Ellen Braaten

Dr. Ellen Braaten is the Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Mass. General Hospital and the Track Director of the Child Psychology Training Program at MGH/Harvard Medical School. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Braaten received her M.A. degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado and her PhD in Psychology at Colorado State University and completed her internship training at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has been affiliated with Mass. General Hospital since 1998.

Dr. Braaten is widely recognized as an expert in the field of pediatric neuropsychological and psychological assessment, particularly in the areas of assessing learning disabilities and attentional disorders. She has been the recipient of funding to conduct research studies on children with nonverbal learning disabilities and attentional disorders and has published numerous papers, chapters, and reviews on ADHD, learning disabilities, gender and psychopathology, intelligence, and neuropsychological and psychological assessment of children.

She is the co-author of Straight Talk about Psychological Testing for Kids, a book that has become a classic for parents and professionals. She has also written The Child Clinician's Report Writing Handbook, which has been called *the most comprehensive child assessment handbook available." Her most recent book for parents is entitled Finding the Right Mental Health Care for Your Child, published by the American Psychological Association.

In addition to being the director of LEAP, Dr. Braaten also is the director of child psychology internship training and is the primary assessment supervisor for child psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows. She routinely teaches and supervises child psychiatry fellows and is actively involved in the School Psychiatry Program at MGH.

She is an accomplished and engaging speaker who has appeared at multiple conferences and parenting groups. Dr. Braaten is not only a psychologist: she is an activist, a philanthropist, and a mother of two, allowing her to relate to a wide variety of audiences.