Georgia Autism Center | Autism Specialist | Pediatric Psychology

Dr. April Coleman is a Georgia licensed clinical psychologist, who enjoys working with children, adolescents, and their families. She has been in private practice since 2014. Dr. Coleman specializes in the comprehensive assessment of learning disabilities and common challenges associated with child traumatic stress and/or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from child maltreatment and other trauma. She also assesses for other common challenges within the pediatric population to include, but not limited to developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurocognitive deficits, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and emotional and behavioral challenges (e.g., anxiety). Dr. Coleman values the importance of working with the family as a whole, no matter the presenting concern, as in her experience family support has been a salient factor in a more positive prognosis for the identified client/patient and subsequently his or her family.

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Dr. Coleman developed a strong interest in working with children and adolescents since prior to completing her undergraduate and graduate studies. She became more interested in working specifically with children, who have been victims of child maltreatment (e.g., sexual abuse, physical abuse) and other traumas after completing an undergraduate externship through The Georgia Center for Children (now The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy) and continuing to work in settings serving the needs of children in the foster care system with histories of trauma. She began her initial graduate training working in a community counseling center serving the needs of children and adolescents residing in a group home setting with histories of trauma. She went on to gain additional experience within the pediatric population where she first received training in working with children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and gained additional experience working within a specialized treatment center providing individual, family, and group therapy to children and adolescents with histories of sexual abuse and/or sexual behavior problems.      

Dr. Coleman enjoys working with families from diverse cultural backgrounds and circumstances. She has worked in a variety of settings, including schools, community mental health clinics, community service boards, child advocacy centers, specialized treatment centers, social service agencies, and private practice. She has also collaborated with institutions to conduct assessments within residential treatment facilities, within juvenile detention centers, within foster homes and group homes, and for the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services. In addition to child work, Dr. Coleman also has extensive experience in assessment within the adult population in examining a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and severe and persistent mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia). She also has conducted assessments specifically as part of the process for undergoing bariatric surgery, for obtaining social security disability income, for admittance to substance abuse treatment facilities, and for determining eligibility for undergoing organ transplants. 

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Dr. Coleman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Georgia State University, and then earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology and her Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology through the Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University Atlanta. While a graduate student, Dr. Coleman taught multiple courses related to administration, scoring, and the interpretation of a variety of assessment measures. She also received the outstanding leadership and scholastic achievement award upon completion of obtaining her doctoral degree.  Dr. Coleman completed her American Psychological Association accredited internship with the University of Massachusetts’ Community Healthlink Youth and Family Services, where she received specific training from a certified trainer and coach in conducting Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) through a joint initiative with the Massachusetts Child Trauma Center and Community Healthlink. TF-CBT has a heavy evidence base in its treatment of a variety of symptoms commonly associated with traumatic events. She also received training in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, and common challenges presenting in childhood. Dr. Coleman returned to Atlanta, Georgia where she completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship through Optimal Psychological Services and received specific training in conducting various types of evaluations for the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). These evaluations were utilized to assess general psychological functioning, domestic violence risk, parenting fitness, and substance use/abuse risk. Currently, in addition to private practice, Dr. Coleman is an adjunct professor at the Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University Atlanta, where she is an instructor within the child and family specialization track. 

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Dr. Coleman is very active in her community, participating in various activities involving mental health awareness and advocacy and uplifting and empowering youth and their families. She has conducted workshops at community mind/body/health fairs sponsored by the Georgia Psychological Association, has presented on learning disabilities and ADHD at an annual regional psychological association conference, and she has provided pro bono workshops, trainings, and educational sessions for parents and families within community and school settings on various topics, including childhood trauma, childhood anxiety, and conflict resolution.