Education
Ph.D. Special Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 2013
M.A. Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 2013
M.A. Special Education, California State University, Northridge, 2008
Mild-to-Moderate Teaching Credential Special Education, California State University, Northridge, 2008
Biography
Michelle's research interests include school-based social skills intervention services for autistic children, gender differences in the social behaviors of autistic children, and film and television portrayals of autism. Michelle is a former special education teacher at the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Select Publications
Frake, E., Dean, M., Huynh, L.N., Iadarola, S., Kasari C. (2023). Earning Your Way into General Education: Perceptions about Autism Influence Classroom Placement. Education Sciences. 13(10):1050. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101050
Dean, M., Chang, J., Kasari, C., Orlich, F., (2023) Social Engagement and Loneliness in School-Age Autistic Girls and Boys. Women’s Health.
Orm, S., Dean, M., Fletcher-Watson, S., & Nordahl-Hansen, A. (2023). Autistic adults’ recommendations on how to improve autistic portrayals in TV-series and movies. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 136, 104484.
Sevier, B. and Dean, M. (2023). Defining New Teacher competencies in and as a diverse community of educator preparation stakeholders. In S. Helfrich, S. Hartman, and D. Yendol-Hoppey (Eds.), Advances in Teacher Education. Information Age Publishing
Chang, Y. and Dean, M. (2022). Friendship Interventions and Measurements in Children with ASD: A Systematic Review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 1750-9467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2022.101947
Dean, M. and Chang, Y. (2021). A systematic review of school-based social skills interventions and observed social outcomes for students with ASD in inclusive settings, Autism, 1-16, https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211012886
Dean, M. and Nordahl-Hansen, A. (2021). A review of research studying film and television representations of ASD. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00273-8
Dean, M., Williams, J., Orlich, F., & Kasari, C. (2020). Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and social skills groups at school: A randomized trial comparing intervention environment and peer composition. School Psychology Review.
Shih, W., Dean, M. Kretzmann, M., Locke, J., Senturk, D., Mandell, D., Smith, T., Kasari, C. & AIR-B Network (2019). Remaking Recess intervention for improving peer interactions at school for children with autism spectrum disorder: Multisite randomized trial. School Psychology Review, 48, (2), 133-144.
Dean, M., Harwood, R., & Kasari C. (2017) The art of camouflage: Gender differences in the social behaviors of girls and boys with ASD. Autism, 21(6), 678-689.
Kasari, C., Dean, Michelle., Orlich, F., Whitney, R., Landa, R., Lord, C. & King, B. (2016). Children with ASD and social skills groups at school: Randomized trial comparing intervention approach and peer composition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Dean, M., Kasari, C., Shih, W., Landa, R., Lord, C., Orlich, F., Harwood, R. (2014). The peer relationships of girls with ASD at school: Comparison to boys and girls with and without ASD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(11), 1218-1225.
Dean, M., Fox, G. A. & Kasari, C. (2013). How narrative difficulties build peer rejection: A case study of a girl with Asperger’s syndrome and her female peers. Discourse Studies.
Representative Courses Taught
- SPED 345 Individuals with Disabilities in Society
- SPED 530 Typical and Atypical Development
- EDUC 615 Educational Research
- EDSS 424 Creating and Managing Effective Learning Environments
Scholarship
Keywords
Social skills, inclusion, autism, mild-to-moderate disabilities, gender differences