Dominic Guigliano

PhD student

Dominic Giugliano (he/him) is a third-year PhD student at Palo Alto University studying developmental psychology. He received his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, with a major in Hispanic Studies and a minor in biology. His research interests focus on uplifting and highlighting the strengths of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome. His dissertation examines sense of belonging, quality of life, and self-esteem in autistic and LGBTQ+ youth.

He is currently a Pre-Doctoral Trainee at Pacific Clinics Neurodevelopmental Services in San Jose, providing group and individual therapy, conducting neuropsychological assessments, and providing diagnoses such as ASD and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). His past positions include biomedical oncology research associate, ABA therapist, EMT, student-therapist at the Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic (SGIC), and crisis counselor for both The Trevor Project and Crisis Text Line. He has over 14 years of experience working with neurodivergent populations. Beyond this, Dominic is a pianist, hip-hop choreographer, and professional dance teacher.