Misdiagnosis at an early age can cause difficulties over a lifetime. Early on, children may be subject to autism testing, ADD testing, or dyslexia testing, among other types of neuropsychological testing, but a neuropsychological evaluation, also known as neuropsych evaluation, may provide a more comprehensive test. Without proper evaluation, a child may not get the accommodations they need to succeed throughout their educational experience and career. For example, approximately 40 million American Adults suffer from dyslexia and Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but only half are aware of the diagnosis, despite causing learning and attention issues. A neuropsych evaluation can help diagnose and find a specialist to develop a treatment plan that includes testing accommodations for children to adults.

In cases where children are diagnosed, some parents may need second opinions from a neuropsych evaluation. In cases where children are diagnosed, 48% of parents believe that the child will outgrow their struggles with dyslexia or ADHD, despite the commonality of the issue which affects one in five children in the United States. Unfortunately, children with ADD are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorder, depression, and emotional stress as adults, so early treatment and detection through neuropsych evaluation is best to develop the tools to combat symptoms.

By two years old most children can be diagnosed on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and one in forty-five children, ages three through seventeen, have been diagnosed. A neuropsych evaluation can determine a person’s range on the spectrum and narrow the diagnosis so that one may find a qualified physician who can prescribe treatment and educational accommodations to give the person the best tools to excel in their development.

As children and adults find necessary, it may be beneficial to personally schedule a neuropsych evaluation or a psychoeducational evaluation in order to ensure that the best avenues are sought should there be any necessary treatments. For example, in cities with populations as large as New York City, it is possible that individuals can be overlooked or inadequately tested as children, and as adults they could benefit from services resulting from a neuropsych evaluation, if they should find they need options such as ACT accommodations, LSAT accommodations, MCAT accommodations, etc., according to the diagnosis by their neuropsychologist.