Introducing Pediatric Neuropsychologist Sean Hyde O’Brien, Psy.D., ABPdN – NESCA

By: Jane Hauser
Director of Advertising and marketing & Outreach, NESCA

NESCA is happy to welcome Sean Hyde O’Brien, Psy.D., ABPdN, to our crew, conducting evaluations within the Newton, Massachusetts workplace! My interview with Dr. O’Brien gives a possibility for readers to get to know him, his skilled background, experiences and experience, and his strategy to working with youngsters, adolescents, and younger adults as a pediatric neuropsychologist.

You lined a broad swath of educational, emotional, and developmental challenges in your profession as a pediatric neuropsychologist. Inform us extra about that.

I feel I’m a very good generalist so far as pediatric neuropsychology goes, overlaying a number of the high-incidence issues, like ADHD, autism spectrum dysfunction, and studying issues, however there are a pair teams that I actually like working with.

What are the teams of youngsters or college students you discover essentially the most fascinating?

I actually like children which might be on the excessive functioning finish of the autism spectrum, so I did one among my post-doctoral years at McLean on the Heart for Neurointegrative Providers, which is a DOE-approved particular schooling college for teenagers who used to have what was known as Asperger’s Dysfunction, which is now a part of the ASD analysis. I received to spend so much of time honing my evaluation expertise, but in addition spending high quality time attending to know this group of scholars. They’ve a particular place in my coronary heart.

One other space I take pleasure in is working with youngsters who got here from different international locations and will have moved due to battle, famine, or just for higher alternatives for his or her households. They typically come to this new nation, maybe not with one of the best English expertise, and a number of advanced developmental and psychiatric challenges. Teasing all of these parts aside and serving to them acclimate to a brand new college, tradition, and world has been fascinating to me.

It takes a number of pondering in your toes from an evaluation standpoint to work with this inhabitants. For instance, if you consider a toddler who speaks Russian and has solely been studying English for six months, you’re not going to have the ability to do your customary battery of assessments to determine what their cognitive functioning is like. It’s important to assume creatively and discover methods to work barely exterior the area of normal analysis procedures. I’ve discovered a lot being with them, watching, and observing them in several settings, and, in fact, getting the data from a number of sources, like lecturers and fogeys. These children together with those that come from different international locations by means of adoption are essentially the most difficult, but in addition in all probability essentially the most rewarding to me.

My spouse and I have been each adopted, so I come from a household of people that know and are a part of the adoption neighborhood. I did a number of analysis and scientific work involving worldwide adoption. I like working with youngsters who’re coming from China, India, Korea, or domestically and their adoptive dad and mom who’re attempting to determine easy methods to finest help them with the vary of strengths and weaknesses that they may have. These are additionally a few of the children who stick out to me.

Why did you come to NESCA?

I used to be searching for a change. I’ve been a associate in a personal follow that we constructed from scratch for about 15 years, dealing with all the many points of working a small enterprise and evaluating college students. I felt that the operational and scientific duties turned too time-consuming to have a wholesome work-life steadiness. I made a decision that it was time for a recalibration that might enable me to proceed to guage youngsters, however not should stress over all the different time-consuming operational particulars.

All through my profession, I’ve had many NESCA stories come throughout my desk. They have been very properly completed, and the follow has an unbelievable status. I met with NESCA’s founder and I knew it was the best place. She values the identical issues that I worth – collegiality, heat, and child-centric care. I used to be searching for a spot the place I may do good work and do it in a manner that feels good on the finish of the day. I discovered that in NESCA.

What do you are feeling you’ll be able to contribute to NESCA households and employees?

The suggestions I obtained through the years is that my capability to attach with youngsters makes me an ally to them, particularly those that could also be just a little proof against the method. Some children are available and are scared or offended that they should be there for an analysis. I all the time discover a technique to allow them to know that is of their finest curiosity. I’ll clarify what an analysis will do for them ultimately and that I wish to work with them to determine their “working system” to make life work higher for them. Households really feel that I’m heat, approachable, and only a good man. I guarantee that the people I consider don’t see me as Dr. O’Brien – I’m simply Sean, and I’m a “studying detective,” of types, who helps determine what’s happening with them.

I’ve had a lot of college students who I’ve seen three or so occasions over the course of the previous 15 years. They could have come to me as a struggling six- or seven-year-old and at the moment are in faculty. It’s the long-term relationships and figuring out that the work I did, or that we did collectively, modified their developmental trajectory and helped them begin to really feel higher about themselves as a learner and/or an individual. That’s the piece that retains me loving the work that I do and feeling younger, recent, and energized. I couldn’t ask for a greater job.

What are your ideas on the sphere of neuropsychology total?

We’re a area that may be a combination of artwork and science. We’re college students of the mind; not specialists, and we’re all nonetheless studying about how the mind works. That’s constantly being questioned, refuted, and reworked. Since I first began finding out neuroanatomy, we’ve got come to this point and but we nonetheless know so little.

We are able to’t change into inflexible or complacent within the analysis of youngsters, adolescents, or adults, as a result of that would be the largest disservice we may give to our purchasers. We have now to all the time be studying and evolving. Utilizing antiquated fashions, not being open to new assessments or new methods of occupied with issues is not going to assist anybody. I’ve the sensation I’ll study a number of new, inventive, confirmed approaches whereas I’m at NESCA, and that’s very thrilling to me.

I don’t assume you get that form of ongoing studying and publicity to modern methods of doing issues in lots of locations. Typically, neuropsychologists should go exterior of their practices to get that form of information from colleagues. Having that inbuilt right here at NESCA is one thing I’m enthusiastic about.

Concerning the Writer

NESCA is a pediatric neuropsychology follow and integrative therapy heart with places of work in Newton, Plainville, and Hingham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; the better Burlington, Vermont area; and Brooklyn, New York (teaching companies solely) serving purchasers from infancy by means of younger maturity and their households. For extra info, please electronic mail information@nesca-newton.com or name 617-658-9800.