Neuropsychological and Neurophysiological Assessment of Children with Learning and Behavior Problems

Abstract

The evaluation of children with learning disabilities and behavior problems has puzzled clinicians for years. In an attempt to improve diagnostic validity, a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation of medical, psychoeducational, and behavioral factors has been recommended (Goldstein, 1974; Ross & Ross, 1976). This evaluation at times includes neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessment, intended to determine whether some type of brain damage or more “subtle” brain dysfunction may account for the observed learning and behavior difficulties. The use of these procedures may be a result of the popularity during the last decade of the term minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), which was used to describe a variety of learning and behavior problems, including hyperactivity and learning disabilities. The concept of MBD assumes the presence of an underlying central nervous system dysfunc-tion, presumably susceptible to detection by neuropsychological and neurophysiological procedures.