Dr. Alice Bravo recently completed her Ph.D. in Special Education at UW, and has accepted an academic position as Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University. Way to go, Alice! She will also serve as a Research Associate in UW’s School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training Center (SMART Center).

Alice came to UW with experience working as an early childhood special educator in the Part C early intervention system and as a behavior specialist providing remote and in-person home-, clinic-, and school-based services. We are fortunate to have had Alice participate in many READi Lab projects and activities during her graduate training, and are so happy to hear that she will be staying close by!

Hannah Benavidez, one of our READi Lab grad students, had her own Italian summer last month while visiting her husband on his deployment. He and his squadron are stationed in Sicily for the next few months, embarking on various missions throughout the area.

Over a few days during their precious free time together, Hannah and her husband explored some beautiful places in Palermo, including the vibrant Mondello beach! They also visited Taormina, which has some gorgeous views, fresh seafood and pasta, and breathtaking rocky beaches. As you can might imagine, they both got to enjoy some much needed R&R.

 

It was a whirlwind trip and now it’s back to work for them both!

 

 

Dana Parkin, MA, Student Research Study Assistant

Dana is a school psychology graduate student at the University of Washington and a student research assistant in the READi Lab. Originally from Spokane, Washington, Dana graduated from the University of Washington in 2018 with her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She obtained her Master of Arts in Behavior Analysis from Whitworth University in 2020. Before joining READi Lab, Dana worked with children with autism spectrum disorders at Seattle Children’s Autism Center as a research intern and in the field of applied behavior analysis as a Registered Behavior Technician. In her spare time, Dana enjoys spending time with her cat, watching college basketball (Go Zags!), and reading. She is excited to continue learning about early autism research and its application to the field of school psychology.

READi Lab’s own John Hershberger just returned from an adventure through Greece, his maternal homeland.

“My mother, Alexandra, was born in Athens, and she and her mother moved to the United States when my mother was seven years old.”

Over three weeks, John explored several Greek islands and the Greek capitol of Athens, visiting every ancient site, museum, and beach he could. He traveled from Athens to the islands of Rhodes, Crete, Naxos, and, finally, Chios, the birthplace of his yaya (grandmother), Irini. Along the way, he took some day trips to locations such as the ancient site of Delphi and the ruined city on the island of Delos.

“One of my favorite moments of the trip was visiting the small village of Kardamyla on Chios, where my yaya was born in 1909! On the waterfront of the village, I found a statue dedicated to ‘all the women of Kardamyla.’ It was an emotional experience when I realized that included my grandmother.”

John learned to speak Greek as a small child from his grandmother, and he was thrilled that the language came back to him. “I have not spoken much Greek in years, but I am so grateful that I learned the language at an early enough developmental state that it was easy to pick up again quickly!”

 

Congratulations, Kathryn! Kathryn Duffy-Greslo has been an undergraduate honors student in the READi lab for the past two years and graduated from UW with honors in early June. Kathryn is originally from Chicago and has enjoyed her time in Seattle the past four years.

During her time at our lab, Kathryn was awarded a competitive research grant to fund her honor’s thesis. Kathryn conducted interviews to assess the cultural sensitivity of a new tool to screen young children with autism that was developed by Dr. Wendy Stone and Dr. Alice Carter. Kathryn presented her work several times, including at the 2022 International Society for Autism Research and Undergraduate Research Symposium. 

Kathryn plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. This summer, she will be traveling and working at a summer camp for children with selective mutism. We wish her the best of luck!

Trent DesChamps has officially completed his training in UW’s Psychology program!  Dr. DesChamps has been a valuable member of the READi Lab, and Wendy had the honor of ‘hooding’ him during the departmental ceremony this past Saturday. He will be returning to Seattle to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the Seattle Clinic.

Gina Damilano, Med, BCBA, LBA

Gina is a Research Study Assistant in the READi Lab, working on the RISE and Sprout studies. Born and raised in the Central Valley of California, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from Sonoma State University. Prior to joining the lab, Gina worked with children with developmental disabilities (primarily ASD) in school, clinic, home, and community settings. She has a Master’s degree in Special Education, with a focus on applied behavior analysis and autism spectrum disorder, from University of Washington. Gina loves watching baseball (Go Giants!), DIY crafts, and spending time on Lake Washington. She is excited for the opportunity to join the READiLab Team and learn more about autism research.

The READi Lab Sprout Study is looking for Part C EI Providers across the country to participate in a project examining the effect of RIT training on your practices and on child and family outcomes. RIT is a play-based early intervention for toddlers with social communication concerns or ASD. Our lab has been providing RIT training in Washington for over 10 years, and we have consistently received positive feedback from providers and families about their experiences. The Sprout study is conducted entirely remotely, so we can accommodate providers and families from anywhere in the country!

