Communication of Neuropsychological Results to Caregivers of Latino Immigrant Children

• Published in: Translational issues in psychological science 2019-03, Vol.5 (1), p.42-50
• Main Authors: Evans, Casey L, Pulsifer, Margaret B, Grieco, Julie A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers; Communication; Human; Immigration; Latinos/Latinas; Linguistics; Neuropsychology; Scientific Communication; Special Education; Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation
• ISSN: 2332-2136; 2332-2179
• DOI: 10.1037/tps0000178

Neuropsychological reports are essential documents required to communicate important information about an individual's cognitive and socioemotional functioning to patients, their caregiver, and multiple stakeholders (e.g., educators, health care providers, etc.). Effective communication of diagnosis and recommendations is necessary to obtain appropriate interventions and services to support development. This article highlights current challenges and barriers in composing neuropsychological reports and communicating key findings and recommendations to Spanish-speaking caregivers of school-aged Latino children, including language barriers, differences in cultural values, literacy/educational levels, immigration status, and families' hierarchy of needs. Cultural and linguistic discrepancies create challenges in the provision of feedback to caregivers of Latino children leaving them at a disadvantage for implementing recommendations made by neuropsychologists. Barriers to accessing services and factors that create marginalization are discussed, and methods to reduce disparities for youth within this population are proposed. Specific recommendations are offered to create a more unified and culturally sensitive approach to neuropsychological report writing and the implementation of recommendations, to improve communication between neuropsychologists and consumers of their reports. As the Latino immigrant population continues to increase, particular attention to establishing best practice for neuropsychologists working with individuals in this population is indicated. What is the significance of this article for the general public? There is disagreement among both neuropsychologists and consumers of neuropsychological reports as to the most effective approach to writing reports. Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant caregivers with school-age children face additional barriers at every level of interaction. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the current discrepancies in the practice of neuropsychological report writing with the goal of improving communications surrounding neuropsychological reports and the implementation of recommendations for these immigrant children, their caregivers, educational system, and health care providers.