Hi. I am
Dr. Scott Newsom, a licensed psychologist currently in private practice in Austin, Texas. As a psychologist, I enjoy providing neuropsychology informed psycho-educational and psychological assessments for children, adolescents and adults. My office is conveniently located at 8105 Shoal Creek Dr. Suite B, Austin, TX 87857. This is just south of Steck in North Central Austin. Contact me now for an appointment or an initial assessment consultation.
A Little History:
In my private practice, I focus on assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders like ADD/ADHD, Learning Disorders, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability and social, emotional and behavioral disorders in children, teens and adults.
Biography:
I grew up in Austin and moved with my family to San Marcos, Texas in 1973. I attended Texas public schools throughout my education. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from Southwest Texas State University, I attended Texas Tech for my doctorate. Both of these universities were great choices because of the smaller classes and individualized education I could receive at each. Both universities provided me with a broad grounding in psychological theory and applications. Attending Texas Tech was rewarded with my acceptance for a highly competitive internship at the Houston Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. It was there I found my passion for Neuropsychology and my practice of assessment has been influenced by understanding brain-behavior relationships since that time.
I graduated with my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in August of 1998, so I have passed 20 years of post-graduate practice. In that time I have had the privilege to work with a number of great organizations and individuals. I first worked in an inpatient psychiatric facility for two years as a therapist on a secure, long-term inpatient unit for young adolescents. I continued working with children and their families as I established my private practice called Newsom Psychological in the Houston area in 2000. In my private practice, I consulted for a variety of organizations including Juvenile Justice, Disability Determination, Children’s Protective Services, The Children’s Assessment Center, the Children’s Crisis Care Center and School Districts in the area. During that time, I was asked to testify as an expert witness in family court and juvenile court on multiple occasions. When your work is subject to the probing of attorneys and is required when making decisions about the most important relationships in our lives, you quickly learn to use those methods that have only the highest level of scientific support. After doing this for a while, it becomes obvious that everyone you work with deserves the same level of service. So, after Neuropsychology, the standards of Forensic Psychology became another major influence on my practice.
In 2013, my son had left for college and my wife and I were ready to move back closer to family and friends in Central Texas, so back to Austin we moved. I established a private practice where I consulted with a group of educational consultants and with a neurologist providing assessments for both groups. After both of them went out of business, I returned my focus to my private practice. My private practice remains my main focus, but in 2017, I was recruited to perform assessments for Spectrum Services. Spectrum offers a wide range of services for clients with neurodevelopmental disorders and differences including Autism, ADHD, Intellectual disabilities, and executive functioning deficits. They are one of the highest rated groups in Texas providing these services and I could not pass up this opportunity, so I now offer assessments through them as well.
I love children, so helping them learn and achieve great things in life is my passion. As a psychologist, I enjoy helping students from preschool through college (and their parents) understand the unique combination of abilities that shape both their struggles and their successes. Informed by neuropsychological research and traditional psychometric validation, my assessments are private, individualized, comprehensive, and flexible. My focus is genuinely student-centered, so you can rest assured that the recommendations are based solely on considering the student’s needs and best interests. I specialize in comprehensive assessments for children with Learning Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Gifted and Talented needs, as well as Social, Emotional and Behavioral problems. I also provide Career Assessment and Counseling for students who have difficulties learning for any reason. My reports are routinely used in both public and private schools to support accommodations via the “504” process, Curriculum Modifications, Special Educational Services, IEPs, College Board tests (ACT/SAT/GRE), Tutoring, Educational Consulting, College Counseling, and Therapeutic Interventions.
Assessments for adults include ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s/Autism, Learning Disorders, Insomnia, Dementia, Emotional Disorders like Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Therapy Planning, and Career Development.
Although I am not currently accepting new clients as a therapist, when I do therapy I put my years of experience to use providing practical, evidence-based interventions. I enjoy seeing my clients make positive, real changes in their lives that impact the causes of their problems, not just suppress symptoms. When clients make changes that are consistent with living up to their values and goals in life, long-lasting benefits will be achieved.