About the Presenters

Eric Endlich, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, guides neurodivergent students nationwide through the college application process. He co-teaches the UC Irvine continuing education course for educational consultants, Working with Students with Learning Differences... more

Dr. Blake Warner (he/him) is a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Program for Education Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Clinic and the Tarjan Center. He received his PhD with a dual specialization in Clinical and Disaster Psychology from the University of South Dakota, where he was a two-time Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) trainee. Dr. Warner's research and clinical interests center on disability-related policy and advocacy training as well as interventions focused on the... more

Allison Jobin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University San Marcos and investigator at the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC). She also serves as the Associate Director for the CSUSM Aspiring Scholars Program, an inclusive post-secondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Jobin is a licensed psychologist and doctoral-level board certified behavior analyst with over 20 years of clinical and research experience in the delivery, supervision, and training of others in evidence-based practices... more

Dr. Rebecca Brooks serves as an Associate Professor in the department of Special Education and is the Program Director for the Aspiring Scholars Program, an inclusive post-secondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities, at California State University at San Marcos. Dr. Brooks has worked with individuals with disabilities in recreational, vocational, residential, and educational settings for over 30 years. Prior to her faculty appointment, she served as a special educator in public schools for 16 years, dedicating her career to including students with... more

Dr. Benrey, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Lord's lab at the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART), is interested in the implementation of evidence-based interventions in community and school-based settings as a means to reduce disparities in access to quality care. She is conducting bilingual autism assessments as part of this study.

Maira is a 4th year doctoral student at UCLA working under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Lord. Maira is interested in understanding and supporting the experiences of bilingual, low-income families of color with IDDs related to diagnosis and service acquisition. Maira is the coordinator and co-investigator of this study.

Dr. Mary J. O’Connor was past Director of Training and of Research at the UCLA Tarjan Center UCEDD.  She has dedicated her career to understanding the consequences and treatment of prenatal alcohol exposure, including the prevention of alcohol consumption in pregnant women, intervention with children and adolescents with FASD, neurochemical correlates of prenatal alcohol exposure, and medical education on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.   All of her recent work has been on collaborative national and international initiatives with the long-term goal of developing best... more

Sai Iyer, MD is a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and Health Sciences Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics at UCLA and serves as the Ronald and Susan Cohen Term Chair in Childhood Development and Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Iyer is also the Associate Medical Director of the UCLA High-risk Infant Follow-up (HRIF) Program.

Dr. Iyer received her medical degree from Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, India and completed pediatric residency at the Institute of Child Health & Hospital for Children, Chennai, India. She underwent further... more

Dr. Ben Schwartzman is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and is the Principal Investigator for the Tennessee Employment Pathways Project. Dr. Schwartzman specializes in helping transition-aged individuals with IDD and their families navigate the process of connecting to paid employment. He is currently working with Tennessee’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) to: (a) create an Employment First accreditation program for training job coaches and community provider agencies, and (b) develop a... more

Dr. Giselle Salinas is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the PEERS Clinic. Dr. Salinas currently assists with the PEERS for Young Adults and Educational Groups. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education at UC Riverside, focusing on the transition experiences of young adults with developmental disabilities and their parents. As a graduate student, she supported Spanish-speaking families at a free autism screening clinic, offering guidance in special education advocacy and autism assessments. Dr. Salinas also engaged in community-... more

Dr. Paige Cervantes is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at VCU. She completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Louisiana State University, her predoctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Affiliated with the Center for Implementation-Dissemination of Evidence-Based Practices Among States (IDEAS), one of the NIMH ALACRITY centers, Dr. Cervantes’ research aims to improve the... more

Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" and "too sick" for outpatient treatment Dr. Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonspeaking until 4, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a full time professor at Adelphi University and adjunct at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, focusing on aligning best practice in supporting autistic people to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

In addition to working with children and talking about life on the... more

Dr. Joseph “JoJo” Armendarez, a licensed psychologist at Bridges of the Mind in West Sacramento, California, is dedicated to helping individuals and families who speak Spanish and English. Dr. JoJo received his Psychology graduate degree from the University of Rhode Island. His expertise is in the assessment and intervention of individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other co-occurring mental health conditions. Dr. JoJo's educational background includes two undergraduate bachelor’s degrees in human development and psychology... more

Dr. Megan Beardmore is a licensed school psychologist with expertise in assessment and treatment of children and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and commonly co-occurring challenges such as emotion dysregulation. Originally from Iowa, she received her graduate training at the University of Arizona where she practiced in schools and community mental health settings. During her predoctoral internship, she served as the evaluation coordinator at a K-8 school, a role that involves determining special education eligibility. Dr. Beardmore then received specialized... more

