A neuropsychologist must hold a clinical psychology license. As such, it is an area of speciality within clinical psychology. Many clinical psychologists also specialize in assessments, and provide a thorough evaluation of brain behavior. Both, a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist go through thousands of hours of supervised training before being able to participate in the licensing exam. A neuropsychologist has additional training and coursework in neuroanatomy and brain based conditions which must be completed prior to becoming a neuropsychologist. A step further is a board-certified neuropsychologist which requires board examination, both oral and written, as well as review of clinical work and deep understanding of medical, neurodevelopmental, mental health, and behavioral work which is reviewed and tested by a panel of experts in the field of neuropsychology who are also board certified.

A licensed educational psychologist (or LEP) can administer a variety of assessments that evaluate one’s academic functioning and test for learning disabilities or other issues that may affect learning. They also have experience working in public schools and have an understanding of the laws and regulations at the district level. However, because an educational psychologist specializes in the academic application of cognitive abilities rather than day-to-day functioning, testing results may not be as comprehensive or encompassing as those yielded by a full neuropsychological assessment.

When looking into various assessment options for you or your child, it’s important to check the source of your provider’s certification. It is important to understand these programs and whether they are regulated or accredited. Board-certified clinical psychologists will be certified by either the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) or one of its specialty boards, the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) or the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology (ABPdN), and their name will be published online by their respective organization within a publicly accessible directory.