The Neuropsychology Rehabilitation rotation within the Behavioral Psychology/Neuropsychology Doctoral Internship is a 6-month training track that pairs with another 6-month training track in either Child and Family Therapy, Behavior Management, or Pediatric Consultation.

The Department of Neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute offers doctoral internship training with emphasis in Pediatric Neuropsychology. This position is a specialized rotation within the Institute’s larger internship training program in Pediatric Psychology. The training program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.

The objective of the training experience is to provide advanced training in neuropsychological assessment and treatment of children 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, consultation to medical and school personnel, behavior and family therapy.

The philosophy of our internship program is to prepare students to function as psychologists in a variety of settings, both individually, as consultants, and as members of a multidisciplinary team. The internship is designed to provide supervised experiences in neuropsychological assessment and interventions in accordance with Houston Conference guidelines, and affords the intern 50% time in neuropsychology training.

The neuropsychology rotation offers primary clinical training experiences simultaneously in two primary areas. Training in both settings occurs over a six month period.

  • 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 unit for intensive neurorehabilitation. Interns will participate on an interdisciplinary treatment team. Responsibilities will include conducting neuropsychological evaluations, providing education and recommendations to family and staff, providing cognitive rehabilitaiton, providing supportive psychological services, and assisting with treatment and discharge planning. Additionally, the resident 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.

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. Students from APA/CPA-accredited doctoral programs are referred. 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.