Debra Childress

The purpose of this project was to develop and pilot test a web-based enhancement of the classroom-based Advancing Social-Communication and Play (ASAP) intervention to support collaborations between home and school. ASAP was designed to develop joint attention (shared attention toward an object or event with another person) and symbolic play (pretending), both pivotal skills for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although there is evidence that ASAP has an impact, there is ...

This project team will fully develop and test IvyScip, an online platform to support special education teachers and practitioners in formatively assessing, providing instruction, and tracking the social and emotional learning of elementary school students with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HF-ASD). Research demonstrates that social and emotional learning instruction can play a significant role in the academic success of students with HF-ASD, almost all of whom demonstrate social...

This project team is developing and testing a prototype of the Ivymount Social Readiness System, a mobile app designed for practitioners to assess the social and emotional strengths and deficits of kindergarten through Grade 6 students with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HF-ASD). The prototype app will include an assessment rubric and professional development resources to facilitate implementation.

Despite cognitive strengths, students with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD) pursue postsecondary learning at much lower rates than their typically developing peers. As a result, approximately 24% of students with HF-ASD-but without intellectual disability-report no regular educational or employment activities following high school. Further, when these intellectually capable students pursue college, they tend to drop out prematurely. Given that students with HF-ASD of...