A – 82 Exploring the Clinical Utility of the ECLECTIC Framework: Advancing Cultural Neuropsychology for Pediatric Refugees

Abstract Objective Refugee children and families arriving to the US encounter barriers to accessing healthcare services such as low health literacy, lack of interpretation services, medical mistrust, sociocultural or religious factors, and immigration status. Refugees disproportionately develop psychological symptoms and major mental illness after resettlement due to exposure to traumatic events. This can impact brain development and, along with other developmental, neurologic, and genetic conditions, may require neuropsychological evaluations to establish appropriate care. The ECLECTIC Framework (Fujii, 2018) outlines aspects of culture that influence data collection and interpretation in neuropsychological evaluations. We evaluated the ethical and cultural factors specific to the context of being a refugee that should be incorporated in tandem with a cultural model to provide ethical pediatric neuropsychological evaluations. Method Neuropsychological evaluations of three pediatric refugees are described using the ECLECTIC Framework. Names and identifying information have been changed. Considerations for sociocultural factors and practical recommendations for approaching the evaluation process of pediatric refugees are presented. Results The ECLECTIC Framework provides a foundation for understanding the nuanced factors for evaluation of pediatric refugees such as limited access to collateral data, cultural and religious beliefs, community support and resilience, and the impact of documentation status on parental work, income, and governmental benefits. Conclusion Using cultural models can guide equitable neuropsychological services and reduce unrecognized ethnocentric biases. However, adaptation of the ECLECTIC Framework is required for accurate and appropriate use with pediatric refugees. This would allow for more personalized, precision, evidence-informed care to provide realistic and culturally responsive guidance and recommendations.