Learning disabilities and conditions that can inhibit learning are not uncommon no matter where you go in the United States – and even in the world as a whole. For many people, these disabilities and like conditions lead the the need for accommodations in an education setting, such as MCAT accommodations and GMAT accommodations. This means that a proper diagnosis is crucial, as it allows patients to get the treatment and accommodations like MCAT accommodations that they deserve. An neuropsych evaluation with a skilled and experienced neuropsychologist can be one way to gain such a diagnosis and be assured that it is indeed the correct one.

There are a number of reasons for MCAT accommodations and other testing accommodations to be afforded, as well as a number of diagnoses often given during a psychoeducational evaluation. One such diagnosis is that of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in childhood, with the average age of diagnosis that of only seven years old when it comes to cases of moderate ADHD. More severe ADHD is often diagnosed earlier and it is possible for mild ADHD to go diagnosed for a long period of time – if it ever becomes noticeable and is diagnosed. ADHD is a very common neuropyschological condition that often causes problems with focus and concentration and can also lead to a number of behavior problems – which can have a negative impact on their overall educational careers. Though a total of more than six million children who are between the ages of just seven and seventeen have been positively diagnosed with ADHD to some level of severity, boys are far more likely than girls to receive such a diagnosis, with more than thirteen percent of boys living in the United States receiving an ADHD diagnosis at some point during their childhood. Girls, on the other hand, are diagnosed with ADHD far less frequently. Of the entire population of girls in the United States, only just over five percent of them have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Another common diagnosis that may warrant MCAT accommodations is that of autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder represents children and adults who are on the autism spectrum and can include a wide range of severity and ability. Some people who have been diagnosed as on the autism spectrum have little to no need for accommodations, while some will need significant MCAT accommodations and the like. Fortunately, symptoms of autism are usually clear and easily recognizable as problematic by the young age of two – barely out of infanthood. This means that the majority of children diagnosed with autism are able to get into a early intervention program when, if applied early, can make a world of difference for the typical autistic child. Autism is again a very common condition, with one in forty five of every child being diagnosed with the disorder between the ages of seven and seventeen. Much like when it comes to ADHD diagnoses, boys are as much as three times as likely to be diagnosed as on the autism spectrum disorder as girls are, though it is not uncommon for girls to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at any level of functioning.

Finally, dyslexia is a commonly diagnosed learning disability in the United States. Though people who have been diagnosed with dyslexia will often be offered MCAT accommodations and other such testing accommodations, it is a common misconception that dyslexia causes an impairment of intelligence. This could not be farther from the truth, as even geniuses such as Albert Einstein have been diagnosed with and needed to adapt to living and learning with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a hugely underdiagnosed condition as well, with as many as forty million people in the United States unknowingly living with some severity of dyslexia. In comparison, only around two million people in the United States have been formally diagnosed with dyslexia after a process of neuropsychological testing.

A diagnosis is important if you are in need of MCAT accommodations and having such a diagnosis can make a world of difference in your overall learning experience, allowing you the accommodations under which you can learn to the best of your ability.