"Hale and Fiorello have met their goal in this book, providing a clearly written, data-based survey of the child-centered brain/n-/behavior literature. Clinically relevant and user-friendly, this book will serve as a primary text in beginning-level graduate neuropsychology courses, and as a supplemental text in cognitive assessment courses. It is also a useful reference for clinicians and researchers working with children and adolescents."—Vincent C. Alfonso, PhD, Graduate School of Education, Fordham University
"This unique volume brings together the fundamentals of neuropsychology and brain organization with discussions of specific neurodevelopmental syndromes, their impact on learning and behavior, and practical issues of diagnosis and remediation. State-of-the-art knowledge is presented in a reader-friendly, engaging manner. This book will be an invaluable reference and guide for school psychologists, child neuropsychologists, child psychiatrists, special education professionals, and anyone else concerned with brain-behavior relationships in the educational context."—Elkhonon Goldberg, PhD, Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine
"Finally, another neuropsychology book geared to practitioners! This much-needed volume integrates brain-behavior relationships within an educational context. Recent research has made clear that we cannot understand individuals without studying neuropsychology, yet few resources like this one exist. Practitioners, researchers, and students will find a variety of cases, figures, forms, and charts that are helpful in the daily practice of school psychology. The text is written in a user-friendly fashion, offers a variety of essential neuropsychological information, and comprehensively reviews related assessment activities, while focusing on interventions. In sum, it offers the beginning knowledge base that is missing from so many school psychology programs."—Rik Carl D'Amato, PhD, Editor, School Psychology Quarterly; College of Education, University of Northern Colorado
Reviewer: Christopher J Graver, PhD, ABPP-CN(Madigan Healthcare System)
Description: This is a "hands-on" guide to neuropsychological practice in educational settings. It covers general content areas such as brain-behavior relationships, approaches to interpretation, and linking neuropsychological assessments to practical interventions. Furthermore, this book specifically explores disorders of reading, mathematics, and written language from a neuropsychological perspective.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide current information on brain-behavior relationships, as well as suggestions for the practical application of this information in the school setting. It is designed to provide a new way of thinking about pediatric assessment by practitioners who have experience and training in administering and interpreting neuropsychological instruments. This is a critically needed handbook, especially for those neuropsychologists new to the pediatric realm, and the authors have provided a very useful text to meet these objectives.
Audience: It is intended for practicing neuropsychologists, as well as graduate students in clinical psychology interested in pediatric practice. Although others may find this book interesting and helpful, the authors are clear that this book is not intended to provide individuals with the necessary information or skills to call themselves neuropsychologists. Therefore, a basic level of training in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience is assumed.
Features: This book provides an abundance of information useful to practitioners. Most notably, the tables are expedient to use and provide highly relevant information at a glance. For example, chapter 1 provides tables for commonly used instruments (e.g., WISC-IV and Woodcock-Johnson-III) that summarize the major subtests and their purported cognitive constructs. Later in the book, information is provided regarding normal brain function and ecologically valid examples of brain dysfunction, which are very helpful for both adult and pediatric populations. Chapter 4 goes on to discuss practical interventions and methods for assessing intervention outcomes when brain dysfunction is known or suspected. The book provides case examples in the latter chapters specifically related to reading, mathematical, and written language disorders. Each case example provides a brief background, test results, and guidance in the interpretation and recommendation stages of the clinical process, which are a refreshing complement to an already well-written book. Finally, there is an appendix at the end of each chapter that offers relevant supplemental information, which in some cases includes a glossary, additional suggested readings, or examples of instruments/questionnaires that may be useful.
Assessment: This is a highly accessible book for anyone with a background in neuropsychology seeking to expand his or her knowledge to include pediatric assessment in an educational setting. Although other books, such as Pediatric Neuropsychology: Research, Theory, and Practice, Yeates et al. (Guilford Publications, 2000), provide in-depth coverage of medical diseases and neuropsychological syndromes in pediatric practice, this book provides a practical guide for optimizing the neuropsychological assessment of school-aged children. While this isn't a typical handbook that readers will carry in their pocket (it's 8.5" x11"), they will undoubtedly keep it close at hand.
