FAQs: Psychological Testing - Neuropsychological Testing in Asheville, NC

How can testing help me and my family?

Some of the benefits available from Psychological and Neuropsychological testing include:

Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
Developing an understanding of what has been causing problems in your life
Finding ways to advocate for yourself or your child
Learning new strengths you didn't realize you had
Finding new resources to assist you

Do I really need testing? I just need to try a little harder and I will figure out what is wrong.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. Using testing to identify exactly what struggles you have been experiences in your life is a powerful tool to beginning to process of change. Beginning to understand the complex dynamics that come into play with depression or a learning disorder can be a powerful tool in beginning to process of change. Our services will help you and your family to not only identify the primary problem in functioning, but also to help you understand additional complexities in how your brain understands information.

Why do people get tested and how do I know if testing is a good idea for me?

There are a number of reasons that children and adults come to testing. Some adults come becasue they are struggling to adjust to going back to college. Some parents bring their children becasue they are having difficulties in school and don't understand why. Another reason an individual may come to be tested is because they are finding they have difficulty with regulating their mood or support understanding why they have mood swings. A parent may bring their child in because they suspect their child has ADHD and want guidance on how to handle it. Finally, some parents may suspect their child is gifted or possibly have a learning disability and need support on how to advocate for their child's needs .

Sometimes a child may be told by their teacher that they are having difficulties in processing or learning. Parents have also been told their kids have trouble in retrieving newly learned information. We will help you to discern if your child is experiencing a learning disability in a specific area (reading, math, coprehension), ADD/ADHD, or if your child has a processing issue. This distinction is important because the information will help you and your children's teachers to best determine why your child is having so much dificulty in making progress in school. Pediatricians and others will make specific referrals for targeted interventions to provide support, education and possibly therapy.

What is testing like?

You will begin with a general consultation with your testing professional that will gather information about the problem you wish to explor as well as some background about you and your history. Generally, this takes between one and four sessions. The actual testing session appointments will be made at this time. Often these may feel like you are playing games of completing puzzles or patterns. Sometimes the the tests are multiple choice questions and sometimes they ask you to complete sentances about information you have read or heard.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call your insurance company. Some helpful questions you can ask them:

What are my benefits for psychological testing?
What kind of fees should I expect?
Does my insurance require a preauthorizaion (an okay from the companny before testing can begin)?
What are my out-of-pocket costs for testing?
Is approval required in order to complete testing (if ACAPS is not in your network of providers)?

Asheville, NC Therapist

Appalachian Psychological Services