Dr. Richard Edelson
Richard Edelson, Ph.D., ABN, graduated with High Honors and High Distinction from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He earned a BS in Psychology, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Edelson has an M.Ed. in Special Education from Illinois State University, with a focus on Mental Retardation, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois. He completed a clinical internship at the VA Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, where he trained under the guidance of Muriel Lezak, Ph.D., a world-renowned neuropsychologist. Dr. Edelson then worked at the VA Medical Center in Louisville as a Medical Psychologist until beginning full-time clinical private practice at Edelson & Associates in 1980.
This individual has been a Diplomat and Fellow of the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology since 1991, and is one of only a few Board-Certified Neuropsychologists in Kentucky. This has allowed him to testify as an expert without undue challenge to his credentials. Graduate students from the University of Louisville and Spalding University were trained in Neuropsychology by him and his staff for decades. Dr. Edelson testified as a Medical Expert for the Social Security Administration for many years, was on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer's Association, and maintained privileges at several hospitals in the greater Louisville area. He is also a participating member in the following neuropsychological organizations: National Academy of Neuropsychology, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, International Neuropsychological Society, and the American Psychological Association (Division 40) and the Society of Psychologists of Management.
In the Edelson & Associates clinical practice, he specialized in assessment of brain illness and injury. Common diagnostic and therapeutic issues included Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, and stroke. Dr. Edelson has evaluated and treated individuals with chronic pain and work-related injuries for most of his career. Other psychologists met with him regularly for consultation on cases and discussion of new clinical information. For several years, he owned and managed two groups, Edelson & Associates and Edelson Forensics. In 2019, Associates was sold, allowing focus primarily on legal issues.
When Dr. Edelson started his career as a medical psychologist, he treated patients who were dealing with pain, head injuries, and other problems that, at times, crossed into the legal realm. As a result, he began to work with attorneys, who sought his opinion regarding their clients’ psychological issues. He came to enjoy the interactions with attorneys; the challenges of preparing cases for court; testifying about complex causes and interactions between medical, neurological, and emotional difficulties. In the forensic arena, cases have involved assessment of individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), workplace or retail accidents, electrical and inhalation injuries, competence to complete legal and/or financial documents, and medical malpractice concerns that may have resulted in brain or emotional problems. Medical record reviews have included many of the same topics, as well as critiques of the evaluations of other psychologists. Psychological evaluations have entailed the possibilities of anxiety, depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from a variety of causes.
Dr. Edelson has utilized a data-based, strategic approach to forensic work over the more than 30 years he has been involved with the legal field, and attributes this to the reason many attorneys on both sides of the Bar have relied on his expertise. He consults and testifies on neuropsychological issues involving brain damage, and causes and effects. Included in areas of assessment and discussion in reports when relevant are issues such as the presence and extent of cognitive damage, emotional consequences of injuries, prognosis for recovery, including future impairments, distinguishing the identifiable results of trauma from other contributing historical, behavioral, or anatomical factors; potential to return to work; and ratings for Disability purposes (short-term, long-term, and Social Security).
Referrals have come from attorneys in Kentucky and surrounding states and have increased over the years. As a result of the number of cases, Dr. Adam Brickler joined the practice in 2023, bringing his 15 years of experience to the group, and allowing a more rapid completion of examination and reports. Additional neuropsychological and psychological expertise has been provided by Donna Smith, MA, LPP, who also oversees the scheduling and financial aspects of the practice.
The neuropsychological assessment process at Edelson Forensics begins with an interview that may last several hours, then face-to-face testing for an extended period of time, depending on the person being examined. Thereafter, the subject may complete self-administered psychological tests in the office. The 40 to 50 standardized and normed measures administered are then scored, analyzed, and plotted on graphs that make the results and conclusions easier for lawyers and juries to understand. Reports include review of medical and social histories, past and present illnesses, records of relevance produced by physicians and psychologists, test results, their significance, and relationship to accidents or index events. Two psychologists are always involved in the assessment process, thereby broadening opinions about conclusions, and helping maintain objectivity.