Evaluaciones de déficit atencional e hiperactividad (TDAH)
ADD & ADHD Evaluations
Evaluaciones de déficit atencional e hiperactividad (TDAH)
ADD & ADHD Evaluations
Psychological Testing for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) for Children
Not being able to pay attention or sit still sucks no matter how old you are.
It means bad grades, misbehaving in class, difficulties making friends, getting in trouble often, and lower self-esteem for a child. As a parent, it means frequent notes and calls from teachers and endless school conferences about your child’s performance and behavior problems. There’s also constant pressure to medicate him or her.
Psychological testing for ADHD might be the answer you’re looking for.
Believe it or not… those questionnaires that pediatricians, primary doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists have you and teachers fill out can’t accurately diagnose ADHD. A psychological evaluation is the only way to really know if a child meets the criteria for ADHD. The results of psychological testing provide information about the type of attention deficit (e.g. ADD vs ADHD; visual, auditory, or both), severity, specific areas of strength and weakness, and recommendations for treatment.
All this information gives you more options.
You’ll have the information that you and your child’s doctors need to make decisions about medications and ongoing treatment. You and your child’s teachers will be better able to develop an individualized educational plan (IEP) that meets his or her specific needs so grades and behavior improve.
Psychological testing for ADHD might be the answer you’re looking for.
Believe it or not… those questionnaires that pediatricians, primary doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists have you and teachers fill out can’t accurately diagnose ADHD. A psychological evaluation is the only way to really know if a child meets the criteria for ADHD. The results of psychological testing provide information about the type of attention deficit (e.g. ADD vs ADHD; visual, auditory, or both), severity, specific areas of strength and weakness, and recommendations for treatment.
All this information gives you more options.
You’ll have the information that you and your child’s doctors need to make decisions about medications and ongoing treatment. You and your child’s teachers will be better able to develop an individualized educational plan (IEP) that meets his or her specific needs so grades and behavior improve.
You don’t have to keep struggling with the symptoms of ADHD.
Centrally located in Miami, FL, our team of licensed psychologists can conduct these psychoeducational evaluations for children (age 6+) in English and Spanish. As former teachers and neuropsychologists that worked for Miami-Dade County Schools, they have extensive knowledge of psychoeducational testing criteria required by Miami-Dade County Schools, local private schools, the College Board, and other similar organizations for standardized national exams (e.g. SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, GMAT, USMLE, Florida Bar, etc.).
An evaluation for school-related ADD/ADHD testing includes:
- Background & information gathering session with the licensed psychologist and the parent(s)
- 2 – 4 sessions of 2 – 4 hours each for test administration, depending on the client’s age and length of breaks
- 2 days to score, process, and analyze test results
- 20 – 30 minute call for follow-up questions
- 5 – 7 days to write the final report
- 90-minute Feedback session with parent(s) to review results and recommendations
Total Time for completion = 15 working days*
*After completion of test administration. Rushed reports are available, subject to an additional fee.
Please Note:
The same intelligence test cannot be repeated within 12 months. If your child is being re-tested, please let us know which IQ test was previously administered in advance. Failure to do so will lead to the invalidation of the results of our psychological evaluation.
You probably have more questions about our ADD/ADHD testing.
Here are some of the most common questions that people ask us about our ADD/ADHD evaluations.
How old should my child be for ADD/ADHD testing?
Our doctors require that a child be at least 8 years-old for ADD/ADHD testing. Before age 8, there’s a higher likelihood of false-negative and false-positive results. False-negative results suggest that a kid doesn’t have an issue when they really do! On the other hand, false-positive results suggest that a kid has an issue when they really don’t. No wants either of those happening.
How much does ADD/ADHD testing for children cost?
At our office, the cost of neuropsychoeducational testing is $2900 USD. It’s comparable to the prices at other local practices and local teaching clinics where doctoral students are still learning to perform these evaluations.
We’re also able to able to have your report completed within 15 business days as opposed to others that can take much longer.
There’s a $300 USD non-refundable scheduling fee for the neuropsychoeducational testing to cover the time spent in preparation for the testing session.
Are ADD/ADHD evaluations covered by my insurance?
Yes, at least partially. Here’s what you need to understand:
When testing anyone (regardless of age) for attention and academic difficulties, we have to combine ADD/ADHD testing with psychoeducational testing (called a neuropsychoeducational evaluation). Such an evaluation is for educational purposes and your healthcare insurance is for health/medical purposes. In many cases, your healthcare insurance will cover the ADD/ADHD portion but not the psychoeducational portion, which is what provides the information schools and universities need to offer academic accommodations. However, we can give you a special receipt called a superbill. You can submit the superbill to your insurance company and see if they’ll accept the claim and reimburse some of the costs to you.
For ADD/ADHD testing to confirm the diagnosis and need for medication (i.e. not related to academics/school), it is likely that insurance will cover the costs of this evaluation. Again, we will give you a superbill receipt to submit to your insurance company to recover some of the costs.
