Research
Research Studies
School Readiness in Children with ASD: Neurodevelopment and Education STudy (NEST)
In this study funded by the Korean Research Foundation (RS-2023-00209635), we aim to examine school readiness in children with ASD. During the study we assess academic achievement, executive function (EF), and socio-emotional abilities in 5-6 year old children with ASD. Participants are followed for two years so that we can measure the academic and behavioral progress over the early school years. We are also interested in examining the link between behavioral neurophysiological correlates of school readiness using electroencephalogram (EEG). Participating children will play a child-friendly computer game for a short EEG session.
Unpacking Treatment Mechanisms: Combining Evidence from Three Early Intervention Models for ASD
This NIMH funded project aims to improve our understanding of mechanisms of behavioral changes in toddlers and preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their caregivers over the course of early parent-mediated interventions. We are specifically interested in examining changes in children's social communication across different treatment models as well as changes in parent behaviors. We will implement newly validated treatment outcome measures as well as automatic acoustic analyses to examine these behavioral changes over the course of ESDM, JASPER, and ESI intervention.
Toy Talk
In collaboration with Dr. Pamela Hadley at the University of Illinois, we are conducting a randomized clinical trial of Toy Talk, an innovative language modeling approach, using telemedicine and video-based feedback. The aim of this intervention is to increase caregivers’ use of interactive play and language strategies to improve the child’s early sentence development. Caregiver-child dyads will participate in weekly parent coaching sessions via telemedicine for 1 hour per week over 6 weeks. Caregivers will be asked to record their interactions with their child at home to help guide each session. Therapists will review these videos prior to each session and provide feedback on different intervention techniques.
JASPER Intervention Study
The aim of this study is to validate new treatment outcome measures, the ELSA (Elicitation of Language Samples for Analysis), OSEL (Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language), and BOSCC (Brief Observation of Social Communication Change) over the course of a manualized treatment program (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation).
Developing a scalable measure of social communication changes in ASD: Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC)
In collaboration with Dr. Catherine Lord, we are developing a new treatment outcome measure, Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) for both minimally verbal and verbal children, adolescents and adults with ASD. The initial psychometrics of the BOSCC for minimally verbal children in the contexts of parent-child and examiner-child interactions have been published recently (See publications). We are in the process of validating the BOSCC for verbal children.
A Randomized, Control Trial of Cognitive Control Training for Kindergartners with Autism Spectrum Disorder
This study aims to develop an intervention program targeting executive function of autistic kindergarteners aged 5-7 years old, and evaluate its effectiveness. Executive function (EF) broadly includes attention shifting, cognitive flexibility, planning, inhibitory control, emotional regulation, which are difficulties experienced by children with ASD. This study is to examine the effectiveness of a newly developed intervention program targetting EF skills in kindergarteners with ASD.
Our Love, Our Style: Sex and Relationship Understanding Program for Autistic Adults in Korea
The study aims to develop a sexual health promotion program that fully contains the opinions of autistic people and is proper to Korean culture. It also aims to verify the effectiveness of the intervention program. In doing so, we hope to contribute to reducing sexual risk, promoting physical and mental health, and improving the quality of life of autistic adults in Korea. Participants will be involved in a sex and relationship intervention program developed to increase sexual knowledge and dating skills for 1 hour per week for 10 weeks.
Assessing Changes in Caregiver Implementation of NDBI Strategies
We are coding the videos of free play interactions between children with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers, using the Measure of NDBI Strategy Implementation: Caregiver Change (MONSI-CC). MONSI-CC is a measure that captures how much caregivers implement NDBI intervention strategies such as environmental set-up, child-guided interactions, active teaching and learning, opportunities for engagement, and natural reinforcement during parent-child interactions. We are currently using both the MONSI-CC and BOSCC (BRIEF Observation of Social Communication Change) systems to code parent-child interaction videos, with an ultimate aim of exploring the relationship between changes in caregiver behavior and changes in child behaviors over the course of early interventions.
Growing with Play and Support: NDBI Parent Guide
Child Learns Through Play and Support is an online-based, parent-mediated NDBI intervention guide presented as a series of animation clips for children with autism. It helps caregivers provide developmentally appropriate support and behavioral strategies in natural play settings. The animation introduces children at different developmental stages and shows various play scenarios. The behavioral strategies covered across 10 episodes include setting up the environment for play, following the child's lead, building play routines, providing developmentally appropriate cues, imitation and expansion, maintaining positive emotions, and reducing unwanted behaviors.
