Neurology and Behavior: Some Professional Problems

Abstract

This book is expressly written for educational diagnosticians, clinical psychologists, school psychologists, and remedial teachers who are committed to develop for their learning impaired students prescriptions based on a broad spectrum of relevant diagnostic knowledge. This knowledge should include, in addition to the social history of the student, a record of academic achievement, a psychological assessment of cognitive strengths, and, in those cases of known brain damage or suspected central nervous system dysfunction, a neurological examination. In summary, the in-depth study of the neurologically impaired learning disabled student should include a synthesis of educational, psychological, social, and neurological data. Such an approach is ambitious and requires educational diagnosticians to learn some basic neurology and neuroanatomy and a useful body of neuropsychology, in addition to their expertise in professional education and psychology.

Models [of human behavior] which leave out man’s physical organism are bound to be inadequate for the task of making behavior intelligible.

Edwin R. Guthrie (1950)

... I prefer to think of man’s humanity as vested in his bodily structure and function, not least, in the activities of his brain.

Oliver L. Zangwill (1976)