Training

We offer 12-month, 16 hours a week pre-doctoral externship in pediatric neuropsychology or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These externships are primarily assessment focused; however there is one therapy option in the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD). Our neuropsychology training combines clinical and didactic activities to prepare the trainee to be a good consumer of neuropsychology or for future training and practice as a neuropsychologist. CASD provides expertise in assessment and intervention for children with ASD of all ages and abilities.

The patient population at Children’s National Hospital is culturally diverse, providing trainees with the opportunity to work with families from a variety of backgrounds. Externs learn to evaluate children with a wide range of complex developmental and acquired neurological disorders. Referral questions most often relate to the child’s profile of cognitive strengths and weaknesses, diagnostic concerns and educational and therapeutic program planning. Much of our service includes multidisciplinary interactions.

The Division of Neuropsychology at Children’s National is under the direction of Gerard Gioia, Ph.D., and includes 16 faculty neuropsychologists, 4 pediatric psychologists, 6 postdoctoral fellows and multiple pre-doctoral interns and externs. Our faculty and fellows are involved in grant-funded clinical research and our team contributed numerous publications last year within high impact, peer-reviewed journals. Our neuropsychology faculty members are leaders in the field, serving as chair and committee members, grant reviewers and panel experts for national and international societies, research consortiums and foundations. This high level of expertise, combined with our greater Washington D.C. area location, uniquely positions us for involvement in legislative advocacy related to issues such as mild TBI in children and ASD.