Georgia Autism Center | Autism Specialist | Pediatric Psychology

Dr. Brandy Chandler Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who was born in metro Atlanta and raised primarily in South Carolina. She moved back to Georgia with her family as a young adult and has resided in various regions throughout the state for the past 24 years. Dr. Chandler’s clinical interest is child-focused assessment with an emphasis on working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Chandler has experience in a variety of settings, including public school systems, community mental health centers, hospitals, private practice, academic behavioral science centers, and autism assessment centers. She has extensive training in individual and group psychotherapy and psychological assessment with children, adolescents, and adults. Throughout her clinical training, Dr. Chandler has gained invaluable experience working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses, trauma-related disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, behavioral disorders, learning challenges, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, autism-spectrum disorders, executive dysfunction, and medical comorbidities such as genetic disorders and exposure to substances in utero.

 

Dr. Chandler earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts with a minor in Psychology from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA and her Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Brenau University in Gainesville, GA. Dr. Chandler then received her Doctor of Psychology degree from the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, DC. While a graduate student, Dr. Chandler was employed as a lead clinic coordinator for on-campus community mental health clinic, teaching assistant for cognitive assessments, psychological assistant for Georgia Pediatric Psychology and Georgia Autism Center, and senior psychological specialist for a National Institute of Health international study on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders within the Emory School of Medicine, Brain Health Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She also obtained training in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), a standardized assessment for symptoms of ASD, during her doctoral training at the Marcus Autism Center. Further, Dr. Chandler has been trained in specific treatment modalities including DIR Floortime, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), and RUBI parent-training.

 

Dr. Chandler completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at Centerstone Consortium in Bradenton, FL, where she specialized in providing group therapy to adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses, conducting evidence-based psychotherapy with children and adolescents with a range of psychological disorders, and administering neurodevelopmental, psychological, and psychoeducational assessments. 

 

Following internship, Dr. Chandler returned to Georgia to complete her post-doctoral training here at Georgia Autism Center, where she had previously worked as a psychological assistant while completing her doctoral degree. Her training allowed her to gain additional experience in conducting comprehensive neurodevelopmental evaluations, psychoeducational evaluations, and Social Security Disability evaluations. Dr. Chandler also had the opportunity to continue to administer and train doctoral practicum students in the ADOS-2 throughout her post-doctoral training.

 

Dr. Chandler’s passion for pediatric psychology and the families she sees has led her to continue her journey as a member of the GAC family and join the practice as a licensed psychologist. The assessment process is a vital component in early diagnosis and providing access to intervention services necessary for enhancing the lives of children with ASD. Dr. Chandler seeks to instill hope and provide support and guidance throughout the assessment process as she aids in treatment planning and assists with coordination of care to ensure the best possible success and future for children and their families.

 

Dr. Chandler is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA). In her spare time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and podcasts, being creative, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and furkids.