Audrey Whitley, PhD

Audrey Whitley is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She has 22 years of professional experience working with young children and adolescents of diverse backgrounds. Born in Michigan, Audrey grew up in the upstate of South Carolina. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Presbyterian College, graduating summa cum laude with departmental honors, and completed her Masters and Doctorate in School Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Prior to graduate school, Audrey worked as a Lead Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapist and as a Special Education Teacher, instructing students with profound to moderate disabilities. Audrey completed a year-long pre-doctoral internship in Lexington School District Five, gaining training in pre-referral intervention design and implementation, psychological assessment, report writing, consultation, behavior intervention, and counseling. Following graduation, Audrey worked as a psychologist for Lexington School District One and Spartanburg School District Five. Additionally, she served as adjunct faculty at the University of South Carolina teaching Psychology 101, Research Methods, and Behavioral Statistics in the Psychology Department, and a graduate level class in the Department of Education.

Audrey has most recently worked as a psychologist for Spartanburg School District Five where she has served a preschool and elementary aged population for nearly 8 years. In her role as psychologist, Audrey focused on supporting students’ ability to learn. She applied expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. This included conducting psychological evaluations, identifying areas of disability, consulting with both parents and teachers, making educational placement recommendations, conducting functional behavior analyses, formulating behavior intervention plans, assisting in school and district wide program implementation, conducting threat assessments, and collaborating on 504 plan and IEP development. Additionally, for the last 10 years, Audrey has served as a consultant to several South Carolina public charter schools, and has provided assistance in these schools’ comprehensive evaluation processes and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act. She has received specialized training in a wide variety of educational models for children with disabilities. Of note is her training in Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Classroom Practices, and her training via the UNC Department of Psychiatry in the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH) model.

Audrey is the mother to three hilarious, curious, and energetic children, and the wife of a true saint, Ben. She and her family enjoy traveling to National Parks, hiking, reading, and being creative. When not working, you might find Audrey wandering the aisles of a thrift store in search of her next vintage treasure, or you may find her cozied up at home painting, drawing, cooking, or decorating for the next holiday. She is delighted to have the opportunity to work with the knowledgeable practitioners at GALS, and she is eager to collaborate with individuals, families, and other professionals to create healthy and supportive environments where everyone can thrive!