“Liam’s World” is a unique photo documentary by Erin Lefevre spotlighting the life of her younger brother, Liam, who is on the autism spectrum. Lefevre seeks to explore the world through Liam’s eyes, showing the life of an adolescent with ASD growing into an adult. The ongoing art project has chronicled Liam’s life from age 14 to 18. Lefevre’s photos provide an intimate look at everything from Liam’s big moments exploring Central Park to his day-to-day routines with his mother. Each image is also captioned by Liam himself, providing deeper insight into his thoughts and feelings at the time of the photo. To learn more about this engaging photo documentary, click here.

We are seeking Seattle-area families who have a child with autism and a toddler between 10 and 18 months old to participate in a study evaluating a parent-implemented intervention called ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers). The study includes 6 visits to our lab over 9 months, and a diagnostic evaluation and report at the end of the study. All families receive compensation for their time, monitoring of the toddlers’ development, and the chance (50-50) to receive in-home intervention. If you would like to learn more about this project, please call us at 206-221-3595 or email us* at READiLab@uw.edu.

*Please be aware that we cannot assure confidentiality of email.

Husky ADAPT (Accessible Design and Play Technology) is a graduate student-led organization at the UW with a mission to improve accessibility and inclusion within our communities through toy adaptation, ability-based design, and educational outreach. They create adapted toys specially modified to allow children with delays/disabilities the opportunity to play and learn as independently as possible. They also focus on teaching students, engineers, clinicians, and community members to adapt toys to further cultivate an inclusive environment for adaptive play. Families, clinics, therapists, schools, and other organizations can request FREE adaptable toys through HuskyADAPT! You can pick a toy from their adaptable toy list, or suggest a new toy for them to adapt. What an outstanding resource! To learn more about this organization and to request adapted toys, click here.

To shine a spotlight on women with autism, Spectrum News recently teamed up with Caveat, a speakeasy stage in New York, to present ‘Flying University: Women on the Autism Spectrum.’  During this event, three powerful autistic women were video-recorded while describing a variety of experiences. Lindsey Nebeker talks about navigating love with her husband, Dave.  Sarah Luterman shares some heart-wrenching experiences she has had with employment.  Morénike Giwa Onaiwu discusses how race, ethnicity, and culture interface with autism and family roles. To view these engaging and thoughtful speakers, click here.

We are excited to announce our new partnership with the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence, which delivers training to child welfare workers, foster parents, and relative caregivers. In an effort to provide more e-Learning tools and opportunities, they now offer training credit for completing our online “Understanding Autism” video series. Our lab developed this five-chapter video series through a grant from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with Seattle Children’s Autism Center and Gigantic Planet. The video series was designed for caregivers of newly diagnosed children, and offers helpful tips and strategies from other parents as well as professionals. To learn more about the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence, click here. To watch the videos on our website click here (English) or click here (Spanish).

Julia is a Muppet with autism who made her debut on Sesame Street in April 2017, and has already made quite an impact! A recent article by Today describes how Julia inspired a child to befriend a boy with autism. On the show, Julia often engages in behaviors such as spinning or flapping her hands. Four-year-old Julian also has autism and shares these behaviors, which sometimes can be off-putting to children not familiar with autism. However, a little girl who watched Sesame Street recognized these behaviors in Julian and invited him to play with her—a great reminder that, as Julian’s parent mentions, “representation matters”! To read the full Today article, click here and to learn about Dr. Wendy Stone’s work with Sesame Street to help develop Julia and their autism initiative, click here!

Last week, Lisa and Wendy travelled to Portland, OR, to conduct STAT ‘Trainer Training’ for Dr. Bob Nickel, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). On the first day, Lisa led a STAT training workshop for a group that included pediatricians, child psychiatry fellows, and early intervention providers. On the second day, Dr. Nickel did a terrific job of conducting a STAT training workshop for a different group of professionals. After just a few more training hurdles, Dr. Nickel will become one of very few certified STAT Trainers, and will be off to the Ukraine and Viet Nam to train providers overseas in the use of the STAT.

A recent article in Spectrum News unpacks the definition of social communication and how it relates to individuals with ASD. Communication is an inherently social behavior; the abilities to understand and respond to others, and  to convey our own needs and ideas, are key to social interactions. The author explains that, while “social communication” may seem like a redundant term, understanding communication within a social context provides insight into some of the challenges associated with ASD. Some individuals with ASD may have difficulties reading facial expressions, using gestures, following the tempo of speech, modulating rhythm and intonation of speech (i.e., prosody), staying on topic, and taking conversational turns (i.e., pragmatics).  However, the author emphasizes that communication is a two-way street, and that individuals with and without ASD can work together to accept the differences in the way they express themselves. To read the full Spectrum News article, click here!

Your input is needed! Service providers from the South Sound Autism Community are looking for individuals with autism and their families to complete a survey about local resources – including their experiences with services, barriers to receiving care, and future services they would like to see. The information you provide will help inform South Sound providers about directions for future service development and fundraising efforts! To share your voice and provide input, please follow this link: https://uwt.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8D2HprE4DopLw5n.

 

The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games has united individuals from all over the country to demonstrate their remarkable athletic gifts. Two Washington state Special Olympic athletes, Colleen Bryant and Andy Bryant (not related), have made history by being the first Special Olympians to sign with a sponsor. Brooks, a Seattle-based shoe company, has given the two runners a sponsorship that not only includes running gear, but also access to elite coaching instructors, nutritionists and physical therapists. In February, Colleen and Andy joined the Brooks Beasts, an elite running group also sponsored by Brooks, at an altitude training camp. Spending time with this group of professional athletes not only helped Colleen and Andy become prepared for competition, but gave them a sense of inclusion and belonging in a group of talented individuals — showing that when it comes to running, they are on equal ground with their peers.

A Brooks representative stated that their sponsorship of Andy and Colleen is not a symbolic gesture; they expected Andy and Colleen to win their events at the USA games this week in Seattle.  And win they did! Colleen won gold in the women’s 5000m race and is scheduled to run again today. Andy won gold in the men’s 3,000m race and bronze in the 10,000m race. Way to go – you are our heroes!!

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!