Vedant A. Desai, MA, MS
School Psychology PhD Student
As a doctoral student in school psychology, I am dedicated to advancing the scholarly inquiry that bridges clinical and educational disciplines. My research is centered on reconceptualizing the diagnostic criteria for adolescent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as investigating special education frameworks pertinent to twice-exceptional students. For additional details regarding my scholarly work, please follow the link below.
Research Interests
My research interests lie at the intersection of neurodevelopmental disorders, cognitive assessment, and special education, with a primary focus on advancing the understanding of twice-exceptional (2e) populations. Twice-exceptional individuals—students who demonstrate both high cognitive abilities and one or more learning, attentional, or developmental challenges—represent a growing area of interest within educational psychology and clinical neurodevelopmental research. My current work particularly emphasizes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) within the context of twice-exceptionality, aiming to bridge gaps in assessment, identification, and intervention. I am especially interested in reconceptualizing ADHD pathology through an integrative framework that spans developmental clinical science and school psychology. This approach seeks to promote a more unified recognition of ADHD across adolescence and adulthood, highlighting the developmental trajectories and heterogeneity of the disorder. By leveraging insights from cognitive assessment and psychometric theory, my goal is to refine methodologies for detecting twice-exceptional profiles, as these students are often overlooked in conventional educational and diagnostic frameworks. In particular, my research aims to inform best practices in the assessment of 2e adolescents with ADHD by identifying psychometric and interpretive considerations that can enhance diagnostic precision. Through this work, I ultimately seek to contribute to both theoretical models and applied practices that support early recognition, targeted intervention, and equitable educational opportunities for twice-exceptional learners.​​