Hello and welcome!

I’m Dr. Megan Helmen, a pediatric neuropsychologist and founder of Developmental Discoveries Neuropsychology.

What if knowledge & understanding replaced judgment & reactivity? With over two decades in the developmental disability community, I recognized a need for humanized evaluations, education, and support planning. I’m on a mission to help more people better understand often misunderstood individuals.

With more knowledge comes better understanding, compassion, and the right support. My consultations, workshops, and talks engage, challenge, and inspire.

For corporate training and workshops, I partner with The Rise Journey.

What Clients are Saying

“Dr. Megan Helmen joined us for our 34th Annual Conference on Youth and did a spectacular job presenting in the areas of Neurodiversity, Emotional Regulation and Autism. Her sessions were amongst are most sought after and conference attendees reported gaining usable tools and unique insights as a result of their participation. Dr. Helmen was easy to work with, and we will DEFINITELY be contacting her again as opportunities arise.”

– Amanda Miller, Executive Director for Great KIDS Make Great COMMUNITIES, Fort Wayne, IN

Dr. Helmen provides well-thought-out, intentional presentations that are culturally responsive and engaging, creating a learning experience and environment that attendees request, attend, and recommend to their colleagues year after year!”

-Director of Training at mental health outpatient clinic

“Your discussion about intergenerational patterns and trauma in this scope was very insightful and added greatly to the content. Further, discussion around linguistics and language to use within the referral process was great.”

“The information was accessible and understandable, utilizing positive psychology while benefiting the individuals we serve. Helped me to continue to frame diagnosis and symptoms while connecting with clients in a meaningful way.”

“Lots of great information to competently and compassionately work with neurodivergence.”

- Participants in Neurodiversity- and Trauma-focused training for therapists

About Me

I began working with children with developmental disabilities over 20 years ago and heard many disheartening stories from families about how their child was diagnosed. I decided that I wanted to be the person at the start of the process, sharing a diagnosis with parents in a compassionate, informed manner.

You can check out my clinical and work experiences here, ranging from in-home care to residential to hospitals and outpatient clinics. In July 2022, I founded Developmental Discoveries, to make a clinical evaluation process a meaningful experience for children and families.

I believe in balancing clinical expertise and research-based interventions with connection and a sense of humor. I respect each child as a whole human who can be included in the evaluation process. As a speaker, I want to help those working with children and adults with developmental disabilities and differences (or neurodivergence) to think critically, ask questions, and walk away with a deeper understanding of diverse brains and how to support them.

  • Experience

    Autism, AD/HD, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Giftedness, Twice Exceptionality (Giftedness + Disability), and more!

  • Talks and Workshops

    Sharing stories, clinical expertise, and research to elevate and shift your audience’s wisdom and technical skills.

  • Connection

    We are all a bunch of messy humans doing our best. Self-reflect, laugh, and share as you learn.