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D-V Massey & Associates Clinical & Consulting Psychologists |
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Key Information
Neuropsychology
is a branch of psychology specialising in the study of brain/behaviour
relationships using techniques that go beyond the standard psychological
assessment. A neuropsychologist
provides an accurate and comprehensive evaluation of the client's cognitive,
academic, sensory/motor, attention and concentration, memory, abstract reasoning
and personality/emotional functioning by using specialized assessment procedures
sensitive to the effects of brain damage or dysfunction in children and adults.
A very comprehensive battery of tests that covers most of the important
behavioural and psychological functions likely to be impaired in the presence of
neurological damage or dysfunction are used. The
aim of a neuropsychological assessment is to provide a detailed description of
the wide range of psychological abilities and disabilities most essential for
work, study, adaptive functioning, and daily living.
Such adaptive abilities are frequently severely disrupted in the presence
of physical damage to the brain, although these skills can also be disrupted by
less severe forms of brain dysfunction including learning/behavioral deficits
and other conditions associated with early damage to the developing brain.
Neuropsychological evaluation provides vital information for the
diagnosis of many conditions, including hyperactive/attentional disorders,
learning disorders, developmental disorders, and Brain damage resulting from
trauma for both children and adults. Neuropsychological
evaluation is also the most accurate and valid means to determine the extent of
cognitive impairment resulting from brain injuries and to determine whether
there has been any systematic change in a person's neuro-cognitive functioning
over time. Neuropsychological
evaluation and expert testimony regarding adaptive functioning have become
important components of many litigation and disability coverage disputes, as
specific information regarding the cognitive and adaptive behaviour of a client
are identified. This
specialized assessment can also determine the extent to which an injury
will result in a significant handicap or disability throughout one’s lifespan,
as well as an individual's ability to adapt to the demands of real life
(including vocational, educational and social/emotional functioning). Neuropsychological
assessment differs from neurological (medical) evaluations because it relies on
standardized or test-based interpretations of an individual’s behaviour when
compared to others of the same age and gender.
The focus of a neuropsychological assessment is to evaluate higher
cognitive or intellectual functions, with lesser emphasis placed on the more
basic motor and sensory functions. In
neurological (medical) examinations, the emphasis appears to be on the basic
sensory and motor responses, with a less detailed or systematic evaluation of
the higher cognitive capabilities. The
neuropsychological and neurological assessment procedures tend to complement one
other by offering different perspectives for the client, with the
neuropsychological evaluation offering more detailed information about higher
cognitive functioning. CapabilitiesIt
is very important to specify the strengths and weaknesses, or nature and degree
of deficits that individuals may display to arrive at a working diagnosis.
A clear diagnosis leads to an appropriate action plan or
rehabilitation program catered to the individual needs of the client.
Given the importance of accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive assessment
should include an evaluation of the following aspects of an individual’s
performance: 1.
Sensory-motor functioning 2.
Auditory, visual and tactile-kinesthetic perception 3.
Intellectual functioning & complex problem solving 4.
Cognitive / neuropsychological processing/memory function 5. Academic achievement including in-depth analyses of learning strengths and
weaknesses 5.
Emotional/social/behavioral functioning/psychopathology diagnosis 6. Individualised remediation/rehabilitation
plan/specific recommendations & suggestions D-V Massey & Associates would be pleased to discuss their Neuropsychological Assessment services in detail with interested parties. |
Send mail to
tfconsult@shaw.ca with
questions or comments about this web site.
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