A growing number of affluent parents in the United States are paying as much as 13 million won for neuropsychological testing to map how their children learn. The practice is stirring debate as assessments once used mainly to diagnose developmental or learning disorders become a tool for gaining an academic edge.
Wealthy families are increasingly paying $5,000 to $10,000 (about 6.61 million to 13.23 million won) for the tests to identify their children's learning profiles, the New York Post reported on the 23rd.
The assessments evaluate attention, language skills, math and reading ability, and emotional regulation. They demand considerable time and money, with the testing process alone taking several days.
Jessica, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, had all six of her children, aged 6 to 19, undergo the testing.
The cost came to $8,000 (about 10.6 million won) per child, or $48,000 (about 63.6 million won) in total. Each assessment took nine hours.
Jessica said the testing was not aimed at treating an illness, describing it as "recreational testing." "I wanted to know how each of their brains works and what their strengths and weaknesses are," she said.
The results did reveal differing learning profiles among her children. One learned best by listening and speaking, while another was found to have difficulty reading facial expressions.
Jessica adjusted how the family communicates based on the findings. She also passed the information on to her children's teachers.
Two of Jessica's children were diagnosed with dyslexia and one with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The three now receive extra time on tests at school.
Neuropsychological testing has traditionally been used to assess the developmental profiles of children struggling at school or at home. It is administered as part of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and learning disorders.
Recently, however, more parents are having children with no apparent problems tested. Their aim is to learn which study methods work best for their child, or to see whether the child might qualify for academic accommodations such as extended test time.
Greater awareness of the conditions and a rise in actual diagnoses are also seen as driving demand for the tests.
ADHD diagnoses among children aged 3 to 17 rose from below 6% in 1997 to more than double that share by 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder also climbed from about one in 150 children in 2000 to one in 31 in 2022.
Experts are concerned that neuropsychological testing is being used as a means of gaining an advantage in academic competition.
Katie Davis, a clinical neuropsychologist practicing in New York, said referrals for children with no particular developmental difficulties have risen noticeably.
A decade ago such cases came up about once a month, she said, whereas roughly 40% of the children she now evaluates show no neurodevelopmental abnormalities.
Davis said the original purpose of the testing has been distorted and corrupted, noting that some parents request assessments in hopes of securing academic accommodations such as extra time on exams. Middle- and upper-class families, she added, pay large sums believing the testing will put their children ahead of other students.
She also stressed that a developmental or learning disorder should not be suspected simply because grades fall short of expectations.
"Not every child can get an A in every subject," she said, cautioning against parents who push their children's academic achievement too far.