Author: kascetta@uoregon.edu

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral student Rebecca Frantz (rfrantz@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Coaching Paraprofessionals to Teach Social Communication During Play in the Preschool Classroom

3. Phase of study: The research plan has been submitted to the IRB as of October 2016.

4. Population or age group: Teaching Assistants from the Early Education Program in Lane County and children (ages 3-5) with developmental disabilities (and delayed social communication skills) in EEP classrooms.

5. Summary: In this study, paraprofessionals will be coached to implement a naturalistic behavioral intervention targeting social communication skills during center-based play in the preschool classroom.  A single-case, multiple baseline design across four dyads (teaching assistant/child) will be used to address the following research questions:

1.Can teaching assistants be taught to effectively implement naturalistic behavioral teaching strategies with two children with fidelity?
2.Is there a functional relation between teaching assistants’ use of naturalistic behavioral teaching strategies and increases in child social communication skills? 3.Do teaching assistants’ use of naturalistic behavioral teaching strategies generalize across children and social communication goals?

6. Opportunity for Participation: She will need help with child assessments using the VBMAPP following consent of participants and prior to baseline data collection.  She will also need help with in vivo data collection in the classroom (i.e. teacher fidelity, child social communication skills).  Data collection will occur during 20 minute observations in the preschool classroom.  Recruitment will begin during Fall term and baseline data collection will begin during Winter term.  Training for data collection will occur in December based on data collector’s availability.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral student Christine Drew (cdrew@uoregon.edu), Faculty advisor Wendy Machalicek (wmachali@uoregon.edu )

2. Study Title: Parent-implemented Challenging Behavior Intervention

3. Phase of study: We have begun recruiting parent-child dyads as of October 2016.

4. Population or age group: Children with developmental disability, pre-linguistic or low language skills, ages 7-17.

5. Summary: Based on previous research, one area in need of further study is using evidence-based strategies
(FCT) to decrease challenging behavior in the home with parents as interventionists rather than therapists. This study aims to determine if, with coaching, parents in a home setting can implement the following: (a) a functional analysis (FA), (b) FCT, (c) discrimination training, (d) use of multiple schedules, and (e) fading reinforcement. We will coach the parents in teaching a new and easier response to the child in order to decrease challenging behavior in the home setting.

6. Opportunity for Participation: Data collectors are needed for in-vivo or video data collection, please contact Christine Drew via email.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral students Buket Erturk (bukete@uoregon.edu), Sarah G. Hansen (sgh@uoregon.edu ), Faculty advisor Wendy Machalicek (wmachali@uoregon.edu )

2. Study Title: Extension of a parent mediated joint attention intervention with generalization to home setting.

3. Phase of study: We have begun collecting baseline data as of May 2016.

4. Population or age group: Children with ASD ages 2-6 with limited joint attention skills.

5. Summary: This study is a concurrent multiple baseline single case design across 4 parent-child dyads to evaluate the effectiveness of parent mediated joint attention intervention and the generalization of joint attention skills of young children to home setting. Parents will be trained to implement prompting hierarchies to work on this social-communication skill in the clinical setting. Generalization probes will be conducted during baseline and after training in the home setting.

6. Opportunity for Participation: No current opportunities at this time

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Student Ruby Batz PI (srb@uoregon.edu); Dissertation Chair  Jane Squires (jsquires@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Effects of Infant-Net on Latino/Hispanic mother-child interactions and shared-book reading

3. Phase of study: Data collection is complete and analysis has begun as of Spring 2016.

4. Population or age group: 24 child-mother Latino/Hispanic dyads: 48 participants in total (24 mothers, 24 toddlers between 18-36 months).

5. Summary: Using a randomized controlled trial I will evaluate the impact of the interactive internet parent training intervention as compared to a comparison condition (control). After recruiting in Oregon, up to 24 child-mother Latino/Hispanic dyads will be randomized to either the intervention or computer-control condition. Parent-child interactions will serve as the primary outcome. Shared-reading interactions will serve as the secondary outcome. The proposed design will provide important practical information about the feasibility and effectiveness of an internet parenting intervention in effecting parenting behavior for Latino/Hispanic populations.

