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RESEARCH

Our lab focuses on psychosocial and physiological factors related to socioemotional functioning in autistic individuals across the lifespan. We are very interested in improving access to evidence-based practices for underserved populations through research on innovative delivery models.

PROJECTS CURRENTLY RECRUITING

AI-POWERED TEAMWORK FOR EMPLOYMENT USING ADAPTIVE METHODS SYSTEM TO SUPPORT COLLABORATION AMONG NEURODIVERSE INDIVIDUALS AT WORK

  • Purpose: The Mind Music and Machine Lab at Virginia Tech is seeking individuals to participate in a study that will explore the way autistic and non-autistic adults collaborate on tasks.
     

  • Who: We are recruiting adults who meet the following criteria:

    • Has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)/related autistic disorder (from DSM-IV autistic disorder, Asperger’s, PDD-NOS) OR Does not have any current psychological or psychiatric conditions/diagnoses

    • At least age 18 years old

    • Verbally fluent in English

    • No active electrical implants (e.g., pacemaker)

    • Not pregnant or think they may be pregnant

    • None of the following impairments:

      • Visual/Hearing (An individual is eligible if their hearing/vision is not at the level requiring device correction, or if they have successful device correction that they can bring and use during the study (e.g., eyeglasses, hearing aid).

      • Fine motor

      • Intellectual

    • Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and be willing to remove your mask during the in-person research visit.
       

  • What: You will be screened over the phone by a member of our research team or online via our survey. If you meet our study’s criteria, you will complete a packet of online questionnaires afterward. Then, you will be invited to the in-person visit to complete a measure of your cognitive abilities and complete a series of tasks in Minecraft Hour of Code Simulator with a virtual partner. At the end, you can receive a summary of your individual cognitive abilities results and $50 for completion of the research study.
     

  • How Long: You will complete some online questionnaires prior to the research visit. The in-person research visit will take up to 3 hours.
     

  • To fill out our initial screener, follow this link: https://redcap.vtc.vt.edu/surveys/?s=T39NPL4FD4
     

  • For more information, please contact mfok@vt.edu 

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PROVIDING TELEHEALTH SUPPORT FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES USING A MOBILE APP

  • The purpose of this research is to test the feasibility, acceptability, and benefit of a mobile application, called Treks, in combination with behavioral parent training to support parents of children with behavioral concerns (from ages 2-12 years), such as hyperactivity, tantrums, noncompliance, aggression, or resistance to change, as part of a stepped care model for reducing child behavior problems and increasing parents’ feelings of competence in supporting youth behavior. Parents are compensated up to $75 for completing all parts of the study.
     

  • INTERESTED? We are actively recruiting for this project. Please email us at childstudycenter@gmail.com or call us at (540) 231-8276

VTCAR REGISTRY 

  • The purpose of this research is to compile a registry of people in the area interested in research relating to ASD. 
     

  • INTERESTED? We are actively recruiting for the VTCAR Registry! Please email us at vtautismcenter@vt.edu or call at (540) 231-8747.

PROJECTS IN ANALYSIS

     (PANDA members in bold)

VIRGINIA TECH MOBILE AUTISM CLINIC (MAC) ASSESSMENT

  • The purpose of this study was to addresses disparities in access to ASD evidence-based services by targeting rurality as a social determinant of health in rural Appalachian Virginia. We offered assessments of children (ages 1.5-17 years) and psychoeducation to their parents, through the Mobile Autism Clinic, an RV designed to travel to rural locations. These assessments included a gold standard ASD assessment as well as a report provided to the family. The goals of this study were to provide evidence-based assessments and knowledge about ASD that are both affordable and geographically accessible.

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  • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

    • ​Fok, M., Tschiede, J., Bertollo, J.R., Sridhar, A., Drahota, A., Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Readiness for Change: Implementing Mental Health Interventions for Autistic Youth in Virginia Community Service Boards. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, May 14-16, 2022, Austin, TX, virtual presentation.

    • Bertollo, J.R., Albright, J., Dahiya, A.V., Fok, M., DeLucia, E., Constantino, J.N., Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Autism Assessment from Home: Inter-rater Reliability of the Remote, Caregiver-Facilitated CARS-2 Observation during COVID-19. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, May 14-16, 2022, Austin, TX.

