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07-14-2008, 02:05 PM
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#1 | | Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 387
| I want to get a battery of tests done for LD's
How would I go about this? What's even the name of the type of specialist who would perform this? Is there a name I should look for concerning the test? Where/how would I evaluate who I should go to? I'm trying to avoid going to my general practitioner first. | 
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07-14-2008, 02:09 PM
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#2 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: West Coast
Posts: 264
| I would look for a neuropsychologist. I would contact your school first. I doubt the GP would know anyone, but one never knows.
Good luck! | |
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07-15-2008, 12:03 AM
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#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 6,271
| IT will be pretty expensive to get tested without know what you are looking for, or what kind of help you want. Ins doesn't normally pay for any of it.
What sort of problems are you having? | 
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07-15-2008, 12:14 AM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: N. California
Posts: 2,004
| If you are looking for accomodations, you should ask if the place you want them from has any specific requirements regarding what credentials and what type of "testing" is required. | |
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07-15-2008, 02:58 AM
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#5 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 191
| Make sure that the psychologist or neuropsychologist you go to is a specialist in psycho-educational testing. Preferably, this should make up the bulk of their practice. If you are in college, the office that offers student support will probably have a list of local psychologists to whom they refer students for this kind of testing. Many high schools also maintain lists. And while a GP may not have great referrals at his or her fingertips, your pediatrician or former pediatrician probably has some referrals. Do not give up on your GP though (unless there is some reason that you don't want him/her to know you're being tested for LD's.) You could always just phone the office and ask for a list of a couple of psychologists to whom they refer for testing for learning disabilities.
As it says above, if you find an LD and need accommodations at a particular school, you have to know which tests that school requires. For a private high school, either a general GC, or the particular GC who coordinates services for LD students, or the school psychologist if there is one, should be able to give you a list with written guidelines. At a college, you will again be able to get the info from the office that offers LD support services. If that office has a website (many do), you may be able to get this info online.
Once you have a list of referrals and information from your high school or college about the specific tests they'd like to see, you might want to schedule a brief, preliminary appt. with a couple of the psychologists and talk about what is entailed, how long it will take, cost, etc. and to get a sense of whether you are comfortable with that person. Remember, you are the consumer and you get to pick the person you want to work with.
Good luck! | |
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07-15-2008, 10:56 AM
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#6 | | Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 387
| 1. I am a recent HS grad who isn't in college yet, so I'm sort of stuck inbetween. I want to get a diagnosis so I know what I'm dealing with BEFORE college, though.
2. I have strong suspicions for particular disorders, which I won't get into here, but I was just wondering if there was a comprehensive analysis. If not, I guess I can hammer it out with the psych.
3. Is choosing the right doctor really important? I don't know how much of a subjective science psychology is. Hmm. I'll give my GP a call to ask for recs, but I have no idea how to find out if someone specializes in this or that.
4. I am not looking for accomadations. I'm the type of person who doesn't take pills even though I'm border-line narcoleptic. I only want these tests done so that I can better understand myself.
Thank you | |
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07-16-2008, 12:25 AM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 6,271
| I would start with an educational psych who is trained to give Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -
The contrast between overall iq and subtests is pretty interesting | |
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07-16-2008, 12:41 AM
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#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: N. California
Posts: 2,004
| Accomadations are things like extra time for tests. I think it's fine that you don't name disorders here, but in my community, a general rule of thumb is that Psychiatrists tend to be best for Psychiatric Disorders ( i.e. Major Depression, Panic Disorder, and sometimes ADHD), while Psychologists WHO DO TESTING ( few, if any in my community to) are best for learning disabilitites ( i.e. "dyslexia") . Developmental Disabilities (i.e. Autism) are often the forte of Developmental Pediatricians.
Last edited by Shrinkrap; 07-16-2008 at 12:46 AM.
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