Interested in learning more? Please contact us at sproutstudy@uw.edu with questions or to set up an informational meeting to learn more!

Karla Uroza, BA, Research Study Assistant

Karla is a Research Study Assistant at the READi lab. Karla will be working on the RISE study as a bilingual (English/Spanish) caregiver liaison. Karla was born in San Diego and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. At 15 years old she immigrated to San Diego where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at San Diego State University. Prior to joining the lab, Karla worked as a preschool teacher for Navy child development centers. During her undergraduate career, she worked as Registered Behavioral Technician providing ABA services for children diagnosed with ASD and other developmental disabilities. In her spare time Karla enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time outdoors. She aspires to earn a Master’s in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology in the future.

Most children like to explore, play and learn — kids with sensory sensitivities are no exception! KidsQuest Children’s Museum (in Bellevue) has designed a low sensory afternoon for individuals or families with sensory sensitivities. Once per month, the museum offers children with a variety of sensory challenges the opportunity to engage in all of the museum activities, ranging from water play and arts and crafts to climbing structures and outdoor games. To foster a positive experience, the museum offers a “low sensory bag” that includes fidget toys, sunglasses and headphones that can used as needed. They have also created a social story to prepare children for what they will experience during their trip.

Low sensory afternoons occur on the 3^rd Thursday of each month, from 3-5pm. This museum experience is free for the whole family. To learn more visit their website and to reserve tickets follow this link.

 

The READi Lab was well-represented at last week’s annual conference of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) in Austin, Texas.  A graduate student, a post-doctoral fellow, a UW undergraduate honor’s student and two research study assistants from the READi Lab all had the opportunity to present their work, support their peers and learn about the innovated autism research being conducted across the country. The conference attendees received positive inquiries and feedback about their work and even identified some areas for future research!  A stellar job by all!

 

After nearly three years gaining valuable research experience in the READiLab, Sabine Scott is headed to the University of Oregon School Psychology program where she will pursue a doctoral degree in School Psychology.  Sabine plans to become a licensed clinician after finishing the program and we have no doubt she’ll be excellent in that role. Sabine has been a kind, compassionate and competent member of our team who will be missed by all of us in the lab!

We wish you the best, Sabine! We have no doubt you will reach the pinnacle of your dreams!

Friends can be different from one another, but still have some important things in common – just like Wes and Julia do! Share this @SesameStreetinCommunities printable page with little ones for a fun coloring activity celebrating friendship. https://bit.ly/3KXcp2I #SeeAmazing

We are excited to share new resources from our friends on @SesameStreet for #AutismAcceptanceMonth! These resources were designed to foster autistic children’s sense of belonging, as well as offer support for parents and providers in helping children make friends. Learn more: https://www.ssic.org/topics/autism #SeeAmazing

The READi Lab is thrilled to share news that our leader, Dr. Wendy Stone, has been named a 2022 Fellow (an honor of distinction) from the International Society for Autism Research! Dr. Stone is being recognized by her peers for her sustained international research contribution to autism science and for the effect her work has had internationally on autism science. You can read an overview of Dr. Stone’s career here and more about the INSAR Fellows program here. Those of us who work with Dr. Stone on a daily basis can attest to the dedication she has to her work and her commitment to enhancing knowledge and autism service capacity within community settings.

Congratulations, Dr. Stone!

We are now gearing up for our next wave of trainings for our SPROUT Study and are hoping to enroll additional Early Intervention providers. We have had very positive responses to our first wave of trainings (see above). Please contact us if you would like additional information about this opportunity or have any questions!

Recognized around the world, April is Autism Awareness Month! Whether you or someone you love has autism, join us in celebrating the 15^th annual World Autism Awareness Day on April 2^nd and show your support by wearing blue!

Keep an eye out all month for content providing resources and ways to continue to celebrate all through April!

 

In the course of our research, the READi Lab has talked with many parents who have young children with autism.  We have learned of their successes and struggles, including the financial hardships that are sometimes associated with early diagnosis and treatment of autism. Luckily, there are support systems like Ben’s Fund that are available to support those caregivers.

Ben’s Fund was established in 2012 by John & Traci Schneider to honor their son (diagnosed with autism at age three).  The mission of Ben’s Fund is to provide financial support to families who need help covering costs associated with medical bills, therapies and other expenses that might be incurred while supporting a child on the autism spectrum. The fund awards applicants up to $1,000 per qualifying child and, to date, has raised over $4.6 million and issued 2,700 awards.

Click here to learn more.

Thanh Nguyen is a former research assistant at the READi Lab who is now a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. For her dissertation, she is looking to interview Asian American adults (18yr+) from an Asian immigrant and Confucian-ethnic background (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese) who have a sibling or siblings with autism (formally diagnosed) to learn about their experience and relationships.