Jan Blacher

GSOE round-up

juliep — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 19:09:15 +0000

GSOE round-up juliep Thu, 01/28/2021 - 11:09 More News January 12, 2021

Congratulations to Arturo Nevárez, a doctoral candidate in the Education, Society and Culture program. Nevárez received a two-year fellowship from the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity along with a $5000 stipend. In this fellowship, he will collaborate as a co-researcher on a project with a BranchED scholar on transformative scholarship related to diversifying the teaching profession and critical issues of educational equity for minoritized students. According to their website, the goal of this program is twofold: 1) to support the development and success of emerging scholars of Color whose research interests are within the scope of teacher education and 2) to engage in collaborative and transformative scholarship related to diversifying the teaching profession and intentionally addressing critical issues of educational equity for all students.

Associate Professor Michael Solis was recently selected as a consultant for a $4 million-dollar federal grant received by Hawaii Department of Education. Currently, he is working on providing training of special education on reading interventions for students K-8 through a distance learning platform. This grant will ensure that a larger number of the teachers can be trained over the upcoming years.

Congratulations to Elina Veytsman, PhD student, who received the Michael Goodman Research Award, California Association of School Psychologists, November 2020, for her poster "Observed Effects of the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention for a Diverse Sample of Adolescents with ASD". The Michael Goodman Memorial Research Award recognizes the most outstanding research paper or poster presented at the annual CASP Convention. In the CASP newsletter, Elina said, “As an aspiring clinical researcher, I strongly believe that the value of research can be measured by its ability to have a direct impact on the youth and families it seeks to benefit . . . Our team implemented and adapted the first-ever PEERS intervention for Latinx families, who have been historically underrepresented in ASD intervention research.”

Elizabeth Baker, PhD student, wrote a blog for a UCR Sci Comm, "Cheers for Peers! Improved neural sensitivity to rewards in teens with autism spectrum disorder after intervention," using data from her master’s thesis. Read it here.

Autism Goes to College, a documentary executive produced by Dr. Jan Blacher, won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Long Beach International Film Festival.

Associate Professor Rita Kohli’s new book, Teachers of Color: Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education,will be published in June by Harvard Education Publishing Group.

Teachers of Color describes how racism serves as a continuous barrier against diversifying the teaching force and offers tools to support educators who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of Color on both a systemic and interpersonal level. Based on in-depth interviews, digital narratives, and questionnaires, the book analyzes the toll of racism on their professional experiences and personal well-being, as well as their resistance and reimagination of schools.

It's now available for pre-order from the publisher. Use the discount code TCSP21 for 20% off. (Also available via Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble)

Assistant Professor Austin Johnson co-authored School-Based Behavioral Assessment: Second Edition, released January 8, 2021. Revised and expanded with the latest tools and strategies, this concise book offers guidance for effectively conducting social, emotional, and behavioral assessments in today’s K–12 schools. The expert authors present foundational knowledge on assessment and data-based decision making at all levels—whole schools, small groups, or individual students—within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Chapters describe when, why, and how to use extant data, systematic direct observation, direct behavior rating, and rating scales. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes reproducible forms and templates. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

The following is a round-up of research and accomplishments sent on behalf of UCR SEARCH Center: Professor Jan Blacher; Assistant Professor Katherine Stavropoulos; Yasamin Bolourian, PhD Special Education, Post-Doctoral Fellow; Elizabeth Baker, PhD student, School Psychology ; Megan Ledoux Galligan, PhD candidate, Special Education ; Ainsley Losh, PhD student, School Psychology ; Elina Veytsman, PhD student, School Psychology ; Michelle Heyman, PhD student, School Psychology ; Tricia Choy, PhD student, School Psychology; Giselle Salinas, PhD student, Special Education ; Bhawandeep Baines, PhD Student, School Psychology; Ann Marie Martin, '20, PhD Special Education

PUBLICATIONS
Baker, B. L., & Blacher, J. (in press). Behavior disorders and social skills in adolescents with intellectual disability: Does co-morbid autism matter? Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities.

