Liz Baker, Ph.D.

Hello, and welcome! I am Liz, and I am passionate about working with autistic and neurodiverse children and adolescents. 

In my clinical work, I am interested in neurodevelopmental assessment and mental health school-based interventions. With expertise in autism, I specialize in differential diagnosis to pinpoint each individual's unique strengths and challenges to tailor neuroaffirming recommendations for families and children. I also have a specialization in special education practices in schools, and I care about facilitating effective collaboration between educators and families to address the comprehensive needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, I am deeply committed to recognizing and valuing the impact of cultural contexts on individuals while advocating for youth through collaborative, strength-based care models.

Through my research, I aim to investigate neurodiversity by studying neural correlates of social behavior in autistic individuals to better understand individual differences. I am also interested in measuring adaptive behaviors that contribute to independent living skills. 

I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia's Sheila C. Johnson Center for Clinical Services. I completed my clinical psychology internship at the University of Maryland-Baltimore's National Center for School Mental Health. I completed my M.A. and Ph.D. in Education, with a specialization in School Psychology, at the University of California, Riverside's (UCR) Social Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience Lab and the SEARCH Center. Before that, I was a research coordinator at UCLA's Center for Autism Research and Treatment. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology at UCLA. Outside of work, I like to read, swim, watch English mystery shows, and take pics of my pets.