By Kristi Mazalin, Provisional Psychologist, & Emma Langley, Clinical Psychologist
A cognitive assessment looks at things like how you solve problems, how fast you think, and how well you remember things. This information can help clinicians provide you with personalised recommendations for support and adjustments that can be helpful at home, in school, and at work.
So, why is it beneficial to include a cognitive assessment in an ADHD or Autism evaluation?
1. Celebrate Individual Differences:
The concept of neurodiversity reminds us that every person’s brain works differently. Cognitive assessments help us see these differences clearly. By understanding these differences, we can discover what you are good at and where you might need some extra help.
2. Empowering Self-Discovery:
Cognitive assessments can boost self-awareness. This knowledge can be quite powerful as it can help you to understand yourself better. With this understanding, you can better advocate for yourself and make informed decisions about your education, career, and daily life.
3. Identifying Other Differences:
ADHD and Autism often occur alongside other neurodevelopmental differences such as learning difficulties. Cognitive assessments can help to identify additional challenges, accurate diagnoses, and appropriate supports.
4. Navigating Work and Life:
Cognitive assessments play a crucial role in overcoming challenges like ableism. By tailoring accommodations to match an individual's cognitive profile, these assessments ensure that every student and adult in both workplace and school settings can flourish and progress.
5. Understand Your Progress
Including cognitive assessments in ADHD and Autism evaluations establishes a baseline for understanding how your brain functions. This baseline serves as a reference for tracking changes over time, evaluating the effectiveness of support, and pinpointing areas needing more help in the future.
If you want to learn more about the assessment process at HMC, you can click HERE.
Disclaimer: In this article, the author has used identity-first language. We recognise that different individuals and communities have preferences for language use, and we respect the choices made by individuals to describe their identities.