Allison D. Blackburn, PhD

As a pediatric psychologist, I treat children with neurodevelopmental disorders who also have mental health concerns. I offer behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy, with an emphasis on parent training. I also perform diagnostic evaluations for children ages 6 and over who have problems related to development, learning or autism spectrum disorder.

I knew since high school that I would be a psychologist, and it has always felt like my calling. I began as a generalist, but early in my training I had some rewarding experiences with patients who had autism spectrum disorders. These patients taught me just as much, if not more, than I taught them. This led me to pursue a specialty in developmental disabilities.

In my practice, I believe it’s important to provide high-quality, evidence-based treatment. I also value meeting families where they are and tailoring my interventions to be manageable and realistic based on their needs. Through a warm and friendly approach, I try to establish a positive rapport so that I can help families work through the barriers to adhering to treatment.

In addition to my clinical work, I have served as a consultant for a national transportation company. Through this work I have been able to influence their practices to better serve students with disabilities in their daily bus journeys to and from school. I developed and delivered trainings for bus drivers and monitors across the country, to give them the knowledge and behavioral management skills they need to best serve this unique population.

When I have free time, I enjoy cake decorating. Nothing beats the look of a child’s face when their special birthday cake has been revealed.