ADHD Archives | EdPsyched

Treatment Options for ADHD

In my last post, I outlined the typical timeline for diagnosing ADHD in young children. For many children and their parents, receiving a diagnosis of ADHD can be life-changing, as many parents feel a sense of relief at finally understating the source of their child’s difficulties. But receiving a diagnosis is only the first step. The next logical question is: How do I treat my child’s ADHD? Before I discuss treatment options for ADHD, it is important to note that I am not a prescribing physician. This information is purely for informational purposes. When considering treatment for ADHD, parents should [...]

By Adam Creasy|March 18th, 2022|ADHD, Evaluation|0 Comments

Diagnosing ADHD in Young Kids

Over the past month or so I worked with a few elementary school kids who exhibited symptoms of ADHD. Two of these kids, in particular, were only six years old. While they have completely different profiles, both were referred for evaluation due to concerns with their attention, activity level, and academic progress. Their parents and teachers were concerned they had ADHD. When I work with kids this young, I am always reminded of an important question: What is an appropriate age to diagnose ADHD? Before considering the answer, let’s examine what ADHD is. ADHD Defined According to the Diagnostic and [...]

By Adam Creasy|January 28th, 2022|ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

What is a Learning Disorder

Over the past several years, our society has seen a rapid rise in the number of school-age children diagnosed with some form of educational-impacting disability. When I was a kid in the 1980s, I could count on one hand the number of my classmates who were dyslexic. And I’d never even heard of ADHD until I was in high school in the early 1990s. Part of the rise in diagnoses can certainly be attributed to more knowledge of these conditions. Clinicians have a much better understanding of neurocognitive science in general and can therefore identify issues much better now than [...]

By Adam Creasy|December 6th, 2021|Accommodations, ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

5 Reasons to Consider a Virtual Evaluation

Well, it’s been a few months since I last posted…and a lot has changed during that time! Late last spring, I decided to leave my principal job and pursue EdPsyched full-time. And so far things have been going great! There is a HUGE need for psychological services in Austin right now, and I’ve been keeping plenty busy conducting neuropsychological evaluations and providing academic mentoring. Another big change over the summer is that unfortunately COVID is back. It looked like we were almost back to normal earlier this summer, but the delta variant has taken over and thrown a wrench into [...]

By Adam Creasy|August 26th, 2021|ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

IQ Part 5: Processing Speed

Welcome to the final installment of my deep dive into the IQ. We have already looked at the first four components: Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning and Working Memory. Today’s post will examine Processing Speed. As a reminder, I’ve been using the WISC-V for the basis of these posts. The WISC-V is a cognitive assessment for children ages 6-16. However, the WIAT-IV, which is used for adults 17 and older, also has a Processing Speed index. The subtests used to obtain the Processing Speed index are almost identical on both assessments. What is Processing Speed? When describing Processing Speed [...]

By Adam Creasy|May 14th, 2021|Accommodations, ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder|0 Comments

IQ Part 4: Working Memory

After closely studying our first three components of the IQ (Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, and Fluid Reasoning), today’s post will dive into Working Memory and how it impacts one’s cognitive profile. Once again, I am using the WISC-V as the basis for this breakdown. The WISC-V is administered to children ages 6-16. However, the WAIS-IV, which is used to assess adults, also contains a Working Memory index score. Thus, the following information pertains to pretty much all age ranges. What is Working Memory? When I write my reports, I describe Working Memory as: the ability to take in, retain, and [...]

By Adam Creasy|April 19th, 2021|Academic Mentoring, ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

IQ Part 3: Fluid Reasoning

Welcome back to our deep dive into IQ and its various components. Previously we examined Verbal Comprehension and Visual Spatial and what they both have to do with one’s overall intelligence. Understanding these domains gives us a good insight into an individual’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, which can set a student up for success down the road. In today’s post we will look at Fluid Reasoning. As a reminder, I am using the WISC-V for my basis of these posts. The WISC-V is administered to younger students (ages 6-16). The WAIS-IV is a similar assessment that is used to test [...]

By Adam Creasy|March 10th, 2021|ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

How is IQ Calculated?

Several months ago I wrote a post titled, Can My IQ Change? I laid out the history of the IQ test and concluded that one’s IQ can indeed change over time. But the question remains: How do we calculate one’s IQ? Today’s post is the beginning of a series that will dive deeper into cognitive testing and how I use it in my evaluations. For most clinicians, there are a few standard tests that are used in neuropsychological evaluations to derive one’s IQ. The two most commonly used are: Wechsler Intelligence Scales Woodcock-Johnson Both assessments include numerous subtests that, when [...]

By Adam Creasy|October 30th, 2020|ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

Remote Testing for ADHD and Dyslexia

We are now nine weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has completely changed the way we do business, socialize, learn, teach, and pretty much everything else. While many states have begun to re-open businesses, they are still operating in limited conditions, particularly those involving in-person meetings. Neuropsychological testing is the basis for most diagnoses of learning disorders and ADHD. Typically I conduct evaluations in-person in one session that lasts about 2-3 hours. But in early March that option went out the window. At the same time, private school admissions season was ramping up. Many admissions offices require updated neuropsychological [...]

By Adam Creasy|May 20th, 2020|Accommodations, ACT, ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities, SAT|0 Comments

The Transition to Online Learning

Like just about everyone else in the United States (and most parts of the world), I’m currently on lockdown in my house. I’m hopeful we can get back to normal in the not-too-distant future, but until then, I’m learning to adapt to this new reality. The outbreak of COVID-19 has presented some unique challenges for all of us, and I’m hopeful that you and your family are doing ok during this time. On March 23 our school made the transition to online learning for at least 2 weeks. That 2-week period was eventually extended to 3 weeks, and recently we [...]

By Adam Creasy|April 3rd, 2020|Academic Mentoring, Academics, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Organization, Social Emotional Learning|0 Comments