Buren, M. K., Johnson, A. H., Maggin, D. M., Bains, B. K., Ledoux Galligan, M. R., & Couch, L. K. (In press). Research utilization in special education. In B. M. Cook, T. J. Landrum, & M. Tankersley (Eds.), Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities. Emerald Insight. doi: 10.1108/albd

Caplan, B., Blacher, J., Eisenhower, A., Baker, B. L., & Lee, S. S. (in press). Gene x Responsive Parenting Interactions in Social Development: Characterizing Heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Developmental Psychobiology.

Ledoux Galligan, M.R., Suhrheinrich, J., & Kraemer, B. (In press.) Video modeling for high school students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Special Education Technology.

Baker B. L. & Blacher, J. (2020) Collateral effects of youth disruptive behavior disorders on mothers’ psychological distress: Intellectual disability, or typical development. In: Volkmar F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. NY: Springer.

Baker, E., Veytsman, E., Martin, A. M., Blacher, J., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020). Increased neural reward responsivity in adolescents with ASD after social skills intervention. Brain Sciences, 10(402). doi:10.3390/brainsci/10060402.

Heyman, M., Bolourian, Y., & Blacher, J. (2020). Transition to early schooling for children with ASD. In M. B. McClain, J. D. Shahidullah, & K. Mezher (Eds.), Handbook of Interprofessional Care for Pediatric ASD. New York: Springer.

Levinson, S., Neuspiel, J., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020). Parent-teacher disagreement on ratings of behavior problems in children with ASD: Associations with parental school involvement over time. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04675-1

Losh, A., Alba, L. A., Blacher, J., & Stavropoulos, K. K. M. (2020). Neuroimaging research with diverse children with ASD: Impact of a social story on parent understanding and likelihood of participation. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 71, 101511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101511

Martin, M. A., Stavropoulos, K. M., & Blacher, J. (2020). Differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and early onset schizophrenia: Two clinical cases. Advances in Autism, 6(2), 139-151. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-11-2019-0043

Rodas, N.V., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. L. (2020). Predictors of anxiety symptom trajectory in children with or without ID from early childhood to adolescence, Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2019.1710787

Rydzewska, E., Fleming, M., Young-Southward, G., Blacher, J., Bolourian, Y., Widaman, K., Philo, C., & Cooper, S.-A. (2020, in press). General health status in young people with intellectual disabilities with and without Down syndrome in, and transitioning from, special education. Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. DOI: 10.1111/jir.12781

PAPER PRESENTATION
Ledoux, M. R., Heyman, M., Bolourian, Y., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2021, January). Training for general educators in autism spectrum disorders: Adapting an iterative intervention for remote learning. Paper accepted at UC SPEDDR (virtual).

POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Choy, T., Losh, A., & Blacher, J. (2021, February). Parent-child interaction and social responsiveness in children with autism. Poster accepted at National Association of School Psychology (NASP) Convention (virtual).

Choy, T., Baker, E., Veytsman, E., Martin, A.M., Stavropoulos, K., Blacher, J. (2020, August). “The relationship between problem behaviors and family life following the PEERS® Program.” Poster accepted at American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington D.C. (virtual).

Heyman, M. R., Bolourian, Y., Baker, E., Baker, B. L., & Blacher, J. “Mother, Father, and Adolescent Perspectives: Sibling Relationship Quality of Individuals with ASD, ID, or TD.” Poster accepted at Gatlinburg Conference (virtual).

Veytsman, E., Ledoux, M.R., Salinas, G., Baker, B., & Blacher, J. (2020, December). Mothers’ perspectives on the future of their young adults with and without developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, USA. (Virtual conference)

Veytsman, E., Baker, E., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, October). Observed effects of the PEERS social skills intervention for a diverse sample of adolescents with ASD. Poster presented at the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) Annual Convention, Palm Springs, CA, USA. (Virtual conference)

Veytsman, E., Salinas, G., Ledoux, M.R., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. (2020, August). Staying positive: Dispositional optimism & attitudes for the future among mothers of adults with IDD. Poster accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., USA. (Virtual conference)

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GSOE research round-up & highlights

juliep — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 15:25:43 +0000

GSOE research round-up & highlights juliep Wed, 10/07/2020 - 08:25 More News Julie Porter October 01, 2020

Congratulations to Brian Jones, fifth-year PhD School Psychology candidate. Jones' master's thesis, “Supplemental Reading Interventions Implemented by Paraprofessionals: A Meta-Analysis,” was accepted by Psychology in the Schools for a special issue titled: "Current Status and Future Directions for Training and Supporting Paraprofessionals in Schools."

