About Me
It is my personal journey that informs
my work more than anything
For the past 15 years, I have been performing Educational and Neuropsychological evaluations with children, adolescents and adults. These are people who struggle in school, emotionally, socially and, often, all of the above. I have trained in some of the top hospitals and clinics in New York and New Jersey and take great pride in this
… but it’s my personal story that informs my work the most.
As a student, I too struggled. During my elementary years, I did very well in school. At some point, however, as the workload and demands ramped up, I started to take a downward turn. School no longer came so easily to me. It seemed like my friends were on ‘cruise control,’ while I had to work much harder simply to stay afloat. My parents and teachers urged me to “try harder,” but this only made things worse. As my grades declined my self-esteem declined along with it.
My parents spoke of a “disconnect” between that which they knew I was capable and what they were seeing in front of them. For my part, I felt nothing but failure. And, though my parents did not admit it, I knew they too were frustrated; every so often I would overhear them say things like, “He just needs to try harder,” or “He’s just being lazy.” That especially hurt.
There was a lot of trial and error involved in finding solutions. It took us years to get clear on the underlying issues. What we thought was a reading comprehension problem turned out to be an attention problem. It was frustrating to spend months remediating my reading when this was never the problem in the first place.
When I was growing up, Educational and Neuropsychological testing was not so readily available. Few provided it and even fewer understood it.
Today, however, neuropsychological testing is readily available
And what a game changer it can be! A thorough evaluation allows for a true, concise and integrated understanding including the individual’s intelligence levels, academic progress, and cognitive capacities. In addition, it also provides insight into the individual’s behaviors and psychological states.
The assessment brings together objective, scientifically backed data. Which, when combined with sound clinical judgment, allows for specifically tailored recommendations that are unique to that individual alone. With all pertinent information in hand, a ‘team’ (parents, teachers, outside interventionists), can come together who can work in harmony to ensure that the child no longer slips through the cracks.
This allows parents to streamline their time and resources, only pursuing services that are necessary. Such targeted recommendations provide an immediate course correction, avoiding the u-turns and lost time that I experienced.
Though I did struggle for all those years, I am thankful on some level for having gone through it. My own struggle allowed me to fully understand that those I assess are not simply a set of scores but, rather, thinking, feeling human beings who are going through a difficult time. Most of all, I love knowing that what I do provides answers that alter the course of people’s lives for the better.
I would be happy to have a conversation with you to see if I could be of assistance to your family.
Dr. Koffman is an expert in the identification and diagnosis of the following conditions in children and young adults:
ADHD
Autism
Learning Disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, dyscalculia, nonverbal learning disabilities)
Oppositional Defiant/Behavior disorders
Mood Disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder)
Motor ('sensory') issues
Speech and Language deficits
The need for possible academic accommodations (e.g., SAT, LSAT etc)
Organization skills/executive functions deficits
He is also able to help adults through extensive testing to evaluate and identify:
ADHD
Memory Complaints
Mood Disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder)
Vocational Concerns and options
Education, Training, and Licensure
B.A. Psychology McGill University 1994
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Long Island University (Brooklyn) 2002
Internship Rusk Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine (NYU) 2002
Fellowship NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center 2004
Licensed in New York and New Jersey (#4512)
Memberships:
American Psychological Association
the International Neuropsychological Society
the National Academy of Neuropsychology
International Dyslexia Association
Dr. Koffman has taught several courses at the undergraduate level. He has performed extensive research in areas related to memory, personality, neuropsychology, and social psychology.
He has led numerous seminars in various educational and clinical settings within northern New Jersey.
He has worked collaboratively with many of New Jersey's local school districts (including Montclair, Glen Ridge, Short Hills, Summit, Livingston, South Orange/Maplewood, among others).
Dr. Koffman has extensive training testing both children and adults and has worked in several of New York's top hospitals, including NYU Medical Center, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, and Lenox Hill Hospital's Center for Attention and Learning Disorders.