Welcome back to Let's Talk: Youth Psychology podcast. In this episode, Jamie Kreidstein, Chair of Community Engagement, and Dr. Liz Angoff discuss neurodiversity-affirming assessments. Dr. Liz Angoff is a licensed Educational Psychologist, and has been working with students, families, and teachers for over 20 years in public schools, community settings, and private practice. She began her career as a classroom teacher, transitioned to family advocacy, and then went on to earn her degree as a school psychologist with a specialization in neuropsychology. Dr. Angoff describes the concept of neurodiversity, emphasizing its role as both a fact and a spectrum. She shares insights on fostering abstract thinking in children, provides strategies for conducting neurodiversity-affirming assessments—such as involving families, validating lived experiences, and increasing predictability—and discusses the universal benefits of catering assessment procedures to neurodiverse individuals. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on how to support and affirm clients, neurodivergent or not, in meaningful ways.
We reference various tools that Dr. Angoff has created to help support children and families in conversations about diagnoses and other assessment-related components, linked below.
https://explainingbrains.com/
Brain Building Book: https://explainingbrains.com/practitioner-manual/
Kid-Friendly Assessment Summary (construction zones and highways): https://explainingbrains.com/assessment-summary/