The READi Lab team is growing! This spring, we welcomed two new full-time Research Study Assistants.

Hailee Hannah began her READi Lab experience as an undergraduate research assistant. After graduating from UW in March 2018 with a BA in Psychology, she joined the lab full-time. Currently, Hailee works on the Screen-Refer-Treat study and assists with behavioral assessments for the ImPACT study. Her ultimate goal is to pursue a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) degree, focusing on the development and practice of one-on-one therapies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Danielle Trzil also joined the READi Lab as an undergraduate research assistant, and now provides in-home intervention to parents and their infants at risk for ASD as a part of the ImPACT study. Danielle graduated from UW in June 2018 with BAs in Psychology and Early Childhood and Family Studies. She hopes to continue her education later to pursue a career in School Psychology or Applied Behavior Analysis.

We are so lucky to have them! To learn more about the READi Lab team, click here.

Pascale Carpentier joined the READI Lab this past January to serve as Lead Research Assistant on the HRSA-funded Pathways grant. She graduated from Whitman College in May 2017 with a BA in Psychology and, prior to joining our lab, had worked in Jessica Sommerville’s Early Childhood Cognition Lab.

Pascale has been invaluable for getting Pathways grant up and running. In addition to her many talents and bright disposition, she is also fluent in Spanish and French!  As you may already know, the goal of the Pathways grant is to improve early identification of ASD for toddlers from underserved families by increasing their pathways to screening. Through this grant we are conducting focus groups for parents and EI providers, developing shared decision-making materials to foster communication about ASD concerns, and teaching EI providers to use Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) for children with ASD symptoms. We will also be seeing children in the lab for some play-based assessments. For more information about this grant, click here.

Roya Baharloo, who has been a Research Assistant at the READi Lab since June 2016, is heading off today to pursue another adventure! She will be starting a Developmental Psychology PhD program at University of California, Berkeley under the mentorship of Dr. Fei Xu. There, she hopes to study the early social development of infants, especially in the context of autism. She has played an integral role in the READi Lab over the past two years, including the early and continuing development and coordination of the Screen-Refer-Treat Study and the Social Attention Study. She has also administered behavioral assessments for the ImPACT Study and has the unique ability to calm even the fussiest of babies! We will miss her dearly, but we cannot wait to see all that she accomplishes as a young scientist.

“Remember– if you are following in someone else’s footsteps, you will only get where they want to go,” was one of the sentiments that Sef Scott, a class of 2018 high school graduate, wished to pass on to his peers during his graduation speech. Sef is 17 years old and, in his speech, describes himself as someone who has autism and who chooses not to speak very often. Sef was chosen as a commencement speaker after a voluntary audition process based on his message and ability to motivate an audience.  In his speech, he challenges his 1,400 peers to “be unexpected,” which he demonstrated by speaking in front of them. His captivating six-minute speech was met with a standing ovation from an audience of almost 10,000 people. To read more and to listen to the highlights of his speech, click here.

Congratulations to Dr. Colleen Harker, Wendy’s former graduate student, who participated in the Psychology Department “hooding ceremony” last Saturday to celebrate a major milestone — obtaining her Ph.D. degree! Some of our community partners may remember Colleen for her outstanding presentation skills during RIT training workshops. Colleen has been on internship at UCLA this year, and will soon be heading to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to begin her postdoctoral training (and to be closer to her idol, Bruce Springsteen). We at the READi Lab have missed her during the past year, and wish her great success in her postdoctoral fellowship and beyond!

Pictured above are Wendy’s current graduate students posing together during the Psychology Research Festival, which took place at the Waterfront Activities Center on May 30. Trent and Catherine (far left and far right) did a super job of presenting data from their second year projects, while Lizzy and Sarah (middle left and middle right) provided their encouragement and support. Both Lizzy and Sarah will be leaving this summer to begin their clinical psychology internships — Sarah will be at Duke University, and Lizzy will be at the UNC-TEACCH program in Chapel Hill (where Wendy did her internship about 100 years ago!). All of us in the READi Lab will miss them dearly, but we wish them the best as they move on to the next phase of their professional development.

As the academic year comes to a close, we at the READi Lab wanted to give a big THANK YOU to the wonderful undergrads who made our work possible this past year! Here is a little more about each of our stellar students:

Anna Hager is graduating this spring with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. She is interested in working with children with developmental or behavioral disorders, and hopes one day to be a counselor or psychologist. Her favorite food is the potato, due to its versatility. “My favorite thing about READi Lab is how much I learn every day, and how supportive and helpful everyone is. I always look forward to coming in!”

