My approach to assessment is one that is collaborative, focused, and hopefully therapeutic in and of itself. Primarily, I assess children for diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and/or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). I have considerable experience assessing children and teens whose families (or the youth themselves) believe that other evaluators may have missed an autism presentation. Families may also be trying to better understand their child, seeking a diagnosis for the first time, or seeking consultation and opinions on previous assessments. ​
Those clients who require more detailed neuropsychological testing to identify learning disabilities or more complex processing differences, I may refer to a colleague to work with instead of or in collaboration with me.
​
​​
With adults, I also primarily assess for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and/or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Many of the neurodivergent adults I have assessed came to me with an understandable fear of being dismissed, for many providers or family members may have had negative and stereotyped reactions to their efforts to seek an autism diagnosis, for example.
Those clients who require more detailed neuropsychological testing to identify learning disabilities or more complex processing differences, I may refer to a colleague to work with instead of or in collaboration with me.
I offer individual adult therapy for neurotypical and neurodivergent adults with a range of diagnoses. I take an integrative approach to psychotherapy drawing from a range of modalities.
I am experienced at working with couples where one or more partner is neurodivergent. My approach is informed by the Gottman Principles and the principles of EFT (emotionally focused therapy).
​
I specialize in supporting parents who are tackling parenting challenges with neurodivergent kids. My approach is collaborative, and I work with parents to think together about why your child is having these challenges, understanding what is happening first and then working to change patterns to increase wellbeing and reduce conflict.
​
I can help parents think about what is most important for your child in their overall progam, what therapies to prioritize, and what to advocate for at school.
​
I offer tailored trainings and workshops for parents, professionals, schools, workplaces. I speak regularly on:
-
Neuroaffirming Care for Parents
-
Neuroaffirming Care for Providers
-
Neuroaffirming Care in Schools
-
Understanding and Helping PDAers
-
Emotional Regulation Strategies
-
Trauma and Neurodivergence
If you are interested in discussing a training, workshop or talk please contact me at: dralexklein@gmail.com.
​
I consult with school administrators, parents on other therapies or approaches, other providers who are seeking to improve their understanding of neuroaffirming care or assessments, and graduate students.
​
Do you need more support parenting your neurodivergent child?
We offer neuroaffirming, parent support groups. Sign up to hear about the next group.
My Approach
My approach to assessment is collaborative, focused, and hopefully therapeutic in and of itself.
Together we work to understand your (or your child's) experience in the world, your symptoms, and what might be helpful moving forward. ​I am informed by Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment approaches, the DIR/floortime Model, Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS, sometimes referred to as collaborative problem solving).
I try to integrate principles from contemporary neuroscience to understand human behavior. ​As an ADHD-er myself, I strive to be neurodiversity-affirming in all that I do. One of my primary goals in any assessment or therapy case is to increase understanding, and with that comes increased compassion, whether that is toward oneself, a child, or a partner.