#042 How can a Neuropsychologist help my gifted child? With Dr Marnie Cumner

What is a neuropsychologist and how can they help my gifted child? We talk to Dr Marnie Cumner about neuropsychology and dive into how a neuropsychologist undertakes a holistic assessment of a child. In this episode, she talks about her strengths-based model of understanding both strengths and challenges and the whole child. These niche psychologists approach assessment differently and it is great to learn more about this process and how they might help a family looking for answers.

We're hugely grateful for Dr Marnie Cumner for taking the time to introduce neuropsychologists!

Hit play and let's get started!

Memorable Quote

"I think what's useful with doing an assessment of the child's strengths and challenges is what you said there about the building the bridges of that connection and understanding and empathy for parents because often parents are feeling really frustrated by certain behaviours or by certain little idiosyncrasies.

And it's so powerful to be able to say. Actually, this is not mischief or maliciousness or being naughty, or they need to pull up their socks. It's none of that. There's a genuine difficulty with XYZ and that's why this is coming out in this behaviour. And I can see that parents sometimes just need to have that context to go ah, right, okay.

And a few parents have said to me in the past that they feel like they can be impacted with their child's experience in that moment, knowing that they're not just doing it, they actually are really overwhelmed and struggling with whatever that might be." – Dr Marnie Cumner

Resources

• Nav Neuro – a podcast that dives into what neuropsychology is all about
• Dr Marnie Cumner's Sunshine Coast Office
• Australian Psychological Society resources on a variety of topics

Bio

Dr Marnie Cumner is a Clinical Neuropsychologist on The Sunshine Coast, with specialised training in understanding how brain function affects our everyday thinking and behaviour.

Paediatric Neuropsychology is a professional speciality, which focuses on understanding how the development of a child's brain relates to their cognitive (thinking), behavioural, social and emotional functioning.

Marnie provides assessment services for children and adolescents to better understand their individual strengths and difficulties. She investigates thinking skills, such as, memory, attention, language and problem-solving, as well as social-emotional functioning, academic performance and behaviour.

Marnie uses the child's individual profile of strengths and difficulties to provide tailored recommendations for improved learning, behaviour and emotion regulation. She uses a strengths-based model, which focuses on using a child's strengths to minimise their difficulties.

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You can find show notes and more resources at www.ourgiftedkids.com

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