ADHD neuropsychologist exam preparation? brain games?

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programmerpilot

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programmerpilot
Hey everybody, I'm going for my third class and had an ADHD diagnosis from childhood (age 10, i'm 24 now). I'm pretty confident I've outgrown it (have been unmedicated for 5 years, work fulltime without issue, decent grades, no car accidents for 4 years, no depression) but just wanted to get additional practice for my exam at the end of the month. Does anybody have any feedback / thoughts about:
  • Free online brain games to practice
  • Things they are "looking out for" / things I should be careful about talking about
  • Personal experiences with ADHD evaluation
Thank you very much!
 
What "exam at the end of the month"? Your FAA medical? or the eval that FAA requires for ADHD?

I'm assuming it's the latter, from the thread title.
 
I have already gotten my medical deferred, I am getting a Neuropsychologist evaluation at the end of the month per FAA request :)
 
Use Luminocity, it's a great brain trainer and prep for the tests, some of the games are just like the test.
 
This was my research...


Cog Screen Aeromedical Edition - CogScreen-AE
Complete Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IQ Test https://wechsleriqtest.com/short-iq-test/

Trail Making Test, parts A&B (Reitan Trails A&B)
easy

Executive Function Test
Category Test
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test easy
Stroop Color-Word Test Word is written in Color

Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT)

Continuous Performance Test
Test of Variables of attention TOVA Test for ADHD
Conners Continuous Performance Test Click on sounds when heard
Integrated Visual and auditory continuous performance test

Test of Verbal Memory
WMS-IV subsets
Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Not easy - repeat words from a list
California Verbal Learning Test-II

Test of Visual Memory
WMS-IV Subsets
Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised
Rey Complex Figure Test https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01629/full

Tests of Language
Boston naming Test No Prep needed Just name (ID) Pictures
Verbal Fluency (COWAT and semantic fluency task) Name words starting with a particular letter

Psychomotor Test
Finger Tapping
Grove Pegboard or Purdue Pegboard

Personality Testing
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) http://test4u.online/en/?view=storytest_result&test_id=26&attempt=374903
 
Thank you MalibuJim so much for the advice!! I've downloaded PEBL and will practice the games today and in the coming days.
 
I, too, am a software developer and I took the CogScreen-AE a couple of years ago. The test starts out stating that time and accuracy are measured, and that both are important. It turns out that taking your time to prevent mistakes is a bad strategy (don't ask how I know!). A winning strategy for me was to not worry about some mistakes, and just do the tests as quickly as possible--the computer can handle your input as fast as you want to give it. My doctor was very impressed by my testing speed, and apparently my errors were not a problem.

FWIW, I did really poorly on one of the tests. From what I could make out from the test results report, it looked like my error was that I misread the instructions for a certain test. I think I did the opposite of what I was supposed to do. D'OH! But I still passed overall with no problem.

For some hints about test, check out this post from CogScreamer: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/cogscreen.108790/#post-2495798

This practice test was helpful for me (choose reverse order for the test): https://www.memorylosstest.com/digit-span/.

For me, the test would have been fun, but it was made un-fun due to its importance for me getting a medical certificate (and the cost!). o_O

Good luck!
 
programmerpilot said:
Thank you MalibuJim so much for the advice!! I've downloaded PEBL and will practice the games today and in the coming days.
Click to expand...

If you look at my post, it lists EVERY test that can be administered for the test. You may have to google some of them for a better description. The Rey Complex figure was fun to do for the Dr. since I had already seen the figure before.
 
Malibu Jim knows about which he is speaking (I know).
But NB the value of lumosity is only to reduce anxiety which will be a negative when you do the testing. What I am saying, is, if you do a lot of lumosity, you get good at....lumosity.

Just beware you will have to make a decision at the start as to accuracy vs speed. Compromise!
 
The main reason I did all the research on the different tests, was so when it was administered, it wasn't the first time I had been exposed to it. Additionally, I then knew how the test worked and what was expected of me. I don't like to ask for directions more than once!
 
I'm a data scientist (so not a software dev, but I do write a lot of R and Python) at a well-known digital healthcare firm. I took the full neurocog battery back in October. I did no preparation other than try to relax, get a good night's sleep (impossible, really), and got some food in me before we got going. These were the PhD's instructions to me. "There's no way to prepare, really." I did a bit of research before going in but only read a bit about each of the tests.

Some of the tests required significant concentration. Others were just fun. The CogScreen-AE was frustrating at time but honestly the instructions "GO AS FAST YOU CAN BUT MAKE NO MISTAKES" was more of a mind-**** than the test itself!

I was flattered by the results, to be honest. There was a small part of me that thought what if I DID do some drain bamage back when I was drinking? but all in all, it was just fine. I knew I was a smarty-pants before going in but now I have the documentation from a board-certified PhD to prove it! My girlfriend hates that...
 
allPrimes said:
I'm a data scientist (so not a software dev, but I do write a lot of R and Python) at a well-known digital healthcare firm. I took the full neurocog battery back in October. I did no preparation other than try to relax, get a good night's sleep (impossible, really), and got some food in me before we got going. These were the PhD's instructions to me. "There's no way to prepare, really." I did a bit of research before going in but only read a bit about each of the tests.

Some of the tests required significant concentration. Others were just fun. The CogScreen-AE was frustrating at time but honestly the instructions "GO AS FAST YOU CAN BUT MAKE NO MISTAKES" was more of a mind-**** than the test itself!

I was flattered by the results, to be honest. There was a small part of me that thought what if I DID do some drain bamage back when I was drinking? but all in all, it was just fine. I knew I was a smarty-pants before going in but now I have the documentation from a board-certified PhD to prove it! My girlfriend hates that...
Click to expand...

I felt the same way, vindicated on my well above average arrogance ;-) , but I was worried something might show up unexpectedly, and it didn't. As you said, there is no way to prepare, but familiarisation with each test and how it is administered and taken was what I was really after.
 
I took most of the tests you described MalibuJim and I'm doing pretty well, so I definitely feel more prepared and relaxed for the actual thing. I also felt like maybe there is some magic signal that I still have ADHD even though I do well on these tests, but that must just be some lingering anxiety about the whole thing.
 
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