Understanding Neuropsychological and Psychoeducational Testing
When exploring options for understanding cognitive and learning challenges, you may come across terms like "neuropsychological testing" and "psychoeducational testing." Both are valuable tools in assessing different aspects of brain function and learning, but they serve different purposes and involve different processes. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you understand the differences between these two types of evaluations. At the end of this blog post, I'll provide a list of regional neuropsychologists who come highly recommended by our patients and with whom we've had positive experiences.
What is Neuropsychological Testing?
Neuropsychological testing is a comprehensive evaluation that measures a wide range of cognitive functions, including memory, problem-solving, attention, language, and motor skills. This type of testing is designed to identify patterns of strength and weakness in the brain's functioning, providing insights into various medical, neurological, and psychiatric conditions.
Purpose: To understand how different areas of the brain are working and to diagnose neurological conditions.
Who performs it: A neuropsychologist, a psychologist with specialized training in brain-behavior relationships.
What it involves: Tests are typically administered through verbal questions and paper-pencil tasks. The evaluation can take several hours, often spread over multiple sessions.
Common uses: This testing is used to evaluate individuals with symptoms or medical histories suggestive of brain dysfunction, which may be due to conditions like traumatic brain injury, dementia, stroke, or developmental problems.
What is Psychoeducational Testing?
Psychoeducational testing focuses more on understanding an individual’s educational abilities, specifically how they learn and process information. It assesses skills related to academic performance such as reading, writing, and math, as well as underlying cognitive abilities like processing speed and memory.
Purpose: To identify learning disabilities and to provide a basis for educational planning and interventions.
Who performs it: Often conducted by school psychologists, educational psychologists, or special education professionals.
What it involves: This testing includes assessments of intellectual and academic skills. It usually takes less time than neuropsychological testing and is often used to qualify students for special education services.
Common uses: It is particularly useful for diagnosing specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, and for determining appropriate educational interventions and accommodations.
Key Differences
Scope and Depth: Neuropsychological testing is broader and deeper, examining cognitive functions in detail to understand brain behavior relationships. Psychoeducational testing is more focused on educational skills and learning processes.
Duration: Neuropsychological assessments are generally more time-consuming due to their comprehensive nature.
Outcome: Neuropsychological evaluations can diagnose a range of neurological and cognitive issues, while psychoeducational assessments are primarily focused on identifying learning disabilities and planning educational strategies.
Conclusion
Both neuropsychological and psychoeducational testing provide essential information but serve different purposes. If you or someone you know is struggling with issues that may relate to brain function or learning, discussing these options with a healthcare provider or educational professional can help determine the most appropriate type of assessment based on individual needs.
Here are some area neuropsychologists, who can do either approach above, and come highly recommended by our patients:
Catherine Flaherty PhD has an office in Bryn Mawr in Delaware.
Amy Schmidt PhD and the team at Center for Psychological Services in Ardmore
Karen Kelly PhD has an office in Wayne.
Jennifer Jackson Holden PsyD and the team at Center for Psychological Services in Ardmore.
Kara Schmidt PhD has an office in Media.
Mary Lazar PhD teaches at Widener University and has a practice in Haverford.
For related reading, please see our blog on why it's so important to evaluate for learning disorders in children with ADHD.
Sources:
[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4893-neuropsychological-testing-and-assessment
[3] https://www.viennapsychologicalgroup.com/psychological-evaluation-vs-neuropsychological-evaluation/
