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Neurodevelopmental Evaluations
At Assess Hawai’i, we specialize in the identification of symptoms in early childhood. Neurodevelopmental evaluations are designed to assess for delays in typical development and of disorders that present within the neurodevelopmental period. Schedule your evaluation today.
Let’s learn more about Neurodevelopmental Disorders
What are Neurodevelopmental Disorders?
Neurodevelopmetnal disorders are a set of disorders and symptoms that begin during the neurodevelopmental period. Common disorders, such as ADHD, learning disorders, and autism spectrum disorder develop during the neurodevelopmetnal period. At Assess Hawai’i, we specialize in neurodevelopment evaluations by using evidenced based methods of assessment to target specific symptoms that impact a child’s functioning at home, school, and in the community. However, Neurodevelopmental Disorder Evaluations are not just for children and adolescents, they can be for adults as well who’s symptoms began in the neurodevelopmental period. Below is an extensive list of common neurodevelopmetnal disorders we are able to assess for.
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The essential feature of ADHD is persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that impacts an individual’s functioning or development. ADHD is a disorder that begins in childhood and the symptoms become present before the age of 12 years and exist across at least two settings, such as the home and school environments. ADHD occurs in most cultures in about 5% o children and 2.5% of adults. Parents typically first observe excessive motor activity when a child is a toddler but the symptoms of ADHD are incredibly difficult to distinguish from typical behaviors before the age of 4. Thus, when children enter elementary school, symptom of inattention become more apparent and easier to distinguish from the behaviors of other children. In preschool, the typical presentation of ADHD is the presence of hyperactivity-impulsivity.
Several comorbid disorders are frequent in those with an ADHD disorder. For example, oppositional defiant disorder co-occurs with ADHD in approximately 50% of children with symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and about 25% of children with the predominantly inattentive presentation. Conduct disorder co-occurs in about 25% of children or adolescent with symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsively. Specific learning disorders (e.g, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia) are commonly present when symptoms of ADHD exist. Anxiety, depression, and substance use also commonly co-occur as well. Therefore, it is important to identify if symptom of ADHD are present.
ADHD is also one of the most common co-occurring diagnosis. If you are looking specifically for an ADHD evaluation, please visit the ADHD evaluation page.
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Autism Spectrum Disorder affect about 1% of the population. The age and pattern of onset are typically recognized during the second year of life (12-24 months of age) but may be seen earlier than 12 months of age, especially if the child’s developmental delays are severe. One of the first indicators of a possible autism spectrum disorder is the loss of language or skills, and a detonation in social behaviors that occurs between 12 and 24 months of age. Behavioral features, such as a lack of interest in social interaction, may become present within the first year of life.
Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, in addition to restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities that become present in the early neurodevelopmental period. Although autism spectrum disorder may go undiagnosed for a variety of reasons, especially if early interventions have been in place, autism is typically present between the age of 12 months - 4 years of age and may be diagnosed later. Both intellectual disability and language impairment co-occur with autism spectrum disorder, which further complicate the diagnosis.
Autism spectrum disorder is also diagnosed four times more in males than in females, while females tend to show accompanying intellectual disability. Thus, biologically born females who don’t show signs of intellectual or language impairment may go unrecognized due to a subtle manifestation of social and communication difficulties in comparison to their male counterparts.
At Assess Hawai’i, we specialize in autism spectrum disorder evaluations. Please visit the Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation page to learn more or to schedule an evaluation.
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There are several communication disorders that we commonly assess for:
Language Disorder
Speech Sound Disorder
Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)
Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
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Intellectual disability disorders significantly impact a child’s functioning and my persist throughout the lifespan. It is important to identify delays and intellectual functioning as early as possible. The two disorders in this category consist of:
Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder)
Global Developmental Delay
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We commonly assess for the following:
Developmental Coordination Disorder
Stereotypic Movement Disorder
Tourette’s Disorder
Motor and Vocal Tic Disorders
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We accurately assess the for the following specific learning disorders:
Dyslexia (Impairment in Reading): word reading accuracy, reading rate or fluency, and reading comprehension
Dysgraphia (Impairment in Written Expression): spelling accuracy, grammar and punctuation accuracy, and clarity or organization of written expression
Dyscalculia (Impairment in Mathematics): number sense, memorization of arithmetic facts, accurate or fluent calculation, accurate math reasoning)