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NESCA Welcomes Julie Weieneth, Ph.D., as Pediatric Neuropsychologist

Julie Weieneth headshot and quote

Julie Weieneth headshot and quoteBy: Jane Hauser
Director of Marketing & Outreach, NESCA

NESCA is excited to welcome Pediatric Neuropsychologist Julie Weieneth, Ph.D., to its Newton, Massachusetts location! Read more about Dr. Weieneth’s past experience, areas of specialization, and what brought her to NESCA as a pediatric neuropsychologist.

 

What drew you to neuropsychology?

Part of what interested me is that I’ve always done and have always enjoyed testing. I did my post-doc at the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital Boston and did plenty of testing there. Then, with each subsequent role I was in – whether at a therapeutic school or in a group practice – I was conducting evaluations.

Neuropsychology is a really helpful way to integrate school-based evaluations. If we’re looking at diagnostic clarification, which is one of my areas of interest, that’s what a neuropsychological evaluation and subsequent report can do.

What settings have you worked in previously?

A lot of my background has been as a staff psychologist in therapeutic school settings, including the Manville School and New England Academy for many years, including during Covid.

I then moved on to a group neuropsychology practice so I could better balance my work and life schedules. My own kids were transitioning back to in-person school, and I wanted more flexibility in my schedule to support them as well as the students I evaluate.

What are your specialty areas?

My years in the therapeutic school setting gave me a good understanding of the various challenges students have as well as the complex educational needs that come with supporting them through those challenges.

Taking a step back, my dissertation was on the early development of ADHD, so that is an area that I am very familiar with and still really interested in. I also enjoy working with students with complex presentations, helping to provide diagnostic clarification as well as the kind of supports the individual and family will need to foster their education and development. In addition, I’d say I am also a bit of a generalist, able to work with most children and adolescents who are struggling.

What were you looking for in a new environment?

I am really excited about NESCA being a multidisciplinary practice. I’m looking forward to being part of a team made up of providers from different specialty areas. It will be great to refer children and students to people and providers in-house who I trust for executive function coaching, real-life skills coaching, transition planning, therapy, consultation, and more.

What do you find most rewarding as a neuropsychologist who works with children and adolescents?

I find it particularly rewarding when a student who has struggled with school refusal, meaning they are not actively attending school, is fully back in school and thriving. It’s a great feeling to be part of the team that helps figure out what is  happening for them, and helps direct them to the right resources so they can get back into school. I recently heard from a parent of a student I evaluated, who was really struggling and not engaging in any aspects of their schooling or life overall. They let me know that their child sought out and stuck to the interventions we recommended, and their child is back in school and doing well. That’s what our job is all about.

What do you think are the benefits of working in a group practice?

Sometimes the children we work with have a really hard time during the evaluation process, and we can’t finish all of the testing in the first session. I like having the ability to be flexible with them and bring them back in for another session if necessary. If we rush or force the testing, we will not get accurate results. Being in a group practice – rather than a hospital setting where the flexibility in schedules just isn’t there – allows me, as a neuropsychologist, to meet kids where they are at and get the best data and observations that I can.

Working as part of a group practice allows us to share insights, perspectives, connections, and experiences of the entire team. The cases that we all see are complicated, and sometimes, it’s really helpful to take all the information we have available and consult with those around us. To me, it’s a best practice to consult on cases with others. You gain the perspectives and experiences of others in the practice, and it also helps to develop solid recommendations with specific referrals from other experts in the practice to help a family move forward.

As neuropsychologists, we’ve all had different training and previous work experiences, and this is particularly important when cases are complicated. I’m open to hearing information and feedback from others, especially if I think it’s going to help the family move forward. When you work with a team of experts, it makes our reports so much more meaningful for the families we serve.

What are some of the strategies you employ when you are evaluating a child or adolescent who is struggling during the assessment?

Oh, there are so many. Sometimes, I will use Collaborative Problem Solving techniques. I’ve also had sessions where I have waited children out, offered them rewards, provided lots of nurturing and praise – again just meeting them where they are at. I also involve the parent or caregiver in the sessions if the child needs that support.

