Mirjana Atzeni

A psychologist registered with the Order of Psychologists of Sardinia (No. 3378) and currently specializing in Health Psychology.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences and Techniques from the University of Cagliari in 2016 with a thesis entitled “The Early Start Denver Model for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Thanks to the Erasmus+ program, I completed my third year at the Pontifical University of Salamanca (Spain).

To continue the research project that was the subject of my thesis, after graduation, I completed a research internship in neuroscience at the Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Sciences in Lyon (France), acquiring skills in the use of eye trackers, EEG, and the administration of neuropsychological tests.

Subsequently, I graduated with honors and honorable mention in the Master’s Degree in Developmental and Socio-Work Processes Psychology from the University of Cagliari in 2019, with an experimental thesis entitled “Brain Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Part of the research was conducted at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at the Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari, and thanks to the Globus+ mobility project, I was able to complete my thesis project at the Els for Autism Foundation in Jupiter, Florida, USA.

I completed my postgraduate internship at the Kaleidos Clinical Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral and Constructivist Psychotherapy Practice in Cagliari.

I then continued my training in behavioral interventions at the Walden Institute in Rome, a center for the early treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA_VB) programs.

Since qualifying as a psychologist in 2020, I have been working in private practice, primarily with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing behavioral interventions and parenting support. I have taught classes for educators and other health professionals at an association on the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder, focusing on the use of key visual aids in various life contexts.

I have also worked as a support teacher in various school levels, and to this end, I have enriched my education with a Master’s degree in teaching methodologies.

I currently actively collaborate as a psychologist with state comprehensive schools, providing mentoring and guidance to reduce learning gaps and combat school dropout.

My current interests also include parenting support, with a focus on pregnancy and motherhood in the first year of a child’s life, and promoting the bio-psycho-social well-being of parents and children in the very early years of life.