Dr. Kyle Sterrett is a postdoctoral scholar and a clinical psychology trainee at the Semel Institute and a trainee at the UCLA Tarjan Center. Dr. Sterrett received his M.A. in Social Research Methodology and Ph.D. in Education from UCLA with an emphasis on developmental psychology. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of treatment response and how we measure progress for children with neurodevelopmental disorders enrolled in early intervention programs and classrooms. In particular, he focuses on interventions developed for children with little to no spoken language.... more

Before joining UCLA, Dr. Rolanda Gott was a member of the expert team that developed the Missouri Autism Guidelines Initiatives I and II for screening, diagnosis and evidence based treatment for ASD. With funds from the State of Missouri she developed and led one of the four Missouri Autism Centers which provided clinical care and training for providers in the field of Autism.

She was PI on multisite projects investigating African American Children with Autism spectrum disorders, funded by the Simons Foundation, UCLA ACE and Autism Speaks. Through Autism Treatment Network I... more

Dr. Kelly Vizthum who is an exceptional dentist, dental public health advocate and expert. Kelly graduated from UCLA School of Dentistry and then completed her residency program at Special Patient Care under Dr. Sung. Kelly is now serving in an exciting new role in our dental program at SPC as a policy and program analyst. 

Kelly is advocating for our patients with IDD on the state and local levels and has also secured funding with the Harbor Regional Center to expand our dental services to adult day programs. Currently, Kelly is working on a QI initiative in our clinic and hoping... more

Dr. Barstein is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across the lifespan. While trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, Dr. Barstein is well-versed in working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. She has received extensive training in multidisciplinary and evidence-based assessment and treatment through her doctoral program at Northwestern University, doctoral internship at JFK Partners – the University of... more

Dr. Elina Veytsman is a postdoctoral clinical psychology fellow at the UCLA PEERS Clinic, where she facilitates social skills, career skills, and dating skills programs for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents, and trains mental health professionals and educators in the implementation of these programs. Dr. Veytsman earned her PhD in School Psychology at UC Riverside, where she studied the experience of parents of youth with developmental disabilities during their transition out of high school and into adulthood. Dr. Veytsman recently completed... more

Camille S. Wilson, PhD is a pediatric neuropsychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She completed her doctorate in Human Services Psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and pre- and post-doctoral training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She specializes in neuropsychological evaluations for children with chronic medical conditions. She is passionate about expanding access to psychology to medical populations, preparation for transition to adulthood, and clinical training of future neuropsychologists.

Sapna Shetty, IMFT-S is a an Independently licensed Couples and Family therapist and MFT supervisor at the Child Development Center of Nationwide Children’s hospital. Sapna’s work includes diagnostic assessments to children presenting with developmental delays and / or possible autism spectrum disorder along with family therapy for the entire family system. She is also the co-director of the Couples and Family Therapy internship program and a steering committee member of the diversity and inclusion committee at Nationwide Children’s hospital.

Hillary is a Clinical Psychology Intern in the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Assessment Track at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Marquette University. She is currently involved in the Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic (also known as the CAN Clinic) and the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills Clinic (also known as the PEERS® Clinic) at UCLA. Hillary completed her master’s degree in Child Development at the University of California, Davis and was a trainee in the... more

Dr. J. Thomas Megerian completed his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. He is the medical director and licensed pediatric neurologist at the Thompson Autism Center at CHOC where he works closely with a team of clinicians to provide a variety of medical care, assessments, psychological and neurobehavioral treatments for children and families who are affected by Autism and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders. He also has extensive clinical experience with epilepsy, Tourette’s Syndrome and Tic Disorders, chronic pain syndromes, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Anxiety... more

Elissa Green Kaustinen is the Director of Families and Students Together Director @ The Thompson Autism Center @ CHOC. Prior to joining the Thompson Policy Institute at Chapman University Elissa worked within the public school system for 17 years, which included 7 years as a school psychologist and 10 years as an administrator within special education. Most recently Elissa served the community of Newport Mesa Unified School district in the role of Special Education Coordinator. As a Special Education Coordinator Elissa has experience in many areas including special education assessments,... more

Dr. Jill Fodstad is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests focus on the development and dissemination of models of identification and treatment for co-occurring conditions in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities including self-injurious behavior, regression, and psychiatric conditions. Dr Fodstad is presently the Clinical Director of the Early and Emerging Self-injury Clinic at Riley Hospital for Children and is the Director of Psychological Services for the... more

