Amy
Keefer
,
PhD, ABPP

Amy Keefer's headshot
Phone: 443-923-7603
Kennedy Krieger Institute

3901 Greenspring Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21211
United States

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About

Dr. Amy Keefer is the supervising clinical psychologist within the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™, formerly known as the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, or CARD) and coordinates the Post-Doctoral Residency in Clinical Child Psychology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in the Department of Neuropsychology and CASSI. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Keefer is a licensed psychologist and is board-certified in cognitive and behavioral psychology.

Education

Dr. Keefer completed her undergraduate education at Messiah College in 1997 and received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Drexel University in 2003. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at Philhaven Behavioral Healthcare and was then employed at Philhaven’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Keefer obtained a position at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2007 and her current duties include clinical care, training and research within CASSI. She is the supervising clinical psychologist and coordinates the Post-Doctoral Residency in Clinical Child Psychology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Research 

Dr. Keefer’s research interests focus on psychiatric comorbidities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous projects have investigated correlates of anxiety and predictors of response to anxiety treatment in youth with ASD. She is currently collaborating with researchers both within and outside Kennedy Krieger Institute to research mechanisms underlying anxiety and to develop novel, empirically validated treatments for emotional dysregulation and anxiety in children and youth with ASD. 

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Google Scholar Profile

Research Publications

Vasa RA, Kreiser NL, Keefer A, Singh V, Mostofsky SH (2018). Relationships between autism spectrum disorder and intolerance of uncertainty. Autism Res. , .

Keefer A, Kreiser NL, Singh V, Blakeley-Smith A, Duncan A, Johnson C, Klinger L, Meyer A, Reaven J, Vasa RA (2016). Intolerance of Uncertainty Predicts Anxiety Outcomes Following CBT in Youth with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord. , .

Keefer A, Kreiser N, Singh V, Blakeley-Smith A, Reaven J, Vasa RA. Exploring Relationships between Negative Cognitions and Anxiety Symptoms in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behavior Therapy. 2017: Epub ahead of print; Dec 10

 Keefer A, White S, Vasa RA, Reaven J. Psychosocial Interventions for Internalizing Disorders in Youth and Adults with ASD. International Review of Psychiatry. 2018: 30(1), 62-77.

Vasa, R., Kalb, L., Freedman, B., Keefer, A., Kanne, S., & Mazurek, M. (2013). Age-related differences in the prevalence and correlates of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders.  Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7 (11), 1358-1369.

Mazurek, M.O., Keefer, A., Shui, Amy, & Vasa, Roma A. (2014) One year course and predictors of abdominal pain in children with autism spectrum disorders: The role of anxiety and sensory over-responsivity. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(11), 1508-1515

Reaven J, Moody E, Blakeley-Smith A, Duncan A, Keefer A, Klinger L, Meyer A, O’Kelley S, Hepburn S. Training Clinicians to Deliver Group CBT to Manage Anxiety in Youth with ASD: Results of a Multi-Site Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2018: 86(3), 205-217.