NESCA - Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents

Evaluations at NESCA are notable for diagnostic accuracy, even—or especially--in the most complex cases. But by design, the element that truly sets them apart is the exceptional clarity and usefulness of the written reports they generate, which reveal a rich understanding of each child. Interpreting data, coming to grips with the practical implications of a child’s diagnosis, formulating corrective strategies and presenting them in ways that can be both readily grasped and effectively implemented is a complex process. To produce reports of greatest benefit to clients and their families, our clinicians often go well beyond the expected, in time and effort.

Our staff is comprised of a seasoned group of senior neuropsychologists and other skilled practitioners who serve children and their families not only from the Boston metropolitan area and the rest of Massachusetts, but also from adjacent New England states and abroad. They have the training, experience, clinical judgment and professional standing not only to perform thorough evaluations, but also to make persuasive, useful recommendations and monitor their effective implementation.

We test, diagnose and treat children - pre-school through adolescence – confronted by developmental, learning or emotional challenges. Although many of the children we evaluate would traditionally have been seen in a hospital setting, parents choose us because they appreciate our friendliness and accessibility, the much higher degree of personal care we provide, and our eagerness and ability to follow-through, long-term. We strive to build long-term relationships with families so that we can provide ongoing support throughout the child's development.

Employing a battery of specialized diagnostic tests selected according to the individual presentation of each child, NESCA evaluates and treats:

We address special education issues and school placements, and offer projective testing, special-needs tutoring and social skills development programs. Our center also provides families expertise with educational planning and management of children with special needs. We actively assist parents and teachers in drawing out the best in each child.

NESCA frequently provides assessments and consultation to human service agencies, public school systems and major universities. We receive referrals from pediatric neurologists, pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys, educational advocates, special education directors and private schools, as well as from our many client families.

NESCA is pleased to offer yoga-based, mind-body integration therapy, which by increasing their self-awareness, equips children to more effectively manage difficult emotions, modulate their physiological state and calm themselves when anxious or overwhelmed. Sessions are conducted by Hannah Gould, M.Ed., a certified special education teacher and yoga instructor extensively experienced in working with children with nonverbal learning disability and autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s Syndrome. Hannah uses stories, games and music to make yoga engaging and meaningful to children. Read more.

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Two More Pediatric Neuropsychologists to Join NESCA

We are excited to announce that two new pediatric neuropsychologists will soon join NESCA’s clinical staff. In July, we will welcome Robyn Glover, Ph.D., who is currently completing her post-doctoral training in the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, she works with children with symptoms of psychological disorders, learning disabilities, developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders) and other neuropsychological deficits.

Amy Allgair, Ph.D. arrives in September from McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. She is especially interested in how emotional factors impact cognition and learning. Much of her training has focused on children, teenagers and young adults with attentional and learning disorders (such as ADHD and dyslexia), and anxiety and depression. Both have had extensive, specialized training and experience at the highest levels.

Find Additional Information About Drs. Glover and Allgair Here

A Parent’s Guide to Neuropsychological Evaluation

On behalf of the Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE), Newton Journalist Lucy Berrington recently wrote an informative article entitled “A Parent’s Guide to Neuropsychological Evaluation” for the group’s website (http://aane.org/). NESCA Director Dr. Ann Helmus contributed to it, as did several other neuropsychologists. Because we felt that Berrington’s piece might be very helpful to parent’s considering evaluations for their children or navigating the shoal waters of the special education process, we asked for, and received from the AANE, permission to reprint it here. One key recommendation? “When choosing a neuropsychologist, find someone you can work with over the long term, preferably all the way through your child’s schooling. The better (he or she) knows your child, the more helpful and persuasive their reports will be to parents, educators and, if your case ever becomes litigious, hearing officers.”

Find the AANE’s “A Parent’s Guide to Neuropsychological Evaluation” Here

See Our Thoughts on Choosing the “Right” Neuropsychologist for Your Child Here

The American Psychological Association recently accredited NESCA to award Continuing Education Credits to psychologists, both on staff and from outside our practice, who participate in our weekly training seminars and other special events. These credits are required by the State as a condition of ongoing professional licensure.

We are very pleased by the APA’s acknowledgement of the quality of our programs, our commitment to best clinical practices and our dedication to advancement of knowledge within the field. In addition to our educational programs, we are currently training three post-doctoral fellows, and a pre-doctoral intern. We are also conducting research, funded by a grant from the National Academy of Neuropsychology, into the efficacy of pediatric neuropsychological evaluation. Through these endeavors, we maintain a dynamic workplace in which our clinicians thrive and you are assured that your child is being evaluated by a passionate, highly-trained, experienced professional whose findings are based on the latest and best information available.

The Developmental Collaborative at NESCA: TDC - A New Clinical Division

We have established The Developmental Collaborative at NESCA (TDC) to provide diagnostic evaluations and treatment, transitional and other support services to children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and their families. Nancy Roosa, Psy.D., one of our senior staff neuropsychologists, will serve as clinical director. Initially, TDC will offer diagnostic testing on Fridays at NESCA, where teams using the ADOS and other specialized instruments will be able to accurately assess children as young as two years old. Individual counseling as well as consultation on topics including nutritional and other biomedical interventions will be scheduled according to the availability of the appropriate clinician, and support groups will be offered from time to time. TDC has adopted a mission statement emphasizing openness and humane, compassionate care within its broader commitment to best professional practice and timely performance.

Look Here to See the TDC Mission Statement

This fall, we launched a new clinical division called TDC: The Developmental Collaborative at NESCA, specialized in the diagnosis of autism in children as young as two years old, and their subsequent treatment through adolescence and transition into adulthood. Many TDC client families have asked us to help them separate wheat from chaff, fact from the fiction that abounds, especially on the web, by directing them to reliable sources of information about these complex and challenging conditions. Accordingly, we have compiled an extensive list of books we recommend on topics ranging from early warning signs to educational program planning, the maintenance of healthy family relationships and first-person accounts of life on the autism spectrum.

We have also very carefully screened dozens of websites containing material related to autism, in order to identify those that are easiest to navigate, broadest in scope, most accurate and of greatest utility to families grappling with the challenges of autism diagnoses. The web is an invaluable tool, but it can also be a minefield of misinformation and exploitation. Here is a list of sites that we feel are solidly grounded scientifically, offering evidence-based programs staffed professionally and services of interest and solid value to many families. By reading the books listed above and continuing your research online at these websites, you can expand your knowledge of autism safely and reliably.

Throughout the year, Coach Alison Farquhar will be offering facilitated discussion and support groups for parents of seriously ‘quirky’ kids, who often face daunting challenges in accommodating their children’s complex special needs while keeping their families functional and their own lives and relationships intact. Her topics will range from managing AD/HD and executive functioning deficits, to coping at home with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and, in a group called “All my friends have perfect kids,” dealing with feelings of frustration, anger, injustice and social isolation. Ali is very knowledgeable, extensively experienced, wryly funny and remarkably empathetic. Parents who care for themselves are better able to help their children. Here’s your chance.