Psychological Assessment 101

It is estimated that approximately 14-30% of children and adolescents throughout the world have a learning difference that is severe enough to warrant academic or cognitive support. For years, researchers have been trying to pinpoint the precise areas in the brain that correlated to these disorders. Collectively, research has identified numerous and different areas of the brain believed to play a role in learning or behavioral disorders. For example, when examining the brains of children [...]

Most people thinking of learning disorders and testing as something that happens in childhood. While it is true that most learning issues are identified during that time, it is not uncommon for a diagnosis to be missed. This is particularly true for highly intelligent individuals and/or those who have learned creative ways of working around their learning differences. A lot of times, people don’t realize that the way their brain works is different than others [...]

Sleep is one of the most critical aspects of our health, and we spend approximately one-third of our lives doing it. This is a time where our bodies heal, and our brain reserves are restored. Sleep is especially important for children and teens, where sleep impacts development, academic functioning, and mental and physical health. Sleep difficulties are not uncommon for young people and should be addressed with their pediatricians. The American Academy of Pediatrics has [...]

This blog has addressed how social media use in teens and young adults can lead to issues with depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Another area impacted by social media is body image and disordered eating. Disordered eating is any type of eating behavior that falls outside of the norm of what is considered healthy. This can include excessing dieting or restricting food, preoccupation with food and calories, rigid routines and rituals around eating, binge-eating, and using [...]

Dyslexia is the most common type of reading disorder, in which readers struggle with letter and word sounds, that impacts all areas of reading and sometimes writing. Individuals with dyslexia tend to be slow and effortful readers, struggle with pronouncing and recognizing words, have difficulty with spelling, and struggle with learning a foreign language. Approximately 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has dyslexia, though it can be tricky to identify and diagnose. Children learn [...]