| ADD/ADHD Evaluations; Assessing Learning Problems; Stress in the Fast Lane; Overwhelmed?; Betrayed? |
Psychology to Go: Getting a Good ADD/ADHD Evaluation
1 Pick your psychologist wisely
· Find a qualified, experienced psychologist who you can open up to, work with, and feel confident in
· Licensed
· Belongs to relevant professional associations
· Has professional personality and demeanor
· You might talk to more than one psychologist over the phone before making up your mind
2 Open up about what’s bothering you and ask all the questions you want
· Expect an initial structured interview session to screen you in or out for further testing
· Be prepared to provide details about the problems you are having; come to the session with any relevant documents
· Ask any questions you have about the evaluation process
· Be yourself, express yourself, and open up
3 Find a psychologist who wants multiple perspectives on your problems
· Sometimes ADD/ADHD symptoms are really due to something else
· Expect a variety of assessment methods: checklists, computerized reaction tests (called “continuous performance tests”), multiple choice instruments, learning and memory tests as appropriate, even inputs from someone else who knows you well
· Expect a selective rather than a standard test battery: Saves you time, prevents being overtested, saves you money
4 Expect timeliness from start to finish.
· Find a psychologist who can provide the evaluation and a written final report within a reasonable time frame, something that fits your needs.
· The more flexible you can be with scheduling your testing sessions, the quicker the process can proceed
· Recognize that some tests will probably need to be done in the morning
· It is usually better to have several short testing sessions rather than one or two marathons: people with attention problems need breaks, short sessions won’t tire you out, you do better, easier to schedule
· You should be able to get a final report within a reasonably short time after your final testing session
· Make sure you have a final session to go over the final report and get answers to any questions you might have.
5 Get results you can use!
· Find a psychologist who can work with you in implementing any recommendations that come out of your testing.
· You are apt to get a better set of recommendations from someone experienced in treatment.
Psychology to Go: How to Get a Good Learning Disabilities Assessment
"Learning disabilities" is a wide-ranging term that describes specific brain deficits that negatively impact the way a person learns. Individuals with learning disabilities are typically of average or above-average intelligence, but struggle with core academic expectations.
A learning disability evaluation can explain poor academic performance and illuminate what special accommodations are needed for academic and personal success. A learning disability assessment includes a battery of tests that are administered by a licensed psychologist. Testing is done individually and generally takes 2-3 testing sessions. In addition to testing data, the psychologist will also get background information and assess emotional functioning to rule out the likelihood that something else better explains your learning difficulties.
1. Give the evaluator copies of any previous testing prior to the first testing session.
It is important to make the evaluator aware of any previous efforts to document your learning difficulties and the outcomes of previous testing. By the time someone decides to get a formal learning disabilities assessment, there is usually a history of formal and informal attempts to address the problems. By providing this information at the outset, the evaluator can be brought up to speed quickly.
2. Only work with an evaluator if you determine that you can be open and honest with the person.
Be forthcoming with the psychologist during all contacts. Assess your comfort level with him/her when discussing your weaknesses. Be honest about what you are expecting to come from the results of the test findings. Let the psychologist know if there any deadlines related to you obtaining this assessment and if testing was recommended by school or work officials. If you find that you are withholding information, this may not be the best person for the evaluation.
3. Speak with several psychologists prior to making a decision.
Although psychologists have similar educational backgrounds, they have their own thoughts and opinions on how to best evaluate and treat different conditions. Some may be more conservative, others make take a more aggressive approach. There may be good arguments for each approach. By arming yourself with different perspectives, you will be better able to make the decision that is right for you.
4. Be Yourself during the evaluation.
In order to get an accurate understanding of the patterns of your learning problems, it is important that you behave as you typically behave.
5. Ask these questions during the first contact with the psychologist:
Ask about the training and experience of the evaluator. Ask for a price quote for the total evaluation. A learning disabilities assessment consists of multiple tests. Psychologists vary in how they break up the testing process. Ask how many hours of testing you can expect and over the course of how many days. Ask if there will be a feedback session and if the psychologist is available to discuss the test results with other professionals after the evaluation is over.
