Neuropsychological assessment has traditionally been grounded in standardized psychometric testing, often prioritizing cognitive performance while overlooking the influence of social, cultural, racial, gender and contextual determinants on human functioning. The worldwide increase in referrals for neurodevelopmental assessment, particularly among adults, women and historically marginalized populations, has highlighted important limitations of deficit-centered models and reinforced the need for more ecologically valid, socially responsive and person-centered clinical approaches. To present the Baobá Humanistic, Interventive, Community-Based, Neurodiversity-Affirming and Intersectional Neuropsychological Assessment Model, a Brazilian framework proposing a decolonial paradigm for neuropsychological assessment. This experience report describes a clinical model developed in Brazil since 2021 through the work of Baobá Neuropsychology. The model integrates standardized assessment with therapeutic intervention throughout the diagnostic process, combining quantitative and qualitative data, longitudinal follow-up, ecological validity, homebased assessment when indicated, shared clinical reasoning by two neuropsychologists, interdisciplinary collaboration, active participation of patients and families, and principles of Academic Activism that connect clinical practice, scientific production and advocacy for human rights. The framework is theoretically grounded in Humanistic Neuropsychology, Therapeutic Assessment, Community Psychology, Neurodiversity, Intersectionality and Decolonial Health. Clinical implementation has demonstrated increased patient engagement, improved diagnostic differentiation among neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, earlier therapeutic planning, greater family participation, and expanded access to accommodations and social rights. The model has been particularly relevant for reducing diagnostic invisibility among women, Black individuals and LGBTQIAPN+ populations by integrating social determinants into neuropsychological reasoning. To the best of our knowledge, the Baobá Model represents one of the first systematically described Brazilian neuropsychological assessment frameworks integrating humanistic, interventive, community-based, neurodiversity- affirming, ecological and intersectional principles into a single longitudinal clinical model. Rather than understanding assessment as a procedure exclusively aimed at diagnosis, the model reframes neuropsychological assessment as a therapeutic, educational, community-based and socially responsive process, contributing to the international discussion on decolonizing clinical neuropsychology.

Marcela Santos da Silva is a Brazilian clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, neuropsychologist, and psychomotricity specialist. She holds a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology and Cognitive Rehabilitation from the Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), and a specialization in Psychomotricity from Associação Vem Ser (Brazil). She is the co-founder of Baobá Neuropsychology, where, together with neuropsychologist Ester Horta, she co-developed the Baobá Humanistic, Interventive, Community-Based, Neurodiversity-Affirming and Intersectional Neuropsychological Assessment Model. Her clinical practice integrates psychotherapy, neuropsychological assessment, therapeutic assessment, and psychomotor intervention across the lifespan. Her work focuses on neurodevelopmental conditions, ecological validity, longitudinal assessment, accessibility, and human rights. As a late-diagnosed autistic psychologist with ADHD and giftedness, her lived experience informs her commitment to advancing neurodiversity-affirming, culturally responsive, and socially just approaches to neuropsychology. She is also engaged in academic activism, promoting equitable access to diagnosis, professional education, and disability rights. She is currently dedicated to the international dissemination and scientific validation of the Baobá Model of Neuropsychological Assessment.