Young adult and child psychological assessments are helpful to better-understand how thoughts, feelings or behaviors may be contributing to feelings of distress. It helps to identify a person’s areas of strength and growth, to guide them towards learning more adaptive methods of coping.

How an assessment helps

Test results from standardized measures are combined with information from a clinical interview and behavioral observations to allow clinicians and clients to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the client operates within their environment. These recommendations — provided by a licensed psychologist — can facilitate a more tailored treatment approach moving forward. In addition, the results can be used to monitor progress in treatment and adjust the treatment plan, as needed.

What to expect

ADHD testing at Aspire consists of multiple parts and evaluates three primary domains: cognitive, executive functioning and socioemotional.

Assessing cognition involves looking at one’s ability and proficiency in knowledge, both previously learned and novel, thought process and judgment. This allows clinicians to rule out whether a person’s challenges may be due to an underlying cognitive deficiency.

Executive functioning looks at a person’s ability to engage in impulse control, forward planning, organization and flexible thinking effectively and efficiently. Often those diagnosed with attention-related concerns show difficulties in this area due to the way in which their prefrontal cortex operates.

Lastly, one’s socioemotional functioning is also explored to determine whether any mood-related concerns may be affecting one’s cognitive and executive functioning abilities. It is not uncommon for a person with ADHD to have a co-occurring mood-related disorder such as anxiety or depression.

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