Welcome to the autism intervention development (AID) lab at Florida International University! We focus on developing, evaluating, and implementing interventions that will support autistic individuals and their families. The lab is led by Dr. Yael Dai. Research in the lab is conducted under the auspices of the Department of Psychology, the Embrace Center, and the Center for Children and Families at FIU.
Director
Dr. Yael Dai is a clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Florida International University. Dr. Dai received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut, and she completed her predoctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her primary research focus is on improving interventions for autistic individuals and their families. Specifically, she is interested in developing parent-mediated telehealth interventions that are poised for broad dissemination and implementation, enhancing engagement strategies, and refining psychosocial approaches to better support autistic adolescents and adults.
Graduate Students
Emma Jaisle is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science program at FIU. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Miami and a Master of Science in Psychology at FIU. Emma has treatment experience working with children ages 4-12 years presenting with internalizing, externalizing, and neurodevelopmental conditions. She also conducts comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations for young adults with autism and/or intellectual disability via the FIU Embrace Education Program. Emma’s research focuses mainly on neurodevelopmental disorders. This includes advancing methods of early detection, distinguishing unique and overlapping features of these conditions, and developing beneficial services with and for the neurodiverse community.
Clara Herrera is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science program at Florida International University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her research centers on early identification of autism and the development of interventions for autistic children. Clara is particularly interested in adapting evidence-based naturalistic interventions to be culturally and linguistically responsive, with a focus on effectively supporting Latino families.
Research Coordinator
Julia Grobman recently graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science. She has clinical experience working with children diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), supporting the delivery of behavioral interventions in both research and applied settings. Julia is particularly interested in how executive functioning challenges affect neurodivergent youth and in improving the implementation of behavioral therapies to better serve the community. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to advance research and clinical practice at the intersection of developmental psychopathology and intervention science.
Current Projects:
Online Parent Training in Early Behavioral Intervention (OPT-In-Early):
Early intervention can help autistic children learn skills that will improve independence and quality of life. However, many barriers prevent families from obtaining intervention when their children are young and have heightened brain plasticity. We are examining the efficacy of a comprehensive, online, self-directed, naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) that teaches caregivers of young autistic children strategies to promote their children’s language, social communication, and adaptive behaviors. We are also interested in identifying barriers to engagement and developing strategies to promote parent engagement in the program.
Multidisciplinary Longitudinal Evaluation of the FIU Embrace Education Program (MLE)
Autistic adults are underrepresented in higher education and in the paid labor force. The FIU Embrace Education Program provides opportunities for young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities to engage in post-secondary education and to hone skills that will facilitate their independence. In this project, Dr. Dai is collaborating with Drs. Angela Laird and Rumi Agarwal to understand how to best support autistic emerging adults and their families and to evaluate the impact of the Embrace Education Program. This project draws on the lived experiences of young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities whose perspectives are often overlooked in research.
Supporting Clinicians in Providing Psychotherapy to Autistic Individuals
Autistic adolescents and adults experience high rates of co-occurring mental health conditions (MHCs), but often report greater challenges finding clinicians relative to non-autistic adults. We are developing transdiagnostic tools that enhance clinicians’ self-efficacy providing psychosocial interventions to autistic individuals and increase the effectiveness of their mental health treatments. Ultimately, we aim to make high quality psychotherapy more accessible for autistic individuals.
Join Our Lab!
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students interested in obtaining clinical psychology research experience can apply to work as a research assistant for course credit. Below are examples of tasks research assistants may be involved in:
- Recruiting and screening research participants
- Conducting clinical research study visits
- Data entry and database maintenance
- Coding child behavior or parent-child interactions
We ask students to commit to at least two semesters in the lab.
To apply send your application, unofficial transcript, and resume to ydai@fiu.edu.
Graduate Students:
Dr. Dai accepts students in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at FIU. She will be accepting a student to start in Fall 2026.