Current Staff

Dr. Baweja is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She directs three programs: the Parent Training Program for children aged 2–12, the Parent Training Program for adolescents aged 12.5–16, and the Children’s Friendship Program.

With over 28 years of experience as a researcher and clinician, Dr. Baweja has worked extensively with children and adolescents in diverse settings, including outpatient psychiatry, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), residential treatment, and school-based mental health services. She is skilled in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions and related mood disorders. Dr. Baweja is extensively trained in evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure-based therapies, and trauma-informed care.

Her expertise lies in supporting families navigating the complexities of parenting children with neurodevelopmental conditions and severe behavioral challenges. Bridging science and lived experience as a parent, Dr. Baweja offers a unique and compassionate perspective that connects clinical insights with the real-world challenges faced by families.

Dr. Baweja earned her Master’s degree from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology from UCLA. Her research interests focus on the psychological effects of peer victimization and community-partnered initiatives to improve access to mental health care in schools.

Dr. Reina Factor, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who has over 18 years of experience working with individuals across the lifespan, with an emphasis on individual and group interventions that involve the family. She has expertise working with autistic individuals and neurodevelopmental disabilities of all ages, particularly with the pediatric population, as well as individuals with a range of co-occurring diagnoses including anxiety, depression, early psychosis, ADHD, OCD, ODD, and mood disorders. Dr. Factor also serves as a staff psychologist at the UCLA Child OCD Intensive Outpatient Program and works at Spectrum Psych LA, a private practice. Dr. Factor earned her undergraduate degree at Emory University, where she completed an honors thesis examining an early social responsiveness screener. She then worked as a research associate at UCLA, focusing on the JASPER intervention developed by Dr. Connie Kasari and administering Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Parent Training. She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Tech. She completed her predoctoral and postdoctoral work at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Additionally, Dr. Factor has conducted extensive research, particularly focusing on the social and emotional development in autistic children, highlighting the impact of systems (e.g., peers, parents, the family) and how they inform interventions by looking at mechanisms of change and treatment outcomes. Dr. Factor was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and is a proud third generation UCLA Bruin and 4th generation Californian!

Fred Frankel, Ph.D., ABPP is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. Since 1982, Dr. Frankel has been the Director of the UCLA Parent Training and Children's Friendship Programs. His current research interests are in extending his studies of the effectiveness of Children's Friendship Training to community settings with different populations, including high-functioning autism (UCLA CART), childhood obesity, ADHD and fetal alcohol syndrome. Dr. Frankel is the Principal Investigator on the current CART project, "Parent-Assisted Friendship Training in Autism," which focuses on the friendships of high-functioning children with autism who are included in typical elementary school classrooms from grades two to five. This study is based upon the Dr. Frankel's published treatment manual, Children's Friendship Training (2002). Dr. Frankel received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Irvine in 1971 and joined the UCLA faculty in 1973.

Neila Wolff, MA, MAEd, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California with over 12 years of experience working with children, adolescents and their families. Clinically, Neila's experience is broad and diverse, with an expertise in working with neurodivergent school-aged children and their caretakers. She has provided individual and group clinical care at school settings, including NPS (nonpublic schools), social service agencies, and a telehealth mental health clinic for children ages 0-14. Neila specializes in working with children who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for a wide variety of needs including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Learning Differences and Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Neila is passionate about educating caretakers on how to navigate community resources and benefits they may be eligible for (The Regional Center, IEPs, etc.).
In addition to holding her Master's in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis on MFT), she also earned her Master's in Education. Before transitioning to clinical work, Neila worked in education for five years. She held the position of Assistant Director of Global Education for a Los Angeles area high school, traveling with and teaching teenagers across the globe. Neila is a Los Angeles native and earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Southern California. She is proud to be working with her wonderful team members at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

Shriya began working with the clinic as a Research Assistant in 2022 and started as the Clinic Coordinator after graduating from UCLA in June 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and English. Her role involves organizing, supporting, scheduling, and delegating to ensure that all the clinic's programs are running smoothly. Shriya hopes to pursue Clinical Psychology in graduate school and eventually work with children and teenagers!

Ashley started as the Assistant Clinic Coordinator in Fall 2023 and assists the Clinic Coordinator in overseeing all aspects of the clinic's three programs as well as the research assistants. Ashley graduated from UCLA in June 2024 with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Society and Genetics. Ashley has been involved with the clinic since Fall 2022, previously as a research assistant. Ashley is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling.