Researchers at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute are developing a new screening tool to identify young children on the autism spectrum who might have been missed by toddler-age screening. We are inviting parents and educators of children ages 4-8 to participate.
What are the goals of the study?
We are creating a new screener for elementary-school children whose autism might still be diagnosed. This study is to test how well that screener is working, with children who have already been diagnosed with autism. We are seeking both parents AND EDUCATORS of children ages 4-8.
What will happen during the visit or online?
Participants will complete an online screening questionnaire (5 minutes). If they are eligible, someone from our research team will reach out to share the full study. The full study is a series of online questionnaires (45-60 minutes). Those who complete the full study will be compensated with $50.
How will this help families?
Many autistic children enter elementary school without their diagnosis being identified. This means that they do not get access to services and supports to which they would otherwise be legally entitled. The current project seeks to develop and implement new strategies for identifying children who may have been missed.
The goal of this project is to establish how our current professional understanding of autism matches with and/or clashes with social media depictions of autism, so that (1) clinicians understand how online experiences might impact their patients’ conceptions about autism, and perhaps themselves, and so that (2) consumers of social media have guidance as they seek information. The study team is made up of Seaver Autism Center researchers, and we decided to put together this project after hearing from our participants and seeing for ourselves the wide range of autism-related content on TikTok.
What are the goals of the study?
We are looking into how people feel about current social media perceptions of Autism. Everyone’s feeds are different and everyone’s relationship with ASD is different, so we want to gather information from people with different perspectives and report back so everyone can enjoy their feeds with a little more big-picture understanding of the strengths and dangers of this content. We also want to have autism professionals weigh in on autism symptoms mentioned in top-performing videos, so the general public can have some guidance on what symptoms are more or less related to autism.
What will happen during the visit or online?
You will fill out an anonymous survey that will take anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes.
How will this help families?
Representation is so important. With over a billion users worldwide, TikTok has a tremendous impact on the way outsiders and people in the autism community are thinking about autism. The study team hopes that this study can provide more context and guidance for content consumers.
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The Autism Intervention Network for Behavioral Health (AIRB) has set the standard for developing, implementing and evaluating interventions in under-resourced communities, including impoverished schools and communities, and with families from traditionally disenfranchised groups. This study builds on previous AIRB work to investigate methods of sustaining evidence-based practices to support autistic students in schools. Through participating in this study, you will not only be contributing to data that will impact future practices, but you/your child’s educator will also receive free training in evidence based methods to support your autistic student/child.
What are the goals of the study?
To develop and evaluate a multi-phase implementation and sustainment strategy to support evidence-based practice use across different ASD interventions, settings and ages. Objectives (non-exhaustive): Conduct studies in under-resourced settings, test a multi-phase implementation strategy using rigorous scientific methods, and deliver training for evidence-based interventions using remote delivery methods; develop and test tools and resource guidelines to promote access to and sustainability of effective interventions; widely disseminate interventions, tools, and guideline
What will happen during the visit or online?
Participants will be expected to complete a 10-15 minute online survey. The first 100 participants will be award
There are 2 types of participants we are recruiting for this study:
- Elementary school level educators/staff:
Educators will be expected to be matched with at least one elementary aged student that meets the student participation criteria whom they will support at recess throughout the school year. Educators will receive an introduction to Remaking Recess – a social engagement intervention for autistic students and their peers. It covers topics such as assessment, communication, flexibility, and conflict mediation. School staff, such as paraeducators, will be trained to use Remaking Recess and will be provided coaching from trained research personnel. Educators will be asked to fill out surveys at 3 time points during the study – at the start of the school year, at the end of the school year, and at the start of the following school year. Completion of surveys for each time point will be awarded with a $25 gift card. - Elementary aged students with ASD/NDD diagnosis and spend 50% or more of their time in general education:
Students will receive support at recess from the educator they are paired with in creating social connections, increasing flexibility, improving communication and social skills, and so on. One parent/legal guardian of each student will be asked to complete a survey about their child.
How will this help families?
This study will provide free Remaking Recess training for participating educators at your child’s school. This will help educators understand how to support your child at recess, including facilitating peer interactions, teaching flexibility, and modeling social behaviors. Your student will benefit from the extra training that their educators will receive, and we hope that the skills their educators learn from this study will continue even after the study is over.
Disruptive behaviors impact meaningful engagement in academic tasks and with peers, as well as result in placement in more restrictive settings, higher use of restraint procedures, and suspension, all of which have lasting negative impacts. School-based behavioral management approaches, while effective, are time-consuming and resource-intensive, resulting in high costs and delays in intervention deployment. There is a need for a paradigm shift in the care model for disruptive behaviors in the classroom, specifically an efficient and pragmatic intervention model that builds capacity with direct care providers, which in turn streamlines the intervention process, reduces the need for intensive behavioral supports (thus lowering costs), and increases the number of autistic children who can be served — RUBIES hopes to fulfill this need.
What are the goals of the study?
Our pilot randomized trial seeks to test the effectiveness of and understand how the newly redesigned “RUBIES” Intervention can assist and empower paraeducators in addressing and reducing disruptive behaviors in their elementary autistic students.
What will happen during the visit or online?
After the student is deemed eligible, paraeducators will be randomly assigned to one of two interventions: RUBIES training (delivered live over Zoom with a trained specialist) or Psychoeducation in Autism training (delivered asynchronously through pre-recorded webinars with the option to check-in with a live coach). Each intervention has 8 sessions to be completed over 12 weeks. RUBIES participants will be invited to a semi-structured interview (45-60 minutes), which will be audio recorded and virtually conducted.
How will this help families?
The most accessed service system for autistic children is the public school system. By building capacity with these children’s direct care providers (paraeducators, in the case of RUBIES), our study can help improve the support their children receive in schools. Many paraeducators, who often have the most intimate interaction with these students, are undertrained when it comes to support autistic students – let alone, autistic students when disruptive behaviors arise.
