LAUREN TURNER BROWN, PHD
LAURA ANDERSON KIRBY, PHD
with
Psychological services for children and families
Dr. Lauren Turner Brown
I am a licensed psychologist with unparalleled expertise in autism spectrum disorders. I have worked with individuals with ASD and their families for over 20 years, served as the Assistant Director for the UNC TEACCH Autism Program, directed numerous research projects, published over 30 papers and chapters, and trained professionals around the world.
I specialize in early diagnosis and intervention, with unique experience and extensive training with infants and toddlers. While at UNC, I developed early diagnostic and intervention clinics that served families with young children and provided training to current and future professionals. I am certified in both the TEACCH approach and The Early Start Denver Model.
In addition to expertise with young children, I have experience with individuals with ASD across the lifespan and with a range of childhood conditions including anxiety, ADHD, learning disabilities, and challenging behaviors.
For a list of my research publications click here.
Dr. Laura Anderson 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!
ABOUT US
WHAT TO EXPECT
Initial Appointment. We will start with an initial intake appointment to gain a better understanding of what your concerns are about yourself or your child. This appointment typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. After this appointment, we will share our professional opinion about next steps- sometimes this may be a comprehensive evaluation, or a series of therapy sessions. If you decide you'd like to work together, we'll make a plan for those next steps.
We Value Neurodiversity. Neurodiversity refers to the variation of brain function and behavior seen in the population. Both Dr. Turner Brown and Dr. Kirby believe that our world benefits from all different kinds of people and that each person has strengths that add value to society. For that reason, when we provide assessment and therapy for neurodivergent individuals, our goal is to support their unique strengths and provide recommendations that will help them thrive at home, at school, and in the community.
Words Matter. Some people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder prefer identity-first language (i.e., "autistic"), while others prefer person-first language (i.e., "person with autism"). If you have a preference, please let us know when working with us, and we would be happy to use whatever language you prefer.
Insurance. We are an out-of-network providers for most insurance plans. We require payment on the day of service, but can provide you with information about the services provided, and you can submit through your insurance. Many of the services we provide are covered through health insurance. You should contact your carrier to learn more about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
SERVICES
THERAPY
We provide individual and family therapy services to target challenges in daily life. Lauren is certified in Early Start Denver Model for children with ASD as well as Structured TEACCHing, and we both have experience using cognitive behavioral therapy to target a range of presenting concerns. When we work with children, we involve parents in therapy services.
CONTACT US
Office Location:
120 Providence Road, Suite 100
Chapel Hill, NC, USA
919-391-7137