ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore the domain of child neuropsychology, taking a developmental, biopsychosocial approach to describe a field where comprehensive assessment and diagnosis of brain dysfunction are central to clinical practice. The earliest theoretical contributions to child neuropsychology can be traced to descriptions of plasticity and recovery of function following childhood brain damage. Notions of critical periods of development, while not constituting specific neuropsychological theory, have also added breadth to our understanding of the mechanisms at play following early brain insult. Maureen Dennis ' 'heuristic' does not propose a specific neurological mechanism for her theory, although other researchers have offered possible biological explanations. Rather, the chapter focuses primarily on age/developmental stage at time of insult and progression in cognitive skills with time since insult. Theorists stress the importance of the biological characteristics of the individual, the immediate home environment and the broader social context as playing crucial roles in child development.
