Neuropsychological assessment is frequently requested to ascertain specific accommodations that the student is entitled to in the school and testing settings. Specifically, this assessment may be needed for the student with a learning disability within the test taking situation and for the older student when taking the ACT/SAT examinations. This assessment may also be required for the older student who needs to take the LSAT/MCAT examination. Such an assessment serves to “level the playing ground” and offer equal opportunity for the student. To reinforce “optimal” opportunity is not considered by law.
Neuropsychological assessment identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the “whole” child given an array of systematic standardized measures. These measures will typically assess a student's intellectual, cognitive, achievement, social-emotional, behavioral, regulatory, and adaptive functioning levels for baseline testing purposes and to identify appropriate and reasonable interventions and evidence-based accommodations given the identified cognitive, social-emotional, and regulatory compromises. Selective school districts may be incorporating the Response to Intervention (RTI) method of identifying learning disabilities. However, RTI is not a diagnostic procedure. While early identification of a child's struggle within a school district is essential, it is the comprehensiveness of a neuropsychological assessment that is crucial in detecting the “nuts and bolts” of the student's challenges. The neuropsychologist will not only assess a child but will integrate the findings with that of the parental interview and background information in the context of understanding brain structure and function, with additional knowledge of test measurement and neuropsychological (including psychological) assessment issues. It is the integration of all information that allows accurate identification of the student's needs.
The student must prove the existence of a disorder (s) as well as disability when applying for accommodations for the high-stakes examinations such as the SAT/ACT. Accommodations “level the playing ground” so that students with disabilities have the same opportunities as students who do not have a disability to demonstrate on tests what they have learned and how they can use what they have learned. Accommodations are task-specific in that they are designed to reduce or eliminate the impact of the impairment on a particular activity. Disabilities that are typically presented in this practice are learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, selective medical conditions, physical disabilities, and psychiatric conditions. Documentation requirements involve an assessment comprehensive in nature to substantiate a disorder along with record review documenting the disability and the student's struggles throughout school. There must be evidence to provide a rationale to support the need for an accommodation(s). The assessment must address current functioning in terms of functional limitations. Thus, evidence for substantial limitation(s) to learning presented by the disorder and the degree to which it affects the student in the testing context for which accommodation(s) are being requested is critical. Remember that a diagnosis alone does not qualify a student for accommodations. The reader is referred to the College Board website for further details of documentation requirements.
As a student taking the aforementioned tests, one must document the existence of an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, the current impact of the impairment and how it limits one's ability to take the examination. A rationale for why the requested accommodation(s) is/are necessary and appropriate relative to the impairment must be documented. As with other “high-stakes” examination, the student must prove that they have a disorder(s) as well as a disability. The domains of a student's intellect, cognitive, achievement, and social-emotional functioning is critical in order to confirm a disorder(s) with actual test scores provided. Review of previous educational records and previous scores and accommodation(s) given other standardized admission tests such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, must be reported in the neuropsychological assessment report. The specific diagnosis as well as specific accommodation(s) needs to be documented in the report. There must be a detailed explanation as to why a specific accommodation is necessary as well as a rationale for the accommodation requested.