About Dr. Erika Penner
Dr. Erika Penner is a licensed psychologist providing comprehensive, compassionate autism and psychoeducational assessments for children and youth in Vancouver.
Every child deserves an accurate, thorough assessment. Dr. Penner’s aim is to give families the clarity and support they need to understand their child’s unique strengths and challenges.
Qualifications
Dr. Penner’s credentials and experience include:
- Licensed Psychologist
- Qualified Specialist (QS) for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
- Developed the Fraser Health Child and Youth Diagnostic Clinic, where she continues to provide assessments through the public health system
- Past psychologist with the Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
- Staff psychologist roles in the Provincial Autism Resource Centre (BCAAN) and the Complex Developmental and Behavioural Conditions programs
- Residency at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Graduate degrees (MA and PhD) from Simon Fraser University in the child (developmental) specialty stream
Experience
Dr. Penner developed the Child and Youth Diagnostic Clinic for the Fraser Health Authority, where she provides diagnostic assessments to children and youth with questions about autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and learning disorders. She has a particular interest in the differential diagnosis of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder, and has presented on the assessment and treatment of young children with both common and less typical co-occurring conditions, such as global developmental delay and selective mutism.
She began her career at the Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, assessing children of all ages referred for concerns including ADHD, learning disorders, intellectual disability, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and autism. She then worked in the Department of Medical Psychology at BC Children’s Hospital, providing assessment and treatment for children with a combination of medical and mental health concerns, and teaching and supervising medical residents, psychology residents and other learners.
Dr. Penner later served as Psychology Practice Lead for Vancouver Coastal Health, overseeing the psychological services provided by psychologists across the health region. She spent six years as Director of Advocacy for the BC Psychological Association, working with the Ministry of Health on initiatives including provincial financial coverage for families seeking a child assessment.
Alongside private practice, she has worked for over a decade as the psychologist at the Provincial Assessment Centre, assessing youth and adults with complex medical, mental health and behavioural concerns.
Dr. Penner is a Clinical Associate at Simon Fraser University’s clinical psychology centre, where she supervises graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Program. She is a Clinical Investigator with the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and a Clinical Instructor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine, where she has provided education and training to subspecialty fellows in developmental pediatrics and child psychiatry.
Approach
Evidence-based practice
Assessments use well-established standardized tools, such as the ADOS-2, ADI-R, WISC-5-CDN and WIAT-4-CDN, for accurate and reliable diagnostic evaluations.
Family-centred care
Families are involved throughout the assessment process, so that their perspectives and concerns are heard and addressed.
Values
- Compassion: every family deserves understanding and support.
- Excellence: high standards in assessment quality and professional practice.
- Collaboration: working closely with families, schools and other professionals.
- Accessibility: making quality assessments accessible to families.
Next steps
Read about autism assessments and psychoeducational assessments, or see the frequently asked questions. When you are ready, book a pre-assessment consultation online or request a callback.