate diagnosis. And, a misdiagnosis may be mentally, emotionally, and financially exhausting. It wastes valuable time and money that may be required for the necessary treatment.
Through a neuropsychological evaluation, a skilled clinician will be able to determine whether you have ADD/ADHD, another disorder that has similar symptoms, or both. Certain conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed as it may also actually coexist with ADD/ADHD. These ailments include anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities. Substance abuse may also present as a symptom of ADD/ADHD or other disorders, since it may be used as a form of self-medication.
A neuropsychological assessment is also imperative to properly diagnosing a learning disability such as dyslexia. In certain cases dyslexia might be confused with ADD/ADHD. Children with dyslexia may be misidentified as "lazy". Dyslexia is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed disorders in school-aged children, so it is vital for learning disability related testing to be conducted in a clinical neuropsychology environment. Like with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia symptoms are not always clearly defined; in fact the two disorders may confused with each other. Therefore, you need to visit a center that has specialists in both these fields, since they will be more equipped to discern between the two.
There are different types of tests for ADD/ADHD as well as dyslexia and other learning disabilities, and more of these evaluations are more effective than others. A neuropsychological evaluation includes a comprehensive series of exams that guide the clinician towards the proper diagnosis and thus the necessary treatment. Recognizing and navigating the correct course of action may seem difficult and overwhelming, but a neuropsychological evaluation will be able to give you decisive answers as to what is and what is not the issue. Once you have this information, you and the clinician may then plan the best course of treatment.
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