![]() | ||||
![]() |
Home |
Directions |
Our Staff |
Contact |
Community Outreach |
Our Services |
FAQ |
Intake Fact Sheet
Welcome to NESCA! NESCA is a specialized pediatric neuropsychology practice in Newton, Massachusetts
established by Dr. Ann Helmus. It was founded on her belief that a comprehensive, understandable
evaluation is an important tool for parents and teachers to use in supporting the development
and educational progress of children with special needs. We feel that a thorough understanding
of the child's functioning is the first step in this process, and that follow-up support in terms
of consultation with parents, schools and other professionals is also critical. We strive to build
long-term relationships with families so that we can provide ongoing support throughout the
child's development. 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 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 also provides assessments and consultation to human service agencies,
public school systems and a major university. We receive referrals from pediatric neurologists,
pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, attorneys, educational advocates, special education
directors, private schools as well as our many client families. Speech-language evaluations and therapy are provided through our formal affiliation
with Chatterboxes (www.TeamChatterboxes.com), a
highly-regarded group practice in Newton Centre. Occupational therapy will soon follow. NESCA Clinical Staff Trained to Administer ADOS NESCA's entire clinical staff recently received two full days of professional training
in the administration of the ADOS, or Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. The ADOS, widely
used in research, academic and clinical settings, is the "gold standard" of tools for assessing autism
and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), across all age, developmental and linguistic levels. Read about the ADOS and Why NESCA Embraces It Here NESCA Announces Two Special New Summer Programs "Camp Scenes" is a fun and engaging, week-long camp based on the Social Thinking from the
Inside Out program, which incorporates social thinking instruction, video modeling, yoga and movie-making.
Three sessions will be offered. "Camp Scenes" is appropriate for children and teens with social-cognitive
deficits such as Asperger's Syndrome, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, ADHD and anyone who struggles
to "get it" socially. Children must be able to use language as a tool for building skills, and should
be able to follow a group agenda including discussion, play, and movement activities. Please call
Hannah Gould, M.Ed., program director, at 617-658-9823 or email
hgould@nesca-newton.com for details.
Look Here for Schedules and Additional Information about Camp Scenes
This summer, we will also offer three, 4-week stress management classes for students struggling with
anxiety or frustration, or those simply interested in developing a better understanding of their
stress and how to manage it. Each class will provide an introduction to yoga, mindfulness, breathing
techniques, and meditation as tools for stress management. Classes will be targeted to meet the
unique needs and interests of participants, who will gain an understanding of what their personal
stressors are, and how and when they experience that stress. Specific skills and strategies will
be taught and practiced so that participants can apply them "in the moment" whenever stress arises.
Please call Hannah Gould, M.Ed., program director, at 617-658-9823 or
email hgould@nesca-newton.com for details.
Look Here for Schedules and Additional Information about Stress Management
An Important FAQ: How to Choose a Neuropsychologist Curiously, until now, we have neglected on our FAQ page to answer the question that
we're asked third-most often, right after "What's a neuropsychologist," and "What exactly do you do,
anyway?" Usually, it's an anxious parent making initial contact on behalf of a son or daughter unexpectedly
referred for testing, who wonders, "OK, then, what should I look for in choosing someone to evaluate
my child?" Tempting as it might be simply to say, "Look no further," we understand that the question
is a serious one, deserving a considered response setting forth objective criteria to apply in choosing
a clinician for your child. Here are some. Learn How to Choose Someone to Evaluate Your Child Here |
|||