Chances are, you’re probably familiar with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. But what are some of the early warning signs? And what should you do if you see them in your child? In this episode, licensed psychologists Dr. Allison Battaglia and Dr. Laura Stoppelbein answer those questions and more while taking an in-depth look at ASD, its impact and its treatment.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Early Warning Signs, Impact and Treatment
Featured Speakers:
Laura Stoppelbein, Ph.D. | Allison Battaglia, Ph.D.
Laura Stoppelbein, Ph.D. is a clinical child psychologist with a primary interest in stress and coping among children, adolescents and families. Her approach to research is from a developmental psychopathology perspective. To this end, her research includes investigations in topics such as predicting post-traumatic stress symptoms in pediatric populations, examining the moderating effects of psychosocial factors in childhood externalizing and internalizing disorders, and understanding the role of stress and anxiety among children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. A central theme in her research is the role of stress, cognitive appraisals and coping strategies in the manifestation of internalizing and externalizing symptoms.
Allison Battaglia, Ph.D., earned a BS in Psychology from Louisiana State University and a MA in General Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University. She earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2017. She completed an APA accredited internship at the Nebraska Internship Consortium in Professional Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Omaha, Nebraska, where she provided supervised services in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Clinic and the Severe Behavior Program. Battaglia also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Columbus, Ohio. She was a staff psychologist at Glenwood in Birmingham from 2019-2021. In 2021, Battaglia joined Children’s of Alabama as a psychologist in the Children’s Behavioral Health Division. She enjoys working with children with a wide range of presenting concerns and has a specialty in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Battaglia has experience working with children and adolescents—and the families of these children—with ASD, ADHD, behavioral disorders, anxiety, school difficulties and feeding problems.