Carrie Bearden received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and joined the UCLA faculty in 2003. Currently, she is a Professor in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Brain Research Institute, with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology at UCLA. Dr. Bearden's research aims to understand neurobiological risk factors for the development of serious mental illness in youth, using converging methods to study cognition and neuroanatomy in clinical high-risk cohorts (e.g., adolescents with early symptoms of psychosis), and... more

Dr. Rebecca Kammes is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA PEERS Clinic. Rebecca received her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Couple and Family Therapy at Michigan State University. She has 8 years of experience working as a couple and family therapist for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, as well as conducting community-engaged, applied research in the area of sexuality and romantic relationships. Rebecca’s research and work focuses on the systemic risks and challenges of developing a positive sexual identity for older... more

Dr. Oliver Kerrigan is a Postdoctoral Fellow working at the UC Davis MIND Institute. She received her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Special Education, Disabilities, and Developmental Risk from the University of California Santa Barbara. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with well over a decade of experience educating autistic students, conducting research in schools, and supporting families of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. Her research involves teacher training and best practices in inclusive education for students with autism,... more

Dr. Rebecca Elias is a postdoctoral scholar in the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior where she works with Dr. Catherine Lord. She joined the Lord Lab in August of 2019 where she manages a longitudinal study of child development and helps lead other ongoing projects. Her program of research largely focuses on understanding core processes associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across the lifespan, and the influence that these processes have on treatment response and adult clinical outcomes. Dr. Elias received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech... more

Dr. Wood is Clinical Fellow and Post-doctoral Researcher in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior. She completed an MD and PhD in Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine iand her Adult Psychiatry Residency at UCLA-Semel. Dr. Wood is working with Drs. Dapretto and Green to utilize functional MRI and MRS methods as part of a multimodal approach to better understand emotion regulation, contextualization; and heterogeneity of resilience to trauma in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.... more

Lauren Clark, PhD, RAN, FAAN, is Professor, Shapiro Family Endowed Chair in Developmental Disability Studies and Associate Dean, Academic Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing. She serves as a member of the Tarjan Center Advisory Committee. As a nurse-anthropologist, Dr. Clark draws on her background as a public and community health nurse to inform her research. She studies health care experiences of Mexican American women and children and families of children with developmental disabilities. Using participatory research methods, she developed a... more

Dr. Jeste is a behavioral child neurologist specializing in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. She is an Associate Professor-in-Residence in Psychiatry, Neurology and Pediatrics at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, the director of the UCLA CARING Clinic, and a lead investigator in the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART). After earning a BA in philosophy from Yale University in 1997 and her MD from Harvard Medical School in 2002, Dr. Jeste completed a residency in child neurology and a fellowship in behavioral child neurology at Boston Children’s... more

Jasper A. Estabillo, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and the Training Director of the UCLA Tarjan Center. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Louisiana State University and her pre- and post-doctoral training at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior and UCLA Department of Psychology. Her work focuses on providing direct clinical services to families, improving clinical training, and expanding access to evidence-based interventions into communities.

Dr. Nicole McDonald is a Clinical Instructor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the early identification of ASD. As an Attending Psychologist at the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic, Dr. McDonald conducts ASD-focused evaluations, primarily in young children, and family-based treatment of behavior problems in preschool-aged children (e.g., PCIT), and she oversees the clinic practicum program. Dr. McDonald’s research integrates brain-based (fNIRS, EEG... more

Dr. Fowler is Adjunct Professor in the UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Director of Research and Education for the Center for Cerebral Palsy at UCLA, and Director of the Kameron Gait & Motion Analysis Laboratory. She is a faculty member of the Tarjan Center at UCLA. Dr. Fowler has a degree in physical therapy and a PhD from UCLA Physiological Sciences department with a major in Biomechanics and minor in Motor Control. She holds the Peter William Shapiro Chair for the Center for Cerebral Palsy. She was President of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine... more

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Laugeson is the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, which is an outpatient hospital-based program providing parent-assisted social skills training for preschoolers, adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other social impairments. She also serves as the Training Director for the UCLA Tarjan Center for Excellence in Developmental... more

Dr. Amanda Gulsrud is Assistant Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in autism and the development of early interventions. She is the clinical director of the multidisciplinary, which focuses on the evaluation and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across the lifespan. Dr. Gulsrud’s primary research and clinical efforts focus on the early identification and treatment of infants and toddlers with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders... more

