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.

Deploying a battery of diagnostic tests and other techniques, NESCA evaluates and treats:

Therapeutic modalities include:

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