As the ‘decade of the brain’ comes to a close, it is clear that the field of
neuropsychology has made many vital contributions to evaluation,
treatment, and research issues in child and adolescent health care. In the
study of brain-behaviour relationships, the neuropsychologist plays a
unique role. The practice of child neuropsychology is differentiated from
adult work because developmental and environmental influences have a
significant impact on practice. The various goals of the child neuropsychologist
may include psychoeducational and neuropsychological
assessment, the exploration of brain-behaviour relationships, consultation
with a variety of professionals ranging from teachers to neurologists, and
rehabilitation training. Advances in medical treatment have contributed
to an expanding population of children and adolescents with neurological
and/or neuropsychiatric concerns. New research in this field has also
provided evidence of disordered or dysfunctional neurological systems
in a number of childhood disorders and psychiatric conditions. This paper
reviews some contributions that neuropsychology has made to the health
care of children and adolescents in the past decade.