The article has been published online as an early release:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pits.22427

Assistant Professor Cathy Lussier has been named co-faculty director of UCR's Cal Teach Science Math Initiative. Additionally, Dr. Lussier has become a co-PI on the NSF Noyce Scholars program this year, both initiatives focus on increasing the diversity of future STEM teachers.

Dr. Lussier and School Psychology doctoral student Ashley Pfenning presented at American Psychological Association (APA) annual virtual conference in August. It was titled: "Preparing Teachers for 21st Century STEM Classrooms with English Learners."

This past August, SUNY Press published University management, the academic profession, and neoliberalism (citation below), written by Professor John S. Levin, and former GSOE Ph.D. students Dr. Marie Martin and Dr. Ariadna López-Damián. This book is based upon research that began in 2010 and included interviews with part-time and full-time faculty, department chairs, and deans at numerous public universities, including research and comprehensive universities, among those the University of California. A number of former graduate students of GSOE’s higher education policy and administration program contributed to the research for this project.

Levin, J. S., Martin, M. C., & López-Damián, A. I. (2020). University management, the academic profession, and neoliberalism. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Professor Levin also published the following article:
Gu, J., & Levin, J. S. (2020). Tournament in academia: a comparative analysis of faculty evaluation systems in research universities in China and the USA. High Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00585-4.

New papers from the CHAAOS Vocabulary team:
Professor Rollanda O’Connor (PI), Professor Keith Widaman. Valencia Youkhanna, PhD candidate, School Psychology; Luisana Suchilt, PhD student, School Psychology; Brian Jones, PhD candidate, School Psychology; Victoria Sanchez, PhD, Special Education ’10, Kristen Beach, PhD, Special Education ’12

O'Connor, R.E., Sanchez, V.M., Jones, B, Suchilt, L., Youkhana, V., & Beach, K.D. (2020). Continuing CHAAOS: Vocabulary Intervention for Students with Disabilities in Eighth Grade Who Are Also English Learners. Learning Disability Quarterly.

O'Connor, R.E., Sanchez, V.M., Jones, B, Suchilt, L., Youkhana, V., Beach, K.D., & Widaman, K. (2020). Systematic CHAAOS: Teaching vocabulary in English/Language Arts special education classes in middle school. Journal of Learning Disabilities. doi:10.77/002221940922839

Professor Begona Echeverria published a children’s picture book Basque-ing In Numbers (Kontaketa Euskaraz). Illustrated by Lara Scott (University of Pennsylvania, MFA; Yale University, BA in Art), the book draws on Echeverria's expertise as a Professor at UC Riverside’s Graduate School of Education and experience growing up as the Basque-speaking daughter of immigrants to California.

“Rhythm and alliteration help children learn the words: the object on each page either has the same number of syllables as the number, starts with the same letter, or rhymes with it. The text is in Basque, with English, Spanish and French translations.These features should make the book more accessible to non-Basque speaking parents who would like to expose their children to Euskera, an endangered language unrelated to any other in the world,” said Echevierra.

The following is a round-up of research and accomplishments sent on behalf of UCR SEARCH Center: Professor Jan Blacher; Assistant Professor Katherine Stavropoulos; Professor Keith Widaman; Assistant Professor Raquel Rall. Yasamin Bolourian, PhD Special Education, Post-Doctoral Fellow; Elizabeth Baker, PhD student, School Psychology ; Megan Ledoux Galligan, PhD candidate, Special Education ; Ainsley Losh, PhD student, School Psychology ; Elina Veytsman, PhD student, School Psychology ; Michelle Heyman, PhD student, School Psychology ; Tricia Choy, PhD student, School Psychology ; Katie Fullerton, PhD student, Special Education ; Giselle Salinas, PhD student, Special Education ; Ann Marie Martin, PhD candidate, Special Education

PUBLICATIONS:
Baker, E., Veytsman, E., Martin, A. M., Blacher, J., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020). Increased neural reward responsivity in adolescents with ASD after social skills intervention. Brain Sciences, 10(402). doi:10.3390/brainsci/10060402.

