COURSE DESCRIPTION

Have you recently forgotten a familiar person’s name? Do you know where your keys are?  Is your patient’s lateness an expression of resistance?  Or could it be something else?  Is your client at a loss for words because she is emotionally overwhelmed?  Are you sure?  We and our patients rely on our brains to manage the simple and complex demands of everyday living. Some lapses are normative. Others may point to underlying problems processing information that require and benefit from further investigation. Fortunately for us, in this so-called Decade of the Brain, we have unprecedented amounts of information about the relationship between behavior and brain function. In this seminar we will talk about how brains work, how to recognize the indicators when they aren’t working optimally, and how the information provided by an evaluation can facilitate therapeutic progress and can benefit our patients—and us—in day-to-day life.

TESTIMONIALS

Here are some comments taken from recent course evaluations about the course.

This is a new course. Testimonials will be posted as they are received.

TOPICS

•  What Is Neuropsychology?

•  Concerns People Have About Referring To A Neuropsychologist

•  Normal Aging V. Dementia

•  The Neuropsychology Of Emotions And Psychiatric Disorders

•  Cognitive Problems That Masquerade As Personality/Behavior Pathology

•  Genetic And Environmental Influences On Brain Function

•  Overview Of Commonly Used Neuropychological Tests

•  Uses Of Neuropsychological Assessment

•  “Attention” Problems Throughout The Lifespan

•  Cognitive Function Through The Lifespan

•  Learning, Behavior And Social Problems

GOALS

At the conclusion of this program you should be better able to:

-Differentiate normal cognitive lapses from more serious problems

-Know when referral for a cognitive evaluation is indicated

-Evaluate the completeness and competency of evaluative reports

-Craft more specific referral questions for evaluators

SPEAKER PROFILE

Dana Chidekel, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist (PSY 14261) and a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology. She specializes in assessing children and adults referred for academic, developmental, behavioral, and functional difficulties. Dr. Chidekel also serves as a consultant and as an expert witness in forensic settings. She is a frequent presenter to lay and professional audiences on topics related to neuropsychology and to parenting. The author of Parents in Charge: Setting Healthy Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child, she has been interviewed for magazine articles in Parents, Parenting, Child, American Baby, Men’s Health, and First for Women. Dr. Chidekel has appeared on local and national radio, and on local and national television programs, including several appearances on the Today Show. Her one-hour special, Great Parents, Great Kids with Dr. Dana Chidekel, has been broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.