School testing is designed to measure academic achievement, not to diagnose medical or mental health conditions.
In school-based evaluations, the focus is usually on:
- Reading, writing, and math skills
- How far a child may be behind academically
- Eligibility for educational supports or accommodations
While this information is helpful, school testing typically shows what the outcome is, not why a child is struggling.
If a child is behind academically, school testing does not determine whether the underlying cause is:
- ADHD
- Anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions
- Learning or cognitive differences
ADHD testing and clinical evaluation focus on identifying the reason behind the learning difficulty, which is necessary to guide appropriate treatment and next steps.