Julie Wolf, PhD
Associate Professor of Child PsychologyCards
About
Titles
Associate Professor of Child Psychology
Associate Director, Developmental Disabilities Clinic, Child Study Center
Biography
Dr. Julie Wolf is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, CT. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2005, where she studied facial recognition in autism under the mentorship of Dr. Deborah Fein. She completed her clinical internship, including a rotation in autism spectrum disorders, at the University of Chicago, and her post-doctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Schultz. Presently, she serves as the Associate Director of the Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the Yale Child Study Center, conducting clinical evaluations, social skills groups, and sibling support groups. She also provides clinical characterization for a number of federally-funded studies of autism.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Child Study Center
- Developmental Disabilities Program
- McPartland Lab
- Predoctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychology
- Ventola Lab
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Yale Child Study Center (2007)
- Intern
- University of Chicago (2005)
- PhD
- University of Connecticut (2005)
- MA
- University of Connecticut (2002)
- BA
- Haverford College (1997)
Research
Publications
2024
Social Anxiety Reduces Visual Attention to the Eyes of Emotional Faces in Autistic Youth
Franke C, Griffin J, Naples A, Wolf J, McPartland J. Social Anxiety Reduces Visual Attention to the Eyes of Emotional Faces in Autistic Youth. Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders 2024, 1-13. PMID: 39556296, DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06636-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNon-autistic participantsSocial attentionSocial anxietyEye contactAutistic youthEyes of emotional facesSA characteristicsEye trackingReduced eye contactSelf-reported SAReduced visual attentionNon-autistic childrenEmotional facesAutistic participantsPsychiatric characteristicsNon-autistic youthAutistic individualsEmotional expressionVisual attentionEye regionBehavioral featuresSocial interactionAutismParticipantsCo-occurrence11C-UCB-J PET imaging is consistent with lower synaptic density in autistic adults
Matuskey D, Yang Y, Naganawa M, Koohsari S, Toyonaga T, Gravel P, Pittman B, Torres K, Pisani L, Finn C, Cramer-Benjamin S, Herman N, Rosenthal L, Franke C, Walicki B, Esterlis I, Skosnik P, Radhakrishnan R, Wolf J, Nabulsi N, Ropchan J, Huang Y, Carson R, Naples A, McPartland J. 11C-UCB-J PET imaging is consistent with lower synaptic density in autistic adults. Molecular Psychiatry 2024, 1-7. PMID: 39367053, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02776-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPositron emission tomographySynaptic densityAutistic adultsBrain regionsAutistic featuresClinical phenotype of autismNon-autistic participantsPhenotype of autismNon-autistic individualsRelationship to clinical characteristicsSynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2AAssociated with clinical measuresPost-mortem studiesPositron emission tomography scanPrefrontal cortexClinician ratingsAutism groupNeural basisBrain areasNeural processesBetween-group differencesVolumetric differencesBinding potentialDensity of synapsesAutismClinician-caregiver informant discrepancy is associated with sex, diagnosis age, and intervention use among autistic children.
Azu M, Han G, Wolf J, Naples A, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Bernier R, Jeste S, Dziura J, Webb S, Sugar C, Shic F, McPartland J. Clinician-caregiver informant discrepancy is associated with sex, diagnosis age, and intervention use among autistic children. Autism 2024, 13623613241279999. PMID: 39344965, DOI: 10.1177/13623613241279999.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAutism-related behaviorsAutism featuresClinician ratingsParent ratingsInformant discrepanciesCaregiver ratingsCaregiver reportsAutism diagnosisAutistic childrenChild sexAutismCaregiver perceptionsIntervention useClinicians' perceptionsAssociated with sexCaregiversChildrenDiagnosis ageCliniciansOlder ageInterventionPerceptionGirlsSexAgeAssessment and Treatment Planning in Autistic Adults
Keifer C, Ventola P, Wolf J. Assessment and Treatment Planning in Autistic Adults. 2024, 367-383. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-46463-8_15.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Development of peak alpha frequency reflects a distinct trajectory of neural maturation in autistic children
Finn C, Han G, Naples A, Wolf J, McPartland J. Development of peak alpha frequency reflects a distinct trajectory of neural maturation in autistic children. Autism Research 2023, 16: 2077-2089. PMID: 37638733, DOI: 10.1002/aur.3017.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPeak alpha frequencyAutism spectrum disorderCognitive abilitiesAutistic childrenNonverbal IQNeural maturationSpectrum disorderTypical age-related increaseAlpha frequencyDifferent developmental trajectoriesDistinct trajectoriesSample of childrenCurrent study clarifiesDiagnostic groupsNeurotypical childrenNeurotypical controlsBehavioral measuresDevelopmental trajectoriesDiagnostic statusAge-related increaseFunction of ageIQEffect of ageBivariate relationsPrevious findings
2022
Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder
