The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital is a global leader in addressing the mental, emotional, and biological aspects of brain disorders. Our commitment to evidence-based medicine — treatment regimens that have been proven effective through scientific research — and our belief that every child should be treated as an individual, not solely a recipient of treatment, make a lasting difference for patients and families in our care.
For more than 35 years, the Boston Children’s Neuropsychology Program has worked with children and families affected by brain and central nervous system disorders, injuries, and diseases. Our clinicians have a wealth of expertise applying their understanding of brain-behavior relationships and development to help children and adolescents think, function, and learn.
Our expertise
Boston Children’s Hospital is home to one of the world’s most accomplished pediatric psychiatry programs. Our Neuropsychology Program helps patients cope with problems of learning, memory, organization, and emotional control resulting from brain injuries or neurological disorders.
If your child is living with brain or central nervous system damage or dysfunction, our expert clinicians can help evaluate her symptoms, connect you with other specialists throughout the hospital, and work with you — and your child — to devise an effective treatment plan that takes all of your family’s needs into consideration.
The Boston Children's Neuropsychology Program team will work to assess your child’s:
- neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses
- cognitive and social-emotional abilities
- emotional and impulse control
- academic skills and reasoning
- sensory abilities and motor skills
In addition, we will help you and your family:
- understand the impact of your child’s medical or neurological disorder on her daily functioning and ongoing development
- develop a plan for supporting your child medically, socially, and academically
- cope with your child’s behavioral changes as the result of medical or surgical treatment
- work with your child’s educational team to promote academic and social functioning
- access beneficial school and community resources
By partnering with your family as key members of our treatment team, we can make a comprehensive assessment of your child’s individual situation and provide critical tools to help your child lead a happy and fulfilling home, school, and social life.
Clinical assessment
In the Neuropsychology Program at Boston Children’s, clinical assessment is approached from a neurodevelopmental systems perspective which addresses:
- the child as a whole
- the child in various contexts (social, cultural, familial, academic, and societal)
- the neural substrates of behavior
- psychological processes
- developmental changes in brain and behaviors
Our assessment strategy emphasizes the close relationship among:
- evaluation and management
- broad-based data gathering
- integration of issues of diversity and culture
- ecologically valid interventions
- parent/child/teacher education
We believe in treating the “whole child” by addressing not only the cognitive symptoms of your child’s illness, but also the emotional, educational, and social needs of your entire family.
