Connie Kasari

Connie Kasari, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Kasari is a founding member of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment. Her research aims to develop novel, tested interventions implemented in community settings. Recent projects include targeted treatments for early social communication development in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at risk for or diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and for peer relationships in school-age children with ASD. She has led many multisite federally funded projects investigating the efficacy of interventions for children with ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Dr. Kasari is on the science advisory board of the Autism Speaks Foundation and regularly presents to academic and practitioner audiences locally, nationally, and internationally.