Frank Van Santen, PhD

Dr. Frank Van Santen is a clinical psychologist and learning disabilities specialist who evaluates and teaches children, adolescents, and adults with learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, math disorders, writing disorders), attention disorders (e.g., ADHD), and language disorders. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and a master’s degree in Psychology from Indiana State University. While conducting research and teaching Psychology 101 courses in the Indiana prison system, Dr. Van Santen saw first-hand the effects that problems with learning and language processing can have (research suggests that three-to-four times as many incarcerated individuals have learning disabilities compared those who are not incarcerated). As a result, Dr. Van Santen pursued his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Learning Disabilities at Northwestern University. He has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in psychology, evaluation and treatment of learning disabilities, and assessment methods. He served on the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty at Northwestern University from 2001 to 2020 prior to moving to New Hampshire and joining Hanover CBT.

Dr. Van Santen’s research interests have included the sequelae of domestic violence; diagnostic procedures for assessing learning disorders; cognitive processing deficits related to reading disabilities; and accommodations for high-stakes testing. As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, he also researched the Ex-Cub Factor, which states that if a World Series team has more than three ex-Cubs on its roster, it will not win the World Series. (It correctly predicts the winner about 77 percent of the time.)

Dr. Van Santen enjoys collaborating with parents, school teams, and providers as he works to understand and support the environment in which each individual lives and learns. He approaches his work with humor, humility, care, and conscientiousness.