Neeraja "Neej" Ravindran, PhD

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology (BMCP) at Cincinnati Children's, specializing in neurodevelopmental and behavioral psychology. My clinical work focuses on comprehensive developmental and diagnostic evaluations for children and adolescents with suspected developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, ADHD, and related behavioral and mental health conditions. I work as part of an interdisciplinary team to support children and their families from initial concern through diagnosis and beyond.

My interest in culturally responsive care grew from both my personal background and my research. My doctoral work examined how cultural beliefs and family values shape the way parents and professionals understand and respond to autism, with a focus on South Indian and immigrant Indian communities. This work continues to inform my clinical practice and commitment to making diagnostic care more equitable and accessible for diverse families.

I am the principal investigator of the Breaking BREAD Project, an intramurally funded initiative supported by the Jack H. Rubinstein Foundation, which addresses gaps in post-diagnosis support for families of children with ASD, with particular attention to racially and ethnically diverse communities. I also co-lead the Building BRIDGES Program within the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (DDBP), a divisional inclusion initiative focused on advancing culturally responsive clinical care, training and research.

In addition to my clinical work, I am deeply invested in training the next generation of psychologists. I supervise psychology fellows and graduate externs, mentor fellows through the BMCP Psychology Fellowship Program and coordinate Inclusion and Health Excellence (IHE) education and training for the fellowship program and its supervisors.

I am a native speaker of Tamil and Hindi and bring a multicultural perspective to my work with children and families every day.