Baker, E., & Stavropoulos, K. K. M. (2020). The effects of oxytocin administration on individuals with ASD: Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence. In Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science (Vol. 173, pp. 209–238).

Heyman M., Bolourian Y., & Blacher J. (2020) Transition to Early Schooling for Children with ASD. In: McClain M., Shahidullah J., Mezher K. (eds) Interprofessional Care Coordination for Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46295-6_8

Levinson, S., Neuspiel, J., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020). Parent-teacher disagreement on ratings of behavior problems in children with ASD: Associations with parental school involvement over time. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04675-1

Rodas, N.V., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. L. (2020) Predictors of anxiety symptom trajectory in children with or without ID from early childhood to adolescence, Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2019.1710787

Rydzewska, E., Fleming, M., Young-Southward, G., Blacher, J., Bolourian, Y., Widaman, K.,Philo, C., & Cooper, S.-A. (2020, in press). General health status in young people with intellectual disabilities with and without Down syndrome in, and transitioning from, special education. Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. DOI: 10.1111/jir.12781

Bolourian, Y., Losh, A., Ledoux Galligan, M.R., Heyman, M., Choy, T., Fullerton, K., & Blacher, J. (2020). Building classroom relationships in elementary school grades: Strategies for teachers during remote teaching. Riverside, CA: Graduate School of Education, University of California Riverside.

Losh, A., Bolourian, Y., Ledoux Galligan, M., Heyman, M., Choy, T., Fullerton, K., Andoni, L., Thammathorn, P., Hastedt, I., Rall, R. M., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020). Addressing race and racism in the early school years: A guide for educators. Riverside, CA:Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside.

Gambetti, B., & Veytsman, E. (2020, Summer). COVID-19 and ASD: Impact on Families, Education, and Services. Psychology in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder: Official Publication of APA Division 33, 46(1).

Note re: Paper and Poster Presentations: All conferences were virtual, or cancelled as indicated.

PAPER PRESENTATION:
Bolourian, Y., Hamsho, N., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020, May). Smooth Sailing: Iterative development of a teacher-directed intervention. Paper accepted at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), as part of a panel entitled “Parents and Teachers: Collateral Benefits for Children with ASD,” Seattle, WA.

Bolourian, Y., Zeedyk, S., & Blacher, J. (2020, May). Autism and the college experience: An empirical base for faculty preparation in autism. Paper accepted at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), as part of a panel entitled “Capturing the Complexity of Young Adulthood for Individuals with ASD: Considerations for Measuring, Understanding and Maximizing Outcomes,” Seattle, WA.

Stavropoulos, K., Baker, E., Alba, L., & Veytsman, E. (2020, May). Impact of PEERS Social skills intervention on social motivation and reward. Symposium accepted to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA. (Conference cancelled)

Losh, A., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020, May). The impact of parent-teacher relationships on student-teacher relationship development for young students with ASD. Paper session accepted as part of the panel Parent and Teacher: Collateral Benefits for Children with ASD to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2020 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA (conference cancelled due to COVID-19).

Bolourian, Y., Ledoux, M., Blacher, J., & Baker, B.L. (2020, April). How worried should we be? Parent and adolescent self-reported anxiety of youth with autism. Paper accepted to the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA.

POSTER PRESENTATION:
Veytsman, E., Ledoux, M.R., Salinas, G., Baker, B., & Blacher, J. (2020, December). Mothers’ perspectives on the future of their young adults with and without developmental disabilities. Abstract submitted to the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, USA.

