I have been giving neuropsychological tests to children, teens, and young adults for almost 40 years, and I’ve never gotten tired of the work. I still love helping young people understand themselves better – and helping parents, educators, and mental health professionals understand the kids they live or work with – and how to help them.

Early in my career as a neuropsychologist, and very early in my parenting career, it became clear to me that we really can’t make other human beings do something against their will. This insight led me to see my primary role as a parent as that of a consultant to my two kids, with the goal of helping them figure out who they wanted to be and what kind of life they wanted to create. Around the same time, I developed a strong interest in the emerging research on the effects of stress on the developing brain. This interest led me to the studies that have shown the enormous importance of a strong sense of control for optimal functioning of the brain and body. When Ned and I teamed up and eventually decided to write a book together, he correctly pointed out that the principle that organizes virtually everything we recommend to parents and educators is the importance of helping kids develop a strong sense of control over their lives.

I’m also a faculty member at Children’s National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. My work has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, Scientific American, Business Week, Barron's, New York Magazine, and Vogue.

I live with Starr, my wife of 46 years, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Starr was the executive director of The Stixrud Group for 30 years, and she continues to play a strong role in my professional (and my personal!) life. We have two adult children, an economist and a psychologist, and five grandchildren – for all of whom we are eternally grateful. I’m also a long-time practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, and I play and sing in a rock and roll band, Close Enough.