Overview of Neuropsychological Evaluations for Diagnosing ADHD in Pediatric Patients

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. ADHD has a behavioral and cognitive presentation that may be similar to other conditions, including learning disorders, depression, anxiety, or impulse control disorders. Given the overlapping symptoms among these disorders, it is important to employ diagnostic procedures that can parse out whether the child meets criteria for ADHD, or whether the difficulties are better accounted for by another neurodevelopmental or psychological condition.   

Neuropsychological evaluations are a comprehensive procedure commonly used for diagnosing ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults. Within the pediatric population, neuropsychological evaluations begin with an initial consultation, in which the clinician has an in-depth interview with the parents and the child in order to determine whether a neuropsychological evaluation would be appropriate.  

Once the determination has been made to proceed with a neuropsychological evaluation, the testing is typically completed during two in-person sessions. During the testing sessions, the child will be asked to complete various tasks that tap into a wide array of cognitive functions (e.g., intellectual functioning, attention, learning, memory, speed of information processing, and visuospatial skills), psychological factors (e.g., depression, anxiety, and behavioral difficulties) and adaptive functioning. Examples of neuropsychological tasks include having the child solve visual puzzles, learn and recall new information, fill out paper-and-pencil measures (when age-appropriate), or complete academic exercises. In addition, collateral information will be obtained from parents and teachers in order to develop a richer understanding of the child’s behavior within the home and school settings. 

Once the testing has been completed, the child’s performance is scored and compared to a normative sample of age-matched peers. A profile of cognitive strengths and weaknesses is developed, which helps to determine whether the child meets criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD, a psychological condition such as depression or anxiety, and/or another neurodevelopmental disorder. 

Finally, a feedback session is held, in which the neuropsychological findings are reviewed in detail with the parents and child. During this session, the parents are provided with an overview of the child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, diagnoses, and recommendations that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the child. Examples of recommendations for a child diagnosed with ADHD may include academic accommodations, behavioral strategies to be used within the home, participation in executive functioning coaching, psychotherapy to address behavioral and/or cognitive difficulties, or a referral to a psychiatrist to discuss pharmacological interventions. All diagnoses and recommendations are provided in a written report, which can be shared with the school at the discretion of the parents.

If you have concerns that you or your child might have ADHD, please contact Pathways Neuropsychology Associates at (732) 930-2242 to inquire about a neuropsychological evaluation.