Natacha Akshoomoff, Ph.D.
Associate Adjunct Professor
Child & Adolescent Services Research Center
Rady Children's Hospital
3020 Children's Way MC 5033
San Diego, CA 92123-4282
Phone #: (858) 966-7594
Fax #: (858) 966-7704
E-mail: natacha@ucsd.edu
UCSD campus office: AP&M 5440
UCSD MC (mail code): 0115

Biography

Dr. Akshoomoff received her B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Florida and a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental cognitive neuroscience with Dr. Joan Stiles at UCSD. After five years as an Assistant Professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta, she returned to UCSD to pursue her research interests in autism. Dr. Akshoomoff's research is funded by a Career Development Award (K23) from the NIMH. Dr. Akshoomoff is a faculty member in the UCSD/SDSU JDP Neuropsychology Track, the UCSD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and the UCSD Center for Human Development. She is also a Research Scientist at the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center at Rady Children's Hospital.

 

Research Focus

Dr. Akshoomoff's current research focuses on diagnostic and assessment practices for children with autism in community and school settings, social and communication development in children with an early diagnosis of autism, and the neuropsychological development of children at risk for autism. She is also involved in a multidisciplinary study of neuropsychological development in children with cerebral palsy. Dr. Akshoomoff also has over 30 publications on attention and visuospatial processes in normal and atypical neurological development.

Clinical and Teaching Focus

Dr. Akshoomoff is actively involved in autism services and neuropsychological assessment at Rady Children's Hospital through Developmental Services and Child Psychiatry. She teaches a seminar in child development and developmental disorders for the Child Psychiatry fellows. She also developed a new course in child neuropsychological assessment for the Clinical Psychology graduate students in the JDP. She also supervises undergraduate research through the Human Development Program and the Department of Psychology.

Selected Publications

• Akshoomoff, N., Farid, N., Haas, R., & Courchesne, E. (2007). Abnormalities on the neurological examination and EEG in young children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 887-893.

• Wolf, J.M., Fein, D.A., & Akshoomoff, N. (2007) Autism spectrum disorders and social disabilities. In: S. Hunter & J. Donders (Eds.), Pediatric Neuropsychological Intervention: A Critical Review of Science and Practice (pp. 151-174). Cambridge University Press.

• Akshoomoff, N., Corsello, C., & Schmidt, H. (2006). The role of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule in the assessment of autism spectrum disorders in school and community settings. Special issue: Autism Spectrum Disorders: Promoting Understanding, Interventions, and School Success. The California School Psychologist, 11, 7-19.

• Akshoomoff, N. (2006) Use of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning for the assessment of young children with autism spectrum disorders. Special issue: Autism Spectrum Disorders. Child Neuropsychology, 12, 269-277.

• Akshoomoff, N., Stiles, J., & Wulfeck, B. (2006). Perceptual organization and visual memory in children with specific language impairment. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 12, 465-474.

• Akshoomoff, N. (2006). Neuropsychiatric aspects of autistic spectrum disorders and childhood onset schizophrenia. In: C. E. Coffey and R. A. Brumback (Eds.), Pediatric Neuropsychiatry (pp. 195-214). Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

• Akshoomoff, N.A., & Stahmer, A. (2006). Early intervention programs and policies for children with autistic spectrum disorders. In H. E. Fitzgerald, B. M. Lester & B. Zuckerman (Eds.), The Crisis in Youth Mental Health: Critical Issues and Effective Programs. Vol. 1. Childhood Disorders (pp. 109-131). Westport, CT: Praeger.

• Akshoomoff, N., Lord, C., Lincoln, A. J., Courchesne, R. Y., Carper, R. A., Townsend, J., & Courchesne, E. (2004). Outcome classification of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders using MRI brain measures. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 43, 349–357.

last updated on September 07, 2007