June 7, 2026
Mental Health
I remember being 9 years old at my neighborhood elementary school with not much of a care in the world because, honestly, academics were never really my thing. My mom, though, really wanted me to join my big sisters at this larger Pre-K through 12th grade private school about 20 minutes away. I was intimidated, mostly because I saw how hard my sisters worked on homework every day after school while I was usually just outside playing or singing. School just didn’t come naturally to me the way it seemed to for them.
After applying to multiple highly ranked private schools in Atlanta, including Woodward where my sisters attended, I got denied from all of them. At that point, my parents were kind of like, “Okay… maybe we need to look into this a little deeper.”
Luckily, Woodward had a transition program specifically designed for students with learning differences. But to be accepted into the program, I needed a formal diagnosis. So off we went to figure out more about how my brain uniquely worked.
After doing the full assessment, I was diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, math disorder, reading comprehension difficulties, and processing and retrieval challenges. Which sounds like a lot when you first hear it, but honestly, it’s much more common than people think.
Eventually, I got into Woodward’s transition program for 5th through 8th grade, and by high school I transitioned into mainstream classes full time. And truthfully, the classroom experience really wasn’t wildly different. It was just a little more supported and slower paced.
Getting diagnosed changed everything for me.
Not only was I able to receive the education my family and I hoped for, but I also got accommodations like extended time on standardized tests, which became incredibly important during college application season. Without my extended time, there’s no way I would have been able to finish the ACT or SAT, and honestly, college may not have even been an option.
I’m really grateful my parents trusted their intuition early on and took the time to understand what I needed instead of just assuming I “wasn’t trying hard enough.”
I went on to attend Belmont University where I studied songwriting because, as it turns out, my brain is just a little more creative and right-brained than traditionally academic. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, and now I work full time as the Operations Manager at The Happy Hour.
All this to say, getting your child tested does not put a limit on their future.
If anything, it can open doors.
Understanding how your child learns can give them the support, confidence, and tools they need to truly thrive.
THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP.
ADHD + Mood Disorder Assessment
The Happy Hour offers evidence-based neuropsychological assessments for those 8 years and older designed to evaluate cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. These assessments are performed by licensed psychologist Dr. Brooke Rappaport, who specializes in diagnosing ADHD and mood disorders.