Molly White, Ph.D., BCBA-D received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Kansas State University. While attending Kansas State University, Dr. White received the following awards and recognitions: recipient of the Mortar Board National Foundation Fellowship; recipient of the Peterson Prize, Department of Psychology; completion of the Clinical Psychological Technician Option; Participant in the National Fellowship Competition, Phi Kappa Phi; Nomination for the Anderson Award for Outstanding Seniors, Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society; Psi Chi National Honor Society; and Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, President.
Dr. White earned her Master of Science degree and Doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University (OSU). OSU has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1971. Dr. White specialized in the clinical child track at Oklahoma State University. While attending OSU she completed an interdisciplinary leadership education program funded by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The formal name for this program is Interdisciplinary Leadership Education for Health Professionals Caring for Children with Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities. The goal of this program is to develop leaders across fields of service that will work with people with disabilities and families. In addition to completing this leadership education program, Dr. White earned the following awards while attending Oklahoma State University: American Psychological Association Division 54 Research Award; OSU Student Travel Award 3 different semesters; American Psychological Association Student Travel Award; American Psychological Association Division 54 Travel Award; Recipient of the APF/COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarship in Psychology; and Recipient of the American Psychological Association Division 38 Student Research Grant.
Dr. White completed her psychology internship at the University of Tennessee Professional Psychology Internship Consortium (Accredited by the American Psychological Association). She then completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities (APPIC Listed) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In 2013, Dr. White became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Following graduation Dr. White worked as a clinical psychologist at the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities within the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, TN. In this position she conducted developmental disability/ADHD assessments with an emphasis on children ages seven and below, out-patient individual child therapy, parent training, journal club, and attended a community continuing education series on leadership in developmental disabilities. Experiences also included being an active member of an interdisciplinary team, including audiology, speech pathology, pediatrics, and psychology. Additionally, Dr. White supervised practicum students, psychology pre-doctoral interns, and psychology post-doctoral fellows on individual therapy cases and developmental disability/ADHD assessments. Experiences also included conducting research focusing on young adults with developmental disabilities and/or ADHD and conducting clinical training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Additionally, she co-established a Parent-Child Interaction Therapy clinic providing therapy services to families with children with behavioral problems and/or ADHD and provided direct supervision utilizing this treatment modality to psychology pre-doctoral interns.
Areas of Specialization
Dr. White’s treatment orientation consists of cognitive-behavioral, family systems, and developmental perspectives.
Unique therapies provided by Dr. White include:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for children with autism or other pervasive developmental delays. Autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties with communication, language, socialization, and restricted/repetitive interests and behaviors. ABA is one of the most common and empirically supported treatments for working with children with autism. The ABA approach utilizes discrete trial learning to teach social, motor, and verbal behaviors as well as reasoning skills.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for children with behavior problems, ADHD, or related diagnoses. PCIT is a short-term, specialized behavior management program designed for young children experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties and their families. PCIT works with the child and the caregivers together to improve overall behavior and to reduce parenting stress. Goals of PCIT include: improve the parent-child relationship, improve child’s minding and listening skills, increase child’s ability to manage frustration and anger, increase child’s social skills, improve child’s attention skills, and increase child’s self-esteem.
Another area of specialty includes working with individuals who have experienced a brain injury. Treatment can include working with the family and focusing on adjustment to the changes following a head injury.
Additionally, Dr. White provides treatment for children with sexual behavior problems (ages 4-12). Treatment focuses on teaching children the private part rules, impulse control strategies, safety issues, feeling identification skills, and problem solving skills.
Publications and Presentations
PUBLICATIONS:
Gess, Stefany (2012). I am Jake: My Life on The Autism Spectrum. Edited by Molly M. White, Ph.D.
White, M.M., Chaney, J.M., Mullins, L.L., Wagner, J.L., Hommel, K.A, Andrews, N.R. & Jarvis, J.N. (2005). Children’s Perceived Illness Uncertainty as a Moderator in the Parent-Child Distress Relationship in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Rehabilitation Psychology, 50(3), 224-231.
Hommel, K.A., Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., White, M.M., & Mullins, L.L. (2004). Perceived importance of activities of daily living and arthritis helplessness in rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective investigation. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 159-164.
Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., White, M.M., Hoff, A.L., & Mullins, L.L. (2003). Anxiety and depression in older adolescents with long-standing asthma: The role of illness uncertainty.Children’s Health Care, 32(1), 51-63.
Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., Hommel, K.A., Page, M.C., Mullins, L.L, White, M.M., & Jarvis, J.N. (2003). The influence of parental distress on child depressive symptoms in juvenile rheumatic diseases: The moderating effect of illness intrusiveness. Journal of PediatricÂ
Psychology, 28(7), 453-462.
Barnett, M., Bartel, J., Burns, S., Sanborn, F., Christensen, N., & White, M. (2000). Perceptions of children who lie: Influence of lie motive and benefit. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 161(3), 381-383.
