Entry requirements
Only open to master’s students of Clinical Neuropsychology, having participated in the Master course Child Neuropsychology: Theory and assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Description
During the work group sessions, the different stages of a neuropsychological assessment and various (neuro)psychological tests, questionnaires, and other methods will be discussed. The course provides a practical training in clinical neuropsychological assessment of children, building up diagnostic skills by training the following domains:
The pediatric diagnostic interview
Observations
Administration, scoring, and interpretation of neuropsychological tests (e.g. addressing intelligence, executive functions, attention, memory visuo-spatial abilities)
Assessment of behaviour and personality
Writing neuropsychological reports
Giving advice to children, families and teachers
Presenting your analysis and conclusions to parents
Course objectives
The course provides students with basic professional skills for competent clinical practice of child neuropsychology. These skills are related to:
Collecting relevant information, through the pediatric diagnostic interview and observations;
Choosing the right instruments for the assessment;
Administering, scoring, and interpreting neuropsychological tests and questionnaires;
Formulating a neuropsychological conclusion;
Reporting the results of a neuropsychological assessment in written and spoken form;
Dealing with ethical issues related to working with children and their families.
At the end of the course, students will have gained knowledge about how to conduct neuropsychological assessments and how to report the results through oral and written reports. The acquired knowledge and skills provide an important foundation for those who want to work as a child neuropsychologist in the assessment of children with neuropsychological problems.
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, work groups and exams, please select your study programme in: Psychology timetables
Registration
Course
Students need to enroll for lectures and work group sessions. Master’s course registration
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date. Students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination. Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
7 3-hour work group sessions (mandatory)
In between work group sessions students will have to practice together with several neuropsychological tests and questionnaires. Students will also have to administer an actual neuropsychological assessment, which includes the pediatric diagnostic interview with parents, administration of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires, writing a report and discussing the results in class. This method resembles the real-life working situation of a child neuropsychologist.
Assessment method
Individual Assignments (e.g. writing parts of a neuropsychological report about different cases) (60%)
Written neuropsychological report about a child assessed by students themselves (group assignment) (40%)
Sufficiently participate in the peer review assignments (complete all peer review assignments and review those of your group members)
A report that reflects whether students have sufficiently practised with administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests and questionnaires (no numeric grade, but it has to be of a sufficient level)
Language for the course and the assignments can be both English and Dutch.
The Institute of Psychology follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of this fraud policy.
Contact information
Monique Morcus, MSc m.e.j.morcus@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Janice Sandjojo, MSc j.sandjojo@fsw.leidenuniv.nl