Mary Lazar, Psy.D.
Co-Founder
I hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology with specializations in
neuropsychology and school psychology. After graduating from Widener University in 1990, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital under Dr. Jane Berstein, who I credit with fostering my child-centered approach. My first job was at Children’s Seashore House, now part of CHOP. Since 2000, I've worked at Widener, teaching and supervising students, and directing the Neuropsychology Clinic until its closure during the pandemic. In 2019, my practice partner and I established Developmental Neuropsychology Associates, where I now work full-time
Our Team
My Testing Approach
My evaluation approach is child-centered, focusing on understanding how a child thinks and solves problems, rather than just administering a set of tests. I observe their problem-solving steps, reactions to tasks, and
self-management during assessments. My method is rooted in development and family structure, involving collaboration with families and key individuals in the child's life. As someone who sees a child or adolescent for just a moment in time, I am humble about what kind of understanding we can gather in such a unique context. But by engaging with parents or caregivers and getting their story about their child, we build a collaborative relationship that sets the stage for the evaluation process. Creating a comfortable testing environment allows the child to be themselves, and do their best, which then gives me the best chance of forming good hypotheses about what might be going on with the child. Then together with the family, we discuss these hypotheses and begin to build a road map that addresses their child’s needs now, and helps families anticipate what to expect in the future.
About Me
Having had a challenging childhood, I aspired to become a psychologist who listens to and understands children's complex feelings. I am grateful to have achieved this dream and love my work. I am married and have two wonderful adult children. And that saying about parenting, that it never stops, well, completely true for
me! People would assume as a psychologist, I would have child-rearing all figured out. But like everyone else, I had to learn by doing, and by making my share of good and bad decisions. What I value in our kids right now is that they each want to spend time with us, and still come to us when they are facing difficult life situations. What an honor, and what a way for me to change the legacy of my past. When I’m not testing kids or writing reports, I really love taking a walk with my husband and our dog, gardening, spending time with friends, traveling and taking way too many photos, and watching TV (I am a true child of the 60s).
Our Team
Meghan Gold, Psy.D.
Co-Founder
I am a licensed psychologist, pediatric neuropsychologist, and PA certified school psychologist. I graduated from Widener University’s clinical psychology doctoral program, with concentrations in neuropsychology and school psychology. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. I saw patients for neuropsychological evaluations with histories of epilepsy, cancer, and concussions. I also participated in multi-disciplinary autism, NICU, and Cardiac clinics. After completing my post-doc, I joined the team at Widener University’s Neuropsychology Assessment Center as the Assistant Director. There, I supervised doctoral students conducting neuropsychological evaluations. I spent two years in that role, until the clinic’s closure in June 2020, when I transitioned to full-time private practice.
My Testing Approach
I firmly believe that everyone is doing their best with what they have, including kids, parents, and teachers. I start from a place of curiosity. I have the formal training, but parents are the experts on their child, and the child is an expert on themselves. I work from a strengths-based approach and a neurodiversity affirming paradigm, placing a strong emphasis on collaboration with families, schools, and treatment providers. I start each evaluation with the goal of helping clients (and their families) better understand their brain and how they interact with the world around them. I listen and integrate information from different sources to provide a new framework, perspective, and alternative ways to think about behavior. I hope to provide a written report that is an understandable narrative of the client and a roadmap of recommendations that are feasible and clear. I respect each family's individual situation and try to make recommendations that reflect the needs and circumstances of the family in front of me.
About Me
I am a single mother of two neurodivergent boys. I understand firsthand the wonders and challenges of raising a child who sees and responds to the world differently. I have personal experience navigating how to parent and support a complex little human in a very demanding world that doesn't always understand or support their needs. It's a journey full of ups and downs, and finding the right support team has been a vitally important piece of the puzzle for my family. When not working or knee deep in my parenting journey, I find moments of peace by taking a walk outdoors, drinking that first sip of coffee in the morning, or spending time laughing with my community of friends and family.
Dr. Ashley Marchante-Hoffman, Ph.D.
Psychologist (she/her/ella)
I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) licensed clinical psychologist who provides comprehensive psychological and neurodevelopmental evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults. I specialize in the assessment of Autism, ADHD, and learning differences.
I earned my undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in pediatric health, from the University of Miami. I completed both my doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley, where I later worked as a pediatric psychologist. During my time at Nemours, I developed a bilingual training program for interns and post-doctoral fellows and provided psychological testing and therapy while supervising learners in primary care and the Swank Autism Center. I am licensed in Pennsylvania and Delaware and am PSYPACT-authorized to provide telehealth evaluations for families across most U.S. states.
Our Team
My Testing Approach
My approach to assessment is neurodiversity-affirming and culturally responsive. I see evaluations as a collaborative process: while I provide expertise in testing and interpretation, families are the experts on their child’s experiences and cultural context. I aim to create a supportive environment where children can be their authentic selves, allowing me to observe not only how they perform on tests, but how they think, problem-solve, and engage with tasks.
Ultimately, I believe every child deserves to be truly understood. My goal is to translate what we learn in the evaluation into clear, strengths-based insights and practical recommendations that support their child’s growth, confidence, and success at home and at school.
About Me
I am Latina (Cuban American), mother of two, wife, and late-diagnosed adult with ADHD. These experiences have given me unique insights into the strengths and challenges of having a neurodivergent brain. I also have the experience of raising and advocating for a really fun and energetic neurodivergent child, which gives me additional perspective on supporting and celebrating different ways of learning and thinking. Outside of my professional work, I have always loved listening to music, dancing, and exploring new foods – there is almost always music playing in our house!