Health professions faculty at the Thompson Center expanded last fall as the center welcomed two new providers from the Assessment and Consultation Clinic, which was formerly a clinical service in the College of Education.
Since joining us in October, Dr. Andy Knoop and Dr. Megan Carney have been providing psychology services for assessment and treatment of ADHD, learning disabilities, and other psychological concerns in children while also being trained in autism diagnostic measures.
A new clinical offering for patients with severe self-injurious and aggressive behaviors has welcomed its first patients under the direction of Dr. SungWoo Kahng and Applied Behavior Analyst Annie Doyle. The Severe Behavior Clinic currently sees three children for intensive outpatient intervention with as many as two to four staff per patient during each visit. Sessions include conducting an initial functional analysis to identify the root of problem behaviors like self-injury and property damage, followed by implementing individualized treatment plans to address causes and reduce the severe behavior. Referrals currently come from internal providers, and the clinic maintains a waitlist for additional patients that can be added to the clinic as staffing allows. For more information about this new program, contact SungWoo Kahng or Annie Doyle.
In addition to adding more providers, the health professions division has developed a number of summer workshops for professionals and families. A handwriting camp for 5-7 year olds met for six weeks on Mondays starting June 9. A picky eaters group for 3-6 year olds meets Mondays in July to expose children to new foods in a playful way. A transition workshop for professionals working with and parents of teens preparing to age out of school-based services was held at the MU Student Center on June 11 with a keynote presentation by transition expert Dr. Paul Wehman of Virginia Commonwealth University. And, we have scheduled a monthly series of parent workshops through December on everything from toileting to puberty. Visit the Thompson Center’s events page for a complete listing of upcoming events and workshops.