Dr. Patricia Gates Ulanet is a Developmental Neuropsychologist specializing in Behavioral Medicine and Applied Development. She currently serves as Clinical Director of the Developmental Clinic at CAAT, where she leads comprehensive diagnostic and assessment services for young children ages 0–5, with particular expertise in early identification and differential diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other complex neurodevelopmental presentations.

Dr. Ulanet’s career has focused exclusively on the specialized assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children with complex developmental profiles, including ASD, epilepsy, brain injury, genetic disorders, brain tumors, sensory processing differences, attentional and executive functioning challenges, and specific learning disorders. Her work is distinguished by a highly integrative approach that bridges neuroscience, developmental psychology, educational systems, and behavioral medicine.

Her methodological strengths include comprehensive assessment of design, interdisciplinary data synthesis, translational practice, and systems-level consultation. She is skilled in constructing multidimensional assessment batteries, integrating cognitive, behavioral, medical, and educational data into cohesive developmental formulations, and translating findings into actionable, measurable intervention plans within Response to Intervention (RTI) and IEP frameworks. Her consultation experience includes advising the Montgomery County DESC Team on diagnostic clarification and IEP development, providing faculty in-service training, and consulting with specialized educational programs, including The Treatment and Learning Center and The Katherine Thomas School.

Dr. Ulanet has held leadership and academic appointments at major institutions. She served on the Diagnostic Team at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and as a clinician-researcher in the Research Unit in Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP). She later directed services in the Clinic for Complex Developmental Disorders at Children’s National Medical Center during its transition to the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD) and held an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics at The George Washington University Medical Center. She also served as Director of Psychological Services at The River School in Washington, DC, where she led neurodevelopmental assessment initiatives for young children with cochlear implants. Her research identifying a subtype of neurocognitive processing in young children with cochlear implants was presented at the International Symposium for Cochlear Implants and published in 2014.

As a dissertation committee member and research mentor, Dr. Ulanet supports doctoral students whose work bridges empirical research and applied educational practice. She is particularly well suited to mentor dissertations focused on early childhood development, autism and neurodiversity, executive functioning, interdisciplinary collaboration, assessment-informed intervention, and systems-based implementation research. Her mentorship style is structured, collaborative, and developmentally grounded, emphasizing methodological rigor, translational clarity, and real-world application.

Dr. Ulanet earned her BA in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University, her MA in Mental Health and Human Development from John Carroll University, and her PsyD from Nova Southeastern University. She completed an internship and residency in Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Miami Children’s Hospital and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

My dissertation was a case study on the childhood presentation of Pediatric Acquired Prosopagnosia.