The politics of technicians

An unintended consequence of the New York psychology Scope of Practice legislation led to a restriction in the use of testing technicians that has yet to be reversed after 4 years. The misperception of neuropsychology by state legislators and psychology colleagues was a key obstacle to achieving a timely solution. We discuss how the political agenda and practice philosophies of New York neuropsychologists were at odds with those of our psychology colleagues, and how that brought about a protracted struggle affecting both patient care and the practice of clinical neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists must maintain an active role in professional and political organizations with equal attention at the local, state, and national levels to avoid similar restrictions to their clinical practice.