Nadine Ayudiani is graduating this spring with a degree in Psychology. She has always wanted to work with families and children, and ever since learning about autism here at the READi Lab she has wanted to find a position with those affected by autism in any way. She likes all kinds of food and if she could pick a superpower she would choose mind reading, as it would be pretty handy career-wise and for life in general! “What I love about working at READi Lab is the people! They all seem very passionate and dedicated about the studies that they are working on. And I love how everyone is so kind, helpful, and encouraging towards each other!”

Jailene Ceballos is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Anthropology: medical anthropology and global health. She aspires to become a physician assistant in the future. Her favorite food is hot dogs, and if she could pick a super power it would be mind reading/control. Jailene also has a puppy named Harvey James. “I am so thankful for the knowledge and awareness I’ve acquired through my work at the READi Lab. The crew at the READi Lab are all so informed, welcoming, and kind. I’m glad to be given the opportunity to work with them.”

Raine Myrvold is finishing her sophomore year and is majoring in Psychology and Speech & Hearing Sciences. After she finishes at UW, she hopes to go to graduate school and pursue an advanced degree in speech pathology. Her favorite food is cookies, and she enjoys long walks on the beach, reading, playing trombone, running, and traveling. “My favorite thing about working in the READi Lab is that the whole team is so smart, dedicated, and pleasant to work with!”

Ashley Sun is graduating this spring with a degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. This upcoming year she will be working as the director of Island Choral Experience in order to pursue her passion in teaching music and dance. “I absolutely loved my experience working in the READi Lab—it’s been an honor working alongside the incredible people there!”

Nat Bumrungtrakul is graduating this spring with a B.S. in Psychology and this coming year will be pursuing her interest in working with children by doing ABA intervention back home in Thailand. Her favorite food is buffalo wings and all kinds of veggies, and she loves rain — but from the inside of the house, with a glass window and a cup of hot chocolate. “There are so many wonderful things about being an undergraduate research assistant at the READi Lab. My favorite is having the opportunity to learn from, and work with, other research assistants. Also, I always have the best time when kids come into the lab.”

Photo from The Seattle Times

The University of Washington’s Project SEARCH helps young adults with autism develop marketable skills to achieve their goals of obtaining their dream careers. Holding a job can improve mental health, confidence, and foster independence. Dr. Jill Locke, a READi Lab collaborator, assists by helping with the job hunt—and Seattle companies are ready to hire! Microsoft has developed an academy to teach individuals with autism — and their coworkers — how to thrive in a company that embraces the positive impact that neurodiversity brings to a workplace. Microsoft and other Puget Sound-based companies are looking to hire people who will bring new, unique perspectives to their companies. Click here to read the Seattle Times article!

This week, we are saying a bitter-sweet “See you later!” to our amazing Research Coordinator, Katie Ragsdale. She has played a vital role in the READi Lab since 2014, when she joined the lab as an undergraduate research assistant. Over the past 4 years, she has served many roles in the lab, including lab manager, study coordinator, interventionist for the ImPACT Study, and RIT trainer, to name a few. We are constantly inspired by her compassion and commitment to helping children with autism (and their families). She is moving back home to southern California to be with her family while preparing to apply to graduate school. We will miss her dearly!

 

A new study by a Canadian research group found that parents who have a child with autism and a later-born infant are more effective than clinicians at detecting signs of autism at 12- and 18-months old. In a study of 188 children, parents and clinicians reported on the presence of the same 19 behavioral symptoms, such as eye contact, hand-eye coordination, social smiling, repetitive motions, and vocalizations. Parent responses were based on their day-to-day observations of the child at home, while clinician responses were based on a 15-20 minute structured interaction with the infant. At 36 months, all children received a diagnostic evaluation.

 At both 12 and 18 months of age, the parent-rated symptoms were more predictive of a later diagnosis of autism than were the clinician-rated symptoms. These results suggest that parents may detect some clinically informative behaviors based on their day-to-day observations more readily than do clinicians during a brief clinical assessment. The authors note that additional work is needed to determine whether their findings hold true for parents who do not have an older child with autism. But for now, the important take-home message for clinicians is to listen carefully for early “red flag” behaviors reported by parents about their later-born infants, as they may be seeing behaviors that could be missed during a brief observation period. And the take-home for parents is to make sure to share your behavioral observations and concerns with your clinician! To learn more, click here!

Last week, Research Assistants Roya Baharloo and Elyanah Posner attended the Visions for Early Learning West Central Regional Coalition Meeting at Centralia College, where they gave a presentation on the Screen-Refer-Treat (SRT) study. This coalition has members from Grays Harbor, Mason, Lewis, North Pacific, and Thurston Counties, and works to promote partnerships and community connections to support early learning.  We appreciate the invitation to speak at this meeting, and the opportunity for lively discussions with service providers about the SRT aims and the importance of early autism intervention.

