Pediatric Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Clinic Fellowship

The goal of the fellowship in the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Clinic is to enhance training for future psychologists in behavioral assessment and intervention for toddlers, children, and adolescents with diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental disorders who also have challenging behaviors. Fellows will receive training in behavioral assessment and intervention via didactic instruction and a wide range of supervised and independent practice. Fellows will develop a broad array of relevant clinical skills which will prepare them to apply for jobs within the field of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Fellows will have a full year of clinical training in the PDD Clinic and will also have the option of participating in one to two minor rotations to individualize their training. Fellows will have two licensed supervisors; each supervisor will provide one hour/ week of individual face-to-face supervision for a total of 2 hours/week. For those who need BCBA supervised field work, BCBA supervisors are available. Two hours per week of group supervision will be provided and will include: topic presentations, formal and informal peer review, and presentations on the application of research to clinical work. Once a month fellows will participate in peer review with the Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient Program (specializing in treatment of severe behaviors). 

Qualified candidates for the PDD fellowship program will have received their doctoral degrees in School, Counseling, or Clinical Psychology and have successfully completed an APA-accredited internship program. 

Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic Postdoctoral Fellows Will Receive Training in The Following Areas:

Throughout the year, fellows will receive training in behavioral assessment and intervention.  They will assume the role as primary therapists for their clients and families.  Based on initial and ongoing assessment, they will develop function-based interventions to decrease challenging behavior and increase appropriate replacement behavior.  Throughout, family barriers to treatment are assessed, and methods to overcome obstacles are utilized. 

Fellows will have 17 patient contact hours per week with PDD clients.   Contact hours are reduced while participating in the minor rotations to allow trainees to be fully devoted to their minor experience(s). Toddlers, children, and adolescents who receive services in our clinic all have  suspected or diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders. Examples of diagnoses seen in our clinic include genetic disorders (Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, CHARGE, and Fragile X), Expressive and Receptive Language Disorders, Developmental Delays, Intellectual Disabilities, and, most commonly, Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

PDD Clinic fellows provide services in the following domains:

Externalizing behavior challenges: Common target behaviors include tantrums/meltdowns, aggression, elopement, toileting skills deficits, and sleep concerns. Primary intervention is provided through behavioral parent training to implement interventions in the home and community. 

Anxiety and internalizing behaviors: Co-occurring internalizing disorders occur frequently in our patient population (e.g., GAD, specific phobias, social anxiety, selective mutism, OCD, and cognitive inflexibility).  Fellows will learn to use interventions, such as modified CBT, elements of the SPACE program (i.e., decreasing parental accommodation), and components of ACT when working with anxious youth and parents.  Fellows will receive specialized training via didactics and supervised clinical experiences. In treating children with both externalizing and internalizing concerns, traumatic histories may require additional attention.  While the PDD clinic strives to provide trauma-informed care, if more specialized treatment is required, we will provide a referral to the family.

Group skills therapy: Postdoctoral fellows will have the option to lead or co-lead various social skill groups throughout the year (see below).  Social skill groups are conducted onsite and via telehealth, and the selection of groups offered will depend on waitlists and client needs.

  • Social skills and flexibility training:  Fellows will also have opportunities to participate in group skills training utilizing curriculum such as Superheroes, PEERS, and Unstuck & On Target.
  • Sports-based social skills: Our latest addition to social skills training has been to integrate curriculum-based social skills into an after-school soccer group.
  • Arts and crafts social skills: This group is currently being piloted to accommodate children who are not interested in physical sports but would like to participate in a recreationally based activity. Similarly, curriculum based social skills will be integrated into Arts-based activities. 

Interdisciplinary activities: In addition to activities within the PDD clinic, fellows may be interested in participating in interdisciplinary experiences on a bi-monthly basis through the Pediatric Interdisciplinary Clinic (PIC).  This will include conducting evaluations for toddlers and children up to 6 years old. Evaluations will emphasize behavioral challenges as well as aspects of development.  Fellows will present their findings along with recommendations to the interdisciplinary team which typically consists of Developmental Pediatrics, Speech Pathology, Neuropsychology, Genetics, and/or Occupational Therapy. Throughout the year of training, fellows will interact with other disciplines within Kennedy Krieger to provide coordinated care for their shared patients. This may include record reviews from other disciplines as well as direct communication/consultation. With respect to participation in the assessment and treatment of school based behavioral concerns, the fellowship year is entirely dedicated to clinic-based services. As such, on an as needed basis, fellows may interact with school staff to support parents who are concerned about school-based behaviors or participate in an IEP meeting.

Minor Rotation Options 

Fellows may select 4-month or 8-month minor rotations; for fellows opting to do a 4-month rotation, they can also choose to do an additional 4-month during the second half of the year. 

Assessment/Treatment of Feeding Disorders: Behavioral Psychology Department - Feeding Clinic (8 months): Fellows will receive training in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of feeding disorders. Experiences will include addressing feeding challenges (e.g., increasing variety and volume of foods accepted, decreasing interfering mealtime behaviors, such gagging, and disruptive mealtime behaviors, transitioning from G-tube dependence to mouth feedings).  Evidence- based interventions and caregiver training will occur via onsite or video sessions. 

ADOS training - Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI) (four-month rotation): Fellows will receive training in conducting developmentally informed diagnostic interviews and administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2). In addition to administration and coding of the ADOS-2, Fellows will also engage in report writing and family feedback sessions. Training will also include participation in weekly seminar meetings and ADOS-2 calibration scoring.  

Development and Early Learning (DEL) Clinic (four-month rotation): Fellows will participate in psychological evaluations through the DEL clinic which is housed within the Neuropsychology Department. Children are seen in this clinic up to age 7 and have known or suspected developmental or medical conditions that can be associated with executive dysfunction. Fellows spend one day a week in the DEL Clinic, alternating between evaluation days and report writing days. They will present cases during rounds including the reason for referral/presenting problem, relevant background information, differential diagnostic considerations, and the proposed testing plan. In addition to conducting evaluations, fellows will also conduct interviews with patients and families, ultimately providing feedback sessions to families. 

Caregiver Stress Management: Notice, Empower, Shift, and Transform (NEST) (four-months or 8-months): NEST is a group-based program which has a manualized curriculum that was developed within the PDD clinic and is designed to support caregivers of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders with emphasis on addressing caregiver stress, grief, emotional fatigue, and other barriers that can impact treatment success. Specifically, NEST is built on a blend of evidence-based practices like ABA, ACT, CBT, mindfulness, and grief work. While the group offers tools for child behavior management, the goal is providing caregivers with tools for their own emotional regulation, coping, and values-based parenting, while also offering peer support and space to process the emotional impact of a diagnosis as well as the ongoing stress raising a child with NDD. Fellows would be involved with preparation, adapting the curriculum to meet the clinical needs of the group, conducting the group, communicating with caregivers outside of group as necessary, data collection, and contributing to ongoing research. Originally, the group was designed for Spanish speaking caregivers; this year we will provide the group for African American caregivers. We expect that for the training year, September 2027, we will have the group available to any caregiver experiencing their own challenges that may be associated with raising a youngster with NDD.

Additional training activities: To prepare fellows as future supervisors, they will have the opportunity to participate in several activities.  This will include: (1) ongoing didactic training, (2) shadowing supervisors, (3) engaging in peer-to-peer supervision, with supervisory feedback, and (4) observing doctoral interns during their peer-to-peer supervisions and collaborating with supervisors to provide feedback to improve their supervisory skills. Fellows in the PDD clinic will be given the opportunity to engage in community outreach activities, and a number of these presentations have also been provided by in Spanish by bilingual fellows.