If your child has reached the teen years, and you suspect that they struggle with a learning disability or behavioral disorder, you may be wondering if it’s too late to help them. Let us assure you that it is never too late to help your child live a much more fulfilling life. But it can be hard for parents to differentiate between what is “normal teenage angst” and what truly calls for neuropsychological testing.
The Demands of High School and Beyond
It doesn’t matter how old a child is, they are always working to master the right behavior based on where they are developmentally. High schoolers are working to master the understanding of romantic relationships for the first time, while also working on planning for the bigger future ahead of them – something that many haven’t really thought about before. For children with learning disabilities or behavioral disorders, these demands can be extremely difficult to manage.
For many children with behavioral or learning struggles, they are able to compensate in their earlier years by being smart enough to pass without being challenged, or by maintaining friendships due to teachers pressuring students to play together. But by high school, classes and planning become much harder, and students are no longer expected to all get along. It’s at this age that struggles with behavior and learning disabilities can become much harder to overcome.
Yes, Testing Now is Worth It
That is why it is absolutely worth it to have neuropsychological testing for children, even if they are older. By helping them to understand what is going on in their own brains, and giving them a comprehensive education that works with or around their learning struggles, they can truly succeed – not just skate by. One of the things that we do after testing is set up a strategy with the teen themselves, so that they are part of developing their plan for success.
Setting Your Child Up for Success
Testing children in New Jersey every day, we have been able to see the results for ourselves. Evaluating each child’s unique strengths and struggles gives them the tools they need to address the challenges of high school, college, and moving on from school in the future. By addressing the issue now while you still can, before your child moves out of the house for college or work, you are providing them with a great foundation.
To set up neuropsychological testing for your child in New Jersey, contact Dr. Joshua Shifrin today. You can connect with them on Google+ for more updates!