Postdoctoral Trainee Spotlight: Carla Wall, PhD

As part of the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the Duke Center for Autism supports graduate interns in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Internship program. Psychology interns have opportunities to blend experiences from both research and clinical areas, providing therapeutic services to autistic individuals, conducting diagnostic evaluations, and participating in community outreach programs.

Carla Wall, PhD, who was named a 2022 Outstanding Postdoc at Duke, first came to Duke as an intern in the child psychology track with a background in autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities and a desire to connect her clinical and research work to it. Now a postdoctoral associate at the Duke Center for Autism, she has trained on the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention model for young children that promotes language, social interaction, and learning. ESDM also provides caregiver coaching that teaches parents activities that help improve children’s cognitive, social-emotional, adaptive, and language skills.

“ESDM is child-centered and fun. Putting it into action has helped me deepen my understanding of child development. The ‘ESDM mindset’ informs all my work and helps me meet children where they are — as unique individuals with distinctive therapy needs and goals,” says Wall. “My job is essentially to be the most fun play partner I can be for that child. At the same time, I am honing my expertise in specific techniques to engage children, as well as in the science behind why this approach is so effective.”

During her time at the center, Wall has presented to multiple community and state nonprofit groups, such as the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association Special Education Committee, and has also presented to middle school students and teachers celebrating Autism Acceptance Month. She has appeared on episodes of “Here’s an Idea,” a video series featuring Duke Center for Autism psychiatrists and psychologists sharing practical tips in response to challenging situations facing autistic individuals and those who care for them. This year, she accepted a leadership role in the Duke Center for Autism’s Task Force for Racial Equity. In addition to the clinical expertise and experiences Wall has gained, she explains that the relationships she’s developed with families and colleagues top her list of most meaningful aspects of her training.

Her postdoctoral research has focused on understanding differences in autism in males versus females. It is known that many more males are diagnosed with autism, compared to females. This may be partly due to differences in how autism manifests in autistic boys versus girls. Our current diagnostic system is based mostly on behaviors typical of autistic boys and men and thus might underdiagnose females. Wall’s research will shed light on this. She has learned a lot from the relationships she has formed with the autistic boys and girls she has worked with in the Duke Autism Clinic.
“The relationships I think are really what help you develop into an outstanding clinician and researcher — they ground you in what really matters to our families and our colleagues,” says Wall.