Certified Pediatric Neuropsychologists In California Return to State AAPdN Directory

Provider:

Dana Chidekel, Ph.D., ABPdN,

ABN

Neuropsychological Testing and Consultation

Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology

Diplomate, American Board of Professional Neuropsychology

18321 Ventura Blvd., Ste 510

Tarzana, CA 91356

(818) 705-4305 (phone)

(818) 705-4307 (fax)

Biography:

Dr. Dana Chidekel started her career as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. She subsequently completed training in neuropsychology, and is a currently board certified in that specialty with a focus in pediatrics. She specializes in assessing children referred for academic, developmental and behavioral difficulties. She also has expertise in the area of giftedness, from the neurological dynamics underlying giftedness to the unique social and emotional needs of gifted children. Dr. Chidekel is known for her knowledge of brain behavior relationships and the neurobiological and social contributions to emotional development. Integrating and understanding her patients’ cognitive and emotional dynamics allows a full picture of their functioning to be understood so treatment and accommodations can be crafted most specifically, comprehensively and proactively. Present issues can be targeted directly, and many potential problems to be stopped before they develop.

Dr. Chidekel serves as a consultant and as an expert witness in civil forensic settings and on legal matters within educational settings. She provides continuing education to other professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, teachers, social workers, nurses, marriage and family counselors, and attorneys. Dr. Chidekel also serves as consultant for other professionals, and she is a frequent presenter to lay and professional audiences on topics including brain-behavior relationships, the diagnosis and treatment of learning disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other psychiatric disorders. Dr. Chidekel has authored professional articles about learning disorders, the neurological dynamics of giftedness, and parameters of practice for professionals.

The author of Parents in Charge: Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child (January 2002, Simon and Schuster, Inc.) Dr. Chidekel also speaks publicly on parenting, the development self-esteem, kindergarten readiness, and the hazards of overscheduling,. She has been interviewed to contribute to articles in such magazines as Parents, Parenting, Child, American Baby, Men’s Health, and First for Women, and has appeared on local and national radio and television programs, including several appearances on The Today Show. She is the host of Great Parents, Great Kids with Dr. Dana Chidekel, a 60-minute special that has been broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.

Dr. Chidekel lives near Los Angeles, California with her husband and their children. She practices in the community of Tarzana.