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Listen "7. Is a 100-Year Old Test the Best We Can Do? Bender-Gestalt, Still the Go-To Neuropsychological Assessment"
Episode Synopsis
This Is How My Brain Works
Is a 100-Year Old Test the Best We Can Do? Bender-Gestalt, Still the Go-To Neuropsychological Assessment
Rudy shares a clip by John Bosworth about the adult ADHD test. John explains the Bender Gestalt Test and the Conners Rating Scale for Parents and Teachers. The Bender Gestalt is a series of nine index cards with different geometric designs used to assess the neurobehavioral and neuropsychological functioning in individuals aged 3 and up. The Conners Rating Scale is completed by the people around the person being assessed, like teachers, coworkers and family. The professional then compares these checklists to determine if the individual is showing signs of neurodivergence.
Rudy starts the conversation by lamenting that we are using a 100-year-old test that relies on outside observation of the person. "What is he talking about??" Rudy asks. In essence, there's a lot we still don't know about ADHD. Though Rudy was diagnosed in childhood, he doesn't remember taking a test with geometric designs. He goes on to say that the terminology of the test is "brain damage," a term that might not be used today and certainly isn't fun to hear as someone with ADHD.
Michael took the test as an adult to understand his type of ADHD and to get the exact tools he needs to navigate the neurotypical world. Part of the test Michael took asked him to recreate an isometric design. He was able to do it, and recreate the design later from memory, but the assessor said that how he did it was very different than a neurotypical brain. Neurotypicals would do it in a logical way, quadrant by quadrant, while his approach was more scattershot.
Krista thinks the Bender Gestalt sounds a lot like a test for Gifted and Talented kids. She also wonders how accurate the test is when it is run through someone else's perception and possibly that observer is neurotypical. How precise can the test be when it's run through the lens of what is right, wrong, normal or not. She says, "That seems faulty on a lot of levels."
Sarah says there's no way they'd catch her with ADHD if she knew she was being observed. Her mask would come all the way up, and a quick google search confirms how difficult diagnosis can be when it relies on external observations. Specifically, misdiagnosis can happen in individuals with a high IQ and ADHD. Smart, highly active kids are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD. On the flip side, highly intelligent children with ADHD can hyperfocus, causing experts to miss their ADHD.
Looking ahead, functional MRIs are a promising tool to diagnose a person's specific flavor of neurodivergence, but as of now brain scans cannot diagnose ADHD. Overall, the team was shocked by how antiquated and unspecific the tests sound though they acknowledged that professionals might explain that these tests aren't as nefarious as they sound. The tests likely collect a range of information that allows experts to get a measure of how the person's brain works.
Recorded on 2/16/24
Link to CLIP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJWKivVxo0
Thanks to John J. Bosworth, MA, LMHC. He is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, chronic pain and stress management. You can find out more about his practice at https://bozcounseling.com/
#ADHD #ADHDTesting #BenderVisualMotorGestalt #ADHDBehavioralChecklist
#CantCatchMeImTheADHDBrain #BenderGestalt #ConnersRatingScale #fMRI #Observation #Epilepsy #CatchAllTest #ADHDDiagnosis #NeuroSpicy #WeAllDoItDifferentlyAndNobodyIsSpecial
Is a 100-Year Old Test the Best We Can Do? Bender-Gestalt, Still the Go-To Neuropsychological Assessment
Rudy shares a clip by John Bosworth about the adult ADHD test. John explains the Bender Gestalt Test and the Conners Rating Scale for Parents and Teachers. The Bender Gestalt is a series of nine index cards with different geometric designs used to assess the neurobehavioral and neuropsychological functioning in individuals aged 3 and up. The Conners Rating Scale is completed by the people around the person being assessed, like teachers, coworkers and family. The professional then compares these checklists to determine if the individual is showing signs of neurodivergence.
Rudy starts the conversation by lamenting that we are using a 100-year-old test that relies on outside observation of the person. "What is he talking about??" Rudy asks. In essence, there's a lot we still don't know about ADHD. Though Rudy was diagnosed in childhood, he doesn't remember taking a test with geometric designs. He goes on to say that the terminology of the test is "brain damage," a term that might not be used today and certainly isn't fun to hear as someone with ADHD.
Michael took the test as an adult to understand his type of ADHD and to get the exact tools he needs to navigate the neurotypical world. Part of the test Michael took asked him to recreate an isometric design. He was able to do it, and recreate the design later from memory, but the assessor said that how he did it was very different than a neurotypical brain. Neurotypicals would do it in a logical way, quadrant by quadrant, while his approach was more scattershot.
Krista thinks the Bender Gestalt sounds a lot like a test for Gifted and Talented kids. She also wonders how accurate the test is when it is run through someone else's perception and possibly that observer is neurotypical. How precise can the test be when it's run through the lens of what is right, wrong, normal or not. She says, "That seems faulty on a lot of levels."
Sarah says there's no way they'd catch her with ADHD if she knew she was being observed. Her mask would come all the way up, and a quick google search confirms how difficult diagnosis can be when it relies on external observations. Specifically, misdiagnosis can happen in individuals with a high IQ and ADHD. Smart, highly active kids are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD. On the flip side, highly intelligent children with ADHD can hyperfocus, causing experts to miss their ADHD.
Looking ahead, functional MRIs are a promising tool to diagnose a person's specific flavor of neurodivergence, but as of now brain scans cannot diagnose ADHD. Overall, the team was shocked by how antiquated and unspecific the tests sound though they acknowledged that professionals might explain that these tests aren't as nefarious as they sound. The tests likely collect a range of information that allows experts to get a measure of how the person's brain works.
Recorded on 2/16/24
Link to CLIP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJWKivVxo0
Thanks to John J. Bosworth, MA, LMHC. He is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, chronic pain and stress management. You can find out more about his practice at https://bozcounseling.com/
#ADHD #ADHDTesting #BenderVisualMotorGestalt #ADHDBehavioralChecklist
#CantCatchMeImTheADHDBrain #BenderGestalt #ConnersRatingScale #fMRI #Observation #Epilepsy #CatchAllTest #ADHDDiagnosis #NeuroSpicy #WeAllDoItDifferentlyAndNobodyIsSpecial
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