VTCAR ASSESSMENT DATABASE  

  • The purpose of this research was to provide no-cost diagnostic assessments for ASD to the local community. These assessments included a gold standard ASD assessment as well as a report provided to the family. Although no longer recruiting, data analysis is ongoing for this project.
     

  • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

    • Martino, D.C., Bertollo, J.R., DeLucia, E.A., Fok, M., & Scarpa, A. (2023, May). Internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in autistic youth: The role of sensory processing. Poster presentation at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2023 Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.

    • Albright, J., & Scarpa, A. (2019, June). Rurality as a social determinant of autism spectrum disorder diagnostic access. Poster presented at the 3rd Annual Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.

    • McFayden, T.C., Dahiya, A.V., Jarrett, M., Scarpa, A., White, S.W., & Ollendick, T.H. (2019, June). Sluggish cognitive tempo in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for social impairment and comorbidity. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C. 

    • Kulok, S., Albright, J., & Scarpa, A. (2019, May). An analysis of social competence in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring conduct problems. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.

    • Albright, J., Muskett, A., & Scarpa, A. (2018, October). Examining the relationships between attention, auditory processing, and social communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the 13th biennial National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Kansas City, MO.

    • Muskett, A., Albright, J., Capriola-Hall, N., & Scarpa, A. (2018, June). Insistence on Sameness and Self-Injury: Potential Assessment Tools of Co-Occurring Symptoms among Youth with ASD. Poster presented at the 2nd Annual Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C. 

    • Swain, D.M., Muskett, A., Capriola, N., Dahiya, A.V., & Scarpa, A. (2018, May). Repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder: Associations with internalizing symptoms. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 

    • McFayden, T.C., Albright, J., Muskett, A. E., & Scarpa, A. (2017, June). The gender discrepancy in an ASD diagnosis: An in-depth look at restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.  Poster presented at the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.

VIRGINIA COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD (CSB) PILOT STUDY

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  • The purpose of this research study was to gain an understanding of the structures, barriers, and services provided to autistic individuals through CSBs across the state of Virginia. This information was gathered with the hopes of conducting a future study on implementation strategies to support the use of evidence-based practices for mental health in autistic youth. 

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  • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

    • Fok, M., Tschida, J., Bertollo, J. R., Sridhar, A., DeLucia, E. A., Drahota, A., & Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Readiness for change: Implementing mental health interventions for autistic youth in Virginia community service boards [poster presentation]. INSAR, Austin, TX.

PHENOTYPIC DATA REPOSITORY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD

  • With permission from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), data from over 2,000 simplex families of children with ASD are available to conduct nonparametric and parametric analyses on over 29 measures across probands, biological parents and siblings. Usage of these data has resulted in conference presentations, dissertation projects, and publications for students and collaborators of the PANDA Lab.
     

  • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

    • Bertollo, J.R., Fok, M., & Scarpa, A. (2020, November). Parent report of autism symptoms: Parental education moderates agreement between parent and clinician report. Poster submitted to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA. 

    • McFayden, T.C., Fok, M., Scarpa, A., & Ollendick, T.H. (2020, June). The impact of siblings on language quality and quantity in autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented virtually at the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.

    • Bal, V.H., Wilkinson, E., Fok, M. (2021). Cognitive profiles of children with ASD with parent-reported extraordinary talents and personal strengths. Autism. https://doi-org/10.1177/13623613211020618

    • McDonnell, C.G., DeLucia, E.A., Andrzejewski, T., Semones, O., Fok, M. (2021, May 3-7). When are clinicians sure? Identifying socio-demographic predictors of diagnostic certainty to inform diagnosis among underserved populations. [Paper presentation]. International Society for Autism Research, Boston, MA.  

    • Fok, M., DeLucia, E.A., Andrzejewski, T., Scarpa, A., McDonnell, C.G. (2021, May 3-7). Evaluating the measurement invariance of the CBCL between minimally verbal and verbal children with autism spectrum disorder. [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research, Boston, MA.

PANDA LAB COLLABORATIONS

Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research â€‹â€‹

  • The VT PANDA Lab works in tandem with The VT Center for Autism Research, under the College of Science, which seeks to be a major force in promoting state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary research, both basic and applied, related to autism and associated neurodevelopmental conditions. Currently, the Center consists of over 40 faculty affiliates across the university, from departments as diverse as biological sciences, psychology, engineering, computer science, education, human development, and more. The VT PANDA Lab has assisted with establishing and maintaining a centralized research database of potential participants who are well-characterized with behavioral assessments, while also assisting with related research projects.​​​

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  • ​​The VT PANDA Lab also assists with providing clinical services to children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through the Virginia Tech Autism Clinic. We provide comprehensive diagnostic assessments through the Psychological Services Center and the Child Study Center.  We also provide consultation services, individual counseling and intervention, social skill groups, Pivotal Response Treatment, and other evidence-based interventions.

