Getting involved in research studies at the Autism Institute
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute is the first research organization built around a public health science approach to understanding and addressing the challenges of autism spectrum disorders. We invite parents, people on the autism spectrum, physicians, childcare providers and others to participate in research studies to advance the base of knowledge we have on autism from early detection through transition to adulthood. Take a look at the studies below and contact us if you are interested in participating.
Behavioral Support Training for Parents and Caregivers of Autistic Children
We are NOW recruiting for a research study aimed towards:
- Autistic adults (18+ years old) who experience behavioral challenges that impact daily routine, safety, self-care, and/or quality of life.
- Caregivers of autistic adults**
** Caregiver and autistic adult pairs (“dyads”) should be living in the same home at least 50% of time throughout participation in this study.
** Caregivers should be the Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) or legal guardian of the autistic adult, or the autistic adult must consent to the caregiver’s participation in this study.
Seattle Children’s Hospital , Els for Autism Center, our team at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute have collaborated to develop a new intervention, the RUBI for Autistic Adults (“RUBI-A”) program, to help autistic adults and their caregivers work together to come up with helpful solutions to daily challenges. We hope that the RUBI-A program can help support both autistic adults and their families at home and in their communities.
Participation in the RUBI-A study will last up to 20 weeks. After speaking with research staff and completing questionnaires and evaluations to confirm eligibility, individuals will be randomly assigned to one of two programs: the RUBI-A program or an autism psychoeducation program.
Participants will complete program activities (e.g., attend virtual or in-person intervention sessions, complete assignments) and answer online questionnaires throughout their participation in both interventions.
We encourage both caregivers and autistic adults to work collaboratively during this study, however, there are options for autistic adults and their level of participation (based on preferences and abilities):
· Participate in ALL study activities (questionnaires and intervention responsibilities);
· Complete questionnaires ONLY;
· Complete intervention responsibilities ONLY;
· Participate in NO study activities but consent to their caregiver(s) completing study activities.
Caregivers and adults will be compensated for their time completing questionnaires across study timepoints.
If autistic adults or caregivers are interested in learning more or participating, they may reach out to the study team via email (RUBI@drexel.edu) or via phone (215-571-3219 – text or call available) to learn more.
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Using Network Science to Investigate Social Networks and Employment Support for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum
When a young adult is preparing for employment, they can rely on a network of supporters, including parents/guardians, family members, school staff and community people to help them gain employment. In our research study, we want to learn how young adults build social networks and collaborate with the people in their networks, as they prepare for employment post-high school. on the autism spectrum? young adult for How do social networks and pre-employment experiences shape the transition from high school To participant in our study, the young adult must have the following:
- Autism classification
- within 3-12 months post-high school or extended high be OR be in their final year of high school or extended high school
- 18 years old or older
If you are eligible and decide to participate in our study, we will ask you to complete virtual/online tasks, such as a survey, study forms, and/or an interview with us. The research tasks can take place whenever best fits your schedule, including morning, business or evening hours during the week or weekend. Your experiences will help us gather information about how social networks and employment shape transition for young adults on the spectrum. Participants will be paid for each task they complete in the study. Participants will be paid $20 for each task they complete in the study. If you're interested in participating or learning more, please fill out our Interest Form (link below)
Follow-Up for Autism Screening in Toddlers (FAST)
We completed 3 studies screening toddlers for possible autism during their well child visits to pediatric practices in the community. Our FAST study is a follow-up study that gets an update on the children – now school-aged – who were not diagnosed with autism during one of these studies. We are doing this research to learn how doctors, nurse practitioners, and other community providers can identify autism earlier which helps autistic children get supports and services. This study is in partnership with University of Connecticut and Emory University (following children from the Georgia State University site). Families who participate will:
1. Complete an online screener questionnaire about their child's development and behavior, and tell us whether they have any concerns. This will take approximately 15 minutes. Compensation is provided.
2. Some families may be asked to complete other questions over the phone (estimated to take 20 minutes).
3. Some families will be invited for an in-person evaluation to better understand their child's strengths and challenges.
This study is only for families who were enrolled in one of our toddler studies between 2012 and 2020. If we contacted you directly, we want to learn how your child is doing today. To get your personalized survey link, please email us at faststudy@drexel.edu, or call or text 215-571-3897 with your child’s first and last name, and date of birth.
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Behavioral Support Training for Parents and Caregivers of Autistic Children
We are NOW recruiting parents/caregivers of children 2-8 years old who:
- Have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
- Experiences mild-to-moderate disruptive behaviors (i.e., tantrums, aggression, non-compliance).
The goal of this study is to evaluate the RUBI Parent Training program for families of young children who have autism and challenging behaviors.
Participation would include:
- Fourteen (14) 60-minute weekly sessions (in-person or online).
The focus of RUBI sessions is to help caregivers better understand how to respond to, and prevent, challenging behaviors as well as help them promote positive behaviors and build better adaptive skills.
Benefits to participating in this study includes:
- Opportunity to receive the RUBI parent training program at NO COST!
- Possible improvements in your child’s behavior following RUBI sessions.
- No-cost assessments of your child’s adaptive and behavioral functioning pre- and post- RUBI training.
- $50 payment received at both the start and end of trainings and assessments – up to $100 total compensation!
If you are interested in participating or learning more, you can reach out to RUBI@drexel.edu!