Dr Amber Ayton
Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychology Registrar
Background and Experience
Dr Amber Ayton is a Clinical Neuropsychology Registrar and registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. She practises at the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychology Group, where she assesses children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences. Amber completed her PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology at Monash University, and she brings clinical experience across paediatric hospital, community, and rehabilitation settings, working with children and adolescents who are neurodivergent and/or have mental health challenges, as well as those with acquired brain injury. Her training also includes inpatient and outpatient work in major hospital and mental health services. Alongside her clinical work, Amber is a Research Fellow at the Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre. She has also held research roles at a range of universities and research institutes, including the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and has a background in university teaching.
Clinical Interests
Amber's clinical work focuses on understanding how each child thinks, learns and experiences the world. She provides neuropsychological assessment and support to children with neurodevelopmental differences, including ADHD, autism, and learning, motor and language disorders. She is particularly interested in how a child's unique profile can guide the supports around them, helping to foster positive learning, emotional wellbeing, sense of identity, and participation at home and school. Amber also enjoys providing neuropsychological input for children and adolescents whose development has been shaped by other medical conditions, including acquired brain injury. While her work primarily focuses on children and adolescents, she also has experience in the assessment of adults with neurodevelopmental conditions and mental health challenges.
Research Interests
Amber's early research explored sleep and cognitive function in children with traumatic brain injury. She has also contributed to research on the development of children born very preterm and wider population wellbeing, as well as to the standardisation and validation of cognitive assessments. Her doctoral research examined how age influences long-term outcomes after brain injury, including cognition, mental and physical health, and brain changes. This work has been published in leading international journals and recognised with national and international awards. Amber is passionate about research that is informed by clinical practice, and she values how the two continually shape each other.
Practice Philosophies
Amber values a collaborative, neuroaffirming approach to assessment, working alongside the child, their family and their wider supports to build a shared understanding of the child. She is committed to helping families understand how a child's neurodevelopment may influence their thinking skills, learning, emotional wellbeing, relationships and everyday behaviour. Amber translates assessment findings into a clear, practical picture of the child and tailored recommendations for home and school, so that the people around them know how to best support them.
Extra About Me
Outside of work, Amber enjoys reading, watching live sport, learning Spanish, and scuba diving with anything that swims, the bigger the better! Having studied art history in Vienna, she also has a soft spot for museums and travel.
Latest Publications
Ayton, A., & Ponsford, J. (2026). Ageing with a brain injury. In Rehabilitation across the continuum. Elsevier.
Ayton, A., Ponsford, J., Hicks, A. J., Knott, R., Gan, G., & Spitz, G. (2026). The Relationship Between Age, Brain Structure, and Cognition in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.
Ayton, A., Spitz, G., Hicks, A. J., & Ponsford, J. (2025). Ageing with traumatic brain injury: Long-term cognition and wellbeing. Journal of Neurotrauma.
Ayton, A., Spitz, G., Hicks, A. J., & Ponsford, J. (2024). Mental and physical health comorbidities in traumatic brain injury: A comparison with non-TBI controls. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Ayton, A., Hicks, A. J., Spitz, G., & Ponsford, J. (2023). The utility of the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire in chronic traumatic brain injury. The Clinical Neuropsychologist.