Does My Child Have Autism Spectrum Disorder?

On-Demand Class · Supporting development

This class introduces parents to the signs of autism in early development. Parents will learn what to look out for, who to ask for help, what interventions may be helpful, and how to appreciate their child's unique strengths.

Class Description

This course covers the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), early developmental signs of autism, the process of seeking an evaluation for ASD, what to expect during an evaluation, and helpful interventions for challenges associated with autism, such as difficulties communicating, sensory sensitivities, aggressive behaviors, social skills, and anxiety. Finally, this course ends by introducing parents to the concept of neurodiversity, the idea that with challenges often come unique strengths. Parents will learn about the importance of advocating for their children and raising awareness so that autistic children will be accepted by their peers and their communities. Because our world benefits from people will all different kinds of minds!

Sessions Overview

  1. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?: This session describes the diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gives specific examples of social communication challenges and restricted interests.
  2. How can I tell if my child may be autistic?: This session describes characteristics that may be indicative of autism spectrum disorder in early development, including delays with language and social communication in addition to restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and frequent meltdowns.
  3. What can I do to help my child with communication, social skills, & behavior?: This session describes several evidence-based therapies to address the social communicative challenges seen in autism spectrum disorder. It also describes other therapies that can help with language development, challenging behaviors, and mental health challenges in autistic youth.

Your Instructor

Laura Kirby

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with years of experience providing evaluations and therapy for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While ASD is my specialty, I have broad training in child clinical psychology and enjoy working with children and families from various backgrounds with a wide range of presenting problems including anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression. As a parent myself, I appreciate that parents are the true experts on their child, and I love working collaboratively with families to help improve their child's quality of life. ​I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University, my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and I completed my pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center. At Yale, I was trained in the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program, which is a parent-training program recently found to be quite effective for decreasing childhood anxiety. In my free time, I enjoy traveling and hiking with my husband and two young, spirited children. I also love to write, and I recently wrote my first children's book, Henrietta's Thistleberry Boots!

Degrees and Certifications

PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of Maryland Fellowship in Child Clinical Psychology, Yale Child Study Center

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