Our Team
Brandi D. Smith, Psy.D Licensed Psychologist and Practice Owner
Brandi D. Smith, Psy.D. is a Georgia licensed clinical psychologist who enjoys working with children, adolescents, and their families. Dr. Smith specializes in clinical child and pediatric psychology and the evidence-based assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. She has experience evaluating for autism in children 12 months of age through adulthood and is clinically trained to administer the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2). Her assessment experience also has included training and work in a range of settings including hospitals, universities, specialized treatment and evaluation centers, community mental health centers, and private practice. She has a passion for working with individuals with complex or atypical presentations of autism and has completed many evaluations for the female phenotype of autism and for PDA.
While her primary interest is in the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders, she also has experiencing assessing for a variety of medical, behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric concerns. Dr. Smith experience also includes providing therapeutic services to children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD. This has contributed to her current focus on providing individuals and their families with community supports to address co-morbid difficulties commonly associated with ASD (e.g., feeding and nutrition, sleep, toileting, challenging behaviors).
Dr. Brandi earned her Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology and Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology through the Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Atlanta. She completed an American Psychological Association accredited internship in clinical pediatric psychology with the May Institute in Massachusetts and her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Georgia Pediatric Psychology. Dr. Brandi has since been in private practice since 2018. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Georgia Psychological Association and Society of Pediatric Psychology.
Dr. Brandi’s passion for working with autistic individuals emerged while she was an undergraduate student earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgia State University. There, she received her initial introduction to assessing for autism and contributed to research for early developmental screening. As she went on to become a graduate student, she continued training in the assessment of pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and evaluated children with genetic conditions, epilepsy, cancer, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, spina bifida, and congenital heart conditions. While in school, she worked at Emory University for several years evaluating children exposed to substances neonatally as part of a research study investigating the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In addition to assessment experience during her graduate program, Dr. Brandi was trained in the evidence-based treatment of ASD symptoms through providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy at the Marcus Autism Center and through leading social skills groups at a private practice.
In her spare time, Dr. Brandi enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking, and anything outdoors. She also likes reading and enjoys spending time with her family, dog (Zalla), and friends.
Savanna Duley, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Savanna Duley is a licensed pediatric psychologist specializing in the diagnostic assessment of developmental, social/emotional, and behavioral concerns presenting in early childhood. She has a special interest in working with children who have a history of genetic and associated medical conditions.
Following fellowship, Dr. Duley returned to her hometown of Atlanta, GA, and subsequently joined Dr. Smith at CAAC. She continues as a longstanding member of the American Psychological Association (APA), as well as the Society for Pediatric Psychology (SPP), and is committed to bettering the psychological and overall wellbeing of her patients and their families. In her free time, Dr. Duley enjoys re-discovering the Atlanta area alongside her husband, daughters, and their dog, Buck.
Rachel Matthews, B.S., B.A. Office Manager
Rachel is new to Children’s Autism Assessment Center and is working hard to maintain a warm and inviting environment as the Office Manager of the clinic. She was born in Gainesville, Georgia and still loves visiting her family farm. She also enjoys walking around the beautiful city of Atlanta. Like the rest of her family, she is passionate about sciences and arts and completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a Bachelor’s of Art in Design and Painting at Piedmont College. She has over 8 years of customer care experience and loves connecting with people to create trusting relationships and support systems. She hopes all the patients and parents feel like they are at home when they visit CAAC. If you have any questions, concerns, or just need someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to her via email or phone.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys all kinds of activities and loves to stay busy! Most of her time is spent playing with her dogs, Daisy, Max, and Clay, or painting, drawing, and sculpting. She also spends a great deal of her time volunteering at Save the Horses in Cumming, GA and appreciates any one wanting to learn more about horses and the other animals at the rescue. Rachel also loves renovation projects, dancing, hiking, eating, and exploring.
KaShara Lamar, M.A. Psychometrist