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Neuropsychologically Driven Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology

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Understanding the Biological Basis of Behavior

Abstract

A neuropsychological interpretive schema is advantageous in its ability to provide a framework for understanding the potential role of internal information processing capacities in causing learning problems. Neuropsychology provides a roadmap for understanding potential cognitive causes of behavior and is an imperative step for understanding learning problems in children. The current chapter explores how neuropsychology can be applied in education settings. Neuropsychology has had a significant influence on disability evaluations of children in special education. Despite its direct relevance for understanding children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, neuropsychological research and training have been highly under-represented in the field of school psychology. There are several barriers to its inclusion in the field including a lack of training, personnel, and theoretical biases. Furthermore, a lack of simplified models of brain functioning that provide clear guidance for evaluations, specifically intended for educational purposes, is a major obstacle for the growth of neuropsychology in the school setting. Additionally, school psychologists frequently criticize the interpretive component of neuropsychology since it appears to involve a high degree of inference on the part of the assessor in order to provide a conclusive diagnosis. The current chapter addresses these issues by (1) providing outlines and examples for those wishing to implement neuropsychology in educational assessments, (2) introducing a new method for interpreting psychoeducational assessments that is more explicit and objective than clinical judgment in isolation, and (3) providing direct guidance for possible intervention approaches.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Scott L. Decker, Christopher Anzalone, Rachel M. Bridges & Jessica C. Luedke

Authors
  1. Scott L. Decker
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  2. Christopher Anzalone
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  3. Rachel M. Bridges
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  4. Jessica C. Luedke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Scott L. Decker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of School Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional, Psychology and Presence Learning, Chicago, IL, USA

    Rik Carl D’Amato

  2. Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA

    Andrew S. Davis

  3. Department of School Psychology, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY, USA

    Elizabeth M. Power

  4. School Psychology, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Adelphi, MA, USA

    Eleazar Cruz Eusebio

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Decker, S.L., Anzalone, C., Bridges, R.M., Luedke, J.C. (2021). Neuropsychologically Driven Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology. In: D’Amato, R.C., Davis, A.S., Power, E.M., Eusebio, E.C. (eds) Understanding the Biological Basis of Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59162-5_13

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