Recordings now available from the Virtual Workshop!

The collaborative workshop was made possible by the cooperative partnerships between the Asian Neuropsychological Association, the Society for Black Neuropsychology (SBN), and the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). This virtual educational resource is designed to provide foundational information about considerations when conducting an assessment of people from one of the three largest underrepresented populations in the U.S. (i.e., Hispanics, Blacks, and Asian Americans) and to highlight the heterogeneity within each group.

The workshop is geared toward health practitioners who may be involved in assessing these populations in a number of different settings, and specifically addresses neurocognitive testing. Each section describes pertinent cultural facets that can impact performance on assessments and outline general strategies for optimizing the referral process, thereby enhancing participants’ abilities to critically consider cultural factors that might impact the interpretation of assessments of underserved patients. This workshop is grounded in the idea of cultural humility, an ability to respectfully listen to the other with the intent of understanding their beliefs and behaviors in the context of their culture in order to better appreciate the cultural experiences that might impact a neurocognitive assessment and associated care.

Heterogeneity among Black Populations
This presentation seeks to dispel the myths of Black cultural homogeneity with the objective of helping to increase cultural competency among clinical practitioners who assess Black patients.  The presentation begins by outlining the differences between major groups within the Black population. The following segments will specifically discuss clinical and assessment factors important to consider for African American, African Immigrant, Black Caribbean, and Afro-Latinx populations. The impact of intersectionality and acculturation on evaluation measures and practices will also be explored.

Considerations when Assessing Hispanic/Latino Populations
While Hispanics and/or Latinos might share a common language, the fact that they represent almost 20 countries highlights the importance of recognizing and learning about possible variables that are driving the heterogeneity in this group of patients and understanding the possible implications for a mental health assessment. To add to this complexity, cross-generational differences have been well documented with regard to mental health outcomes that can impact cognition. To this end, this session will identify a series of meta-themes that can help guide practitioners when making decisions about appropriate referrals for a patient of Hispanic or Latino descent. The topics of migration patterns and possible impact on social determinants of health in the United States, including education, religion, and possible cultural practices that should be considered when conducting an assessment, will be discussed.

Asian Heterogeneity
Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S and one of the most diverse in terms of country of origin and languages spoken. This presentation describes the heterogeneity of Asian-Americans with the goal of developing a nuanced understanding of Asian-American patients essential for guiding competent assessment with a focus on cognitive and intellectual assessments. The presentation opens with an introduction to Asian ethnicities, with a focus on differences between specific groups. Next, presentations on the two largest ethnicities, Asian Indians and Chinese-Americans, illustrate the heterogeneity within these subgroups.

Presented by:

Franchesca Arias, PhD, Desiree Byrd, PhD, ABPP-CN, Mirella Diaz-Santos, PhD, Daryl Fujii PhD, ABPP-CN, Jean Ikanga, PhD, Farzin Irani, PhD, ABPP-CN , Harold Neighbors, PhD, Michelle Miranda, PhD, MPH, Courtney Ray, MDiv, PhD and Alexander Tan, PhD