6. Opportunity for Participation: No current opportunities at this time .

If you are interested please contact Ruby Batz (srb@uoregon.edu) for further information.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Students Angus Kittleman, Co-PIs (angusk@uoregon.edu) & Manuel Monzalve  (manuelm@uoregon.edu); Faculty Advisor Brigid Flannery (brigidf@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Descriptive Analysis of Factors Related to the Adaptation of Check-In Check-Out in High Schools

3. Phase of study:  Paper competed and is currently under review at a peer-review journal as of June 2016. 

4. Population or age group: High School students using Check-in/ Check-out

5. Summary: Our research is a descriptive survey study focusing on how high schools are implementing and adapting the Check-In Check-Out (CICO) program in their schools. Currently, there are no published findings of high schools using CICO. Our study sought to address four primary research questions including: a) what are the school demographics of high schools implementing CICO, b) how are high schools implementing and adapting specific components of CICO, c) what do high school coaches and PBIS team members perceive the effectiveness and barriers to be to in implementing CICO, and d) what systems are in place in their high schools to ensure that CICO is effective?

6. Opportunity for Participation: There are currently no opportunities to participate at this time.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Student Ruby Batz PI (srb@uoregon.edu); Faculty advisor Co-PI Lillian Duran (lduran@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title:Home Literacy Environment of Urban and Rural Latin American Families: The Case of Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico

3. Phase of study: As of January 2016, UO’s IRB was approved; we are pending approval from Ohio State University’s IRB, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito’s IRB. We will initiate online / pen-paper data collection approximately in February.

4. Population or age group: We are working with parent/caregiver of a preschool aged child, ranging from 3 to 6 years of age, living in rural or urban areas in any of the participant countries: Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico. Each country will collect (n = 50/50 surveys from rural and urban locations).

5. Summary:In this study we hope to learn more about home literacy practices in the targeted countries. The study includes an online survey for participants living in urban settings, and a pen/paper survey for participants living in rural settings. Specifically we are interested in learning about 1) What are the characteristics of the home literacy practices of families of 3- to 6-year-old children in urban and rural Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico? 2) What factors explain the variability in home literacy practices in urban and rural Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico?

6. Opportunity for Participation: There will be an opportunity for entering data from pen/paper surveys collected. If you are bilingual (English/Spanish) or want to improve your Spanish, this may be a good opportunity to do so.

If you are interested please contact Ruby Batz (srb@uoregon.edu) for further information.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Students Kate Ascetta PI, (kascetta@uoregon.edu) ; Advisor  Wendy Machalicek (wmachali@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Associates Step Up: Effects of Web-based Professional Development Supports on Language Modeling Strategies

3. Phase of study: Analysis complete. Will be share initial findings at OHSA Spring Conference to the directors’ group.

4. Population or age group: 25 associate teachers at Head Start: 13 participants in treatment A and 12 in treatment B.

5. Summary: Using a randomized control trial, the impact of a web-based professional development tool that focuses on: (a) self-monitoring, (b) action-planning and, (c) language modeling strategies. 25 associate Head Start teachers will be randomly assigned to either the intervention 1(PD focused only on language modeling) or intervention 2 (PD focused on language modeling + child development) condition. Teachers’ ability to self-monitor and the use of language modeling strategies are the primary outcomes. Additionally, class-wide data will be collected on engagement and language development. The proposed study will provide pilot for further research on the feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based professional development for associate teachers.

6. Opportunity for Participation: No opportunities at this time.

If you are interested please contact Kate Ascetta (kascetta@uoregon.edu) for further information.

1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Students Angela Ingram (aingram@uoregon.edu) & Seunghee Lee (slee17@uoregon.edu) ; Faculty Advisors Dawn Rowe and Valerie Mazzotti

2. Study Title: Effects of self-determination instruction on school engagement for middle school students at-risk, or with disabilities

3. Phase of study: As of October 2015 researchers are collecting baseline data.

4. Population or age group: Middle school students at-risk and with disabilities

5. Summary: This study used a multiple-baseline design across students to examine the effects of self-determination instruction on school engagement for middle school students at-risk, or with disabilities and to what extent self-determination instruction increased academic engagement. In addition, this study aimed to examine teachers’ perceptions of the use of self-determination instruction to increase students’ academic engagement and self-determination skills as well as students’ perceptions of self-determination instruction as a method for increasing their self-determination skills.

6. Opportunity for Participation: Currently there is no opportunity for participation.