Michele Elizabeth Villalobos
( out of 11 reviews )

Michele Elizabeth Villalobos, PhD, MS

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Eccles Primary Children's Outpatient Services Building

University Developmental Assessment Clinic
Salt Lake City
801-587-2255
Directions

  • Dr. Villalobos is a Developmental Clinical Psychologist who received her degree from the University of Utah, she completed her APA Internship at the Yale Child Study Center with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders, she completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has completed the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program in both Utah and at the Children'sHospital of Philadelphia. She was on faculty at UNC Chapel Hill in the Department of Psychiatry TEACCH Autism Program from 2013-2020 where she continues to hold an Adjunct Associate Professor position. Dr. Villalobos served as the Director of the UNC TEACCH Autism Program in Asheville for seven years.


    She is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and Quality Director for the Primary Children's Developmental Pediatrics and Autism Service Line overseeing the Developmental Assessment Clinic Quality program. Dr. Villalobos works within the University Developmental Assessment Clinics, providing evaluations of children with suspected autism and other developmental disabilities as part of a multidisciplinary team. She sees patients with autism and other developmental disabilities for ongoing care. Her specific clinical interests and expertise is focused on autism in infancy and early childhood as well as disparities in access to care in underserved communities.

    Academic Bio:

    Dr. Villalobos’ specializes in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in underserved communities. She has published on early diagnosis and screening of autism, and has trained professionals worldwide on the fundamentals of autism and evidence based techniques. She has also authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters focused on screening and barriers to care. She serves as a consultant on several grants requiring expertise on the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.

    Her research efforts have focused on disparities and access to care in young children with autism around the globe. Specifically, Dr. Villalobos is interested in working with underserved communities and better understanding barriers to accessing autism services. She has published on caregiver experiences and barriers to care for families seeking a diagnosis of autism. Her work is also focused on implementing and disseminating evidence-based practices to underserved communities.

    Dr. Villalobos has worked on autism research projects around the globe. Specifically, she has authored studies on universal screening projects for autism as well as epidemiological studies of autism in Mexico and Uganda. She served as a Consultant for Autism Speaks as part of an Epidemiological effort in Mexico and mentors trainees in Uganda as part of a Fogarty Award.

    Dr. Villalobos has also been heavily involved in training of students, providers and educators around the globe. Her passion for mentoring is exhibited in her over 13 years of commitment to the International Society for Autism Research where she helped to build both Student and Early Career Committees aimed at supporting researchers pursuing careers in autism. Her efforts are now largely focused on global mentoring initiatives. Dr. Villalobos has also spent the past 7 years training autism providers across the globe in fundamental of autism and evidence-based interventions.

    Specialties

    Patient Rating

    4.8 /5
    ( out of 11 reviews )

    The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

    The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

    Patient Comments

    Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    September 02, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER

    She was very kind and professional. My toddler felt very comfortable with her. She was amazing.

    June 15, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER

    She was very helpful very kind and explained things to me very well. I appreciate her calling me back.

    May 26, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER

    I feel like the telehealth appointment was the exact same questionnaire I filled out prior to the appointment and felt like a waste of time and money despite her being kind and caring

    March 23, 2024
    PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER

    Michelle was wonderful. She explained things for us and what to do moving forward. She also made sure we knew we could contact her with any issues or concerns following our appointment until we are seen next.

  • Dr. Villalobos is a Developmental Clinical Psychologist who received her degree from the University of Utah, she completed her APA Internship at the Yale Child Study Center with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders, she completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has completed the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program in both Utah and at the Children'sHospital of Philadelphia. She was on faculty at UNC Chapel Hill in the Department of Psychiatry TEACCH Autism Program from 2013-2020 where she continues to hold an Adjunct Associate Professor position. Dr. Villalobos served as the Director of the UNC TEACCH Autism Program in Asheville for seven years.


    She is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and Quality Director for the Primary Children's Developmental Pediatrics and Autism Service Line overseeing the Developmental Assessment Clinic Quality program. Dr. Villalobos works within the University Developmental Assessment Clinics, providing evaluations of children with suspected autism and other developmental disabilities as part of a multidisciplinary team. She sees patients with autism and other developmental disabilities for ongoing care. Her specific clinical interests and expertise is focused on autism in infancy and early childhood as well as disparities in access to care in underserved communities.

