As your child’s parent or caretaker, you want the best for them. You want them to find the utmost success—to live a happy, fulfilled life. However, sometimes kids struggle in school and start to fall behind: they get distracted easily, they don’t pay attention, they act out, they fail to connect with their classmates. The list goes on, but in any case, when these kinds of concerns come up, it can feel scary and overwhelming. You might wonder, “What should I do? How can I help my child?” Sometimes, the answer is psychological testing.
Psychological testing can help you and your child understand why they are struggling at school. For example, there might be an underlying learning or developmental disability that is hindering their growth. A psychological assessment can help you get to the bottom of these problems and offer a solution for moving forward.
Here at Thriveworks McLean Counseling, we offer psychological testing for kids and teens. On top of identifying any underlying disorders, these tests can highlight a child’s strengths and weaknesses, in comparison to their age group. Whether your child is in need of learning and academic functioning assessments, IQ testing, school admissions testing, gifted placement evaluations, or another form of psychological testing, Thriveworks McLean can help.
Does My Child Need Psychological Testing?
It isn’t always easy to determine whether your child is in need of psychological testing. However, if your child is showing symptoms of ADHD or autism, this begs the need for testing. “Younger clients are more likely to receive testing for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. For Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is important to get testing done early because that research shows that putting in support early for Autism Spectrum Disorder can lead to better results as the child grows,” explains Sean Hayes PsyD of Thriveworks Counseling in Sterling, VA. You can also work closely with his or her teacher to understand where they stand in the classroom. For example, maybe you’ve noticed that your child is struggling with their homework, while your teacher has noticed their lack of interest or attention at school. This might signify a need for psych testing.
Here at Thriveworks McLean Counseling, we can offer a range of assessments that can help you better understand what your child is dealing with. For example, the following can contribute to your child struggling at school:
- Learning disabilities
- Mental health conditions like anxiety
- Developmental delays
- Behavioral disorders
- ADHD
- Intellectual disabilities
Now, on the flip side, maybe your child is doing exceedingly well in school! We can offer psych testing in these instances, too. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help you on both sides of the aisle.
Types of Psych Testing Offered at Thriveworks McLean
As we’ve already touched on, there are multiple reasons one might pursue psychological testing for their child. However, there are two main categories: Their child appears to be struggling in school, or their child appears to be functioning at an advanced level. Here are a few tests that can help, depending on what you’re observing in your child:
- IQ testing (intellectual testing): This kind of psych testing measures your child’s cognitive functioning and intellectual abilities. If you pursue this test for your child, they will perform a variety of tasks that help their psychologist assess verbal reasoning, short-term memory, processing speed, and more.
- School admissions testing and gifted placement evaluations: If you think that your child might qualify for gifted placement or acceptance into a certain school, you might be looking for this type of testing. These tests will evaluate your child’s learning abilities, language skills, and more.
- ADHD testing: ADHD, the inattentive type, is characterized by difficulty focusing, becoming easily distracted, and losing things constantly. ADHD, the hyperactive/impulsive type, is characterized by fidgety behavior, restlessness, and interrupting others. If your child is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, you might schedule an ADHD test, of which we can provide at Thriveworks McLean Counseling.
- Adaptive behavior testing: This type of psychological testing assess one for learning disabilities as well as behavioral strengths and weaknesses. Findings then inform changes and improvements made to the child’s success at school.
If you’re looking for psychological testing for your child, consider scheduling an appointment at Thriveworks McLean Counseling. We’d be happy to meet with your child and provide psych testing for their specific needs.
Schedule a Psychological Assessment for Your Child at Thriveworks McLean
You can better understand your child’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses through psychological testing. And with the test results, you can embark on a better plan for helping your child succeed at school and in life.
Thriveworks McLean Counseling would be honored to help. You can call our office right now to schedule psychological testing—we can see your child as soon as today or tomorrow.
