Do You Need A Second Opinion About Your Child’s Development?
Has your child already been evaluated by a psychologist or the school system, but you still have a lot of questions? Maybe you wonder about a diagnosis. Or maybe the evaluation was completed years ago, and you need an updated perspective.
When it comes to understanding a child’s thinking, learning, behavior, emotions, executive functioning, academics, and social development, it can take a lot of time and possibly more than one specialist.
How can a family spend so much time, money, and resources on a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation for their child and still be left with questions?
After providing many second opinions and follow-up evaluations, I’ll share some common reasons families are left with questions and concerns:
- The psychologist who evaluated your child missed something or provided incomplete information. This is common for evaluations completed in (some) schools.
- Schools often have limited resources and time, and they may not be able to evaluate all areas needed. In the public schools of Georgia, school psychologists are not able to give a child a diagnosis, and it is common that the results are not fully explained to the family.
- The psychologist who evaluated your child completed a comprehensive assessment, but detailed follow-up is still needed.
- When a child has a complex history or when symptoms of concern suggest multiple neurodevelopmental and/or psychological diagnoses, it can take time to fully understand your child. For some, symptoms also become more apparent with age as the demands increase in everyday life.
- The psychologist who evaluated your child does not have expertise related to your child’s medical condition (e.g., cerebral palsy, congenital heart disease, genetic disorder, epilepsy, prematurity, etc).
- A psychologist without expertise in neuropsychology may not recognize a significant pattern in test results because their experience is predominantly with medically healthy children. In this case, a child with a medical condition that affects brain development can be misdiagnosed or misunderstood.
No matter the reason, families need to feel confident that they have the necessary information to support their child. You need a clear plan for what to do next, even if this means you won’t have all the immediate answers.
If you believe you could benefit from a second opinion about your child, seek out consultation with a trusted psychologist in your community. If your child has a medical condition, find a qualified neuropsychologist.
Then ask about the following:
- Consultation appointment: Ask the psychologist if they can review the prior evaluation, school records, medical records, and discuss current concerns to give immediate recommendations for your child. Your child may not need another evaluation!
- Follow-up evaluation: Ask the psychologist how a follow-up evaluation would add to the prior evaluation, and what new areas need to be assessed. Ask them to explain if things were missed or excluded from the prior evaluation. Ask them if a brief evaluation or comprehensive evaluation is needed. Ask them about the best time to complete this follow-up evaluation.
If you are unsure where to turn and would like a free consultation by phone, the providers at the Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Center would be happy to help. Email us at [email protected] or call directly at 404-721-2644 to ask your questions.
