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ADHD Glossary

Neuropsychological evaluation

A neuropsychological evaluation is a set of standardized tests that assess different cognitive functions: attention, memory, executive function, language, visuospatial skills, and processing speed. In the context of ADHD, it's used to map a person's cognitive profile — identifying areas of difficulty and areas of strength.

A neuropsychological evaluation isn't required for an ADHD diagnosis (which is clinical), but it can be very useful in complex cases, when there's diagnostic uncertainty, when a co-occurring condition is suspected, or when detailed information is needed to support specific school or workplace accommodations.

The evaluation is conducted by a neuropsychologist and typically takes several hours across multiple sessions. The resulting report describes the person's cognitive profile in detail and can support requests for accommodations in schools, exams, and workplaces.

💡 Practical example

A child struggling in school with suspected ADHD might undergo a neuropsychological evaluation to determine whether the difficulty stems from inattention, dyslexia, working-memory problems, or a combination of these factors.

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