Consider Pursuing a Neuropsychological or Psychological Evaluation: Part Five The Top 10 Things I Wish I’d Known On My Child’s Mental Health Journey
From a mother who never imagined her once squirrely and sweet six-year-old would face such tribulations as an adolescent, I wish to share the lessons I’ve learned, the opportunities I wish had been presented to me, and the essential navigation tips that might not have prevented our situation but would have undoubtedly eased our journey.
If you suspect even a mild concern about your child’s mental health, please hold onto this list. You might not be ready to tackle it just yet, but if you’re reading this, it means you’re aware, and awareness is the first step. As a mother who was once not ready to face these realities, I implore you to save this list.
Despite my professional background in youth mental health, navigating my own child’s needs often left me feeling surprisingly out of my depth. Chronic stress can push our brains into survival mode, shutting down the prefrontal cortex — the very part responsible for executive functions, rational thought, and decision-making.
I could dispense sound advice to other parents effortlessly, but when it came to applying that wisdom to my own situation, my emotional turmoil, guilt, and shame often clouded my judgment.
For years, I’ve advised parents on the importance of obtaining neuropsychological or psychological evaluations for their children, yet found myself hesitant to do the same for mine. The weight of guilt and shame, the nagging feeling that I might be responsible for my child’s struggles, often led to avoidance and a silent hope that the issues would simply resolve themselves.
However, everything changed when my eight-year-old child, already under treatment with antidepressants and therapy, threatened suicide.
At that critical juncture, the severity of the situation became undeniable. During hospitalization, we discovered that the prescribed antidepressant was inducing mania. A thorough psychological evaluation, coupled with a change in medication, significantly improved the situation for an extended period.
To clarify, a psychological evaluation, typically conducted by a psychiatrist or psychologist, assesses an individual for various mental health conditions and developmental disorders, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Autism, and substance abuse.
A neuropsychological evaluation, while similar, includes specialized tests that also assess intellectual, cognitive, sensory processing, language, executive functioning, and learning disabilities, among others.
Depending on your state, your child might be eligible for a neuropsychological or psychological evaluation through their school. These assessments require your consent and can pave the way for additional support services and accommodations to help your child thrive academically.
While school psychologists and private neuropsychologists are invaluable resources, if you suspect your child has more complex needs, I strongly recommend seeking an evaluation from a university medical research hospital.
After my child’s suicide attempt, we sought help from a private neuropsychologist who was excellent in diagnosing certain processing issues but lacked the nuanced tests needed to identify Autism, which was only diagnosed nearly a decade through a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation by a university research hospital.
If I could do it again, I would have taken my child as a toddler and then a couple of other times to be evaluated as needs change with age.
Over the next few weeks join me in this series where I share each of the things I wish I would have known to hopefully help someone else along their journey.
