About us

Find out what a day at the Neurodevelopment Research Unit (NDAU) looks like

We are based in the Centre for Human Developmental Science at the School of Psychology, and we investigate the emotional, cognitive and social processes involved in developmental problems in children.

Our aim

Young children with emotional and behavioural problems often don't receive the support they need early in life. When they finally receive support it may not be appropriately targeted towards their individual needs.

The primary aim of the Neurodevelopment Assessment Unit is to collect broad assessment data on primary school children, aged four to seven years old, with diverse developmental problems. This will enable us to understand the overlapping cognitive and socio-emotional bases of different profiles of children with neurodevelopmental problems.

The results of the assessment are fed back to the child’s school in order to inform and enhance their continued support for the child. The data that we collect will, in time, inform our understanding of the neuropsychological and biological mechanisms that underlie different neurodevelopmental problems.

The NDAU provides a forum for liaison between researchers interested in understanding disorders of emotion, cognition and behaviour in children, and the professional groups who work with children with these difficulties.

We are interested in understanding the emotional, behavioural and social difficulties that some young children may experience. Children aged between four and seven years can be referred to the NDAU by their school teachers, who may want to know more about any difficulties a child may have across a range of skills and abilities that are important for learning and behaviour.

Each child and their parent will visit us here in the NDAU for an assessment and the results of the assessment are fed back to the school with the aim of shaping the support that the school provides.

Our work is funded by the Waterloo Foundation.