Yael Dai

Dr. Dai’s (she/her/hers) primary research focus is on promoting early diagnosis and intervention for autistic children. She has worked on developing new telehealth assessments and interventions for autistic children. Within this work, Dr. Dai emphasizes (1) helping underserved individuals access services, (2) partnering with and empowering caregivers as agents of change for their children, and (3) identifying methods to increase implementation of evidence-based programs. Dr. Dai’s most recent research focuses on improving therapy for autistic individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions.

Research Areas

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Screening and assessing for developmental delays
• Development and dissemination of evidence-based interventions
• Parent coaching and family-centered care
• Implementation science

Education

• B.A. in Psychology, Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
• M.S. in Clinical Psychology, University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
• Predoctoral Internship, Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Massachusetts Boston (Boston, MA)