Who We Are

Personal Statement

My primary research and clinical interests are in the diagnosis and etiology of autism. I am passionate about teaching and training in autism and developmental disabilities, and improving access to care and building community capacity for this population. I am the director of the Clinical Training Unit at the Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD), and direct the UW Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program. I am also the track coordinator for the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Psychology Internship training program and an attending psychologist at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center where I conduct diagnostic evaluations for autism and supervise a variety of trainees. I am investigating various methods for diagnosis in an effort to streamline the process and decrease wait times for an initial diagnostic evaluation for autism. I am involved in implementing and evaluating several Project ECHO programs at IHDD with primary care providers in Washington State, with a goal of improving access to autism-related care closer to home. In the past, I was part of research examining the genetic landscape of autism in order to create meaningful subtypes of the disorder, with a hope of individualizing treatments for people with autism in the future.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington , 2012-2013
Psychology Internship , UCLA , 2011-2012
Ph.D. , Child Clinical Psychology , University of Washington, Seattle , 2005-2012
B.A. , Psychology , Colby College , 1999-2003

Department Affiliations

Other Affiliations

Seattle Children’s Autism Center
Institute on Human Development and Disability (UW IHDD)