INNERCALLING: Connect to your inner light

#58: Dr. Kayleigh Hale: Why Compassion Matters in Neurodivergence & Neuropsych Testing


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What does neuropsych testing actually reveal about your brain? In this episode, neuropsychologist Dr. Kayleigh Hale and Dr. Victoria Ranade explore how neuropsychological testing can help children, teens, and adults understand ADHD, anxiety, neurodivergence, and masking β€” and why a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach changes everything. Whether you're a parent wondering if your child needs testing, a woman navigating a late ADHD diagnosis, or someone who's been masking without realizing it, this conversation will help you understand what testing can do and why it matters.


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Dr. Kayleigh Hale is a neuropsychologist, licensed clinical psychologist, and the Director of Testing and Assessment at Hope+Wellness. She specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, with a deep passion for neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based assessment. As a parent of neurodivergent children herself, she brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to her work, helping people understand their brains, find clarity, and come home to themselves. https://www.hope-wellness.com/-dr-kayleigh-hale


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0:00 Introduction

3:00 What is neuropsychological testing

5:00 Types of assessments explained

7:00 Neuropsych vs psychoeducational evaluation

9:00 ADHD and anxiety: why they look alike

11:00 School testing vs private neuropsych

13:00 When to get a diagnosis: ADHD, autism, dyslexia

15:00 Neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach

17:00 Discovering your child's gifts through testing

19:00 You're not broken: compassion in feedback

20:00 High-masking women and neurodivergence

24:00 Early intervention and why it matters

27:00 Brief vs comprehensive evaluation

29:00 Testing for adults and self-understanding

32:00 Strategies and recommendations from a neuropsych report

35:00 How to choose the right neuropsychologist

39:00 AI and the future of neuropsych testing

40:00 How to refer someone for testing

43:00 Is neuropsych testing worth the investment

46:00 Why comprehensive testing catches what brief testing misses

49:00 Testing for depression and anxiety in children

51:00 Accommodations and documentation from a neuropsych report

54:00 Limitations of testing and cultural competence

56:00 Neurodivergent women: masking and self-acceptance

58:00 How masking goes unnoticed

1:00:00 Coming home to yourself through testing

1:03:00 Why institutions aren't designed for neurodiverse brains

1:06:00 Masking vs social skills adaptation

1:07:00 Resources for neurodivergent parents and adults


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CONNECT

innercalling Podcast Website: www.innercalling.org

Dr. Victoria Ranade: www.victoriaranade.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/drvictoriaranade

Hope+Wellness: Kind, Compassionate, Evidence-Based Mental Health Care: https://www.hope-wellness.com


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WHAT IS INNERCALLING?

innercalling is a podcast dedicated to the belief that there is a light inside you of profound power, beauty, and wisdom that no darkness can ever overcome. It's a space where mental health meets spirituality, and explore timeless questions about existence, mortality, and what it deeply means to be human.


Hosted by Dr. Victoria Ranade, PhD, MBA, ABPP, conversations feature real, organic conversation between two humans, inspired by the field of mental health & clinical psychology, which values what happens simply when two people sit together and talk about life and all its beauty and complications.


WHO IS DR. VICTORIA?

Hi there, I'm Dr. Victoria Ranade. I'm a board certified licensed clinical psychologist, writer, and podcaster deeply passionate about mental health, spirituality, integrative wellness, and honoring the light inside you β€” the one that no darkness can ever overcome. Fun fact: You're one of my greatest inspirations.βœŒπŸΌπŸ’›


I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. SEND ME ANY MAIL OR QUESTIONS HERE:

[email protected]

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INNERCALLING: Connect to your inner lightBy Dr. Victoria Ranade