Jennifer S. Crawford, Ph.D
Clinical Psychologist and Pediatric Neuropsychologist
Dr. Crawford is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist with specialization in pediatric neuropsychology. She holds an undergraduate degree (B.S.) in child development from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University, formerly Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. Following her graduate education, she completed a one-year pre-doctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) at Johns Hopkins University and a two-year post-doctoral fellowship program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Most recently, Dr. Crawford was employed through Baylor College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences where she worked as a clinical psychologist/neuropsychologist on the Adolescent Treatment Program (ATP) unit at The Menninger Clinic (TMC), an inpatient psychiatric hospital specializing in the treatment of complex and treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders.
Building resilience in children and supporting their families has been a longstanding commitment for Dr. Crawford. She has more than ten years of experience working with children, adolescents and their families on issues related to behavior management and parenting, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, developmental and learning disabilities, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She enjoys utilizing a combination of therapy and assessment to better understand the needs of her clients. She believes that understanding age-related patterns of disorder and competence is essential for developing interventions for prevention and promotion. Dr. Crawford primarily utilizes a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) approach to treatment, which has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic method through research. This approach relies heavily on collaboration with the child’s parents so that they, too, can learn how to support their child’s progress in therapy, as well as how to respond to issues of concern. Dr. Crawford has particular expertise and interest in the areas of ADHD, anxiety, perfectionism, learning challenges, and autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Crawford also provides comprehensive neuropsychological assessments of preschool and school-aged children. Evaluations include a profile of cognitive strengths and deficits, diagnostic clarification, and recommendations for treatment planning and intervention. Appropriate referral issues include: learning disabilities, deficits in attention, autism spectrum disorders, and specific cognitive deficits secondary to medical illness and traumatic brain injury. In addition to neuropsychological evaluations, Dr. Crawford offers a variety of specialized assessments including psychoeducational testing, autism evaluations, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) testing, giftedness evaluation, and personality testing. She also is available for school consultation.