The neuropsychologist will first evaluate the young person’s history and complaints.

Recovery of cognition is often tested and monitored through neuropsychological testing.

When treating long-term cognitive and behavioral issues, a neuropsychologist:

• Understands the young person wasn’t referred for psychosocial reasons.


• Utilizes a normal adjustment model.


• Treats the student as a previously well-functioning student in the midst of a change.


• Works to remove barriers so the young person is able to participate fully in PT, OT, and ST.

Cognitive–Communicative

A specialist (such as a speech-language pathologist) develops and trains individualized compensatory cognitive-communication strategies for the young person to:

• Support attention.
• Improve memory.
• Aid in problem-solving.
• Enhance executive functioning.

If the patient’s school has speech and language professionals on staff, they can assist with strategies. In some schools, in order for the school’s speech / language therapist to address the issues, the student’s condition must be affecting schoolwork. Schools will decide if they will provide treatment at school. However, schools have differences in how they identify and code cognitive issues, so you’ll need to work with them. Check to ensure the necessary services are not only available, but accessible to the patient. School-based and hospital speech and language services should be coordinated.

Youth with pre-morbid learning and developmental disabilities have all the same problems they had before, but now they have concussion issues on top of the disorders and disabilities.