Specialist neuropsychological assessment procedures for children and adolescents

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction to specialist developmental neuropsychological assessment for clinical or research purposes. In particular, the review considers how to identify groups likely to require specialist neuropsychological testing. Furthermore, it discusses measurement issues, such as the non-specific abilities that are utilized in the course of various assessments. These abilities are not the target functions; but children's capacity in such abilities may confound the test results; and as such it is important to be aware of these hidden test requirements. A variety of published tests and measures are described in detailed tables (including target function, reference population and test age range). Also the paper considers issues relating to individual brain functions such as implicit versus explicit memory, expressive and receptive language, sustained and selective attention, spatial and motor skills. It raises the notion that there is a lack of specificity in the executative function (EF) concept – which is particularly important as EF functions are implicated in so many neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, the paper highlights the difficulties in capturing social cognition with formal neuropsychological assessment.