Incremental Validity of Neuropsychological Assessment in the Identification and Treatment of Youth with ADHD

Abstract

Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments for youth with ADHD allow for thorough consideration of co-occurring disorders and provide targeted recommendations for treating ADHD and comorbid conditions. This study offers a preliminary evaluation of the added value (compared to routine care) associated with neuropsychological assessment in the identification and treatment of ADHD in youth ages 3-17 years. First, we describe a novel measure developed to evaluate broad-based outcomes for youth with ADHD following neuropsychological assessment. Next, we compare parent ratings of child symptoms and quality of life between two groups of youth with ADHD: those who have recently received neuropsychological assessments (NP+), and those who have not (NP−). Participants were surveyed again 5 months after baseline to assess changes in symptoms, quality of life, and service utilization. While both groups experienced significant improvements in behavioral/emotional symptoms, the NP+ group had greater initiation of parent behavior management training and special education services and greater initiation of medication management over the follow-up period, compared with the NP− group. Satisfaction with neuropsychological assessment was high overall but slightly decreased over the course of the follow-up period. The findings offer preliminary support for the incremental efficacy of neuropsychological evaluation in the diagnosis and management of ADHD.

Integrated psychology support and comprehensive cognitive evaluation improves access to special education services for children with sickle cell disease

“…Our main findings are similar to studies of parents of students with other chronic medical conditions or behavioral concerns who have rated cognitive assessments as helpful in understanding their children's impairments, identifying appropriate resources, and implementing individualized treatment strategies . Several caregivers in the present study noted that they would like to see their children's cognitive assessment results, and the recommendations more directly impact teachers’ understanding of and support for their children's learning needs.…”

Sex Differences and the Interaction of Age and Sleep Issues in Neuropsychological Testing Performance across the Lifespan in an Add/Adhd Sample from the Years 1989 to 2009

“…ADHD has been diagnosed in over seven million adults in the U.S. (only 33 percent had ADHD alone; the remainder had an additional co-morbid disorder). Sixty-fi ve percent of children diagnosed with ADHD continued to display behavioral problems and symptoms of this disorder into their adult lives, with attention symptoms having a deleterious eff ect upon daily functioning; e.g., alcohol and substance abuse, as well as conduct disorder © Psychological Reports 20142014 …”

Neuropsychological Examination Techniques in Inclusive Education: Research of Difficulties of Training in Reading and Writing

“…Levchenko (2000), T. V. Akhutina (2010). Among the issued considered in modern foreign studies are: neuropsychological indicators of developmental disorders (Frost, Moffitt & McGee, 1989;Geeraerts, Deutz & Deković, 2015); ADHD phenomenon (Tarver, Daley & Sayal, 2015;Pauli-Pott, Mingebach& Becker, 2014;Berwid et al, 2014;Pritchard et al, 2014;Kwak, Jung & Kim, 2015); dysgraphia and dyslexia in children (Hoorn, Maathuis & Hadders-Algra, 2013;Houston et al, 2014); relationship between cognitive and motor activities of ADHD children (Roebers et al, 2014).…”