Chris M.

Today I had a neuropsychological test. My dad got me an appointment because when my mom, sister, and my brother took it in the past, they were all diagnosed with ADHD. I read about the test the night before and learned that it will tell me my IQ, my learning style, and whether I have some form of ADHD, among other things. The one I was most interested in was my IQ.

“Take a seat,” said the woman doing the test. The name given to us on the paperwork said “Dr. Shay.” Dr. Shay ushered us to two plastic blue chairs, and my dad and I sat down. She asked us both questions about me: how my grades are, how I am with social interactions, how short my attention span is, whether I am neat, whether my room stays clean, how many friends I have, how camp is good for me. She took notes on a clipboard with the same pattern as our old couch on it.

After an hour of interviewing, my dad left, and Dr. Shay pulled out a grayish folding table.

“We only use the best tables here at the hospital,” she said. “Sam’s Club.”

I sat across from her and she smiled, trying to make small talk. I was fidgeting a lot. I’m pretty sure she noticed how hard I was trying to pay attention to her.

Four blocks were set in front of me with different colors and patterns on each side. She gave me a picture and told me to arrange the blocks to match it. I did, and she gave me a new one, and this went on until I completed the last one in the book. She clicked a stopwatch with a manicured nail.

“I’ve never seen anyone solve that last one before,” she said. She smiled, and I felt a bit uneasy. I had been hoping my results would be 100% average for some reason. It’s not that I want to be boring, but the human mind is a complicated and scary thing. It controls you, and any reassurance that mine is functioning normally is comforting.

Lots of 3D puzzles, drawing, and filling out questionnaires later, I was mentally exhausted.

The test was over very quickly. It took me a bit over three hours, which is somewhat short for a neuropsych. I truly have no idea if it was me or the test format or Dr. Shay that made it go so fast.

I’m very curious about the results. I’ll get them later this week. I’m nervous and excited at the same time—I know that an IQ score really doesn’t mean anything, but I think I’ll still feel bad if it turns out I have a low one. And what if I don’t have ADHD? Does that mean I’m just …weird? On the other hand, this is an interesting subject, and I am really excited to know how it applies to me. I’m overthinking it. The results haven’t even come in yet. ♦