Ledoux, M.R., Losh, A., Veytsman, E., & Blacher, J. (2020, December). Assessing the service needs of families with children with ASD in the Inland Empire. Abstract submitted to the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, USA.

Veytsman, E., Baker, E., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, October). Observed effects of the PEERS social skills intervention for a diverse sample of adolescents with ASD. Poster accepted to the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) Annual Convention, Palm Springs, CA, USA. (Virtual conference)

Losh, A., Bolourian, Y., & Blacher, J. (2020, October). Student-Teacher Race Incongruence in ASD: Influence on Early Student-Teacher and Parent-Teacher Relationships. Poster session accepted to the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) 2020 Annual Convention, Palm Springs CA, USA (conference cancelled due to COVID-19).

Veytsman, E., Salinas, G., Ledoux, M.R., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. (2020, August). Staying positive: Dispositional optimism & attitudes for the future among mothers of adults with IDD. Poster accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., USA. (Conference cancelled)

Choy, T., Baker E., Veytsman, E., Martin, A.M., Blacher, J., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, August). The relationship between problem behaviors and family life following the PEERS program. Poster accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., USA. (Conference cancelled)

Baker, E., Martin, A.M., Veytsman, E., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, August). Neural correlates of social reward processing following the PEERSintervention. Poster accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., USA. (Conference cancelled)

Martin, A.M., Baker, E., Veytsman, E., Blacher, J., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, August). Teen perspectives on the social validity of the PEERS social skills program. Poster accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., USA. (Conference cancelled)

Losh, A., Bolourian, Y., Rodriguez, G., Eisenhower, A., & Blacher, J. (2020, August). Early student-teacher relationships in ASD: Student perspectives and child factors. Abstract accepted to the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Conference, Washington DC.

Ledoux, M., Heyman, M., Bolourian, Y., Stavropoulos, K., & Blacher, J. (2020, May). The influence of ADOS-2 E-codes on the assessment and classification of autism spectrum disorder. Abstract accepted to the International Society of Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA.

Ledoux, M., Losh, A., Veytsman, E., & Blacher, J. (2020, May). Assessing the service needs of families with children with ASD in the Inland Empire. Abstract accepted at the International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.

Veytsman, E., Baker, E., & Stavropoulos, K. (2020, May). Observed effects of the PEERS social skills intervention for adolescents with ASD: A predominantly Latin sample. Poster accepted to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA. (Conference cancelled)

Baker, E., Heyman, M., Bolourian, Y., Baker, B.L, & Blacher, J. (2020, April). The role of siblings: Qualitative perspective of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability and their caregivers. Abstract accepted to the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled)

Heyman, M., Baker, E., Bolourian, Y., Baker, B.L., & Blacher, J. (2020, April). Mother, father, and adolescent perspectives: Sibling relationship quality of individuals with ASD, ID, or TD. Abstract accepted at the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled)

Losh, A., Bolourian, Y., Rodriguez, G., & Blacher, J. (2020, April). Early student teacher relationships and ASD: Agreement between student and teacher perspectives. Abstract accepted to the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled)

Salinas, G., Veytsman, E., Baker, B., & Blacher, J. (2020, April). Commonalities in coping: Reports from parents of transition age youth across diagnostic groups. Abstract accepted to the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled)

Veytsman, E., Ledoux, M., Salinas, G., Baker, B. & Blacher, J., (2020, April). Parent perspectives on the future of their young adults with and without developmental disabilities. Abstract accepted to the Gatlinburg Conference, San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled)

TRAINING, CERTIFICATES, & AWARDS
Elizabeth Baker elected as APA Division 33 (IDD/ASD) Graduate Student Representative

New Funding from Collaborations with the School of Medicine, UCR:
Center for Health Disparities Research, University of California, Riverside. Mental Health and Educational Risks through the Lens of Disparities: Elevating Family Resilience during COVID-19. J. Blacher, PhD, Y. Bolourian, PhD, & R. Lee, MD.

