Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman
Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman specializes in assessment, advocacy, cognitive training, sensory and behavior support, and socio-emotional coaching.
Marlo began her career as a public-school School Psychologist. Early on, she also worked in various mental health centers, group homes, and in private therapeutic hospitals and day schools, as well as in a behavior treatment center for children with autism. This led her into the field of autism where she developed a special interest in meeting the unique needs of those individuals who were asynchronously developed into the realms of giftedness. From there, and under the guidance of Dr. Linda Silverman, she expanded her work to address the broad needs of all gifted and twice-exceptional learners.
In 1994, Dr. Thurman opened her first private practice to provide assessments, advocacy, special education consultation, sensory and behavior support, and socio-emotional coaching to meet the needs of all gifted learners. Then in 1999, Marlo expanded her learning and teaching models to own and direct the Brideun School for Exceptional Children, which was a play-based, therapeutic day school serving over 150 children in grades 1-8 who were identified as “twice-exceptional.” Marlo later created 2E Consulting Services to expand her testing services and to train and support individuals and programs working with a wide range of asynchronous learners.
Holding doctoral level degrees in both School Psychology and Special Education, Marlo continues to see clients in her private practice, while also serving as President and Chairwoman for the US Autism Association. Marlo regularly speaks and trains teachers and mental health practitioners, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Northern Colorado, where she teaches pre-service and continuing educators in gifted and special education. Marlo has been recognized for her work by People Magazine, the Special Educator, ADDitude Magazine, the New York Times, and National Public Radio. She writes regularly for Psychology Today and most recently completed a landmark study proposing an alternative Sensory-Cognitive Difference Theory in the field of high functioning autism, based on her extensive discussions and interactions with gifted, diagnosed adults. This research is the foundation for her newest book, Autism is the Future.