Being Neurodiverse in a Neurotypical World

Dr. Hsu attended the University of Washington for her undergraduate degree in Psychology. After working for a year as a residential treatment counselor and in a genetics lab, she attended the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University to obtain her PhD in Clinical Psychology with emphases in Child & Family and Health Psychology. Dr. Hsu’s passion for working with children and families with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental disabilities started during a practicum at Children’s Hospital Oakland at the Children’s Hospital Autism Intervention (CHAI). She completed her postdoctoral residency at the Kaiser Permanente Autism Spectrum Disorder Center in San Jose. She worked there for four years in diagnoses, research, supervision, and training. Dr. Hsu currently continues to work part-time at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research with the Autism Research Project (ARP) as the clinical lead for several research studies, including SEED (Study to Explore Early Development), EARLI (Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation), ECHO (Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes) in the ELEGANT (Early Life Exposures and Child Growth, Adiposity, and Neurodevelopment) and ASD-ER (Autism Spectrum Disorder Enriched Risk) cohorts, PETALS (Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study), and ELM (Early Life Exposures and Development).

Dr. Ebadi attended the University of California, Davis, for undergraduate degrees in psychology and english. After graduating, she worked as a behavioral therapist at Easter Seals Bay Area, working with children and families with autism spectrum disorder. Dr, Ebadi then attended Alliant International University, San Diego, to earn her MA and PhD with an emphasis on Child and Family. She worked in various settings such as schools, residential treatment centers, and community mental health during her training years. Dr. Ebadi has extensive training in Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Parent and Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT). Dr. Ebadi has predominantly worked with children and teens with various presenting concerns such as depression, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, ADHD, and complex trauma. When not working, Dr. Ebadi enjoys mountain biking, kayaking, being outdoors, reading or trying new foods.