Critical Factors in Cultural Pediatric Neuropsychology: Reflecting on the Past 3 Years and Anticipating the Future
Recorded on October 27, 2021
HNS Presidential Address

Veronica Bordes Edgar, PhD, ABPP
This presentation will discuss recent advances in the cultural neuropsychological assessment of children. Special focus will be on bilingual individuals, dual language programs and autism. The audience will gain greater understanding not only of the history of dual language programs in the United States, but will also be able to apply knowledge of how children are learning to best practices for neuropsychological evaluation. Within the area of autism, they will learn cultural differences that obscure and/or mimic symptoms of autism in order to improve diagnostic accuracy. Finally, recommendations for clinical practice in the application of a structured ECLECTIC model for consideration in evaluations as well as video based teleneuropsychology will be made.
- Learners will be able to list the components of the ECLECTIC model and describe ways to apply it in pediatrics.
- Learners will be able to explain differences in bilingual education programs and identify ways to properly assess bilingual children in the United States.
- Learners will be able to discuss considerations in pediatric teleneuropsychology with underserved populations.
Veronica Bordes Edgar, PhD, ABPP is an Associate Professor with joint faculty appointments in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center. She serves as a bilingual Pediatric Neuropsychologist at Children’s Health and is Co-Director for the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is Board certified through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Clinical Psychology and Pediatric Neuropsychology. Her areas of interest include cultural and bilingual issues in assessment, genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders, and interdisciplinary teaching of medical and psychology trainees. She currently serves in her final year as President of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society (HNS) and is on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN). Most recently, she was elected as American Psychological Association Council Representative for the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40).
Bordes Edgar, V., Meneses, V., Shaw, D., Romero, R., Salinas, C., & Kissel, A. (2021). Clinical utility of the ECLECTIC framework in providing culturally-informed autism spectrum disorder evaluations: A pediatric case-based approach. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1936187
Bordes Edgar, V. & Romero, R. A. (2020). Culture and language diversity in pediatric neuropsychology. In O. Pedraza (Ed.), Clinical cultural neuroscience. New York: Oxford University Press.
Canas, A., Bordes Edgar, V., & Neumann, J. (2020). Practical considerations in the neuropsychological assessment of bilingual (Spanish-English) children in the United States: Literature review and case series. Developmental Neuropsychology, 45, 211-321. DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2020.1746314
Salinas, C. M., Bordes Edgar, V., Berrios Siervo, G., Bender, H. A. (2020). Transforming pediatric neuropsychology through video-based teleneuropsychology: An innovative private practice model pre-COVID-19. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 35, 1189-1195.
Salinas, C, M., Bordes Edgar, V., & Puente, A. (2016). Barriers and practical approaches to neuropsychological assessment of Spanish speakers. In F. R. Ferraro (Ed.), Minority and cross-cultural aspects of neuropsychological assessment: Enduring and emerging trends (2nd ed., pp. 229-258). New York: Taylor and Francis.