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 CHOP. She was on the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill in the Department of Psychiatry TEACCH Autism Program from 2013-2020 and 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 is in the Division General Pediatrics. 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.