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About Me

She/Her/Hers

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I am a clinical psychologist and board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) specializing in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental conditions (ADHD, intellectual disability, learning disorders). I have worked professionally with people with developmental disabilities for almost 15 years and am very dedicated to this special group! I also have extensive experience using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat individuals with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, and other concerns. This training has included placements in highly competitive pediatric and adult outpatient hospitals and primary care clinics.

 

I like to work with people of all ages (children, adolescents, and adults) and serve a diverse range of needs. I am particularly passionate about serving older individuals with ASD. In 2018, the CDC reported that 1 in 59 children in the United States are diagnosed with ASD. Despite this growing statistic, there are very few community-based psychological services available to individuals with ASD and their families. There are even fewer supports available to adolescents and adults who are transitioning out of school and into the next stages of their lives. As a provider, I strive to provide high quality services for this older population, and to help families navigate the uncharted course of adulthood!

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Educational, Training, & Employment Background

  • B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University in New York, NY

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  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ

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  • Externships at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York, NY), Children's Specialized Hospital (Mountainside, NJ), & UMDNJ Family Medicine Clinic at Monument Square (New Brunswick, NJ) 

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  • Clinical Internship at JFK Partners, University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, CO

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  • Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain (CADB), Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains, NY​

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  • Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain (CADB), Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains, NY​

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Select Publications & Conference Presentations

  • Meltzer, L.J., Wainer, A., Engstrom, E., Pepa, L., & Mindell, J.A., (2021). Seeing the whole elephant: A scoping review of behavioral treatments for pediatric insomnia. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 56.

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  • Bal, V.H., Maye, M.P., Salzman, E., Huerta, M., Pepa, L., Risi, S., & Lord, C. (2020). The Adapted ADOS: A new module set for the assessment of minimally verbal adolescents and adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50, 719-729.

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  • Lord, C., McCauley, J.B., Pepa, L.A., Huerta, M., & Pickles, A. (2020). Work, living, and the pursuit of happiness: Vocational and psychosocial outcomes for young adults with autism. Autism, 24 (7), 1691-1703.

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  • Pickles, A., McCauley, J.B., Pepa, L.A., Huerta, M., & Lord, C. (2020). The adult outcome of children referred for autism: Typology and prediction from childhood. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(7).

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  • ​LaRue, R.H., Pepa, L., Delmolino, L., Sloman, K.N., Fiske, K., Hansford, A., Liebross, S., & Weiss, M.J. (2016). A brief assessment for selecting communication modalities for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Evidence-Based Communication and Intervention, 10(1), 32-43.

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  • Martin, C., Pepa, L., & Lord, C. (2018). DSM-5 Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J., & Ozonoff, S. (Ed.), Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Second Edition. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

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  • Pepa, L. (2014). Extended Family Members. In Martins, M. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press/ABC-CLIO.

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  • Pepa, L.A., Megale, A., Gunin, G., Heyman, M., & Lord. C. Transitioning to adulthood: Tracking adult outcomes in a 25-year longitudinal study. Poster presented at the INSAR 2018 Annual Meeting. Rotterdam, Netherlands. May 2018.

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  • Pepa, L.A., & Harris, S.L. Psychosocial well-being and treatment access in high risk families of individuals with ASD. Poster presented at the 2017 International Meeting for Autism Research. San Francisco, CA. May 2017.

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  • Pepa, L.A., Jones, R., Pickles, A., & Lord, C. Early joint attention and later peer interactions predict young adult outcomes in autism. Paper presented at the 2017 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting.

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  • Pepa, L.A., & Harris, S.L. Evaluating patterns of service access and interest in families of individuals with ASD. Poster presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research. Baltimore, MD. May 2016.

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  • Pepa, L.A., & Hus Bal, V. Utility of the SCQ and RBS-R to confirm caseness of adolescents and adults in ASD research. Poster presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research. Baltimore, MD. May 2016.

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