Why is ADD/ADHD testing so expensive?
Well, it depends on the type of ADD/ADHD testing. If it’s for school-related/learning issues, a neuropsychological evaluation is called for and can be quite expensive. In Miami-Dade County, you can expect to pay somewhere between $2000 to $5000 for a neuropsychoeducational evaluation. We realize that’s a huge and expensive range, especially when insurance may not cover all of the costs. Even with technological advances, this type of evaluation remains time-consuming and very labor intensive. Here’s a breakdown of the number of hours it takes to complete one of these:
- 60 to 90-minute Initial interview to gather clinical history
- 6 to 8 hours of testing face-to-face with a psychologist
- 2.5 hours to score testing, analyze results, and review academic records
- 4 to 5 hours of report writing and proof-reading
- 1-hour Feedback session to review results and answers questions
That’s about 14 to 18 hours of time. Most charge $200 to $250 per hour for testing, which means a fair price in Miami-Dade is somewhere between $2900 to $3750.
Will Miami-Dade County Public Schools accept a private ADD/ADHD testing?
Yes, they will as long as the ADD/ADHD evaluation is performed by a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida. You can check whether a professional has an active license using this link.
What do I tell my child about why they are taking this test?
For younger children, we recommend that you don’t tell your child anything about the test until a day or so before their appointment so they don’t get nervous. Avoid saying that it’s a test or mentioning anything about “passing or failing”. It’s important that you remain calm, too, because your child will know something’s up if you’re anxious. If they ask, tell them these meetingshelp you make important school decisions so that he or she can do their best in class. That’s it – keep it simple!
Older children realize that they’re struggling in school so it’s best to be upfront with them. Explain these meetings will help you (parents), their teachers, and counselors understand what’s going on academically and get them the help they need so they do their best in school.
Should I give my child their ADHD medication on the day of the evaluation?
If your child takes medications for attention difficulties, you should not give them those medications on the days of the evaluation. The only exception is if the child takes Atomoxetine (Strattera) which you can give them as usual. All other medications can be taken as usual.
What will my child be asked to do during ADD/ADHD testing?
Testing will involve some of the following:
- Answering questions out loud or on the computer
- Building designs and completing puzzles
- Answering riddles
- Memory games
Can I be in the room while my child is being tested?
Sorry, no, you can’t be in the room. Here’s why:
- The results are more accurate when the testing environment closes approximates the school environment.
- How your child behaves in your absence provides important information that is part of the evaluation.
- The testing questions and materials are highly confidential and the licensed psychological has an ethical responsibility to maintain their confidentiality.
How can I prepare my child for testing?
Make sure your kiddo gets a good night’s rest and a healthy, well-balanced meal before testing. Avoid them staying up late, watching scary movies, having caffeine, or deviating from their normal routine. That’s all the prep he or she needs.
What tests are used in your ADD/ADHD evaluations?
If the reason for testing is school-related, a neuropsychoeducational evaluation will include:
- A lengthy clinical history and a review of academic records
- IQ test
- Achievement test
- Behavioral and emotional scales to parents, teachers, and the student
- Neuropsychological tests of executive functioning
All of this takes about 6 to 8 hours on average and meets the requirements of most public and private schools as well as universities for academic accommodations.
Consumer Alert!
A questionnaire provided by a pediatrician, primary care doctor, or neurologist and completed by you, a parent, and/or a partner/spouse isn’t sufficient to adequately diagnose ADD/ADHD. Objective (non-opinion based) neuropsychological tests also need to be administered to make an accurate diagnosis.
Do not pay for an evaluation that takes less time or fails to incorporate any of the tests mentioned above. It will not meet the requirements for you to receive academic accommodations. You will be wasting your time and money.
Will the ADD/ADHD evaluation give diagnosis, recommendations, etc.?
Yes. Our evaluations address the client’s clinical history, explain all the test administered and results, draw conclusions that integrate the clinical history and test results, provide any applicable diagnoses, and offer recommendations and next steps to follow through with.
Can ADD/ADHD testing get my child accommodations on SAT, ACT, LSAT, GRE, MCAT, etc.?
Yes, if the results of the neuropsychoeducational evaluation indicate that your child would benefit from accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some of these standardized exams (e.g. LSAT, MCAT, FL Bar) require specific tests beyond what we normally administer. Our team is aware of these requirements and have access to and experience administering these tests.
How long are ADD/ADHD evaluations good for?
About 3 years on average. It’s really up to the organization that’s using your evaluation’s results. We’ve seen some places want an evaluation no older than 1 year and others that accepted an evaluation that was 5 years old.
What makes you qualified to do ADD/ADHD testing?
Our doctors have all licensed psychologists in the state of Florida. You can verify their licenses with Florida’s Department of Health using this link.
Call or schedule a Consult to learn more and get pricing for this evaluation.
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