The Journal
Autism or Social Anxiety? How to Tell the Difference
Many people wonder whether lifelong social difficulties are caused by autism or social anxiety. Although the two conditions can look similar, the underlying reasons are often different, and many people experience both. Learn how clinicians distinguish between them and why a comprehensive evaluation matters.
Should My Child Be Evaluated for Dyslexia?
Reading shouldn’t require extraordinary effort. Learn common signs of dyslexia, when testing may be appropriate, and how a comprehensive evaluation can help identify the reasons for reading difficulties.
Why Autism Is Often Missed in Girls and Women
Autism has historically been identified more often in boys, causing many autistic girls and women to go unrecognized. Learn why autism may be missed and how it can present differently in women.
What Is ADHD?
Wondering whether ADHD could explain problems with attention, organization, procrastination, or impulsivity? Learn the symptoms of ADHD in children and adults, how ADHD affects daily life, and how comprehensive evaluations help distinguish ADHD from other conditions.
What Are the Three ADHD Presentations?
ADHD does not always look the way people expect. Learn the differences between Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined Presentation ADHD, and why symptoms may change across development.
Understanding Psychological and Psychoeducational Testing
Wondering whether psychological or psychoeducational testing is right for you or your child? Learn what these evaluations involve, the questions they can answer, and how comprehensive testing helps clarify learning, attention, emotional, and behavioral concerns.
What Psychoeducational Testing Can Reveal About Learning and Attention
Psychoeducational testing is a structured, evidence-based process used to evaluate how a person thinks, learns, and processes information. It typically includes standardized testing, clinical interviews, and a review of academic and developmental history to assess for things such as:
Dyslexia
Dysgraphia
Dyscalculia
ADHD
Executive functioning challenges
Psychological and emotional issues
The Role of Psychoeducational Testing in Understanding ADHD
ADHD is often associated primarily with distractibility or hyperactivity, but ADHD frequently affects a much broader set of executive functioning skills.
People with ADHD may struggle with:
task initiation
organization
time management
working memory
sustained effort
planning and prioritization
emotional regulation
maintaining consistency across settings
Why Early Evaluation for Learning Difficulties Can Matter
Parents sometimes wonder whether a child will simply “grow out of” academic struggles or whether difficulties with reading, writing, attention, organization, or school performance warrant a more comprehensive evaluation.
In many cases, students with learning difficulties are intelligent, motivated, and working very hard. Some compensate successfully for years before academic demands increase beyond what their coping strategies can support.
As a result, struggles are sometimes recognized later than expected.
Symptoms of Adult ADHD Often Look Different Than People Expect
Many adults with ADHD are intelligent, capable, hardworking, and outwardly successful. Some were never identified in childhood because they performed well academically, developed strong compensatory strategies, or internalized their difficulties rather than acting out behaviorally.
As a result, many adults do not recognize ADHD until years later, often after increasing work, academic, parenting, or organizational demands begin overwhelming the systems they previously relied on.
ADHD or Anxiety: How Can You Tell the Difference?
Many people wonder whether difficulties with focus, organization, restlessness, procrastination, or overwhelm are caused by ADHD, anxiety, or both.
The confusion is understandable because ADHD and anxiety can look surprisingly similar on the surface. Both can affect:
concentration
memory
task completion
sleep
emotional regulation
productivity
school or work performance