    Academic Bio:

    Dr. Villalobos’ specializes in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in underserved communities. She has published on early diagnosis and screening of autism, and has trained professionals worldwide on the fundamentals of autism and evidence based techniques. She has also authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters focused on screening and barriers to care. She serves as a consultant on several grants requiring expertise on the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.

    Her research efforts have focused on disparities and access to care in young children with autism around the globe. Specifically, Dr. Villalobos is interested in working with underserved communities and better understanding barriers to accessing autism services. She has published on caregiver experiences and barriers to care for families seeking a diagnosis of autism. Her work is also focused on implementing and disseminating evidence-based practices to underserved communities.

    Dr. Villalobos has worked on autism research projects around the globe. Specifically, she has authored studies on universal screening projects for autism as well as epidemiological studies of autism in Mexico and Uganda. She served as a Consultant for Autism Speaks as part of an Epidemiological effort in Mexico and mentors trainees in Uganda as part of a Fogarty Award.

    Dr. Villalobos has also been heavily involved in training of students, providers and educators around the globe. Her passion for mentoring is exhibited in her over 13 years of commitment to the International Society for Autism Research where she helped to build both Student and Early Career Committees aimed at supporting researchers pursuing careers in autism. Her efforts are now largely focused on global mentoring initiatives. Dr. Villalobos has also spent the past 7 years training autism providers across the globe in fundamental of autism and evidence-based interventions.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Pediatrics -Associate Professor (Clinical)
    Academic Divisions General Pediatrics

    Education history

    Fellowship Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities - University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Postdoctoral Fellow
    Fellowship Autism Research - University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Postdoctoral Fellow
    Fellowship Autism - Yale University Fellow
    Fellowship Pediatrics (Autism Focus) - University of Utah School of Medicine Clinical Fellow
    Doctoral Training Clinical Child and Family Psychology - University of Utah School of Medicine Ph.D.
    Graduate Training Clinical Psychology - University of Utah M.S.
    Internship Section on Integrative Neuroimaging - National Institutes of Health Summer, National Institute of Mental Health Intern
    Fellowship Career Opportunities in Research Training Program, Minority Scholars Program - National Institute of Mental Health Fellow
    Undergraduate Major: Psychology; Minor: Biology - San Diego State University B.Sc. (Hons)

