Neuropsychology is a burgeoning field that has grown both in size and scope of practice. Clinical neuropsychology services can include diagnostic clarification of brain injury and illness for physicians, determining the appropriate course of cognitive rehabilitation following injury, or determining an individual’s competency to consent to treatment or make legal decisions. Given the rapid expansion of neuropsychology it is important to remain aware of and sensitive to our ethical responsibilities and how these are applicable to the various situations one encounters in this growing field.

This course reviews ethical standards of particular relevance to neuropsychologists, including competence to work with a specific condition, issues of informed consent and patient feedback, and patient privacy and confidentiality. Special issues that neuropsychologists will likely encounter will also be explored, including malingering, forensic assessment competency, and training of students in neuropsychology. Lastly, a discussion of how to integrate this information and engage in ethical decision making is provided.

• State the current ethics code and applicable laws pertaining to the field of neuropsychology.
• Identify the ethical issues and requirements related to assessment in this arena (e.g., adequate knowledge of neuropsychology, privacy and confidentiality components of neuropsychological assessment, including the release of reports and raw test data.)
• Indicate special areas in neuropsychological assessment such as malingering, competency, and issues related to ethical decision-making.