I’ve learned through the years how to be comfortable in most situations or settings, and I’m not easily thrown by emotional intensity. I always try to end on a positive note, whether the evaluation was smooth or challenging. If they struggled and needed an extra session, I involve the child in the decision to come back the next day and praise them for everything they accomplished in the initial session. They worked hard and should be positively reinforced for that.

Parents and caregivers come to NESCA for answers. How do you help guide parents and caregivers through the evaluation process?

Just like with children and adolescents, I meet the parents and caregivers where they’re at. And everyone is so different in their own experience when they are exploring or seeking out a neuropsychological evaluation. It may be their first time, and they are afraid, or it could be the sixth neuropsychological evaluation their child has had, and they know the drill. No matter where they are at, you do your best to explain what the process is and inform them about what to expect. I let them know that the whole process is designed to understand an individual’s learning strengths and challenges. I let them know that when I develop the report,  I will write highly personalized recommendations that build on their child’s strengths and how they can help to understand and work through their challenges.

People often say that I have a “matter of fact” way about me. I approach things practically, and I like to share input, feedback, and guidance with parents, caregivers, and students in that way. While I am practical, I am also empathetic and understanding of everyone’s stories.

How important do you think observation of the individual being evaluated is? What can you tell from the observations?

I was trained to pay attention to the observations. What’s behind the numbers is super important. I would never write a report without a lot of behavioral observations and interpretations around what things mean, because that is so critical.

Behavioral observations can provide insight into what comes easy to the students. And even if they have an average score in a particular area, it’s critical to look at how they approached that task. This can be really meaningful in an evaluation and in providing recommendations.

When you are working with students who are complicated, their struggles emerge in many ways beyond what the typical data show. If you just looked at the numbers, you might not see any struggle. Because the tasks are administered in a 1:1 setting, you see how they approach a task, how they complete it, or whether they can complete it. It informs us about things like their working memory and processing speed, and how that may impact them in real-life or educational settings. Children with high variability in their scores can “fall through the cracks” in school. They may appear like they are doing just fine from their grades and other test scores, but they are often dealing with an internal struggle or an uneven profile. The risk in saying they are doing fine is that, as they progress through their education, the struggle often just gets worse.

What have you noticed in the students you’ve evaluated since Covid?

I see a lot more school refusal among students, meaning the students who are not able to attend school or those who may be in school but need to arrive late or leave early on a consistent basis.

In addition, there has been a lot of anxiety, depression, isolation, and those sorts of things. Everything seems to be far more complex than it had been before Covid. And that’s a lot, considering it was already getting more complex before, with social media other stressors.

I’ve also noticed that there’s a lot of anxiety among adults. The parents and caregivers seem to have a heightened sense of anxiety and uncertainty.

How did you work through Covid?

It certainly was challenging, but there were two important silver linings that emerged from that experience. I learned to meditate and get more interested in mindfulness throughout that time. It has been really helpful to me.

Professionally, Covid actually helped me grow and transition from the therapeutic school setting to a group neuropsychology practice. While I loved my roles within schools, I was looking to delve deeper into diagnostic assessment. Doing so also provided me with more flexibility to balance things between my professional and personal lives. So, there were at least two positives that came out of the experience.

 

About the AuthorJulie Weineth headshot

Dr. Weieneth is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with children and families with complex diagnostic and treatment needs for the last twenty years. Her areas of specialty include ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, mood disorders, learning disabilities, executive functioning, and school-related challenges. That being said, Dr. Weieneth also understands that not all individuals fit cleanly into diagnostic groups or labels. Her goals for each evaluation are to help families feel comfortable with the process, use all the tools available to best understand each individual’s unique strengths and needs, and to write a clear and comprehensive report that will guide educational and treatment planning.

To book a consultation with Dr. Weieneth or one of our many other expert neuropsychologists or other clinicians, complete NESCA’s online intake form.

NESCA is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Plainville, and Hingham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; the greater Burlington, Vermont region; and Brooklyn, New York (coaching services only) serving clients from infancy through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.

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