There is also an option of sub specialization for board certification in Pediatric Neuropsychology.
Pediatric Neuropsychology Subspecialty
Credentials Review
Any ABCN applicant, candidate, or specialist may apply for subspecialty certification. The first step of the application process includes providing attestation of pediatric practice, documentation of pediatric experience, and two reference letters from professional who can verify pediatric practice.
Information regarding the pediatric subspecialty can be found on the ABPP website as well as on the ABCN website. The Pediatric Subspecialty Candidates’ Manual provides a comprehensive overview of the application process. Many commonly asked questions are also addressed in the online FAQ. You may also contact Kelly McNally (kelly.mcnally@nationwidechildrens.org) who is the pediatric liaison for BRAIN.
Written Exam
The subspecialty written exam is offered annually at the AACN meeting. It consists of 30 multiple-choice questions addressing a range of topics, including neurodevelopment, functional neuroanatomy, pediatric disorders, family systems, ethical and legal issues in pediatric neuropsychological practice, consultation, and intervention strategies.
Practice Sample
You will be asked to submit one practice sample that includes the following:
- Original case report of a patient aged 16 years or younger
- Test score summary table
- Scanned copies of raw data for the case
- Mandatory Written Defense (maximum of 3 pages) summarizing case specific information not included in the report. The Written Defense is meant to provide the opportunity for the candidate to ensure that the reviewer has all the information needed to fairly review the practice sample, since there is no opportunity for clarification at an oral exam. The Written Defense provides the candidate an opportunity to state a clear rationale for their approach to the assessment, clinical interpretation, and diagnostic impressions. The Written Defense should make it clear to the reviewers why the candidate “did what they did” in carrying out the evaluation.
The case you submit must be your own work as an individual professional, not as an intern, resident, or fellow. You should select a case you have seen in the past two years. You may opt to use the same case that you submitted for the ABCN parent application, but note that review methods and criteria differ for the parent practice sample and the subspecialty practice sample. For example, in addition to meeting broad criteria for the parent practice sample, the subspecialty practice sample must illustrate your knowledge of developmental factors (e.g. timing of the insult, developmental trajectories), evidence-based recommendations that are developmentally appropriate, and your ability to communicate with all relevant stakeholders (such as parents, educators, referral sources). Remember there is no oral defense, so the Written Defense document takes the place of that and is essential. Guidelines for the subspecialty practice sample can be found here.
Practice samples are submitted through ABCN’s online portal. Instructions can be found here. You will also need to register and login as an ABCN Specialist through this page.
AACN maintains a Pediatric Special Interest Group and listserv where members can exchange information and share ideas.