Center for Health Disparities Research, University of California, Riverside. A Tele-Health Model of Screening for Autism in Under-Resourced Communities: Closing the Gap in Access. K. Stavropoulos, PhD, T. Cooper, MD, & J. Blacher, PhD

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Dr. Jan Blacher's new research looks at stress levels of mothers of children with autism

robertw — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 22:14:47 +0000

Dr. Jan Blacher's new research looks at stress levels of mothers of children with autism robertw Wed, 08/08/2018 - 15:14 More News Tess Eyrich November 28, 2017

Anyone who has ever survived being a teenager should be well aware that parenting a teenager can be no easy feat. But factor in a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID), and you’ll likely have the recipe for a unique set of challenges to the entire family unit.

According to autism expert Jan Blacher, a distinguished professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside, the effects of those challenges went largely understudied for years while medical professionals blamed mothers of children diagnosed with ASD for their kids’ disorders.

Beginning in the 1950s, doctors turned to psychiatrist Leo Kanner’s “refrigerator mother” theory as evidence that a lack of maternal warmth could essentially cause autism. It wasn’t until the mid-1960s when psychologist Bernard Rimland, among others, began to discredit Kanner’s theory, instead popularizing the idea that autism could be rooted in neurological development, or even genetics.

Decades later, the race to find autism-linked genes continues. But it doesn’t yet benefit families of kids with ASD, said Blacher and her research colleague, UCLA’s Bruce L. Baker.

Within those families, the impacts of raising children with autism hit mothers especially hard, resulting in what Blacher and Baker refer to as “collateral effects.”

In a study recently published online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the researchers found that mothers of teenagers with ASD or ID reported higher levels of stress and other negative psychological symptoms — think depression or anxiety — than mothers of teenagers with typical development, or TD.

Those levels climbed even higher when teenagers with ASD or ID also showed signs of clinical-level disruptive behavior disorders.

To find out how such disorders affected mothers, Blacher and Baker surveyed 160 13-year-olds and their families. Eighty-four of the study’s teenage participants were classified as having typical development, or TD; 48 as having ASD; and 28 as having ID.

Jan Blacher

As the director of UCR’s SEARCH (Support, Education, Advocacy, Resources, Community, and Hope) Family Autism Resource Center, Blacher works with kids of all ages with ASD. She said this study, however, is special because it focuses on a pool of adolescents who are the same age.

“Usually when studies have looked at the impacts of autism on families, the children involved have reflected wide ranges of ages,” she said. “Here, we’ve eliminated the variance related to developmental stage.”

Blacher and Baker first assessed mothers and their 13-year-olds during in-person visits at their research site, and later asked mothers to complete separate questionnaires privately to measure youth behavior problems and parental well-being.

“ASD group mothers scored highest on each of the two distress indicators,” the researchers wrote, adding that ASD group mothers’ levels of stress and psychological symptoms did not differ significantly from those of ID group mothers.

The findings harken back to research demonstrating that parents of children with ASD have reported levels of stress consistent with those of individuals who experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

What’s more, mothers’ levels of parenting-related stress and other psychological symptoms were amplified by the presence of one or more clinical-level behavior disorders, Blacher and Baker said.

“The most common disruptive behavior disorder is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, but children with autism can also show signs of oppositional defiant disorder, depression, and anxiety,” Blacher said. “The disorders that are most disruptive to parents are those we describe as ‘acting out’ disorders and involve behaviors like not following rules, hitting, screaming, arguing, lashing out, and breaking things.”

Still, the researchers emphasized that parents who face childrearing challenges need not resign themselves to lifetimes of mounting stress. The mothers they studied who demonstrated more resilience had one thing in common: an optimistic outlook on life.

Using the Life Orientation Test, which assesses individuals’ optimism or pessimism, Blacher and Baker found that mothers who were more optimistic — believing that good rather than bad things would happen to them — experienced fewer negative impacts associated with parenting a child with ASD or ID and comorbid behavior disorders.

In those cases, a more positive outlook on life became a buffer against parenting-related stressors.

“It’s in the face of stress when optimism really becomes important,” Blacher said. “A mom that has a high level of optimism is going to be able to better weather stress and be better prepared mentally for the challenges ahead.”

This research was funded by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This article was first published in UCR Today, full piece here.

