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“Whenever a child or
adolescent, or an adult for that matter, is struggling in school, it is
essential to find out just what the problem is. That sounds like an
obvious statement, but people often think they know what the problem is
when they don’t. For example, if a person appears to be inattentive,
everyone these days assumes they have ADD/ADHD, and sometimes they do.
But they may also look inattentive if they have difficulty processing
language or difficulty processing non-verbal cues, or they may have a
problem with processing speed so that things in a classroom are simply
moving too fast for them and they respond by tuning out. When I test them
I may find out that they have one of these other problems in addition to
or instead of ADD/ADHD. On the other hand, some people who are labeled
lazy, unmotivated, or oppositional actually have ADD/ADHD. If you don’t
know what the problem really is, you can waste a lot of time using the
wrong interventions. There is a tremendous cost to this, not only
educationally, but also to the person’s self-esteem. I have tested adults
in their 50’s who are incredibly relieved to finally find out that they
are not stupid or lazy but instead have a biologically-based problem which
is not their fault.”
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Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Gail
Silverstein earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1981. Since that
time she has worked as a psychotherapist in a variety of outpatient
settings as well as in private practice, first in the Boston area, and
then in the Philadelphia area and Southern New Jersey. She is trained
in and practices cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and family therapy
as well as a variety of other techniques. She sees families, couples,
and individual children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Silverstein is
licensed as a psychologist in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Dr.
Silverstein also has a Post-Doctoral Certificate in Clinical
Neuropsychology. Part of her work at Centra includes doing
neuropsychological evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults.
The process approach which Dr. Silverstein uses in these evaluations not
only yields a set of scores but also involves a detailed analysis of the
errors people make. This allows her to gain an in-depth understanding
of how they approach problems and the nature of their learning style as
well as what their cognitive strengths and weaknesses are. Many of
these evaluations are for the purpose of diagnosing problems such as
ADD/ADHD, language-based or non-verbal learning disabilities, or autism
spectrum disorders, and include detailed recommendations for appropriate
educational programming, accommodations, and modifications. This type
of testing is often needed to document these problems so as to receive
necessary accommodations for the SAT, LSAT, GRE, and other professional
examinations. Neuropsychological testing can also help to describe
cognitive functioning in a way that can improve interpersonal
relationships and facilitate the therapeutic process. Dr. Silverstein
also provides follow-up services such as ADD/ADHD coaching and training
in organizational skills.
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Areas
of Specialization:
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Neuropsychological and psycho-educational evaluations
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ADD/ADHD
coaching and organizational skills training
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ADHD and other school related
problems
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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