As a practice, we sometimes partner with a neuropsychologist when we feel like a there is more to understand about your child, so that we can support you, your parenting AND your child in all the ways we can, through targeted treatment, through partnering with other pediatric professionals, and advocating for your child in a school setting. The goal of an evaluation is for parents to see and understand their child’s fullest potential. When a child seems to be struggling in some way, particularly if that struggle is impacting developmental benchmarks, emotional regulation, behavior, learning, or relationships, a comprehensive picture of your child’s strengths as well as stretches can fundamentally alter for the better how you experience and parent your child. A neuropsychological report offers several things, including:
- Identifying strengths: a strengths-based approach is important, many children
who feel like they are ‘othered’, or struggling in some way that is different to
their peers, suffer from low self-esteem. - Accurate Diagnosis: a deep-dive into cognitive and academic functioning, for
example, a child may present with strong scores on cognitive assessments but
there is a gap in academic performance; identifying specific learning disabilities
as well as cognitive strengths. - Identifying asynchronous development and how that may impact a child’s
experiences, emotions and behaviors. As an example, a child may have
significant cognitive strengths AND emotional regulation challenges. - Understanding neurotype differences including Autism Spectrum Disorder,
ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, OCD and tic disorders. - Identifying mood, anxiety and stressor-related disorders such as
depression, panic disorders and PTSD. - Identifying, and teasing out, how a child’s neurology interacts with their
environment and experiences, and how to understand the delicate
interaction between nature and nurture.
The goal of an evaluation is for parents to see and understand their child’s fullest potential.
Specifically, a neuropsychological report can be very helpful at detailing underlying causes for a child’s behavior. Dr. Nora Goudsmit offers a range of assessment, including comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation, and psychological and educational testing. Typically, the process includes an initial intake session to gather history and background, two – four days of testing (usually between 8-12 hours in total), an integrative written report, and feedback session. Each experience is unique and is trying to answer specific questions about your child and the process is tailored to your child’s needs and can be spread over as many sessions as needed.
Dr. Nora Goudsmit is a Clinical Psychologist, specializing in neuropsychological testing and assessment. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology and rehabilitation research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City where she was a clinical supervisor of psychology interns and externs. Her clinical experience includes hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, college counseling centers, community clinics, and private practice. Dr. Goudsmit is a psychodynamically trained clinician and maintains a private psychotherapy and neuropsychological testing practice in Los Angeles and is licensed in both California and New York. Dr. Goudsmit also spent years working as a researcher of neuropsychological function and severe psychopathology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center. Her professional record includes published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and speaking engagements at professional conferences.For more information about Dr Goudsmit, her website is: www.drnoragoudsmit.com