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Student spotlight: Yasamine Bolourian Ph.D. '18

robertw — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 20:51:30 +0000

Student spotlight: Yasamine Bolourian Ph.D. '18 robertw Wed, 08/08/2018 - 13:51 More News Julie Porter October 16, 2017

When Yasamine Bolourian decided to pursue a Ph.D., she wanted to commit to a program that “prepared students to be highly-competent leaders in their field,” and in her case, engage in cutting-edge research in special education and autism. After learning that UCR was home to some of the nation’s leading experts in autism research and the highly regarded SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center, GSOE quickly became Yasamine’s top choice. Now, three years into her Special Education doctorate, she has been trained in gold standard autism assessments at SEARCH, has co-authored on several studies, and presented research with GSOE’s Dr. Jan Blacher, Distinguished Professor and director of SEARCH, and SEARCH assistant director, Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos.

Tell us about your experience as a graduate student researcher at SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center, and some of the projects the center has been working on? SEARCH is truly unique as it is the UC-system’s first no-cost screening clinic for individuals suspected of having autism. Since day one, I wanted to be actively engaged in practice at the clinic. As part of the SEARCH team under Dr. Blacher’s supervision, I have had various educational and clinical opportunities, working closely with children and families from diverse backgrounds. It has been particularly inspiring to interact with families during a very critical period in their lives and, consequently, continue to cultivate empathy and become more attuned to their lived experiences.

More recently, we have embarked on new projects and collaborations that have expanded our reach. SEARCH and the UCR School of Medicine have partnered to improve access to care and receipt of services for underserved minority families in the community, and we have had an integral addition to the SEARCH team, Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos. Among other notable titles, Dr. Stavropoulos is an assistant professor at the GSOE and a clinical psychologist, who brings invaluable insight and perspective into the additional co-occurring issues that children in this population face. Training under her wing has vastly broadened my content knowledge in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

What drew you to the field of special education? I was drawn to special education because of the desire to enhance the quality of life for students with autism and other special needs, as well as their families. These populations have well-documented substantial academic, social, and behavioral challenges that require attention in both the home and school environments.

Tell us a little about your own research interests, and what you are currently working on? My research focuses on understanding the social and emotional development of youth with developmental disabilities, specializing in autism spectrum disorder. Social-emotional issues in children with autism are frequently reported by both parents and teachers, and therefore permeate home and school systems. My research explores the manifestation of these issues (e.g., social deficits, anxiety, behavioral problems) in order to help researchers, families, and educators understand the difficulties experienced by youth with autism.

While the bulk of my research has been focused on children with ASD, I envision an increase in research attention on adults, a population that has been relatively neglected in the field. In line with this, I am interested in understanding and supporting students with autism in the postsecondary setting. I have been fortunate to engage in research with Dr. Blacher at the GSOE that investigates the experiences of university students with autism and ADHD, as well as faculty knowledge about developmental disabilities, through a project entitled “Autism 101.”

What have been some of the highlights of being a graduate student at UCR? One of the many highlights of being a graduate student at UCR has been receiving mentorship and collaborating with faculty across the GSOE. In particular, I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Keith Widaman, Dr. Marsha Ing, and Dr. Robert Ream on a variety of projects that have greatly added value to my graduate research and training experiences.

What advice would you give an incoming graduate student? “It takes a village to raise a graduate student:” My advice to incoming students is to take full advantage of UCR’s exceptional resources and faculty. For instance, the Graduate Division offers a wide array of resources to meet student needs. Early on, I participated in the Graduate Student Mentorship Program, as well as utilized group workshops and individual consultations offered at Grad Quant and the Writing Center. These programs have been tremendously helpful in answering questions related to coursework, personal research, and general graduate school survival skills. More recently, I have been making use of Dissertation Occasion, which provides students who are working on their dissertation with the space and time (and coffee!) for dedicated writing hours.

Best advice someone has given you as a graduate student? Don’t forget about self-care! For me, I try to see my friends and family as much as possible, and exercise – sort of…

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Jan Blacher

Katherine Stavropoulos

SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center

Special Education