Hirsch J, Zhang X, Noah J, Dravida S, Naples A, Tiede M, Wolf J, McPartland J. Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder. PLOS ONE 2022, 17: e0265798. PMID: 36350848, PMCID: PMC9645655, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265798.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAutism spectrum disorderDorsal parietal regionsNeural correlatesEye contactLive eyesNeural responsesSpectrum disorderAutism Diagnostic Observation ScheduleUnderlying neural correlatesSocial Responsiveness ScaleGold standard measureCentral diagnostic criterionDiagnostic criteriaDiagnostic biomarkersSRS-2ADOS-2Responsiveness ScaleObservation ScheduleParietal regionsPupillometry dataNeural systemsEyesNatural interactionDisordersCorrelatesPredictability modulates neural response to eye contact in ASD
Naples AJ, Foss-Feig JH, Wolf JM, Srihari VH, McPartland JC. Predictability modulates neural response to eye contact in ASD. Molecular Autism 2022, 13: 42. PMID: 36309762, PMCID: PMC9618208, DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00519-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAutism spectrum disorderEvent-related potentialsNeural responsesAdult participantsAmplitude of N170Perception of gazeP300 event-related potentialExperiment twoN170 responseAnxiety symptomologyCognitive abilitiesNeural basisExperiment oneNeural processingASD sampleSpectrum disorderInterpersonal interactionsN170P300 responseAutistic womenEye contactEye trackingSocial interactionSocial contextSocial world
2021
Face Perception Predicts Affective Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder but Not Schizophrenia or Typical Development
Altschuler MR, Trevisan DA, Wolf JM, Naples AJ, Foss-Feig JH, Srihari VH, McPartland JC. Face Perception Predicts Affective Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder but Not Schizophrenia or Typical Development. Journal Of Psychopathology And Clinical Science 2021, 130: 413-422. PMID: 34180705, PMCID: PMC8244155, DOI: 10.1037/abn0000621.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAutism spectrum disorderBenton Facial Recognition TestSchizophrenia spectrum disordersAffective ToM abilitiesTypical developmentSpectrum disorderAffective ToMToM difficultiesSocial cognitionToM abilitiesIndividual differencesBetter face recognition abilityFace recognition abilityFace recognition difficultiesTheory of mindFacial Recognition TestFull Scale IQFace perceptionAffective theoryRecognition difficultiesRecognition testEyes TestSocial dysfunctionRecognition abilityFace recognitionUnderstanding of ASD by Siblings is Associated with Warmth and Hostility in the Sibling Relationship
Coffman M, Kelso N, Antezana L, Braconnier M, Richey J, Wolf J. Understanding of ASD by Siblings is Associated with Warmth and Hostility in the Sibling Relationship. Journal Of Child And Family Studies 2021, 30: 1577-1585. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-021-01945-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAutism spectrum disorderUnderstanding of ASDUnderstanding of autismSiblings of childrenRelationship qualitySisters of childrenEntire family systemSelf-report questionnairesWarm behaviorSiblings' perceptionsSpectrum disorderMore hostilitySibling relationshipsFamily systemAutismOlder siblingsPerceptionFurther implicationsChildrenHostilitySiblingsMore siblingsImplicationsRelationshipWarmth
2020
Higher Depressive Symptoms Predict Lower Social Adaptive Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ASD
Duan S, Lee M, Wolf J, Naples AJ, McPartland JC. Higher Depressive Symptoms Predict Lower Social Adaptive Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ASD. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2020, 51: 203-210. PMID: 32347746, DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1750020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAutism spectrum disorderAdaptive functioningDepressive symptomsHigher depressive symptomsDaily living skillsSocial adaptiveTypical developmentSocial skillsSpectrum disorderLiving skillsSocial domainsLower functioningAdaptive functionAdolescentsFunctioningDepressive symptomatologyChildrenDifferent domainsSkillsIQSymptomsPresent studyYears of age
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials: Confirmation Study (ABC-CT CS)
HIC ID2000031989RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date03/31/2025Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge6 years - 11 yearsACE Multisite Study of Adolescent & Adult Transitions
HIC ID2000024998RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date04/30/2024Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge12 years - 35 yearsCBT for Anxiety in Children With Autism
HIC ID1211011144RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/30/2020Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge8 years - 14 years
Clinical Care
Overview
Julie Wolf, PhD, specializes in pediatric developmental and behavioral medicine, focusing on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Asperger syndrome, social communication disorder, and developmental regression. She is the associate director of the Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the Yale Child Study Center.
Wolf's research explores social and adaptive functioning, sibling relationships, and neural mechanisms in ASD, and the overlap between ASD and depression. Her work examines how individuals with ASD process social cues, including eye contact and facial expressions, and the role of sibling relationships in adapting to the disorder.
Wolf is an associate professor of child psychology at the Yale Child Study Center.
Clinical Specialties
Psychology; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
News & Links
News
- December 11, 2024
October 2024 YCSC Faculty Development Fund awardees announced
- November 21, 2024Source: news wise
Social Anxiety Reduces Visual Attention to the Eyes in Autistic Youth: Study
- September 16, 2024Source: CT Insider - Record Journal
CT groups aim to connect children and adults who have siblings with special needs
- July 17, 2024
Wolf Selected as Inaugural YCSC Vice Chair for Professional Development & Education