Superpower of Neuro-psychology?

The superpower of neuropsychology? Knowing whether test results are a fair reflection of someone’s abilities.

That was front and centre at this week’s ACNpA (Australian Clinical Neuropsychology Association) conference.

Highlights for me included a presentation from Professor Michael Kirkwood (University of Colorado) on performance validity testing in children, and insights from Debbie Anderson (Brisbane), a highly experienced neuropsychologist and medicolegal expert, on assessment in adults.

Both reminded me how much careful judgment goes into this process:
➡️Which tests are most appropriate for different individuals?
➡️How many are needed to establish reliability?
➡️And most importantly, how do we report findings with both scientific rigour and compassion?

These discussions also build on established international guidelines (such as the Slick criteria), which provide a framework for understanding when test results do or don’t represent someone’s true abilities.

For lawyers, this aspect of neuropsychology often sits at the intersection of science, ethics, and justice. It helps ensure that the evidence being presented is both robust and fair. This is so that conclusions drawn in court are based on results that can be relied upon.