Psychology to Go: Stress in the Fast Lane
Most of us recognize that demanding work is both invigorating and draining. In my practice in the DC metro area, I see many, many people who are pursuing demanding careers, such as technology contractors, lawyers, media, and business people. No surprise too that school kids trying to make good grades and pass tests get stressed out. Important goals keep us reaching and striving. Success feels good and reinforces our efforts. But how do situations get out of hand and start to wear us down? How can we get back on track?
Several factors can lead to stress, frequent disappointment, and even physical discomfort. Three common factors are:
· Loss of intrinsic motivation: Deriving satisfaction from a job well done, that internal feeling of pleasure that results from just having done something well, is one of the basic keys to happiness. When that feeling doesn't come often enough, it's important to evaluate why. Maybe you need a change in what you are doing and or why you are doing it.
· Striving out of fear: Striving is great when the end result is a positive feeling. Continual striving out of fear or to avoid something, such as failure, punishment, scorn, or censure, is not so healthy. You want to get into a position where you are striving to do well because you like the work and it makes you feel happy, not that you are striving because you are afraid if you don't, you will suffer negative consequences.
· Lack of balance: People need to take time for themselves away from work to enjoy friends and family as well as their own solitary pursuits. The fast-paced work-oriented lifestyle needs to be balanced with stimulation from other more recreational sources. Otherwise, there is a risk that rewards related to work will start to feel much less rewarding.
Many people find it helpful to discuss stress in their lifestyle with a psychologist
Psychology to Go: Overwhelmed?
People who feel overwhelmed have more on their shoulders than they can handle. They may try valiantly to juggle everything, but nothing seems to get accomplished. Worries about having less money or less job potential weigh heavily on many folks in this economy. After a time, a person who doesn’t experience satisfaction from all his or her efforts will become fatigued and discouraged. Sometimes this can cause a person to want to just quit trying at all.
There are many factors that contribute to a person feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Here are some common ones:
Inability to ask for help or say no
Competitiveness out of hand
Comparing yourself to others unfavorably but also unrealistically
Desire to please everyone
Need to take care of everything
Problems with time management and time estimation
People who think their results are never good enough, so keep on trying, instead of finalizing and moving on.
Often, short term psychotherapy can help with better and more realistic goal setting and goal achievement,.
Psychology to Go: Dealing with Personal Betrayal
Betrayal involves a breach of basic assumptions and expectations about a relationship. Lots of people deal with betrayals of one sort of another. Not all betrayals are equal, but anyone who experiences betrayal feels stung and minimized.
Take the case of a mild betrayal, such as an embarrassing comment made about oneself, by a partner, in public, "Oh, she's always late, don't count on her! Ha ha!" "Don't expect him to ask for directions. He'd rather drive around in circles all night. Ha ha!” We can self-protectively reframe the comment as just being impulsive or dumb, and try to give the benefit of the doubt. However, even mild betrayals, if experienced enough, can be destructive. We need and expect our partners to help us and build us up, even in casual conversation.
At the other end of the spectrum, a serious betrayal, such as an infidelity, is one of the most difficult things a person can face. Serious infidelity, emotional or physical, can cause the betrayed person to feel so rejected that the anchor is torn free from their emotional stability. Betrayed people can come nearly completely undone. And people who betray, or who are accused of betrayal, also usually experience strong feelings, often guilt.
People who often feel betrayed or people who have betrayed others have a lot to gain by analyzing these dynamics with a psychologist. Address questions such as these: What is the nature of this relationship? What is it based on? Was that act really a betrayal? Did I miss signs of trouble? Did I contribute in any way? How can I improve things? How can I move on? Betrayal can be so serious that it detracts from quality of life, and consequently, better self-understanding of betrayal can help bolster confidence and contentment.
|
|
|