An assessment is intended to provide an accurate understanding of your difficulties, not to confirm a particular diagnosis.

Sometimes the findings support the diagnosis you suspected. Other times, they suggest a different explanation, identify several contributing factors, or indicate that diagnostic criteria aren’t met.

That doesn’t mean your difficulties aren’t real.

A useful assessment should help clarify what the findings mean, identify relevant strengths and challenges, and offer recommendations where appropriate.

The goal is to leave you with a better understanding of what’s happening and what may help—even when the answer is different from what you anticipated.