Developmental Motor Disorders: A Neuropsychological Perspective (The Science and Practice of Neuropsychology)

Bringing together leading experts--and providing vital insights to guide clinical practice--this is the first volume to comprehensively address childhood motor disorders from a neuropsychological perspective. The book explores the neural and behavioral bases of movement disorders and summarizes current findings from applied research. Existing approaches to assessment and neuroimaging are critically examined, and new and innovative methods presented. Authors also synthesize the latest knowledge on motor difficulties associated with specific developmental and neurological problems: cerebral palsy; neuromuscular disease; autism; brain injury; disorders of coordination, speech, and written language; and more. Other important topics covered include psychosocial effects of motor skills impairments, frequently encountered comorbidities, and the status of available intervention approaches.

Deborah Dewey, PhD, is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Investigator and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary. She is also a member of the Behavioural Research Unit at Alberta Children’s Hospital. Dr. Dewey is on the editorial board of Developmental Neuropsychology and has served as a grant reviewer for Canadian and international funding agencies. She is actively involved in grant-funded research on the neurobehavioral outcomes associated with developmental coordination disorder, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as the developmental outcomes of infants with very low birth weight. Dr. Dewey’s research interests also encompass pediatric health psychology issues such as family adjustment to chronic disease and physical activity in preschool-age children.

David E. Tupper, PhD, a board-certified neuropsychologist, is Director of the Neuropsychology Section at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and is Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is coauthor or editor of several books, including Soft Neurological Signs, The Neuropsychology of Everyday Life, and Human Developmental Neuropsychology, and is series editor for the Plenum Series in Russian Neuropsychology. Dr. Tupper’s clinical and research interests include neuropsychological aspects of motor disorders in children, cross-cultural neuropsychological assessment, and lifespan developmental neuropsychology.