If you have just begun the journey of finding answers for yourself or a loved one, you may have been tempted to do online learning disabilities tests. These tests often promise to tell you whether you have a learning disability based on some basic information. Completing one of these tests is not inherently dangerous, but they are not inherently beneficial either. Here are five reasons I don’t offer an online learning disability test.
1. The results may influence your behavior.
If someone suggested that you show signs of ADHD, you read online that the common symptoms of ADHD matched your own difficulties, and an online learning disability test affirmed that you may have ADHD, you may come to believe that you do in fact have ADHD without an accurate diagnosis.
If the results of the test indicated that you had nothing to be concerned about, you may be hesitant to pursue further information. This might mean delaying early intervention for your child or putting off pursuing appropriate accommodations in the workplace for yourself.
2. Your test answers are biased.
When you do an online learning disability test, you are assessing yourself. To gain an accurate assessment, an outside perspective, especially a professional one, is necessary.
3. The results are too limited.
When I do my comprehensive evaluation, I don’t stop once I have found a specific learning disability. I continue to determine where an individual’s strengths and weaknesses lie. I also determine what resources, study strategies, and more will help people reach their full potential.
4. Online disability tests offer little to no benefit.
We’ve already established that online learning disability tests can produce false results. They don’t offer many reasons for risking getting false information. The results from an online quiz cannot be brought to your child’s teacher or school to prove the need for an evaluation or an individualized education program (IEP).
5. I prefer the personal touch.
I hate to say it, but many companies offer online disability tests as a way to gather personal information. Your information is then added to the business’ marketing contacts and/or sold to other businesses. I don’t mean to sound like I am exposing some sinister plot. This is how most businesses do marketing these days.
I operate my private practice in Santa Clarita, CA differently. In my office, you are cared for as an individual. I hold that privacy and compassion are key ingredients to helping people discover their learning strengths and weaknesses.
If after reading this article, you are still tempted to do an online disability test, feel free to give me a call. We can discuss your concerns, and I can help you determine if an evaluation is what you need.
