Maira Tafolla, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow
.Dr. Maira Tafolla is a postdoctoral student at the University of California, San Francisco specializing in diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disabilities and treatment. She received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology from UCLA in 2025, where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Lord. Her treatment modalities are all rooted in evidence-base, which can be and are often adapted to meet the needs of each unique individual. Specifically, she is trained in a range of naturalistic behavioral intervention modalities for caregivers and young children, CBT, DBT and ACT for individuals with anxiety and depression all ages. Beyond manualized treatments, she supports individuals in finding and engaging in activities of interest, supporting organization techniques for those with executive function challenges, and creating behavioral plans for individuals with challenging behaviors. Dr. Tafolla is bilingual and is a certified ADOS-2 trainer in both Spanish and English.
Dr. Tafolla has a wide range of research interests related to individuals with developmental conditions that include better understanding of caregiver mental health and well-being, assessment of bilingual individuals, and facilitators and barriers access to services for families who are underrepresented. She has published various articles on many of these topics.
Education and Training:
B.A. in Psychology and minor in Disability Studies at UCLA
M.A. in Human Development and Psychology at UCLA
Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology at UCLA
Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCSF Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences