The UCLA CAN REACH Training Program was created by researchers at UCLA to improve the translation of evidence-based treatments from the university to the community by offering training workshops and educational lectures to community providers and families. CAN REACH serves as a resource for parents and professionals on the most up-to-date information on treatments and intervention strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Workshops and lectures are led by experts at the forefront of ASD research. Made possible by the generous support of the Kaplan and Rothstein fund, all seminars are free for attendees with the goal of making gold standard treatments and information accessible to all.

Our Team

Dr. Amanda Gulsrud is a Health Sciences Associate Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in autism and the development of behavioral interventions across the lifespan. She is the Clinical Director of the multidisciplinary UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic, which focuses on the evaluation and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across the lifespan. Dr. Gulsrud’s research focuses on the early identification and treatment of infants and toddlers with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders utilizing the JASPER intervention, a naturalistic developmental behavioral approach developed at UCLA. In the UCLA Autism Center of Excellence, she is a co-investigator examining the earliest risk markers and intervention approaches for 12-36 month old infants and toddlers with ASD. She also co-leads the Autism Intervention Research - Behavioral Health Network, which aims to address the gap in identification and service for low-resource families of those affected with ASD. Dr. Gulsrud leads UCLA’s participation in the SPARK study, a Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative to build the largest autism genetic research cohort in the United States. Recently, Dr. Gulsrud and her colleagues launched the UCLA College to Career program, a post-secondary support services program for young adults with ASD, and in 2019, she was awarded an Autism Speaks Adult Transition grant to test the effectiveness of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) adapted to target job-related social skills for post-secondary students with ASD. 

Dr. Patty Renno is a Clinical Psychologist at the UCLA Child and and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic and specializes in the assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents. She is also the Associate Director of CAN REACH, a training program that offers ASD-related workshops, educational lectures, and resources to community providers and families. After completing her doctoral degree in Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA, she received postdoctoral training at UCLA’s Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART). She acquired expertise in the use of modified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and has worked on several clinical trials examining its efficacy to treat anxiety and social difficulties in children and youth with ASD. Her research has focused on the co-occurrence of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders and developing effective treatments for anxiety and social difficulties in school-age children with ASD. 

Lily Mendes is a program coordinator for the UCLA CAN REACH Training Program. As program coordinator, Lily manages the daily activities of the UCLA CAN REACH and works closely with staff and faculty to support its objectives. Lily graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in education studies. She plans to attend a clinical psychology Ph.D. program and become a clinical psychologist. Her research interests include neurodevelopmental and mood disorders. A fun fact about Lily is her favorite season is Fall.

Leo is a program coordinator for the UCLA CAN REACH Training Program.  He assists in managing the daily activities of UCLA CAN REACH.  Leo graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in psychology and sociology. He plans on applying to clinical psychology Ph.D. programs with an interest in child and adolescent psychosocial mental health issues and culturally competent interventions. A fun fact about Leo is that his favorite sports team is Tottenham Hotspur.

Dr. Paparella is a specialist in the field of autism with more than 20 years of intervention and research with children on the autism spectrum. She is currently a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Division of Child Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a licensed clinical psychologist, and, since 2001, the Co-Director of UCLA’s KidsConnect Autism Treatment Program, which is an internationally recognized treatment program for young children with autism. Dr. Paparella’s formative years in autism intervention were at the Douglas Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University from 1990 to 1996, where she designed, implemented, and evaluated educational programs for children on the autism spectrum. Dr. Paparella received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UCLA and completed a two-year National Institute of Mental Health postdoctoral fellowship in the UCLA Division of Child Psychiatry. Dr. Paparella oversees the daily activities of KidsConnect staff and is actively involved in the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of children with autism from two to four years of age. She works closely with parents to support and educate them in all aspects of their child’s treatment. Dr. Paparella provides ongoing clinical instruction for students, interns, and M.D. fellows from different specialties. Her clinical and research interests relate to the effectiveness of early intervention – particularly with respect to predictors of best outcome for young children on the autism spectrum. She has authored many scientific publications, as well as the book "More Than Hope for Young Children on the Autism Spectrum.”

Dr. Freeman is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Child Psychiatry at UCLA and a licensed clinical psychologist. She Co-Directs the KidsConnect Autism Treatment Program at UCLA. Her research interests include the social (peers and friendship) and emotional (recognition, empathy, and problem solving) development of children with developmental disabilities. Dr. Freeman also investigates and has published research-based intervention procedures on core deficits for preschool and young children with autism, best practice interdisciplinary interventions for children with autism, and play/social skills development in autism. As director of KidsConnect, Dr. Freeman oversees the day-to-day activities of therapists and specialists. She coordinates the evaluation, treatment, and development of appropriate multidisciplinary programs for school-aged children and severely impaired children with autism. She assists parents in developing appropriate educational programs and school-based modifications, behavior education and training, cognitive development, and social/emotional/play development. Along with scholarly publications, Dr. Freeman has published classroom curriculums for children with autism.

Support

CAN REACH was established in 2016 and is generously supported by the Kaplan and Rothstein fund. It partners with UCLA’s Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA’s Semel Institute and the KidsConnect Autism Treatment Program at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA.

The CAN Clinic serves as the clinical core of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) at UCLA. KidsConnect is a short-term integrated day treatment program for young children with autism, developmental disabilities, and behavior disorders. CART is world-renowned for autism research and treatment and has played a leading role in the development of empirically-supported treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. CART is a National Institute of Health (NIH) Autism Center of Excellence (ACE).