Dr. Catherine Lord is the George Tarjan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is a practicing clinical psychologist whose primary focus is autism and related disorders across the lifespan from toddlers through adulthood. Her research and clinical work are aimed at improving methods of identifying strengths and difficulties in individuals with possible ASD and working with families and individuals to maximize independence and well-being for all concerned. This has involved the development of diagnostic instruments (the Autism Diagnostic... more

Dr. Renno is a Clinical Psychologist at the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic (CAN) Clinic and a Clinical Instructor in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division at UCLA. She is also the Associate Director of the UCLA CAN REACH Training Program which provides free workshops and lectures on autism spectrum disorder for families and community providers. Dr. Renno specializes in the assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents. After completing her doctoral degree in Psychological Studies in Education... more

Dr. Brandon Ito, MD, MPH completed his undergraduate degree in Human Development with minors in Psychology and Healthcare & Social Issues from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his medical training at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and obtained a masters degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health. Dr. Ito completed his adult psychiatry training at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was a Global Health Clinical Scholar and graduated with an Area of Distinction in LGBT mental health. He completed his Child... more

Dr. Schneider attended Stanford University where he studied biology and philosphy before attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He then came to UCLA in 2008 where he completed both residency training in General Psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry. He now serves as the Associate Director of the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic and as Medical Director of the UCLA Achievement, Behavior and Cognition Partial Hospitalization Program. Dr. Schneider has special expertise in the treatment of children and adults with Autism... more

Dr. Charlotte DiStefano is a clinical psychologist with expertise in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders. She is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. After receiving a B.S. in Special Education from New York University and an Ed.M. in Mind Brain and Education from Harvard University, Dr. Charlotte Distefano received her Ph.D. in Psychological Studies in Education from UCLA. She completed her postdoctoral training at the UCLA Center for Autism Research and under the mentorships of Drs. Connie Kasari and Shafali Jeste. Before earning... more

Dr. Caroline Grantz is a pediatric neuropsychologist with expertise in Autism Spectrum Disorder and related areas of difficulty. Originally from California, Dr. Grantz went to graduate school at the University of Miami in Florida. She completed Internship at Rush University Medical School in Chicago and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. Throughout her education, she received specialized training in neuropsychology, and is pursuing Board Certification as a Clinical Neuropsychologist. In 2016, Dr. Grantz was delighted to move back to... more

Leila Glass, Ph.D. is a neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the lifespan track at the Medical Psychological Assessment Center (MPAC). Leila received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and previously worked at the NIH as a trainee. She completed her doctorate at the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in San Diego and completed her internship at UCLA in the pediatric neuropsychology track. Leila’s research has focused on the academic, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes associated with prenatal alcohol... more

Dr. Ellis is a clinical neuropsychologist who received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. She first came to UCLA in 2011 for her pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Neuropsychology. She then received a T32 post-doctoral fellowship in neuropsychology and child and adolescent mood disorders at UCLA. She is now an assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry. In addition to being the Director and creator of the thinkSMARTâ program, she works as an attending psychologist in the Child and... more

Ruth Ellingsen is a post-doctoral scholar in the Nathanson Family Resilience Center at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Ruth obtained her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and completed her internship at UCLA, where she received specialized clinical and research training in developmental disabilities and in the prevention and treatment of traumatic stress in children and families. As part of her postdoctoral training, Ruth provides clinical services to children and families exposed to various challenges, including medical, community, and family traumas, as well as... more

Dr. Fernandez obtained her undergraduate degree at Yale University and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Houston, where she completed her graduate research on cerebellar structure and cortico-cerebellar white matter integrity in children with dyslexia. She completed her internship and postdoctoral training in neuropsychology at the UCLA Semel Institute and Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative. As a recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Health, Dr. Fernandez studied language and neurocognitive functioning in... more

Dr. Hajal received her PhD in Child Clinical Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine & Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, with an emphasis on the prevention and treatment of child and family traumatic stress.

She is currently a clinical researcher and attending psychologist in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Her primary interests are in parenting and young children’s... more

Emily Moulton, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Clinical Psychology Fellow with the UCLA PEERS clinic and the Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic. Dr. Moulton earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut, specializing in the early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and developmental trajectories following early diagnosis. She completed her Predoctoral Psychology Internship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior within the Pediatric Neuropsychology track. In addition to a background in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dr.... more

Deanna Dow, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Clinical Psychology Fellow at UCLA with the Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic and the PEERS® Clinic. Dr. Dow earned her B.S. in Psychology at the University of Michigan and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Florida State University. She completed her Predoctoral Psychology Internship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior within the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders track. Dr. Dow has been working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for 15 years in a variety of clinical and... more