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Clinical Neuropsychologists Occupation Detailed Description

Clinical Neuropsychologists career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Clinical Neuropsychologists

The main tasks and work activities of Clinical Neuropsychologists are to prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations, counsel clients on mental health or personal achievement, attend conferences or workshops to maintain professional knowledge, review professional literature to maintain professional knowledge. In general, for the Clinical Neuropsychologists, active Listening, reading Comprehension, critical Thinking, social Perceptiveness and other 17 skills are required.
Clinical Neuropsychologists Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Clinical Neuropsychologists jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Clinical Neuropsychologists

  • Write or prepare detailed clinical neuropsychological reports, using data from psychological or neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct observations, or interviews.
  • Provide psychotherapy, behavior therapy, or other counseling interventions to patients with neurological disorders.
  • Provide education or counseling to individuals and families.
  • Participate in educational programs, in-service training, or workshops to remain current in methods and techniques.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in neuropsychology.
  • Interview patients to obtain comprehensive medical histories.
  • Identify and communicate risks associated with specific neurological surgical procedures, such as epilepsy surgery.
  • Educate and supervise practicum students, psychology interns, or hospital staff.
  • Diagnose and treat conditions such as chemical dependency, alcohol dependency, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) dementia, and environmental toxin exposure.
  • Distinguish between psychogenic and neurogenic syndromes, two or more suspected etiologies of cerebral dysfunction, or between disorders involving complex seizures.
  • Diagnose and treat neural and psychological conditions in medical and surgical populations, such as patients with early dementing illness or chronic pain with a neurological basis.
  • Design or implement rehabilitation plans for patients with cognitive dysfunction.
  • Establish neurobehavioral baseline measures for monitoring progressive cerebral disease or recovery.
  • Compare patients' progress before and after pharmacologic, surgical, or behavioral interventions.
  • Diagnose and treat psychiatric populations for conditions such as somatoform disorder, dementias, and psychoses.
  • Diagnose and treat conditions involving injury to the central nervous system, such as cerebrovascular accidents, neoplasms, infectious or inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, head traumas, demyelinating diseases, and various forms of dementing illnesses.
  • Diagnose and treat pediatric populations for conditions such as learning disabilities with developmental or organic bases.
  • Conduct neuropsychological evaluations such as assessments of intelligence, academic ability, attention, concentration, sensorimotor function, language, learning, and memory.
  • Consult with other professionals about patients' neurological conditions.
  • Conduct research on neuropsychological disorders.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Analyzing Data or InformationIdentifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
  • Counsel clients on mental health or personal achievement.
  • Attend conferences or workshops to maintain professional knowledge.
  • Review professional literature to maintain professional knowledge.
  • Collect information from people through observation, interviews, or surveys.
  • Instruct college students in social sciences or humanities disciplines.
  • Diagnose neural or psychological disorders.
  • Direct medical science or healthcare programs.
  • Design psychological or educational treatment procedures or programs.
  • Establish standards for medical care.
  • Administer standardized physical or psychological tests.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.

Skills and Abilities for Clinical Neuropsychologists

  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Speed of ClosureThe ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • MemorizationThe ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Auditory stimulation equipment
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Block pattern sets
  • Laser printerse.g. Computer laser printers
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Electromyography EMG units or accessoriese.g. Facial electromyography equipment
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Grip testing devices
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Therapeutic pegboards or activity boardse.g. Pegboards
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Photocopierse.g. Photocopying equipment
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Pocket smell tests
  • Respiratory monitoring kits or its accessoriese.g. Respiration measurement equipment
  • Galvanic or faradic stimulatorse.g. Skin conductance testing equipment
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Visual stimulation test equipment
  • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing productse.g. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Medicine and DentistryKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.