Past Events

Dr. Spence is a child neurologist with a PhD in neuropsychology. After faculty positions at UCLA and in the intramural research program at the National Institute of Mental Health, she was recruited to Boston Children's Hospital in 2010. At BCH, she was one of the founders and the co-director of the Autism Spectrum Center. She has been involved in many initiatives in the clinical care and research of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder working with Cure Autism Now, Autism Speaks, the Simons Foundation, the Nancy Lurie Marks foundation, the dup15q Alliance and the Child Neurology Foundation. Her clinical practice has been focused on autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. The last few years she has been working to improve health care transition from pediatrics to adult providers by co-chairing the Massachusetts Initiative to Improve Health Care Transition for Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. She has recently retired from clinical work to live with her very funny British husband on their 42-foot sailboat.

In this seminar, we discuss common symptoms of grief, why grief can be particularly challenging during the holiday season, and useful skills for interacting with your grieving child and family at any time.

Bipolar disorders can be among the most debilitating conditions, with recurrent impairment and increased mortality. Both biological and environmental factors unequivocally contribute to risk. Yet despite the clear public and clinical need, and the prominent role of genetic and early environmental risk exposures, diagnostic accuracy typically has been abysmal.

In this seminar, we discuss common toileting challenges for children and ways to effectively address enuresis and encopresis through skills and treatment.

American Indian and Alaska Native children are at higher risk for trauma exposure and trauma-related sequela (e.g., depression, suicide, substance use, school dropout) than children of other cultural and ethnic groups.