Neuropsychologist to Speak at SEPTA Meeting

On Wednesday, April 4, Dr. Cristina L. Ciocca, Psy.D. will speak about neuropsychological evaluations during a Special Education PTA (SEPTA) meeting at Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School, 73 Clark Gates Road in Moodus from 6 pm – 8 pm.

A neuropsychological evaluation examines an individual's thinking and learning style. Dr. Ciocca will discuss key areas examined in a neuropsychological evaluation including intellectual reasoning capacity; academic achievement; executive functioning; attention capacities and associated behaviors; memory abilities, including visual and auditory memory in both immediate and delayed modalities; and social and emotional functioning.

According to Dr. Ciocca, one of the most common reasons for having a neuropsychological assessment is usually a school age child, adolescent, or a college/graduate student is experiencing difficulty in one or more areas in school such as problems paying attention in classes; difficulty following through and completing assignments; struggling to get reading done because it takes too long; or reading, but not understanding what was read.

Dr. Ciocca studied under prominent neuropsychologists (Alfredo Ardila and Monica Rosselli) in her Masters and Doctoral studies, completed a two-year post-doctoral training in neuropsychology at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital and has independently practiced clinical neuropsychology in the area since 1996. A strong client advocate, Dr. Ciocca specializes in comprehensive, independent, objective, and ethical neuropsychological evaluations. Her office is located in Farmington, Connecticut.

Refreshments will be served. For more information about SEPTA emaildavid.scata@easthaddamschools.org. Directions can be found at www.easthaddamschools.org. If you need free on-site child care during the workshop please contact David Scata.

SEPTA brings together people who are interested in special education and children with special needs. It supports, strengthens, and promotes the welfare of children with special needs.  SEPTA strives to enrich the lives of children with special needs. One of its goals is to ensure that all children receive an education that allows them to reach their full potential. SEPTA brings together parents, families, and teachers of children with special needs to share experiences. Educating parents about special education including identification and placement procedures for children with special needs is key. It also informs legislators, school boards, and the community about the importance of special education. SEPTA advocates for children with special needs and their right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.