Characterizing Autism Training Experiences in Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Programs: Recommendations for Improving Training to Enhance Care

ABSTRACTAutistic individuals consistently experience long waitlists to access assessment and intervention. Additionally, they report difficulty obtaining integrated services for their co-occurring medical and mental health disorders. The current study seeks to explore the way that graduate school training may contribute to the specialized and siloed nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment and intervention. Multiple sources of data were collected to understand training opportunities related to ASD, child mental health, and the integration of ASD and child mental health in American Psychological Association- (APA) accredited Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs. Data were collected from information publicly available online, and from clinical psychology doctoral students and graduate program directors (GPD). Results indicate that most programs do not employ a faculty member whose work focuses on ASD. Additionally, ASD experience is encouraged, but not a required element of program curriculum. Therefore, most doctoral students do not obtain training in ASD assessment or intervention during graduate school. Even doctoral students who pursued ASD training experiences reported that they do not feel prepared to meet the mental health needs of autistic individuals. We discuss implications and provide recommendations for how doctoral programs can promote students’ proficiency and comfort diagnosing and supporting autistic individuals. AcknowledgmentsWe extend our sincere gratitude to the graduate program directors and doctoral students who participated in this study.Disclosure statementDrs. Dai and Tagavi are licensed clinical psychologists and were postdoctoral fellows working in university labs focused on autism research while writing this publication. Ms. Troxel and Ms. Oosting are graduate students in an APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program (advisor: Dr. Carter). Dr. Carter is a licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on autism and early childhood mental health. Dr. Carter is also the co-creator of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA). She receives royalties on the sale of the ITSEA and BITSEA. The other authors do not have any conflict of interest to report.