He received his BSc in Psychology from Bristol University, England; his MA from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada; and his PhD in cognitive psychology from Cornell University, New York. In addition to authoring about ten research articles, he wrote the college text, "The Growing Years" (McGraw-Hill), which covers human development from infancy to old age. He was Assistant Pediatric Research Neuropsychologist in the School of Medicine at UCSD. He has been recognized by the courts as an expert in forensic evaluations in criminal proceedings, and when issues of competence, dangerousness or sanity arise.