PRESENTATIONS:
Murphy, L.E., White, M.M., & Warner, C.M. (May, 2007). Intellectual Disability or Autism:Developmental Subscale Differences on the BASC. Poster presented at the AAIDD Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
Murphy, L.E., Warner, C.M., & White, M.M. (May, 2007). Socialization Scale Comparisons forChildren with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. Poster presented at the AAIDD Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
White, M.M. (April 2007). Parenting Stress and Developmental Disabilities. Paper presented at an Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Center at the Boling Center on Developmental Disabilities, Memphis, Tennessee.
White, M.M. (April, 2006). Characteristic’s of Children’s Relationships: Examination of theAssessment of Interpersonal Relationships. Paper presented at an Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Center at the Boling Center on Developmental Disabilities, Memphis, Tennessee.
Murphy, L.E. & White, M.M. (March, 2006). Learning Disabilities and ADHD in Medical Students. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Convention, Anaheim, California.
Murphy, L.E, Hunter, C., White, M.M., & Palmer, F. (March, 2006). Characteristics of Autism Using the CARS & Bracken. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Convention, Anaheim, California.
White, M.M. & Warner, C.M. (November, 2005). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Paper presented at an Interdisciplinary Leadership Training Center at the Boling Center on Developmental Disabilities, Memphis, Tennessee.
White, M.M. & Murphy, L.E. (November, 2004). Parenting Stress, Chronic Health Conditions, and Developmental Disabilities. Paper presented at an Interdisciplinary Leadership Training at the Boling Center on Developmental Disabilities, Memphis, Tennessee.
White, M.M., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., Andrews, N.R., & Jarvis, J.N. (April, 2004). Attributional Style and Illness Uncertainty in Children with JRD: An Examination of a Cognitive Diathesis-Stress Model. Poster presented at the National Conference on Child Health Psychology, Charleston, South Carolina.
White, M.M., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., Andrews, N.R., & Jarvis, J.N. (August, 2003).Attributional Style and Depression in Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., White, M.M., Andrews, N.R., Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N. (August, 2003). A Cognitive Diathesis Stress Model of Depression in JRD. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology Association, Toronto, Canada.
Andrews, N.R., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., White, M.M., Jarvis, J.N. (August 2003). IllnessIntrusiveness and Distress Differences Among Native and Caucasian Parents. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology Association, Toronto, Canada.
White, M.M., Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N. (August, 2002). Transactional Patterns in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease: Moderating Effect of Uncertainty. Poster presented at the annual American Psychological Association, Chicago. IL.
Wagner, J.L, Chaney, J.M., White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., Avendano, K.K., Jarvis, J.N. (August, 2002). Moderating Effect of Intrusiveness on Parental Distress and Child Depression. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
White, M.M., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N. (April, 2002). Influence of Attributional style and Illness Uncertainty on Depression in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting on Child Health Psychology, Milwaukee, WI.
Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M, White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N. (April, 2002). Transactional Patterns of Adjustment in Juvenile Rheumatoid Diseases: Moderating Influences of Attributional Style. Poster presented at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting on Child Health Psychology, Milwaukee, WI.
White, M.M. (March, 2002). Influences of Illness Uncertainty and Transactional Patterns in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease. Colloquium, Stillwater, OK.
White, M.M. (March, 2002). Transactional Patterns of Illness Uncertainty in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Research Symposium, Stillwater, OK.
Wagner, J.L, White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., McLaughlin, M.S., Chaney, J.M., & Jarvis, J.N.(November, 2001). The Contribution of Parental Distress to Depression in Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the AssociationÂ
of the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia, PA.
Wagner, J.L, White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., McLaughlin, M.S., Chaney, J.M., & Jarvis, J.N.(November, 2001). Influence of Attributional Style on Depression in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association of the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia, PA.
Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., McLaughlin, M.S., White, M.M., Shaw, S.R., Mullins, L.L., & Keirn, B.R. (August, 2001). The Influence of Anxiety on Illness Intrusiveness in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-standing Asthma. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., McLaughlin, M.S., Wagner, J.L., Shaw, S.R., White, M.M., Mullins, L.L., & Keirn, B.R. (August, 2001). The Contribution of Anxiety to Illness Uncertainty in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-standing Asthma. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., McLaughlin, M.S., Hoff, A.L, White, M.M., & Mullins, L.L. (2001, April). Illness Uncertainty in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-Standing Asthma: The Role of Anxiety and Depression. Poster presented at the 8th Florida Conference on Child Health Psychology, April 27th, 2001, Gainesville, FL.
Barnett, M., Bartel, J., Burns, S., Sanborn, F., Christensen, N., & White, M. (2000, April).Perceptions of Children Who have Lied: The Role of Liar’s Motive and Benefit Achieved by the Lie. Poster presented at the meeting of the Southwestern Society for Research in Human Development, Eureka Springs, AR.
Burns, S., Bartel, J., Sanborn, F., Christensen, N., & White, M. (1999, April). Undergraduates’Perception of Children Who Have Lied. Paper presented at the 1999 Kansas State University Undergraduate Convocation, Manhattan, KS.