What is Pediatric Neuropsychology?

Pediatric Neuropsychology is a professional specialty concerned with learning and behavior in relationship to a child’s brain.  Our pediatric neuropsychologist is a licensed psychologist with expertise in how learning and behavior are associated with the development of brain structures and systems.  Formal testing of abilities such as memory, language skills, and motor functions assesses brain functioning.  At Premier, our neuropsychologist conducts the entire evaluation, interprets the test results, and makes recommendations with a full report.   Often, we will work closely with your child’s pediatrician to manage your child’s difficulties. We will, if needed, work closely with schools to help them provide appropriate educational programs for your child.
Why are children referred for Neuropsychological Assessment?
Children are referred by a doctor, teacher, school psychologist, or other professional because of one or more problems, including:

• Difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control
• A disease or developmental problem that affects the brain in some way; or
• A brain injury from an accident, birth trauma, or other physical stress.

A neuropsychological evaluation assists in better understanding your child’s functioning in areas such as memory, attention, perception, coordination, language, and behavior. This information will help you and your child’s teacher, therapists, and physician provide treatments and interventions for your child that will meet his or her unique needs.

What is assessed?

While we realize each child is different, a typical neuropsychological evaluation of a school-age child may assess these areas:

• General intellect
• Achievement skills, such as reading, math and written expression
• Executive skills, such as organization, planning, inhibition, and flexibility
• Attention
• Learning and memory
• Language
• Visual-spatial skills
• Motor coordination
• Behavioral and emotional function
• Social skills

Certain abilities may be measured in more detail than others, depending on the child's needs. A detailed developmental history and data from the child’s teacher may also be obtained.  Observing your child to understand his or her motivation, cooperation, and behavior is a very important part of the evaluation.

What will the results tell me about my child?
At Premier, we never treat you and your family like a number. We take the time necessary to fully understand your family.  By comparing your child’s test scores to scores of children of similar ages, our neuropsychologist can create a profile of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. These results help those involved in your child’s care in a number of ways:

• Testing can explain why your child is having school problems. For example, a child may have difficulty reading because of an attention problem, a language disorder, an auditory processing problem, or a reading disability.  Testing also guides the doctor in determining interventions to draw upon your child’s strengths.  The results identify what skills to work on, as well as which strategies to use to help your child.
• Testing can help detect the effects of developmental, neurological, and medical problems such as epilepsy, autism, ADHD, dyslexia or a genetic disorder.  Testing may be done to obtain a baseline against which to measure the outcome of treatment or the child’s development over time.
• Testing can help identify a child’s disorder and the brain areas that are involved. Specifically, testing can help differentiate between an attention deficit and depression or determine whether a language delay is due to a problem in producing speech, understanding or expressing language, social shyness, autism or cognitive delay.

How does a Neuropsychological Evaluation differ from a School Psychological Assessment?
School assessments are usually performed to determine whether a child qualifies for special education programs.  They focus on achievement and skills needed for academic success.  Generally, they do not diagnose learning or behavior disorders caused by altered brain function or development. 
Neuropsychological testing, most importantly, provides a better understanding of the child’s behavior and learning in school, at home, and in the community.  The evaluation can guide teachers, therapists, and you to better help your child achieve his or her potential.

Our Experience
Rosario DeLeon, Ph. D., is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical Neuropsychology) with Premier Psychological Services, who has an extensive background in neurocognitive disorders, child development, and neuropsychological assessment of preschool-age children through young adults. Dr. DeLeón earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Neuropsychology at the University of Houston. Dr. DeLeón’s experience includes the neuropsychological, educational, and psychological assessment in English and Spanish of children and adults with epilepsy, brain tumors, stroke, traumatic brain injury, developmental delays, communication disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, attentional disorders, learning disabilities, affective disorders, behavioral disorders, and adjustment issues.