Questions and Answers with Michelle Weinstein, PsyD.
Q. How does a Neuropsychologist differ from a Psychologist or a Neurologist?
A. Neurologists are medical doctors who specialize in understanding and treating the brain and spinal cord. They may conduct medical tests such as neuroimaging to identify neurologic problems.
Neuropsychologists are clinical psychologists who have specialized training in the brain-behavior relationship.
Clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists can provide a variety of services including therapy and comprehensive assessments. However, neuropsychologists use their knowledge about brain development and functioning to help determine how brain-based differences might impact a person’s social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.
Q. What kind of testing/interventions does a Neuropsychologist do?
A. Neuropsychologists conduct comprehensive evaluations that include gathering information about a patient’s developmental history, medical factors, and current social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. An evaluation includes a clinical interview with the patient and family members, self- and caregiver-reported rating forms, and tests examining a person’s thinking abilities. These tests include answering questions and completing hands-on activities to assess skills such as overall intellectual ability (IQ), attention, memory, processing speed, language, and executive functioning (higher order thinking skills that help us solve problems and complete tasks). Neuropsychologists discuss the results of the evaluation with families and help make recommendations based on the patient’s specific needs across settings.
Q. How is this different from a psychoeducational evaluation?
A. A neuropsychological evaluation focuses on understanding how brain differences might impact a person’s overall functioning in different settings. Psychoeducational evaluations often examine an individual’s abilities as they specifically impact academic achievement and skills needed for academic success.
Q. Why is early evaluation so important?
A. Identifying early cognitive and behavioral issues can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Research shows that early identification of brain differences leads to early interventions which lead to better overall functional outcomes. Early intervention can significantly impact a child’s ability to learn new skills and increase their chance of success later. Certain interventions like dyslexia tutoring, occupational therapy, ABA, individual and group therapy, and parent training are likely to be more effective when provided earlier in life rather than later childhood.
