Leading educational change using a neuropsychological Response‐to‐intervention approach: Linking our past, present, and future

Abstract

AbstractNeuropsychology may be described as the study of brain‐behavior relationships (National Academy of Neuropsychology [NAN], 2001). Clinical neuropsychology represents the application of knowledge of the intricacies of these relationships to individual cases. Several authors have advocated for the application of neuropsychology to the public schools, a specialty some have called “school neuropsychology” (D'Amato, 1990; Hynd & Obrzut, 1981). This area of study represents the application of neuropsychological knowledge to help understand (a) childhood behavior, (b) individual student strengths and needs, (c) how students learn, and (d) how teaching can be linked to brain‐based instructional practices (D'Amato, Fletcher‐Janzen, & Reynolds, 2005b; Hale & Fiorello, 2004; Sousa, 2006). Since the term was initially introduced by Hynd and Obrzut, considerable debate has arisen regarding training, credentialing, and the professional identity of this specialty (Crespi & Cooke, 2003; Parrish, 2005; Pelletier, Hiemenz, & Shapiro, 2004). This article briefly reviews the history of neuropsychology applied to work with children, describes credentialing and training of professionals trained in both school psychology and neuropsychology, presents models of applying neuropsychology within the school setting, and outlines potential benefits of using a neuropsychologically based Response‐to‐Intervention model in the schools. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.