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Carbone PS, Campbell K, Villalobos ME, Stuart A, Ellzey A, Stoddard GJ, Roundy J, Tripp ZT, Stipelman C (2025). Primary Care Autism Screening with the Parent’s Observations of Social Interactions. Rev J Autism Dev Disord.
    2. Carbone PS, Stipelman CH, Villalobos ME, Ellzey A, Stuart A, Stoddard GJ, Campbell K (2024). A Comparison of Parent-Reported Severe Autism With Mild/Moderate Autism Among US Children. J Dev Behav Pediatr, 45(5), e422-e430. (Read full article)
    3. Kaiser K, Villalobos ME, Locke J, Iruka IU, Proctor C, Boyd B (2022). A culturally grounded autism parent training program with Black parents. Autism, 26(3), 716-726. (Read full article)
    4. Bonney E, Abbo C, Ogara C, Villalobos ME, Elison JT (2021). Sex differences in age of diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: Preliminary evidence from Uganda. Autism Res, 15(1), 183-191. (Read full article)
    5. Bonney E, Villalobos M, Elison J, Sung S, Wosu A, SSemugabo C, Pariyo G, Kajungu D, Rutebemberwa E, Hyder AA, Gibson D (2021). Caregivers' estimate of early childhood developmental status in rural Uganda: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 11(6), e044708. (Read full article)
    6. Crais B, McComish CS, Kertcher EF, Hooper SH, Pretzel R, Mendez L, Villalobos ME (2020). Autism Spectrum Disorder Identification, Diagnosis, and Entry into EI Services: Learning from the Voices of Caregivers. Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl.
    7. Berger JT, Villalobos ME, Clark AE, Holubkov R, Pollack MM, Berg RA, Carcillo JA, Dalton H, Harrison R, Meert KL, Newth CJL, Shanley TP, Wessel DL, Anand KJS, Zimmerman JJ, Sanders RC Jr, Liu T, Burr JS, Willson DF, Doctor A, Dean JM, Jenkins TL, Nicholson CE, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (2017). Cognitive Development One Year After Infantile Critical Pertussis. Pediatr Crit Care Med, 19(2), 89-97. (Read full article)
    8. Fombonne E, Marcin C, Manero AC, Bruno R, Diaz C, Villalobos M, Ramsay K, Nealy B (2016). Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Guanajuato, Mexico: The Leon survey. J Autism Dev Disord, 46(5), 1669-85. (Read full article)
    9. Maxwell CR, Villalobos ME, Schultz RT, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Konrad K, Kohls G (2013). Atypical laterality of resting gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 45(2), 292-7. (Read full article)
    10. Gabrielsen TP, Farley M, Speer L, Villalobos M, Baker CN, Miller J (2015). Identifying autism in a brief observation. Pediatrics, 135(2), e330-8. (Read full article)
    11. Maxwell CR, Villalobos ME, Schultz RT, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Konrad K, Kohls G (2013). Atypical laterality of resting gamma oscillations in Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 45(2), 292-7.
    12. Miller JS, Gabrielsen T, Villalobos M, Alleman R, Wahmhoff N, Carbone PS, Segura B (2011). The each child study: systematic screening for autism spectrum disorders in a pediatric setting. Pediatrics, 127(5), 866-71. (Read full article)
    13. Allen-Brady K, Robison R, Cannon D, Varvil T, Villalobos M, Pingree C, Leppert MF, Miller J, McMahon WM, Coon H (2009). Genome-wide linkage in Utah autism pedigrees. Mol Psychiatry, 15(10), 1006-15. (Read full article)
    14. Coon H, Villalobos ME, Robison RJ, Camp NJ, Cannon DS, Allen-Brady K, Miller JS, McMahon WM (2010). Genome-wide linkage using the Social Responsiveness Scale in Utah autism pedigrees. Mol Autism, 1(1), 8. (Read full article)
    15. Cannon DS, Miller JS, Robison RJ, Villalobos ME, Wahmhoff NK, Allen-Brady K, McMahon WM, Coon H (2010). Genome-wide linkage analyses of two repetitive behavior phenotypes in Utah pedigrees with autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism, 1(1), 3. (Read full article)
    16. Mizuno A, Villalobos ME, Davies MM, Dahl BC, Mller RA (2006). Partially enhanced thalamocortical functional connectivity in autism. Brain Res, 1104(1), 160-74. (Read full article)
    17. Kemmotsu N, Villalobos ME, Gaffrey MS, Courchesne E, Mller RA (2005). Activity and functional connectivity of inferior frontal cortex associated with response conflict. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res, 24(2), 335-42. (Read full article)
    18. Villalobos ME, Mizuno A, Dahl BC, Kemmotsu N, Mller RA (2004). Reduced functional connectivity between V1 and inferior frontal cortex associated with visuomotor performance in autism. Neuroimage, 25(3), 916-25. (Read full article)

    Book Chapter

    1. Villalobos ME (2013). Predictive Value of Screening Measures. In Volkmar F (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 2239-40). New York: Springer-Verlag.
    2. Villalobos ME (2013). Childhood Onset Pervasive Developmental Disorder. In Volkmar F (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 613-4). New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Commentary

    1. Villalobos ME, Vivanti G, Jayanath S, Carpenter K, Shen MD, Shic F, Locke J (). Identifying and Responding to Gaps in the Academic Research Pipeline: Findings from the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Early Career Committee. Autism Res.

    Editorial

    1. Divan G, Chiang CH, Villalobos ME, Bakare M, Hoekstra R (2023). Shifting the centre of gravity: Towards a truly global representation in autism research. 28(1), 3-5.

    Abstract

    1. Villalobos ME, Gaffrey MS, Mller RA (2006). Reduced leftward asymmetry of superior temporal gyrus during semantic processing in autism [Abstract].
    2. Villalobos ME, Gaffrey MS, Davies MM, Mizuno A, Mller RA (2005). Verbal IQ correlates with leftward asymmetry of activation during semantic decision in autism [Abstract]. 26(Supplement 1), S48.
    3. Villalobos ME, Mizuno A, Cauich C, Kemmotsu N, Dahl BC, Mller RA (2004). BOLD signal covariance shows functional connectivity between area 17 and inferior frontal cortex during visuo-motor coordination [Abstract]. (Suppl 1), D19.
    4. Noonan SK, Turner KC, Villalobos ME, Mller RA (2004). Stage-Dependent changes in functional connectivity during motor sequence learning [Abstract]. 22(Suppl 1), TU58.
    5. Turner KC, Frost L, Villalobos ME, Mizuno A, Mller RA (2004). Reduced functional connectivity between caudate nucleus and prefrontal area 10 [Abstract]. 22(Suppl 1), WE117.

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