Learning Disabilities Archives

IQ Part 2: Visual Spatial

Welcome back to the next part of deep dive into what IQ is and how it is comprised. The last post looked at Verbal Comprehension and its various aspects. In today’s post we will examine the second component of the overall IQ: Visual Spatial. As a reminder, I am using the WISC-V as my guide since it is the main cognitive assessment I use in my evaluations. The WISC-V is intended for children ages 6-16. The WAIS-IV, which is used when assessing adults, contains a component called Perceptual Reasoning, which is similar to Visual Spatial. What is Visual Spatial? In [...]

By Adam Creasy|January 8th, 2021|Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

IQ Part 1: Verbal Comprehension

In my last post, I discussed in general terms how IQ is calculated. When broken down, the overall IQ is comprised of various cognitive aspects we all possess. Today I want to examine Verbal Comprehension, its make up, and how it impacts the overall IQ. For purposes of my post, I will discuss Verbal Comprehension as a component of the WISC-V. The WISC-V is the main cognitive assessment I give to most of my patients, and it is geared towards kids (ages 6-16) rather than adults. However, the WAIS-IV (used to assess adults) also contains a Verbal Comprehension component that [...]

By Adam Creasy|December 6th, 2020|Accommodations, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities, Reading Comprehension|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

How to Survive Remote Learning

The 2020-2021 school year has officially kicked off for many students. Here in Texas several schools began school this week, with just about all of them offering a remote-only option. My school is one of them, and we had a very successful first day. As other schools begin the reopening process, it is apparent that remote learning will be with us in some capacity for the foreseeable future. As discussed in my previous post, remote learning offers students safety measures during this pandemic; however, it also presents some challenges even for the most conscientious student. I wanted to share with [...]

By Adam Creasy|August 14th, 2020|Academic Mentoring, Academics, Learning Disabilities, Study Skills|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

What’s in Your ADHD Report

Awhile back I wrote a post on the process for getting a psycho-educational report done for your son or daughter. Simply put it involves three steps: an intake, assessment, and feedback session. This is a standard format for most psychologists. However, one question I get quite frequently when I meet with parents is: How do you determine if my son or daughter has ADHD or a learning disability? This is a great question! And I often times do not consider that parents may actually want to know the nuts and bolts of the evaluation. While psychologists and LPAs are free [...]

By Adam Creasy|August 11th, 2018|Accommodations, ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

End of School Year Checklist

The calendar just turned to May, and that means school is in the homestretch. However, before we start planning long days by the pool or days spent at fun summer camps, there is still a lot of work to do. Many of us still have quite a bit of school work and assignments left. With final exams coming up for many students, there are still many points left out there to boost your grades. So as we count down the days to that very last one, here is a checklist to keep you on the right track for academic success. [...]

By Adam Creasy|May 3rd, 2018|Academic Mentoring, Academics, ADHD, College Application, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities, Study Skills|0 Comments

Summer ADHD Evaluation

A few months ago I began offering full neuro-psych evaluations for ADHD and other learning disabilities as part of my service. Since that time my schedule has been filling quickly. Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and that means there is a growing number of students who potentially need evaluations. Even though it’s only mid April, I’m already looking ahead to summer and scheduling evaluations for June, July and August. Although many of us associate neuro-psychological testing with school, summer is actually a perfect time to have your student evaluated. Today’s post will discuss [...]

By Adam Creasy|April 16th, 2018|ADHD, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments

Is it ADHD or Auditory Processing Disorder?

Today’s post comes courtesy of a student I recently evaluated. As a current 7th grader, she was referred to me because she was having trouble paying attention in class and keeping up with her teachers’ lectures. She was originally diagnosed with ADHD by her family physician in 4th grade and put on various medications to help control it, but her mother wanted a more comprehensive evaluation to determine if something else was going on. This particular student, like many, was given a diagnosis of ADHD with a very brief assessment of her symptoms. Since there is no single definitive [...]

By Adam Creasy|March 28th, 2018|ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities|0 Comments