History of Education and Training in Clinical Neuropsychology

Abstract The development of clinical neuropsychology training originates from the contributions of multiple disciplines within experimental laboratories. As the profession rapidly expanded from these pathways, greater standardization was needed to address the varying backgrounds of training and education. The establishment of professional organizations and task force groups provided an avenue to formalize competency-based education guidelines that would lead to a consistent and unified model of training. A pivotal time point in history came about during the creation of the Houston Conference Guidelines, a consensus document that was developed by multiple professional organizations and provided a roadmap for graduate and postgraduate training. Since the inception of the HCG, clinical neuropsychology training programs have rapidly developed and expanded into other subspecialties (e.g., pediatric clinical neuropsychology). The HCG provides a longitudinal model of integrated training that considers the individual needs of the trainee. To this end, clinical neuropsychology as a professional practice will continue to evolve and incorporate into training advancements in technology, healthcare service delivery (e.g., interdisciplinary teams), and ability to serve a diverse population.