Mental Health Tips For Testing Disorders and Conditions (3 of 4)

Neuropsychological testing

The second type of testing that is most prevalently used by mental health professionals is called neurological testing. This entails a specialized form of psychological assessment that focuses on the relationship between the brain and behavior. These tests can be particularly helpful in diagnosing conditions that involve cognitive dysfunction, such as traumatic brain injury, dementia, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Some common neuropsychological tests include the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Stroop Test. These all test various aspects such as attention, comprehension, perceptual reasoning, memory, and processing speed. They also assess things like response inhibition by asking individuals to identify the color of a word while ignoring the word’s meaning.

Specialized testing

Outside of the two general forms of testing, you can also seek out specific tests for various disorders. These kinds of tests can help indicate whether you may be experiencing disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder or autism. These tests include:

• The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS): this test is a structured assessment tool used to evaluate communication, social interaction, and play behaviors in individuals suspected of having autism spectrum disorder.
• The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS): this rating scale measures the severity and type of symptoms in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS): this test is used to find out if a child or teen has ADHD symptoms or related behavior problems.