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Virginia Tech Child Study Center â€‹â€‹

  • The VT PANDA Lab also collaborates with Virginia Tech's Child Study Center. This includes an active study with Dr. Rosanna Breaux that aims to test the feasibility, acceptability, and benefit of the Treks mobile application in combination with behavioral parent training to support parents of children with behavioral concerns. Please see our "Projects Currently Recruiting" tab at the top of this page to learn more about this study.

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Virginia Tech Society + AI & Language (SAIL) Lab (Dr. Eugenia Rho)

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​Michigan State University (Dr. Amy Drahota and Dr. Steve Pierce) ​

  • Our collaboration focuses on evaluation of the Autism Community Toolkit: Systems to Measure and Adopt Research-based Treatment (ACT SMART), designed to assist community agencies in successfully identifying and implementing evidence-based practices, including mental health interventions, for autistic people.
    • Lab presentations and submissions affiliated with this project are as follows: ​​
      • ​​​Bertollo, J.R., DeLucia, E.A., Tschida, J.E., Scarpa, A., Drahota, A. (2023, May). Evaluating Facilitation of the ACT SMART Implementation Toolkit: Facilitator and Implementation Team Perspectives. Poster at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, May 5-7, 2023, Stockholm, Sweden.​
      • Fok, M., Tschiede, J., Bertollo, J.R, Sridhar, A., Drahota, A., Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Readiness for Change: Implementing Mental Health Interventions for Autistic Youth in Virginia Community Service Boards. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, May 14-16, 2022, Austin, TX, virtual presentation.

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Virginia Tech Cognition, Affect, and Psychophysiology (CAP) Lab 

  • With permission from Dr. Martha Ann Bell, longitudinal data collected by the CAP lab in healthy infants over the course of their childhood to study cognitive, social, and emotional development in children are available for statistical analyses and publication opportunities. Data include neural markers (e.g., EEG), ​peripheral physiological markers (e.g., heart rate, heart rate variability), language and achievement performance, behavioral codes, and parent-reported questionnaires. Usage of these data has resulted in thesis projects and manuscript opportunities for PANDA students.

    • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

      • Bertollo, J.R., Scarpa, A., & Bell, M.A. (2020, March). Infant negative emotion reactivity and childhood adaptive socialization skills. 23rd Occasional Temperament Conference, Blacksburg, VA. (Conference postponed due to COVID19)

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Virginia Tech Mind Music and Machine Lab

  • ​We collaborate with Dr. Myounghoon "Philart" Jeon, an associate professor in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department, to understand human-computer interaction and human-robot interaction in ASD.

    • Our current research study is to develop AI-powered assistive tools using machine learning to determine collaboration patterns in a neurodiverse workplace (see ATEAM Study). 

  • We are also actively collaborating with Dr. Sunwook Kim on projects to develop mentoring resources for autistic undergraduate students interested in STEM careers

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University of Kentucky/Ball State Autism Services Research Group

  • With permission from Dr. Lisa Ruble, ​data collected by the Autism Services Research Group to evaluate the efficacy of a telehealth and face-to-face parent-mediated intervention that focused on addressing problem behaviors in children with ASD have been made available to PANDA students. Usage of these data has resulted in thesis presentations, poster presentations, and manuscript opportunities. Additionally, members of the PANDA lab have received training in the Collaborative Model for Competence and Success (COMPASS) from Dr. Ruble and have served as consultants in local school districts to further enhance the educational programming of students with ASD in the local community. 

    • Lab presentations affiliated with this project are as follows:

      • Dahiya, A.V., Ruble, K., Kuravackel, G., & Scarpa, A. (2019, November). Efficacy of a telehealth-based parent training for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Rural versus urban areas. Association for the Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA.​

      • Dahiya, A.V., Ruble, L., Kuravackel, G., & Scarpa, A. (2018, November). Comparing activation, knowledge, and self-management of parents with children with ASD following a parent training program for families in rural versus urban areas. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.

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