Laurent, Amy, Ph.D., OTR/L

Amy Laurent, Ph.D., OTR/L is a developmental psychologist and a registered pediatric occupational therapist. She is also the co-director and co-founder of Autism Level UP!, a neurodiverse partnership aiming to provide accessible resources, consultation, training and services that are informed by and developed in collaboration with the autistic community.

She specializes in supporting autistic children and related developmental disabilities, as well as families, teachers, and administrators. The majority of Amy’s work involves collaborating with and supporting early intervention teams, school teams, and families. Her consultative services focus on the creation of educational programs and environments that facilitate children’s active engagement and learning at home, in schools, and throughout their communities. The SCERTS Model, of which she is a coauthor, along with differentiated instruction and developmental theory guide her practice.

She has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Communication Disorders Department at Emerson College and at the University of Rhode Island (URI). In these roles, she developed graduate courses focused on preparing clinicians to meet the needs of autistic individuals. She also has served as an adjunct faculty for the Departments of Education and Psychology at URI, teaching courses related to developmental psychology, research methods, and educational frameworks.

Amy’s current research interests involve examining the relationship between characteristics of young children diagnosed as autistic and strategies used by parents to support them within the context of natural routines and play. Her publications have highlighted social communication and emotional regulation in individuals diagnosed with Autism. She frequently lectures and provides training throughout the United States and internationally on the SCERTS Model, emotional regulation, neurodiverse collaboration and perspective, and on utilization of the free resources created by Autism Level UP!

Amy strives to practice what she preaches and uses her love of play, dance, and movement to meet her own regulatory needs.