Neuropsychology of Child Maltreatment and Implications for School Psychologists

Child maltreatment has the potential to alter a child's neurodevelopmental trajectory and substantially increase the risk of later psychiatric disorders, as well as to deleteriously impact neurocognitive functioning throughout the lifespan. Child maltreatment has been linked to multiple domains of neurocognitive impairment, including language, visual–spatial functioning, intelligence, executive functioning, and motor skills. Research is increasingly indicating that alterations in neurobiological functioning occur as a result of childhood maltreatment, which in turn may produce an epigenetic and transgenerational effect. School psychologists should be aware of these factors when working with maltreated children to better understand their current functioning and assessment results, and to educate family members, school personnel, and the community about the adverse effects of childhood maltreatment, as well as to work toward prevention.