Dr. Jason Baker and his staff conduct neuropsychological,
psychoeducational, and psychological evaluations; as well as qEEG
brain mapping and neurofeedback; of children, adolescents, and
adults. We also perform preschool/kindergarten readiness
evaluations, educational consultation, and athlete screenings. Please
visit the other pages on this website for further information, including
the services provided, as well as our training and credentials. See
"Contact Information" for information about the office location,
phone/fax numbers, and e-mail address.
psychoeducational, and psychological evaluations; as well as qEEG
brain mapping and neurofeedback; of children, adolescents, and
adults. We also perform preschool/kindergarten readiness
evaluations, educational consultation, and athlete screenings. Please
visit the other pages on this website for further information, including
the services provided, as well as our training and credentials. See
"Contact Information" for information about the office location,
phone/fax numbers, and e-mail address.
| BAKER NEUROPSYCHOLOGY Jason J. Baker, Ph.D. 1515 E. Missouri Ave., Suite 110 Phoenix, AZ 85014 Office: 602-274-1462 Fax: 602-274-7402 E-mail: jasonbaker@bakerneuropsychology.com |
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| Clients we serve: *Preschoolers *School-aged children *Adolescents *Adults |
Dr. Baker's Parenting Tips of the Week:
Everyone feels grumpy and irritable at times (myself included!). Adults tend to justify feeling
this way based on specific stressors and demands in their lives. However, when children/teens
act irritable, it is perceived as being disrespectful. Many kids (including the ones I evaluate)
encounter large amounts of stress each day (and, in my perception, kids nowadays seem more
distressed in general than kids were 20 years ago when I began my clinical work), and some are
also dealing with hormonal issues and various other challenges. We as adults need to empathize
with children and recognize it is human nature to feel irritable at times. It is also human nature
to take some of that stress out on family members (who are safe) instead of the people causing
the stress (e.g., peers). Before reacting to your children and adding stress (e.g., "Don't give me
that look!"), think about times you felt the same way and someone got mad at you for being
irritable. I use this technique with my own children, and it often helps to understand their
experience and de-escalate situations.
Remember, children watch our every move and are very observant. If you tell your child to
handle conflict by being calm and using their words, you need to also live by this and avoid
yelling, name calling, or other negative conflict-resolution behaviors. Similarly, it is hard to
expect your child to be organized if you are chronically disorganized. Modeling positive
behaviors is just as important as teaching them. Finally, if you want your children to avoid
multitasking when they drive someday (e.g., talking on the phone), but you do this in front of
them, they are probably going to do the same thing when they start driving. My (Jason Baker)
children have commented about my needing to focus when I have talked on the phone while
driving. Keep this in mind when you are doing the same, as we are always modeling behavior
for future adults.
Be very specific with your child when giving requests. So often, parents (and even teachers) use
vague phrases that children don't understand, such as saying "Settle down!", need very concrete
details about their behavior. Tell him/her exactly what you mean in simple terms.
Don't forget to reinforce small improvements in your child's behavior. So often, parents focus
on punishing bad behavior, but then forget to reward good behavior. Watch closely for even
tiny improvements in your child's behavior and verbally praise him/her for it. If your child
makes small improvements in behavior and these aren't noticed or commented on, you can
expect he/she will return to the previous behavior pattern. Sometimes, even bad attention is
rewarding to a child, so be sure to focus your attention on the good things your child is doing.
Everyone feels grumpy and irritable at times (myself included!). Adults tend to justify feeling
this way based on specific stressors and demands in their lives. However, when children/teens
act irritable, it is perceived as being disrespectful. Many kids (including the ones I evaluate)
encounter large amounts of stress each day (and, in my perception, kids nowadays seem more
distressed in general than kids were 20 years ago when I began my clinical work), and some are
also dealing with hormonal issues and various other challenges. We as adults need to empathize
with children and recognize it is human nature to feel irritable at times. It is also human nature
to take some of that stress out on family members (who are safe) instead of the people causing
the stress (e.g., peers). Before reacting to your children and adding stress (e.g., "Don't give me
that look!"), think about times you felt the same way and someone got mad at you for being
irritable. I use this technique with my own children, and it often helps to understand their
experience and de-escalate situations.
Remember, children watch our every move and are very observant. If you tell your child to
handle conflict by being calm and using their words, you need to also live by this and avoid
yelling, name calling, or other negative conflict-resolution behaviors. Similarly, it is hard to
expect your child to be organized if you are chronically disorganized. Modeling positive
behaviors is just as important as teaching them. Finally, if you want your children to avoid
multitasking when they drive someday (e.g., talking on the phone), but you do this in front of
them, they are probably going to do the same thing when they start driving. My (Jason Baker)
children have commented about my needing to focus when I have talked on the phone while
driving. Keep this in mind when you are doing the same, as we are always modeling behavior
for future adults.
Be very specific with your child when giving requests. So often, parents (and even teachers) use
vague phrases that children don't understand, such as saying "Settle down!", need very concrete
details about their behavior. Tell him/her exactly what you mean in simple terms.
Don't forget to reinforce small improvements in your child's behavior. So often, parents focus
on punishing bad behavior, but then forget to reward good behavior. Watch closely for even
tiny improvements in your child's behavior and verbally praise him/her for it. If your child
makes small improvements in behavior and these aren't noticed or commented on, you can
expect he/she will return to the previous behavior pattern. Sometimes, even bad attention is
rewarding to a child, so be sure to focus your attention on the good things your child is doing.
Why Choose Us To Assess and/or Treat
Your Child?
The specializations of Dr. Baker and his staff allow for the
comprehensive examination of each child/adolescent from
neuropsychological and social/emotional perspectives, as well
as pertaining to academic functioning and practical
implications for the academic setting. We develop extensive
and carefully tailored recommendations pertaining to the
school so children/adolescents receive the accommodations
and special services (e.g., reading interventions) they need.
Aside from comprehensive testing, we conduct extensive
interviewing (2-2.5 hours) of parents, children, and
sometimes teachers. Our reports are lengthy (typically 16+
pages) and provide extensive information about the results
and appropriate accommodations and interventions, all of
which are explained in a comprehensive feedback session
that lasts approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Over 50% of our child referrals are from the parents of
children we previously evaluated. Also, parents often ask us
to evaluate other children in the family following the
evaluation of the first child (which we discount). We aim to
provide assessments of the highest quality, which has resulted
in the numerous referrals we receive. Although this
occasionally results in lengthier wait times to be seen for an
appointment, we are typically able to see newly referred
children within 2-3 weeks of making the appointment.
One major advantage to having us perform a
neuropsychological, psychoeducational, or psychological
evaluation is the ability to add a qEEG/brain mapping
assessment to the evaluation, as this provides valuable
information about the potential underlying factors
contributing to the child's issues.