Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Christopher J. Nicholls, PhD, ABPP, ABPdN, is a clinical neuropsychologist with more than 35 years of experience working in medical centers, teaching hospitals, and private practice, specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology, and the American Academy of Clinical Psychology.

"In this charming, comprehensive, and warmly written book, Chris Nicholls invites us to set aside categorical thinking and allow ourselves to see the child, their family, and their unique life contexts in all their messy splendor. Are we considering variance in a child’s test data or history to reflect interesting considerations or annoying facts that don’t fit our diagnostic impression? At every turn of the page, Dr. Nicholls resists the ‘wishful desire for a nice, simple explanation for just how complicated life is.’ Reading this book is like having the great good fortune to be personally mentored by the type of seasoned, collaborative, highly knowledgeable professional you would bring your own child to see."—Karen Postal, PhD, ABPP-CN, clinical instructor of neuropsychology at Harvard Medical School"Dr. Nicholls has provided the neuropsychological community with an outstanding model for applying a developmental approach to dimensional analysis of disorders in children and adolescents. If I were training graduate students and postdoctoral residents, Dr. Nicholls's work would definitely be on our reading list. For practicing clinicians, this volume will broaden conceptualization of neuropsychological interpretation, add significantly to a knowledge base, and reinforce the integration of information from a variety of sources into a sophisticated understanding of the individual, leading to pragmatic recommendations for implementing strategies to make a meaningful difference for the individual."—Wilma G. Rosen, PhD, ABPdN, neuropsychologist in private practice and adjunct assistant professor in the graduate program in psychology at the City University of New York"Dr. Nicholls’s clinical experience and expertise is evident in this unique volume, which addresses conceptual and practical issues when working with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. I believe the book will be thought provoking for beginning and experienced practitioners."—Andrew S. Davis, PhD, professor of psychology at Ball State University

• Introduction I. Dimensions of Being Different 1. Biological Dimensions of Difference 2. Familial and Social Dimensions 3. Conceptual Dimensions 4. On Categories and Dimensions II. The "Usual Suspects" 5. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 6. Attention and Executive Function Disorders 7. Developmental Social Neuroscience and the Autism Spectrum of Disorders 8. Disorders of Academic Learning III. The Role of the Clinician 9. Considerations for Assessment 10. Putting it All Together and Writing a Report 11. Considerations for Intervention 12. Questions to Ask Oneself