Dr. Sarah Spence, MD, Ph.D.

Dr. Sarah Spence, MD, Ph.D. is a child neurologist with a Ph.D. in neuropsychology.  After training in neurology at UCLA, she joined the faculty and spent 5 years as the medical director of the Autism Evaluation Clinic then another 5 years doing clinical research focused on autism at the National Institute of Mental Health.  She was recruited to Boston in 2010 where she was one of the founders of the Boston Children’s Hospital Autism Spectrum Center.  Working with the stellar team at the center, she has spent the last 12 years focused on ways to improve the care for patients with autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities through a variety of inter-professional partnerships in the hospital.   She has been involved in many initiatives in the clinical care and research of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder working with Cure Autism Now, Autism Speaks, the Simons Foundation, the Nancy Lurie Marks Foundation, and the dup15q Alliance.   Dr. Spence retired from practice in 2025. She continues active advocacy work about the topics she is passionate about.