Rachel is a 1st-year Clinical Psychology PhD student at the University of Rochester working towards a focus in Developmental Psychopathology and a Quantitative Methods concentration. She earned her B.S. in Biology and Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience from Villanova University in 2017 and her M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Saint Joseph's University in 2020. During her post-bacc year, she worked as a primary therapist in an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) specialized school. Rachel's research interests broadly focus on the relationship between sensory processing and social, cognitive, and adaptive functioning within the context of ASD. She's also passionate about exploring how sensory processing and communication differ for non-speaking, non-verbal, or minimally verbal individuals and how we can best advocate for their needs in clinical, school, or other intervention settings. Lastly, she is passionate about increasing representation in ASD research. While she's not working, Rachel enjoys singing, playing soccer, reading true crime novels, and hanging out with her dog. You can connect with her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PsyRachelRivera