Unlocking the mysteries: Exploring the impact of long COVID (PASC) on youth through innovative school neuropsychological assessment strategies

Title : Unlocking the mysteries: Exploring the impact of long COVID (PASC) on youth through innovative school neuropsychological assessment strategies

Abstract:

This presentation, titled "Unlocking the Mysteries: Exploring the Impact of Long COVID (PASC) on Youth through Innovative School Neuropsychological Assessment Strategies," seeks to highlight the complex challenges arising from Long COVID within the youth demographic. With a focus on the long-term cognitive and psychological implications of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), the session introduces a paradigm employing a school neuropsychological assessment battery. The focus will encompass the review of Long COVID's distinctive symptoms and potential adversities in young individuals. Emphasizing the pivotal role of neuropsychological assessment, the presentation underscores the importance of these innovative strategies in comprehensively gauging the multifaceted impact of Long COVID on the cognitive and psychological well-being of students and patients. By providing insights into state-of-the-art assessment tools and implementation strategies, the presentation aims to empower educators and healthcare providers to seamlessly integrate these advancements into their practices. Furthermore, the discussion extends to issues of accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that the benefits of these cutting-edge assessment methods are extended to diverse student populations. Through the exploration of a case study, the presentation will reveal a neuropsychological assessment battery that can facilitate timely interventions and tailored support for a student/patient grappling with Long COVID-related cognitive challenges. This session seeks to inspire collaboration between educators and healthcare providers, advocating for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to addressing the nuanced impacts of Long COVID on youth. Ultimately, the presentation underscores a commitment to equipping educators and healthcare professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the landscape of Long COVID and its implications for the cognitive well-being of youth.

Objectives:
1. Understanding Long COVID in Youth to increase about the complexities young individuals face with Long COVID.
2. Recognizing the Role of a Neuropsychological Assessment with a better understanding of the multifaceted implications for the cognitive and psychological well-being of students and patients.
3. Empowering Professionals with Assessment Tools/Strategies by introduced state-of-the-art assessment tools to seamlessly integrate advancements in neuropsychological assessment into their practices for more effective support.
4. Promoting Accessibility and Inclusivity to make these innovative tools accessible to a broad range of students and patients, fostering inclusivity in the assessment process.
5. Inspiring Collaboration Between Educators and Healthcare Professionals advocating for an interdisciplinary approach to address the particular impacts of Long COVID on youth via a case study.

Biography:

Dr. Ann Marie Leonard-Zabel is a Full Professor of Psychology and Department Coordinator at Curry College in Massachusetts, USA. She received awards from Curry College involving Person of the Year, Excellence in Teaching, Excellence in Research, Excellence in Partnership Collaboration, Woman of Inspiration, and an invited two-time presenter at the Curry Authors event. She is a frequent speaker and keynote at national and international conferences involving School Psychology, School Neuropsychology, Disability Analysis, Homeland Security, Violence-Aggression, Forensic Examining, Autism, Trauma, A-D/HD, COVID-19/Long COVID and Post COVID-19 conditions among children and youth, Ethics, and Addictions. In addition, she owns a private international practice specializing in evaluations, consultation, and in-service trainings for neuro-behavioral learning disabilities, neuro-developmental disorders, emotional-behavioral disorders, forensic examiner evaluations and substance use/abuse disorders. For the past 17 years, she has served as a clinical supervisor/clinical instructor for the School Neuropsychology Institute training psychologists in School Neuropsychology. Dr. Leonard-Zabel has published chapters and training programs in the areas of Autism, Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Telepractice Therapy, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, as well as chapters in Ethics, TBI, Addictions, and Forensics. Dr. Leonard-Zabel is a Board of Director for the Learning Disabilities Worldwide Congress and is one of a group of Global Goodwill Ambassadors-USA for the Global Goodwill Ambassador Foundation (GGAF) focusing on the UN SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being (strengthen the prevention, assessment and treatment of substance use disorder) and SDG 4 - Quality Education (disabilities and human rights) and SDG 16 - Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (decrease violence and abuse of children and youth). Dr. Leonard-Zabel is currently developing a course to bring global awareness on the topic “The Hijacked Brain-Adolescent Addiction” for the Global Goodwill Ambassador Foundation (GGAF) Learning Institute. She received the Lifetime Achievement award in School Neuropsychology and the Distinguished Lifetime Career Achievement award from the American Board of Disability Analysts.