LD testing by private psychologist vs community college

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Hi all,

I have reason to suspect that I have LD, and that it’s interfering with my job and school performance and I need to get tested within the next 12 months to plan accommodations for my summer job or career and schooling.

My current school does not have testing services so as far as I know, the options below are my only choices. I’d appreciate ideas, advice, stories, or evaluations of the below from anyone who was tested as an adult, or been through either of these. I also have a couple of questions about them below.

[b]My options are: [/b]
[b]1. [/b]Hire a private psychologist who does psychoeducational and neuropsychological testing and evaluation. $2200 for 6-12 hrs. Having done some research in my own neighborhood, this pricing seems pretty standard. She came through a recommendation and her testing process looks pretty thorough.
[u][i]Pros:[/i][/u] I can start testing this week and my psychologist says she can work with the colleges to see if I meet their criteria.
[u][i]Cons:[/i][/u] Really expensive … and I don’t know if it’s difficult for an independent specialist to meet school criteria.

[b]2. [/b]<$100, also many hrs. - Enroll in community college or city college and go through their learning disabilities assessment. About all I can glean from the schools so far over the phone is that the testing happens over a matter of weeks - at some colleges it is a course. So I’m guessing this is pretty thorough.
[i][u]Pros:[/u][/i] Affordable.
[i][u]Cons:[/u][/i] I have to wait until fall and I’m not even sure if I will get into the program or how long it will take.

[b]Questions I have[/b]
* How good and thorough are community college LD tests?
* How tough is it to get into these programs? ie … will I be waiting years before I can enroll?
* Will I have a tough time getting plugged into the community college system if I use a private therapist?

[b]About LD testing in general: [/b]
How can I get be prepared to get the most out of my LD testing?

- Stacey
[Modified by: Grad Student on February 01, 2011 05:23 PM]
[Modified by: Grad Student on February 01, 2011 05:24 PM]

Submitted by dhfl143 on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 5:12 AM

Permalink

For your number two option, I’d be asking the college directly to get specific answers to your question. Each school is different and a broad answer will not provide you with the answers you need with regard to the specific school you are considering.

Also, a third option would be to contact a local university with a speech and language and/or language and communications department to see if they do such testing. Usually they are done by Grad students under the direction of a professor and can be comparable to an independent psychologist evaluation at a significantly reduced cost.

Submitted by dhfl143 on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 5:12 AM

Permalink

For your number two option, I’d be asking the college directly to get specific answers to your question. Each school is different and a broad answer will not provide you with the answers you need with regard to the specific school you are considering.

Also, a third option would be to contact a local university with a speech and language and/or language and communications department to see if they do such testing. Usually they are done by Grad students under the direction of a professor and can be comparable to an independent psychologist evaluation at a significantly reduced cost.

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