Amanda E. Bennett, MD, MPH

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Amanda E. Bennett, MD, MPH, is the Clinical Chair of the Autism Integrated Care Program and a developmental pediatrician who cares for children with autism and related disorders at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Fragile X syndrome
Locations: Specialty Care, Market Street

Patient Ratings: ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 5 of 5

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

Amanda E. Bennett, MD, MPH, is a board-certified developmental pediatrician and the Clinical Chair of the Autism Integrated Care Shared Governance Committee. She specializes in treating children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome. Her research focuses on finding ways to support families and community providers who care for children with ASD.

Dr. Bennett had an early interest in childhood development – she minored in special education prior to attending medical school. “I was always interested in working with children with developmental differences,” she says. “Developmental Pediatrics seemed like the perfect field to pair my interest in medicine and my love for children with developmental and/or behavioral disabilities.”

She is excited about the growth of developmental and behavioral pediatrics as a specialty, especially at CHOP and what it means for the future of the field. “We are training excellent physicians locally, but we are also exploring technology to disseminate information and resources about Autism Spectrum Disorder,” she said. That includes exploring telemedicine to provide diagnostic services to isolated or underserved communities.

She noted that CHOP’s Autism Integrated Care Program participates in ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Autism Collaborative, which provides free online case discussion opportunities for community providers around the globe to connect with autism specialists.

“I hope families leave our program feeling better informed about their child's developmental strengths and challenges and knowing that they have a team available to help them work toward best possible outcomes for their child,” said Dr. Bennett. “The path is not often clear or easy, but no family should feel alone in the process.”

Education and experience

Dr. Bennett attended medical school at Marshall University, in Huntington, West Virginia and completed her residency at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. Following that she completed a fellowship in developmental and behavioral pediatrics and the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program, both at CHOP. Dr. Bennett also earned a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

In addition to extensively writing about her areas of specialization, Dr. Bennett has frequently spoken to both medical professional groups and family/community events. “I am so inspired by the communities that have developed around both of these diagnoses. I love seeing my patients and their families at community events and conferences, and I have several colleagues who began their careers after experiencing one of these diagnoses in their personal life.”

Research

Dr. Bennett’s research interests mirror her clinical interests – supporting children with ASD and the families and communities that care for them. She has led several medication treatment trials for children with ASD or Fragile X syndrome, as well as studies that explore new ways to identify ASD or co-occurring symptoms in children.

“I have two primary clinical and research emphases: Autism spectrum disorder and Fragile X syndrome,” says Bennett. “While there are similarities between the two diagnoses, they offer unique clinical and research opportunities, and families can have very different experiences.”

She noted that both conditions can have extreme variability in how children progress. “Each child with ASD and Fragile X is unique and presents an opportunity to learn a little bit more about these complex diagnoses,” she said.