Nancy R. Bryant, PhD is a psychologist, licensed to practice in the state of Oregon.  She earned her doctorate in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1988, and has worked as an elementary school teacher, a research consultant, a community college counselor, and an adjunct instructor of both graduate and undergraduate students on several college/university campuses.  Since 1996, she has maintained a private practice in West Linn, Oregon that is devoted to assessment.  

For learning assessments, Dr. Bryant  works with students aged 12 and up, as well as adults in college, graduate or professional programs, or in the workplace, who have difficulties in the areas of learning and memory, reading, writing, mathematics, attention, and/or executive functioning that affect their performance.   Comprehensive assessment is important for all of these concerns, as there may be multiple underlying causes for academic or workplace challenges.  Just as one example, problems with attention surely can be due to ADHD, but might also result from sleep problems, depression, concussion/head injury, learning disabilities, or a number of  common medical conditions that require a doctor's advice and support.  A targeted evaluation that JUST looks for ADHD may miss those other possible causes.

Neurocognitive Screening Assessment is a brief, affordable, and accessible form of assessment that may be helpful for any older adult who is curious about age-related cognitive changes.  Such assessment can provide reassurance that the changes being experienced are normal.  It also establishes a helpful baseline, or "snapshot" of a person's typical cognitive functioning, which can help with diagnosis, if new problems do happen to emerge later on.  Finally, because a Neurocognitive Screening Assessment uses accurate, standardized assessment tools and measures important domains of cognitive functioning (memory, attention, processing speed, etc.), it is sensitive enough to pick up still mild, but potentially problematic cognitive changes early.  This can speed up the process of getting the medical and neuropsychological assessments needed to diagnose the underlying cause(s) and determine the best treatments.   

It is important to remember that there are many possible causes of age-related cognitive change, and some are temporary and treatable.   Whatever the cause(s), however, knowing that changes are happening can  facilitate wise future planning.

Knowledge is powerful!!