Vindia G. Fernandez, PhD

Dr. Fernandez is a pediatric neuropsychologist who specializes in the relationship between the brain and behavior in children and adolescents. She primarily conducts comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations to assess cognitive functions such as memory, attention, executive functions, language, and visuospatial skills, as well as academic achievement and emotional/behavioral functioning. These evaluations are often for children with neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy, traumatic brain injury), developmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, autism), genetic syndromes, or learning difficulties. The goal of neuropsychological evaluations is often to clarify a child’s diagnosis, identify specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses, understand how a child's brain development impacts their learning and daily life, and provide evidence-based recommendations for therapeutic interventions, educational planning, and behavioral management to help them reach their full potential.

Dr. Fernandez also consults with pediatric neurologists conducting multi-disciplinary pre-surgical evaluations to determine if patients are suitable candidates for neurosurgery, particularly for complex conditions like epilepsy and brain tumors. In these cases, neuropsychological evaluations are conducted to help the surgical team localize the seizure focus, establish a cognitive baseline for functions like memory, language, and attention, and predict the risk of postoperative cognitive decline.  

As a Spanish-speaking bilingual, bicultural neuropsychologist Dr. Fernandez is able to perform comprehensive cognitive and emotional evaluations in the patient's primary language, which is crucial for obtaining an accurate assessment of brain-behavior functioning. Dr. Fernandez integrates cultural competence to correctly interpret test results, understanding how linguistic dominance, acculturation, educational history, and cultural norms (e.g., views on mental illness, family roles) influence an individual's performance.

Dr. Fernandez serves as the director of pediatric neuropsychology at the UCLA Lifespan Assessment Through Integrated Neuropsychology (LATIN) Clinic, overseeing the training of neuropsychology students and postdoctoral fellows with a pediatric focus.