Research

Read About Current and Past CARD Research Programs

 

CALL (518) 442-5418 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT

Multidisciplinary Behavior Support Program for At-Risk Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The multidisciplinary behavioral support program will target families of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ages 3 to 12 years) who also display challenging behaviors and reside in the Capital District. Priority will be given to families considering placing a child outside of the home and/or families having difficulty accessing resources/services. The comprehensive evaluation and intervention program is designed to assist families in promptly responding to challenging behaviors, thereby reducing likelihood that a child will be placed outside the home due to behavioral episodes. The program will involve multidisciplinary collaboration among medical, psychological, and social work professionals to address behavior difficulties using a tri-partite approach, including: assessment/evaluation; training/intervention for families; and follow-up support. Expected results of the program include decreasing disruptive child behavior and increasing prosocial child behavior; decreasing parenting stress; improving family quality of life; and increasing capacity of families to support their child at home.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

VIEW POSTER OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Parent Education Program for Families of Children Newly Diagnosed with Autism

The Parent Education Program is sponsored by the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) in collaboration with CapitalCare Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. This program offers families of children recently diagnosed with autism specific trainings on topics in autism and provides important resources for accessing services for their child. The purpose of this program is to evaluate a group parent education program in alleviating parental stress and improving family quality of life. This intent of this program is also to minimize the time it takes parents to find and access critical resources after their child has received a diagnosis of autism.

VIEW POSTER OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Impact of a Student's Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on General Education Teachers' Attitudes

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which disclosure of a hypothetical student's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder impacts: (1) the way in which general education teachers respond to hypothetical student behaviors, (2) teachers' attitudes about having the portrayed student in their classroom; and (3) teachers' feelings of self-efficacy.

Typically Developing Children's Attitudes Towards a Peer with Behaviors Indicative of Autism

The purpose of this study was to learn more about how young children in a typical first-grade classroom feel about peers who exhibit social behaviors indicative of autism. Children who participated in this study were randomly assigned to watch a short video of either a typical peer or a peer with autism engaged in play. The children are then asked about their attitudes about interacting with the child in the video in recreational, academic, and social settings.

Effects of a Classroom-Wide Peer Modeling Program on the Social Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The program provided a general education teacher with a daily classroom-wide "buddy system" in a first-grade classroom, in which there is a student with autism. Specific social skill targets were selected for the student with autism and were taught in a classroom-wide presentation and role-play was provided by a trainer. Students in the classroom were then encouraged to practice this skill in daily "buddy time", providing the student with autism an opportunity to practice targeted social skills in rotating buddy pairings.

Evaluation of a Parent-Implemented, Behavioral Intervention for Mealtime Difficulties in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of the Mealtime Intervention Study was to evaluate whether a parent-implemented mealtime intervention was effective in decreasing disruptive mealtime behaviors and selective eating in children with autism. Parents who participated in this study received training in a mealtime routine that uses several methods designed to increase the amount and variety of foods eaten by their child.

VIEW POSTER OF FINDINGS

Sibling Workshops

CARD researchers investigated the effectiveness of a frequently used support program for siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder, Sibshops (Meyer & Vadasy, 1994). In the Sibshop program, siblings of children with autism attend monthly group meetings with other siblings including high energy games, discussion, and information. Findings indicated that these workshops may produce positive changes in the sibling relationship, such as an increased understanding of their sibling's disability and a willingness to discuss this information with others. In a follow-up study, researchers at CARD examined the inclusion of a parent component to the traditional sibling support group model. Results from this follow-up study, also found positive changes in the sibling relationship following attendance of these events, as well as increases in the siblings knowledge of autism spectrum disorders and overall decreases in family stress levels.

READ MORE ABOUT THE OVERALL PROJECT FINDINGS

 

VIEW A POSTER OF DR. RINALDI'S FINDINGS

Positive Family Intervention Project

 

This project was a collaborative research effort between CARD Albany and the University at South Florida. The project was designed to evaluate two approaches to parent education, both of which have been shown to be effective in improving children's behavior. Parents who participated in this study attended eight sessions with a trained therapist and learned to deal with their children's behavior more positively and effectively. Results from both sites indicated that participating parents reported reductions in their children’s challenging behavior.

In addition, as part of the Positive Family Intervention Project, Dr. Rinaldi examined parent and therapist perceived barriers-to-treatment at the conclusion of study participation. Results indicated significant relationships between parental scores on depression items and child behavior outcomes across parent education conditions. In addition, therapist reports of stressors and obstacles to treatment were related to session attendance. Results also support the use of parent training programs targeting both child behaviors and parental perceptions to improve child behavior and family outcomes.

Sleep

 

Dr. Christodulu has conducted research investigating behavioral interventions for sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorders (Christodulu & Durand, 2004; Durand & Christodulu, 2004). Results of these investigations suggest that interventions that promote positive bedtime routines (including activities such as taking a bath and reading a story) and implement sleep restriction (reducing the number of hours the child slept while maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time) resulted in improvements in the child’s sleep patterns and overall quality of life. Specifically, the behavioral interventions used in the studies resulted in elimination of bedtime disturbances, reductions in nighttime awakenings and the time it took to put the child to bed, and improvements in the parent satisfaction with the child’s bedtime behavior

 

 

  • Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
    University at Albany
    State University of New York

    1535 Western Avenue
    Albany, NY 12203
    PHONE (518) 442-2574
    FAX (518) 442-4834

    Email CARD Albany

    Faculty/Staff Directory