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Biography
Dr. Jackie Shinall is a clinical psychologist with over 14 years of experience working with the autism population, and over eight years of experience conducting diagnostic assessments and completing reports. She supervised doctoral students through diagnostic assessments and reviewed reports. At Prosper Health, Dr. Shinall focuses on ensuring clients feel heard and understood, and she aims to provide thorough and accurate diagnostic clarity for adults seeking an autism diagnosis.
Education
Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Masters of Clinical Psychology (Psy.M.) Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Masters of Science (M.S.) in Neuroscience and Education – Columbia University’s Teacher’s College
Bachelor’s degree (BA) in Psychology
Certifications
She is a licensed clinical psychologist in Florida.
Area of Expertise
- Autism in adults - particularly diagnosis and assessing - I have used a wide range of tools and techniques to best understand the adults presenting for a diagnostic assessment.
- Differential diagnoses and co-occurring diagnoses with ASD. Many adults and adolescents with ASD have prior or co-occurring diagnoses, and I help clients to understand the different symptoms to help them best learn to manage those symptoms.
- Psychoeducation – Helping clients learn about the different mental health conditions, traits/symptoms, and how those have impacted them across their lifespan.
Modalities
Affiliations
Research and Publications
Bal, V. H., Mournet, A. M., Glascock, T., Shinall, J., Gunin, G., Jadav, N., ... & Kleiman, E. M. (2024). The emotional support plan: Feasibility trials of a brief, telehealth-based mobile intervention to support coping for autistic adults. Autism, 28(4), 932-944.
Mournet, A. M., Gunin, G., Shinall, J., Brennan, E., Jadav, N., Istvan, E., ... & Bal, V. H. (2024). The impact of measurement on clinical trials: Comparison of preliminary outcomes of a brief mobile intervention for autistic adults using multiple measurement approaches. Autism Research, 17(2), 432-442.
Albright, J., Shinall, J. A., Tomczuk, L., Stewart, R. E., Mandell, D. S., Stahmer, A. C., ... & Pellecchia, M. (2024). A multi-constituent qualitative examination of facilitators and barriers to caregiver coaching for autistic children in publicly funded early intervention. Autism, 13623613241272993.
Bal, V. H., Mournet, A., Gunin, G., Shinall, J., Glascock, V., Zhang, D., ... & Chu, B. (2023). Transdiagnostic Approaches to Supporting Mental Health of Autistic Adults. INSAR 2023.
Mournet, AM, Shinall, J, Gravino A, etal. Mental health guide for autistic college students. Organization for Autism Research. 2022. https://researchautism.org/resources/mentalhealth-guide/
Ferretti, C.J., Taylor, B.P., Shinall, J., & Hollander, E. Psychiatric Assessment and Pharmacological Treatment. In Hollander, E., Hagerman, R., & Fein, D., (2018), Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Luo, S. X., Shinall, J. A., Peterson, B. S., & Gerber, A. J. (2016). Semantic mapping reveals distinct patterns in descriptions of social relations in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research, 9(8), 846-853.
Spoon Theory and Autism: Understanding Energy Depletion
Have you ever felt like your energy levels aren’t matching what others perceive? You may look “fine” on the outside, but on the inside, your nervous system is working overtime, quickly eating up your physical and mental energy. For some neurodivergent people, this kind of energy depletion can cumulatively worsen until they’re completely tapped out.
“When my energy starts to run out, my first sign is that it gets harder and harder to smile,” explains Drew*, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 40 years old and self-identifies as AuDHD. “It doesn’t mean I’m not having fun, or not happy, it’s just my body’s way of saying that I’m losing control of my ability to mask.”
As his energy drains, Drew usually experiences “drastically reduced verbal communication,” speaking only when spoken to, and responding with a handful of words. Eventually, he says, these depleted energy levels result in his “crying uncontrollably and hiding in a quiet room or space, eventually falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.”
If you can relate to Drew’s experience, spoon theory might be a helpful concept for you. Spoon theory is a metaphor many autistic and neurodivergent people use to explain how sensory, social, masking, and executive function demands lead to energy depletion. It can also help non-autistic people better understand why autistic fatigue differs from general exhaustion.
Selective Mutism in Adults: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What Actually Helps
Imagine a young woman sitting in the cafeteria at work. In between bites of her sandwich and sips of her coffee, she has a spirited, eager conversation with her closest friend. All of this light, peaceful energy ends when a colleague sits next to her and asks how her weekend went.
Suddenly, she’s paralyzed, and as much as she tries, she can’t get any words out. The words are just blocked. As an adult with selective mutism, this is a familiar yet distressing experience.
Many people associate selective mutism with childhood, but it can both persist and start in adulthood, confirms Rachel Loftin, chief clinical officer at Prosper Health. Being unable to speak can feel frustrating, confusing, and alienating. This is especially true in a world where many people don’t understand selective mutism.
In this article, we’ll explain selective mutism in adults, what may contribute to it, and how it differs from (and overlaps with) social anxiety and autism. We will also explore coping strategies, treatment, and support options.
Is ADHD on the Autism Spectrum? Clearing Up the Confusion
When my therapist suggested that I might have ADHD, I couldn’t get home to start Googling fast enough. I was in my early 30s, and at the time, I was unaware of how ADHD manifests in adult women. But because I wasn’t hyperactive, I was skeptical of my therapist’s conclusion and wanted to do my own homework.
As I was researching, I noticed that many of the signs of ADHD and autism appear very similar, like hyperfocus and niche interests, sensory sensitivities, and difficulty with executive function. I experienced each of these, and wondered if it was possible that I actually had autism, or perhaps autism and ADHD—known colloquially as AuDHD.
When I had a formal evaluation, my psychiatrist determined that I did, in fact, have ADHD, but not autism. Autism and ADHD are both neurodevelopmental differences under the umbrella of "neurodivergence" and not on the same spectrum. But, given the ADHD and autism overlap in certain ways, and my resulting confusion, I wondered about the nuances of my ADHD assessment results and how it compared to an autism diagnosis.
In this article, we'll explain the overlaps between autism and ADHD, while emphasizing that they are both unique.
