Clinical psych standout focuses on autism and aging

Long before Claire Klein enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill, her journey into autism research began on horseback.

Teaching children how to ride horses at a YMCA summer camp near her childhood home of San Diego, Klein worked with many kids with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Klein found herself drawn to working with the autistic population, and that burgeoning passion led her to pursue a career in the field.

In May, Klein will end her studies in the UNC College of Arts and Science’s clinical psychology graduate program with top honors — earning the prestigious Martin S. Wallach Award for outstanding graduate student.

Klein was one of 14 clinical psychology students at Carolina to land an internship on Match Day, matching with her top choice of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh. Klein will receive her UNC-Chapel Hill degree after completing that internship.

Emotions bubble to the surface for Klein as she thinks about leaving Carolina, the place where she found her footing as an emerging, prominent voice in autism research.

“I love UNC. It’s such a big hub for autism, with 96 autism researchers,” Klein said. “The wealth of resources and training opportunities is what made UNC such a wonderful place for me to learn and grow.”

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After her summer camp experience, Klein got her formal start in autism research as a psychology undergraduate at Claremont McKenna College, working at the school’s Claremont Autism Center. She then worked as a research assistant at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain in New York for two years before applying for graduate programs in clinical psychology.

Klein chose Carolina because of the sterling reputation of the clinical psychology department — ranked second in the country — and because of the opportunity to work under executive director Laura Grofer Klinger at the University’s TEACCH Autism Program.

Founded in 1972, TEACCH is a University-based system of community regional centers that serves the clinical, training and research needs of autistic individuals, their families and professionals across North Carolina. TEACCH is unique in its focus on care for autistic individuals across the lifespan.

“There are so many researchers in the field of early intervention and working with younger children and their families, but there are fewer researchers focusing on adulthood, and I made the choice to go where the field needed more people,” Klein said.

In particular, Klein has made her mark with her research on aging and autism, a relatively new area of study in the field.

“Working at a place that has such a long history in the field and supports autistic individuals across the lifespan was so appealing to me, and I’m so glad I did it,” she said. “The opportunity to round out my experiences between research, clinical work, our training department and our residential program has made me a stronger clinician and researcher.”

Klein’s dissertation explores developmental trajectories in autistic individuals from childhood through midlife and older age. Her work has led to invitations to present at several prestigious events, such as the International Society for Autism Research’s annual conference. Alongside United Kingdom colleague Gavin Stewart, Klein is currently leading an international interest group of researchers focused on building collaborative efforts for autism research in midlife and older age.

After she graduates, Klein plans to continue her research.

“I’m sad about leaving UNC, but Pittsburgh is a great fit for me, too,” Klein said. “I was excited about it because it’s one of the few sites where I can continue to pursue interest across the lifespan.

“It’s a nice next step for my research interests, especially given how small this field is of aging and autism. It’s really special that I’ll be able to further my training in Pittsburgh.”