The Center for Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment (CNaP) at Kennedy Krieger Institute offers doctoral internship training with emphasis in Pediatric Neuropsychology. The Neuropsychology Rotation within the Behavioral Psychology/Neuropsychology Doctoral Internship is a 6-month training rotation that pairs with another 6-month training rotation in either the Brief Treatment Clinic or Pediatric Psychology Clinic and Consultation Service.
The Neuropsychology Rotation provides a Major Area of Study in neuropsychology, with 50% of training in clinical neuropsychology and didactic experiences consistent with the Houston Conference Guidelines. Our program will be coordinating with relevant training organizations including the Association for Internship Training in Neuropsychology (AITCN) to incorporate the Minnesota Conference Guidelines as implementation guidance evolves.
The objective of the training experience is to provide advanced training in neuropsychological assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with a wide range of central nervous system disorders. Recommendations from evaluations seek to ameliorate the impact of brain impairment on cognitive, social, emotional and educational functioning. In addition, interns have opportunities for experiences with cognitive rehabilitation and consultation to medical and school personnel.
The neuropsychology rotation offers clinical training experiences simultaneously in two primary areas. Training in both settings occurs over the six-month rotation.
- Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation, with a focus on evaluation and treatment of children following traumatic or acquired brain injuries who are admitted to the brain injury service for intensive neurorehabilitation. Interns will participate as part of the interdisciplinary treatment team. Responsibilities will include conducting neuropsychological evaluations, conducting serial assessment of cognitive recovery, providing education and recommendations to family and staff, providing cognitive rehabilitation and assisting with treatment and discharge planning. Additionally, the intern will occasionally conduct evaluations of children with a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders who are admitted to the inpatient unit for a variety of medical concerns.
- Outpatient Neuropsychological Assessment, with focus on evaluation of individuals (infancy through young adulthood) with a wide range of congenital and acquired brain disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, brain injury). Consultation is provided to medical providers, schools and families. Interns are also exposed to relevant special education law and its application within the field of pediatric neuropsychology.
In addition to participating in institute- and internship-wide didactics, when on the Neuropsychology Rotation, interns participate in several neuropsychology specific didactics with other trainees in CNaP (e.g., neuropsychology case conference, neuropsychology seminar, and neuropsychology professional development seminar). Many of these didactics focus on preparation for board certification in clinical neuropsychology through ABPP.
CNaP has several faculty members with robust research programs and supports an extensive clinical database. Interns who have completed their dissertations may have the opportunity to engage in research projects within the department.
Candidates interested in the Neuropsychology Rotation must have completed at least three years of graduate study and be approved for internship by their doctoral training director. Candidates for the neuropsychology rotation should have graduate level coursework which includes:
- Normal development of brain and behavior;
- Child and adolescent psychopathology;
- Assessment of intelligence, achievement and psychopathology;
- Interventions with children and families;
- Topics in child/pediatric neuropsychology;
- Supervised practica in child assessment;
- Supervised practica in pediatric neuropsychology;
- Research methods in applied psychology.