Does My Child Need Psychological Testing?

I get this question a lot: Does my child need a formal psychological evaluation? The answer depends a lot on why you're asking, so I want to share some of the common goals of testing. If a teacher, therapist, or other professional has suggested you might want to look into testing, do you know what goal they had in mind? There are a few things that testing can accomplish: 

Getting a diagnosis so that I can better understand my child. 
           This is a great reason for seeking testing. Sometimes we need someone to help us tease out a child's areas of strengths and opportunities for growth, help us to understand how debilitating their anxiety is, or point out that their impulsivity is not something they have the capacity to control. If I'm not sure exactly what is going on with my child, testing can be helpful to gain clarity. However, if I really already understand that my child is anxious or has difficulty with friends, it may not be worth the time and money to have a formal record of it if there's nothing further I plan to do with the information. 

Getting a diagnosis so that I can advocate for my child to get accommodations for support at school
           When kids are struggling at school, the school will often need some formal documentation to create a 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan (IEP). 504s and IEPs deserve a whole post to themselves, but they are basically legally binding documents where the school outlines what services or modifications they plan to provide the child. That can be anything from sitting closer to the teacher to stay on task, to having extra time on tests, to being pulled out with a small group to get additional help with reading. If this is why you're seeking an evaluation, I will almost always say yes, that's a great place to start. 

Getting a diagnosis so I can prove to family members or other people that I was right 
          If you've always known that your child was sensitive or needed extra support and family members minimized your concerns or flat out refused to believe them, it can be really validating to have a formal record of any diagnosis, recommendations, or data. I don't think it's petty or shallow to get confirmation that your parenting instincts are right on target.  Whether that is worth the expense and time invested in the process is going to differ for each person.

Getting a diagnosis so that we can potentially qualify for specific programs or services
​            There are services that require formal testing for a diagnosis (ex: Katie Beckett Medicaid, organizations that provide respite care to parents, or camps for kids with certain diagnoses). If this is the only reason you're seeking services, I'd suggest looking closely at the documentation requirements as well as doing a cost/benefit analysis. If paying $2000 for testing now means that my child has all relevant services covered for the next 5 years and I currently spend $2000 a year on services, that's an easy yes. If my child would benefit greatly from a camp that catered to his needs, that may also be a yes. If testing is $2000 but it's a long shot that we would qualify for any services as a result of the testing, I may wait. 

Getting recommendations of what can best support my child moving forward
           This is another one that can be complicated. If you don't need a diagnosis, but are looking for specific recommendations to help your child, it may be helpful to search the internet for basic recommendations for supporting a child with the issue or diagnosis that you think your child has. If those basic recommendations are all things that you are already doing, it may be a better use of time and money to do a deep dive into reading books and articles specific to the issue so you can get a better understanding of the concern and strategies to use for support. Then if you still don't feel prepared with ways to support your child, testing may be worth it. 

Getting a diagnosis because I think I'm supposed to
               If you're doing it because you think you should, but don't necessarily have any of the goals listed above, proceed with caution. There's no one right way to support a child with any specific diagnosis, so don't feel pressured to get formal testing if you don't need it. There are plenty of parents who say "my child fits the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, but we've never needed formal testing" and they've supported their kids in everything they've needed and the kids are thriving. 

                 Overall, the best way to determine if you want to move forward with testing is to assess how many of the above goals would be helpful for you or your child. If it's more than one, it may be a good idea to investigate testing options. Don't forget that it's okay if one of the reasons for testing is that it may provide additional support to you as well, and supporting you almost always results in you better supporting your child. Stay tuned for more posts about testing, including FAQ and accommodations.