A growing number of autism-specific interventions have evidence to support them. Using community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) approaches the Autism Intervention Network for Behavioral Health (AIRB) researchers have set the standard for developing implementing and evaluating interventions in under-resourced communities including impoverished schools and communities and with families from traditionally disenfranchised groups. Our AIRB sites have established a successful research network devoted to addressing core and associated autism symptoms. Success has been measured in parents' and providers' ability to implement interventions successfully as well as improved child outcomes. Despite these successes achieving sustained change is challenging. If we are to have a lasting impact autism intervention research must focus on broadening access expanding reach and facilitating widespread availability of services in the community.
Goals and objectives:
The primary goal of this competing continuation is to develop and evaluate a multi-phase implementation and sustainment strategy to support evidence-based practice use across different ASD interventions settings and ages. Objectives 1-2: Expand our existing national platform of academic-community partnerships to improve the reach of effective interventions for children withASDand their families. Objectives 3-4: Recruit participants from diverse racial/ethnic rural and socioeconomic groups. Objectives 5-7: Conduct studies in under-resourced settings test a multi-phase implementation strategy using rigorous scientific methods and deliver training for evidence-based interventions using remote delivery methods. Objectives 8-9: Develop and test tools and resource guidelines to promote access to and sustainability of effective interventions. Objectives 10-11: Expand mentoring of early investigators and investigators new to the field. Objectives 12-14: Widely disseminate interventions tools and guidelines via presentations publications community presence dedicated websites and social media outlets. Objectives 15-17: Disseminate research findings locally and nationally through workgroups and annual conferences; leverage Network capacity to obtain additional extramural funding. Proposed activities and target populations:
Using CPPR and implementation science we will expand partnerships with local schools community health centers and community-based organizations to identify and respond to stakeholder priorities and test an implementation strategy to expand the independent sustained use of effective evidence-based interventions by publicly-funded programs. We will employ multi-site clinical trials using innovative remote training methods to reach underserved participants in urban and rural settings. We will develop validate and disseminate approaches to engage families and community stakeholders and produce guidelines for further dissemination of the protocols. Coordination:
To extend our previous success as an AIRB network we rely on our established infrastructure and existing community partnerships. We will add additional sites with complementary expertise and Pis who have productive collaborations around our proposed interventions. The team comprises leaders in implementation science treatment and tool development which we will capitalize on to ameliorate disparities in communities where disenfranchised groups are overrepresented. Products:
Development of tools resource guidelines manualized interventions and technology for supporting community engagement of under-represented families in evidence-based interventions across the life span. Evaluation:
We will employ quantitative and qualitative implementation science methods to test the effectiveness reach and sustainment of evidence based interventions in under-resourced community settings.
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Kasari C, Shire S, Shih W, Almirall D. Getting SMART about social skills interventions for students with ASD in inclusive classrooms. Except Child. Published online April 24, 2021. doi:10.1177/00144029211007148 April 2021
Sturm A, Williams J, Kasari C. Who gains and who loses? Sociodemographic disparities in access to special education services among autistic students. Autism Res. 2021;14(8):1621-1632. doi:10.1002/aur.2517 April 2021
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Hassrick EM, Shih W, Nuske HJ, et al. Disrupted care continuity: testing associations between social networks and transition success for children with autism. Soc Sci. 2021;10(7):247. doi:10.3390/socsci10070247 June 2021
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Kim SA, Baczewski L, Pizzano M, Kasari C, Sturm A. Discrimination and Harassment Experiences of Autistic College Students and Their Neurotypical Peers: Risk and Protective Factors [published online ahead of print, 2022 Sep 14]. J Autism Dev Disord. 2022;10.1007/s10803-022-05729-2. doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05729-2 PMID:36103077 DOI:doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05729-2 September 2022 36103077
Chang, Y. C., & Dean, M. (2022). Friendship interventions and measurements in children with ASD: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 93, 101947. DOI:10.1016/j.rasd.2022.101947 May 2022
Kim SA, Kasari C. Working memory of school-aged children on the autism spectrum: Predictors for longitudinal growth. Autism. 2023 Apr 21:13623613231165599. doi: 10.1177/13623613231165599. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37086016. DOI:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37086016/ April 2023 37086016
Libster N, Knox A, Engin S, Geschwind D, Parish-Morris J, Kasari C. Sex differences in friendships and loneliness in autistic and non-autistic children across development. Mol Autism. 2023 Feb 24;14(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s13229-023-00542-9. PMID: 36829214; PMCID: PMC9960478. DOI:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36829214/ February 2023 36829214
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Dean M, Chang YC, Shih W, Orlich F, Kasari C. Social engagement and loneliness in school-age autistic girls and boys. Womens Health (Lond). 2023;19:17455057231170973. doi:10.1177/17455057231170973 DOI:doi: 10.1177/17455057231170973 January 2023 37129160
Libster N, Kasari C, Sturm A. Predictors of Sexual Victimization Among Autistic and Non-Autistic College Students. J Autism Dev Disord. 2023 Jul 22. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06064-w. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37480442. DOI:10.1007/s10803-023-06064-w July 2023 37480442
Castell�n FA, Sturm A, Kasari C. Dual Identification: Trajectories to English Proficiency for English Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder [published online ahead of print, 2023 May 12]. J Autism Dev Disord. 2023;10.1007/s10803-023-05994-9. doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05994-9 DOI:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37171765 May 2023 37171765
Ahlers K, Hugh ML, Tagavi D, Eayrs C, Hernandez AM, Ho T, Locke J. "On an island by myself": implications for the inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in public elementary schools. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 26;14:1241892. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1241892. PMID: 37829762; PMCID: PMC10566509. September 2023
Kim SA, Kasari C. Brief Report: Longitudinal Trajectory of Working Memory in School-Aged Children on the Autism Spectrum: Period of High Plasticity and "Late Bloomers". J Autism Dev Disord. 2023 Apr 6. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-05960-5. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37022582. April 2023
Chang YC, Shire S, Shih W, Kasari C. Developmental Play Skills as Outcomes of Early Intervention. J Autism Dev Disord. 2023 Oct 5. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06147-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37796387. October 2023
Frake E, Dean M, Huynh LN, Iadarola S, Kasari C. Earning Your Way into General Education: Perceptions about Autism Influence Classroom Placement. Education Sciences. 2023; 13(10):1050. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101050 October 2023