Author: Jashar, Dasal

Doctoral Externship Positions
Center for Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment Kennedy Krieger Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

Thank you for your interest in the doctoral externship training in the Center for Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment (CNaP) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Kennedy Krieger Institute is an advanced practicum site. We are now welcoming applications from doctoral students in psychology programs for the 2027-2028 training year.

TRAINING PROGRAM
The doctoral externship program in CNaP at the Kennedy Krieger Institute provides doctoral students with an opportunity to work with a diversity of patient populations, age ranges, and cultural backgrounds. The CNaP has a commitment to excellence in training within our doctoral externship program, our APA-accredited internship program, and our post-doctoral fellowships in Pediatric Neuropsychology and Child Clinical Psychology. Our training program includes opportunities for assessment experience in Child Clinical Psychology and/or Pediatric Neuropsychology.

Please see our website for additional information regarding our externship training program: www. kennedykrieger.org/training/programs/psychology/neuropsychology/doctoral-externship

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTERNSHIP CANDIDATES AT KENNEDY KRIEGER
Extern candidates must be from APA or CPA accredited doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, or school psychology.
Extern candidates must be at least 3rd year students (or beyond).
Externship candidates must have already completed at least one year of practicum in relevant training (i.e., an assessment practicum) prior to the start of the 2027-2028 training year. Externs will also be considered if they have comparable assessment experience outside of coursework.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If interested in applying for the doctoral externship in CNaP at Kennedy Krieger Institute, please complete the following survey as part of your application (https://kennedykrieger.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5AubA7FpBHWcaGO) and send the following by email:
Letter of interest
Curriculum vita (CV)
Three letters of reference (emailed directly from the letter writer)

Please submit application materials by January 8, 2027 to NPExternship@KennedyKrieger.org. Interviews will start the last week of January.
If you have additional questions, please contact Externship co-directors Christine Merola, PsyD, and Dasal Jashar, PhD at NPExternship@KennedyKrieger.org.

APPENDIX: Clinics Participating in Doctoral Externship Program Center for Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment Kennedy Krieger Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

The following clinics are most frequently available for externship training. Please note that opportunities for training in these clinics is subject to supervisor availability and may vary by training year.

CHILD CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY CLINICS
The Development and Early Clinic (DEL) Clinic offers training in evaluation of young children (24 months to 6 years) referred for developmental and/or behavioral concerns. Externs may also have the opportunity to provide early intervention services to preschool-age children at risk for behavioral, social, and/or learning difficulties. Opportunities to observe administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2^nd Edition (ADOS-2) are also available. The DEL clinic provides psychological assessment, consultation, and follow-up services for children up to age 7 who present with developmental, behavioral, and/or learning concerns.
Externs must be available on Tuesdays.

The Emotion and Behavior Disorder (EBD) Clinic provides assessments for individuals presenting with a wide variety of behavioral and emotional concerns. Specialized assessment services are offered to assist with diagnostic clarification of issues involving mood, behavior, and cognition. Assessments are individualized to the needs of the child or adolescent and include recommendations for treatment and intervention.
Externs must be available on Tuesdays.

The Executive Function (EF) Clinic provides evaluations for children and adolescents who are struggling with the development or utilization of skills such as organization, planning, working memory, inhibiting impulses, and problem solving. An evaluation through the Executive Function Clinic may be appropriate for youth who have or are suspected of having a neurodevelopmental or medical condition that can interfere with the development or utilization of executive function skills such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a Tic Disorder. Other variables such as premature birth, prenatal drug/alcohol exposure, and environmental factors (e.g., ineffective behavior management; chaotic home environment) can also interfere with the development or utilization of executive function skills. Executive function skill deficits frequently have a negative impact on academic performance, and academic underachievement often co-occurs in children and adolescents with underdeveloped or underutilized executive function skills.
Externs must be available on Wednesdays.

The Pathways to Young Adulthood clinic provides comprehensive evaluation, consultation and progress monitoring for older teens and young adults with developmental, attentional, executive function and/or or social-emotional needs. The mission of this clinic is to empower older teens and young adults to understand their learning strengths and needs, self-advocate, better manage self-care and know when and how to seek needed supports to work towards independence. This clinic is focused on addressing the challenges that high school students and young adults face

when transitioning into young adulthood. Progress-monitoring sessions offer follow-up after a consultation visit or comprehensive evaluation to help navigate and adjust remaining recommendations.
Externs must be available on Thursdays.

PEDIATRIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGY CLINICS
The Congenital/Genetic Conditions Clinic provides specialized neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of congenital and genetic disorders. Patients evaluated in this clinic include individuals with more commonly occurring neurologic conditions such as Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, 22q deletion syndromes, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida, as well as individuals with rare genetic conditions/syndromes and metabolic disorders. Many individuals evaluated in this clinic have a known genetic or congenital condition, but often the diagnosis is unknown or only suspected. Assessments are individualized to help clarify diagnosis, when possible, monitor cognitive status, and help with therapeutic planning. Typically, assessments in this clinic take a full day to complete and include interviews with the patient and caregivers, performance-based testing, completion of rating scales, as well as feedback and recommendations given to the family.
Externs must be available on Thursdays.

The Epilepsy/Brain Injury Clinic provides neuropsychological assessments for individuals with seizure disorders and persons who have had neurological injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, encephalitis). Individuals can be seen for assessment in this clinic months and/or years following their brain injuries. Assessments are targeted toward clarifying patterns of recovery and making recommendations for school and home settings. For individuals with epilepsy, assessments are individualized to assist with treatment planning and help clarify the impact of seizures and/or related treatments/medications on the development of academic, social, and daily living skills. Length of assessment ranges from 1 hour to full day in this clinic, depending on presenting concerns.
Externs must be available on Fridays.