Anything can happen at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), which is now underway in Rotterdam. Pictured here are Lauren Turner-Brown, PhD, a former graduate student of Dr. Stone’s from Vanderbilt, and Trent DesChamps, one of her current UW graduate students (proudly displaying his poster)!  Dr. Turner-Brown is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC-Chapel Hill and Assistant Director of the TEACCH Autism Program.

Estamos buscando a padres que tienen un hijo(a) pequeño con autismo para que participen en un grupo de enfoque. Le preguntaremos sobre sus experiencias cuando se comunica con sus doctores y proveedores de salud acerca sus preocupaciones del autismo.

Si elige participar en este estudio, lo invitaremos a ir a una reunión del grupo de enfoque que durara 2 horas con otros padres en la Universidad de Washington. Recibirá una compensación de $100 por su participación. Si está interesado en participar, nos puede llamar al  número (206) 543-9353 o enviarnos un email a PathASD@uw.edu. Para más información, aquí esta nuestro folleto!

On Friday, READi Lab research assistants John, Hailee, and Elyanah attended Centralia College’s Family Fun Fest. They shared information with caregivers and educators about READi Lab’s research studies and the resources on our website. It was wonderful to meet so many people in Lewis County, which is one of the counties participating in the SRT grant. Thank you to the Lewis County Autism Coalition for inviting us!

Seattle Pacific University is hosting their fourth annual Voices of Autism event on Saturday April 21st, 2018 from 1-5 P.M. The event includes a community resource fair for families, a keynote lecture on advocacy from an adult on the spectrum, and a panel discussion focusing on the experiences and perspectives of those living with ASD. Also featured is a new musical called “Neurotistic,” that follows a young adult with autism, written by a former SPU student who self-identifies as being on the autism spectrum. The event is free and open to the public! To find out more and reserve tickets, click here.

On April 17 2018 at 12:00pm EDT (9:00am PST), Spectrum News will be hosting a free webinar discussing and debating the diagnostic criteria for autism. This webinar will feature Dr. Catherine Lord (Director of Center for Autism and the Developing Brain and Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine), Dr. Sally Rogers (Professor of Psychiatry at the MIND institute at the University of California, Davis), and Dr. David Skuse (Professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the Institute of Child Health at University College London). It will begin with a live panel discussion on the DSM-5 and will be followed by an audience Q&A. To learn more and register for the webinar, click here.

The Seattle Mariners are celebrating Autism Awareness Day on Sunday, April 15^th at Safeco Field! Attendees will have the opportunity to claim a free Autism Awareness Day t-shirt with their ticket purchase. Seven dollars of every ticket sold through their website will benefit Autism Speaks. The Mariners will also have a sensory-sensitive quiet area at the Ellis Pavilion for families on the day of the game. First pitch is at 1pm against the Oakland Athletics—so go root, root, root for the home team! Click here to learn more about this event!

The Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) is a multidisciplinary, international community of researchers committed to understanding the developmental origins and earliest signs of autism by studying later-born infants of children with autism. READi Lab director Wendy Stone is a long-standing member (and previous Chair) of the BSRC. Through collaborative research projects, this group has identified both behavioral and biological markers of risk and disrupted development prior to the age of diagnosis, which has sparked studies of early intervention in infancy. Check out our website at www.babysiblingsresearchconsortium.org to find information for parents and to learn more about our current studies and research publications.

Today Sesame Street is releasing the next phase of their initiative, “See Amazing in All Children!” The new content – available in English and Spanish – includes 4 video segments, a storybook introducing Julia’s family, a read-along video of the “We’re Amazing, 1,2,3!” storybook, and digital routine cards (click on the links below). In addition, on Monday April 9, the second annual simulcast of a Julia-focused Sesame Street episode will air on HBO and PBS Kids. #SeeAmazing

Storybook introducing Julia’s family

Read-along video of the “We’re Amazing, 1,2,3!” storybook

Digital routine cards

 

Video segments:

Learning different ways to say hello

Helping kids find ways to play together

Celebrating family diversity

Searching for patterns

What began as a senior project for one student at Columbus East High School in Indiana is now a published children’s book that raises awareness about autism. Kyndal Gary wrote and illustrated a 24-page book titled “Something’s Different About Andrew” which highlights different situations experienced by Andrew, the main character with autism. Kyndal hopes the book can help people understand that individuals with autism have hidden talents and can be successful. He will be holding a book reading in front of the entire student body at his high school during Autism Awareness Month (April 2018). To find out more about his book, click here!