FAQ

Clinical psychology: A branch of psychology concerned with the practical application of research methodologies and findings in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

Clinical neuropsychology: A specialty field within clinical psychology that looks at the way various systems within the brain work to affect both cognitive and behavioral functioning.

A neuropsychological assessment provides insight into your cognitive strengths and weaknesses based on your skills in a variety of areas, including attention, learning, memory, processing speed, fluid reasoning, motor speed, verbal, and visual-spatial abilities.

Besides offering an in-depth understanding of an individual’s overall intellectual capabilities, neuropsychological testing acknowledges the highly nuanced and complex nature of brain functioning, allowing us to focus on one’s precise skills across numerous cognitive domains. In turn, we are able to produce a comprehensive profile of a person’s cognitive, academic, and social-emotional functioning, which can then be used for diagnostic purposes, as well as the development of an effective treatment plan based on their personal strengths, interests, and areas of challenge or ongoing growth. The report provided by a neuropsychological assessment is an important tool, often used by educational teams, therapists, behavioral specialists, and other healthcare providers as a way to thoroughly understand a student or patient’s cognitive functioning. These reports can also diagnose or rule-out potential psychological, neurological, and/or learning disorders, as well as uphold or amend any existing diagnoses.

A neuropsychological evaluation is important for an individual with any medical complexities (e.g., prematurity, genetic differences, or head injuries). A neuropsychologist has education and experience working wth individuals with a variety of brain related challenges, and will provide targeted next steps based on the data and integration of the findings.

A neuropsychologist must hold a clinical psychology license. As such, it is an area of speciality within clinical psychology. Many clinical psychologists also specialize in assessments, and provide a thorough evaluation of brain behavior. Both, a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist go through thousands of hours of supervised training before being able to participate in the licensing exam. A neuropsychologist has additional training and coursework in neuroanatomy and brain based conditions which must be completed prior to becoming a neuropsychologist. A step further is a board-certified neuropsychologist which requires board examination, both oral and written, as well as review of clinical work and deep understanding of medical, neurodevelopmental, mental health, and behavioral work which is reviewed and tested by a panel of experts in the field of neuropsychology who are also board certified.

A licensed educational psychologist (or LEP) can administer a variety of assessments that evaluate one’s academic functioning and test for learning disabilities or other issues that may affect learning. They also have experience working in public schools and have an understanding of the laws and regulations at the district level. However, because an educational psychologist specializes in the academic application of cognitive abilities rather than day-to-day functioning, testing results may not be as comprehensive or encompassing as those yielded by a full neuropsychological assessment.

When looking into various assessment options for you or your child, it’s important to check the source of your provider’s certification. It is important to understand these programs and whether they are regulated or accredited. Board-certified clinical psychologists will be certified by either the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) or one of its specialty boards, the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) or the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology (ABPdN), and their name will be published online by their respective organization within a publicly accessible directory.

Perhaps you have experienced or observed unexpected focus challenges, increased depression or anxiety symptoms, or sudden changes in you or your child’s mood, thinking, and/or behavior. You may not be sure if the anxiety is causing difficulty with focus or vice versa. In any of these circumstances, a neuropsychological evaluation will likely offer the most in-depth cognitive and behavioral analysis possible, taking into account not only one’s academic achievement scores, but also the efficiency of their gateway brain functions, their various processing speeds, and potential social-emotional contributors to their current functioning

If you do not need an in-depth evaluation, then consulting an educational or school psychologist may be the right choice for you. Additionally, a pediatrician or psychiatrist may also provide screening measures to treat attention or mood difficulties. Unfortunately, however, scholastic or work performance isn’t typically so straightforward to data collection, and underlying processing weaknesses, attention deficits, and/or social-emotional issues can often go undetected and contribute to reduced academic or professional outcomes in less directly-visible ways.