Pediatric Neuropsychology Residency Program Major Rotations: Primary Clinical Experiences

Outpatient Specialty Clinics:

Residents gain experience in outpatient neuropsychological assessment by participating in all outpatient specialty clinics. Through their involvement in the outpatient specialty clinics, residents gain experience serving individuals ranging in age from infancy to young adulthood with a wide range of acquired neurological conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders. As part of this experience, residents offer consultation to medical providers, school staff members and families, and are exposed to relevant special education law and its application within the field of pediatric neuropsychology. The specific outpatient specialty clinics are described below.

Congenital/Genetic Conditions

Residents conduct neuropsychological assessments of children and adolescents with a variety of developmental disorders. Patient populations include individuals with more commonly occurring neurologic conditions, such as hydrocephalus, Sturge-Weber syndrome, 22q deletion syndrome, cerebral palsy and spina bifida, as well as patients with rare genetic conditions and metabolic disorders. Providers in this clinic consult with several specialized clinics at Kennedy Krieger, including the Neurology and Neurogenetics Clinic.

Epilepsy/Brain Injury

Residents provide outpatient neuropsychological evaluations of children with seizure disorders and those who have had neurological injuries. Evaluation types include presurgical, postsurgical and general epilepsy evaluations, as well as follow-up evaluations for individuals who are past the acute phase of recovery from neurological injury. Providers in this clinic work closely with the pediatric epilepsy team at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) and the rehabilitation team at Kennedy Krieger to ensure comprehensive treatment planning and recommendations.

Oncology

Rehabilitation Continuum of Care

The Rehabilitation Continuum of Care (RCC) provides comprehensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation services to children and adolescents with brain and spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy (primarily post-orthopedic surgery) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Residents gain experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings within the RCC.

Inpatient Neurorehabilitation

Within this rotation, residents focus on evaluating and treating children with traumatic or acquired brain injuries who are admitted to the Institute’s inpatient rehabilitation unit for neurorehabilitation. Residents are part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, and their responsibilities include conducting neuropsychological evaluations, offering education and recommendations to family and staff members, providing cognitive rehabilitation and supportive psychological services, and assisting with treatment and discharge planning. Residents also evaluate children with a range of other disorders who are admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit for a variety of medical conditions, including spinal cord injuries and chronic pain disorders.

Outpatient Neurorehabilitation

This outpatient neurorehabilitation experience provides the opportunity for the resident to be part of two interdisciplinary treatment teams within our RCC. Residents obtain experience in outpatient neurorehabilitation as part of two rotations. During one rotation, residents spend four days a week in a comprehensive day hospital setting (Specialized Transition Program). This rotation also includes one day every other week in an outpatient specialty clinic. During a second rotation, residents spend one day a week in an interdisciplinary clinic (Concussion Clinic). This rotation also includes one day a week in an outpatient specialty clinic. These settings are described as follows:

Specialized Transition Program (STP):

STP is Kennedy Krieger’s comprehensive rehabilitation day hospital. The program strives to transition children and adolescents undergoing intensive neurorehabilitation back into their homes, communities and schools. Working as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, primarily with children and adolescents recovering from acquired brain injuries and managing chronic pain conditions, residents’ responsibilities include conducting comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, providing consultation to families and the team, facilitating group-based intervention to adolescents managing chronic health conditions, and assisting with treatment and discharge planning. Based on interest, the resident may also provide individual and group-based psychological and neuropsychological interventions, including cognitive rehabilitation. Opportunities will also be available to work with children diagnosed with a wide range of complex neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Concussion Clinic:

The Concussion Clinic is an interdisciplinary clinic that provides focused evaluation and management of mild traumatic brain injuries within a fast-paced clinic setting. Residents work as part of a clinic's treatment team that includes neuropsychologists, physicians (neurologists or physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians), nurse practitioners and nurses. Residents play an active role in decisions regarding returning to sports and other activities following injury, and collaborate with schools and athletic training staff members. Residents in this clinic will follow their patients from initial injury to recovery through serial assessments and consultations.

Additional Interdisciplinary Settings:

Kennedy Krieger School Programs

Residents provide assessment and consultation in a nationally recognized nonpublic special education day school. Residents work with students who have a variety of diagnoses and federal classifications, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral problems, speech-language impairments, intellectual disabilities, and other health conditions, such as seizures and traumatic brain injuries. Learning opportunities include special education law and consultation and collaboration with educators and other related service providers in an interdisciplinary setting.

Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™)

Residents work within an interdisciplinary team of professionals in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, social work and medicine to provide diagnostic clarification for children with ASD and various other complex medical and behavioral conditions. Residents also participate in independent neuropsychological evaluations and consult with providers, schools and therapists, both within the Institute and throughout the community. Exposure to treatment (e.g., social skills groups) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) is also incorporated into the rotation. The center is a federally funded National Center of Excellence, with research programs actively investigating early detection and intervention for ASD, standards of practice for autism centers, sensory-motor functioning and a variety of other topics.
 

Sample Schedule of Major Rotations for Incoming Fellows: