Overview
Overview
Established in 2007, the Alliance is an innovative partnership between The Help Group and the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and is dedicated to enhancing and expanding clinical research in the education and treatment of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to contributing to the development, greater understanding and use of best practice models by researchers, educators and clinicians.
Goals of the Alliance
- Enhance and expand research in the education and treatment of children and adolescents with ASD
- Develop educational and clinical evidence-based best practice models for individuals from preschool to young adulthood across the entire range of the autism spectrum
- Contribute to the greater understanding of best practice models for educators and mental health professionals working with individuals with ASD
Current Areas of Research
- Interventions using joint attention to improve language development
- Decreasing social anxiety through cognitive behavioral treatment methods
- Improving friendship quality and social skills
- Understanding the neural circuitry involved in processing emotions
- Examining the powerful impact of music education
- Parent education in the treatment of ASD
Research Studies Currently Recruiting
Research Studies Currently Recruiting
| Title | Researcher & Funding Source | Details | Study Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPARK for Autism | Amanda Gulsrud, PhD - Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) | Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) is conducting a free online study that strives to gather genetic information on the autism community as well as biological family members in order to understand the role of specific genes in the development of autism. SPARK hopes that this study will be the largest of its kind, involving tens of thousands of participants. By dramatically increasing the number of research participants, SPARK aims to facilitate research that has not previously been possible. | Download SPARKforAutism |
| Neural Assays and Longitudinal Assessment of Infants at Very High Risk for ASD | Mirella Dapretto, PhD - National Institute Health (NIH) | Our research team has been studying early markers of autism by tracking social, cognitive, and brain development of infants with and without a family history of ASD from birth to 3 years of age. Although behavioral concerns for autism emerge in the second year of life, it is likely that we can identify differences in brain markers in children who develop autism even earlier in development. Therefore, in our “infant-sibling study”, we are using a variety of innovative methods, including eye-tracking, electrophysiology (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in addition to behavioral testing, to characterize trajectories of brain function and development in the first year of life. The goals of our ongoing research are to identify sensitive risk markers of ASD as early as possible, as only with early detection can we initiate early intervention. | Download |
| Multi-modal Developmental Neurogenetics of Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Mirella Dapretto, PhD - National Institute of Health (NIH) | The ACE Program is a trans-NIH (National Institute of Health) initiative that supports large-scale multidisciplinary studies on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), with the goal of determining the causes and the best treatments for them. This study specifically seeks to study sex-specific differences in ASD in genetics, brain function, and behavior. | Download |
| Sensory Responsiveness in Autism and Anxiety | Mirella Dapretto, PhD & Shula Green, PhD - Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) | This study, led by Dr. Dapretto, is focused on understanding sensory over-responsivity in youth with ASD and in those with Anxiety. The purpose of this study is to understand how long it takes youth with ASD to habituate to sensory stimuli in terms of their neural response, as this has important implications for interventions. The current study is also comparing patterns of habituation in youth with ASD compared to youth with Anxiety disorders to understand whether the abnormal habituation rates are related to anxiety in the youth with ASD or whether this is a response unique to youth with ASD. | Download ASD Download Anxiety |
| Treating the Anxiety of Children with Autism and Intellectual Disability | Jeff Wood, PhD – Autism Speaks | The study, led by Dr. Wood, focuses on adapting strategies from a cognitive-behavioral program to limit verbal demands and make treatment more accessible for children ages 7-12 on the spectrum with less verbal capabilities. | Download |
| Treating Repetitive Behavior in Autism | Dr. James McCracken – National Institute of Health (NIH) | In order to deepen our understanding of repetitive behaviors in ASD and its treatment, Dr. McCracken is examining the benefits of risperidone administration in children 8-16 year old with ASD, as measured by fMRI | Download |
| Augmenting language interventions for ASD: A translational approach | Dr. James McCracken & Connie Kasari, PhD – National Institute of Health (NIH) | Connie Kasari – National Institute of Health (NIH) In this study, Drs. McCracken and Kasari aim to investigate the benefits of the addition of the dopamine-stabilizing drug, aripiprazole on short-term social communication and language outcomes in 6-11 year old children with ASD who lack phrase speech and receive an intensive, developmentally informed language intervention. . | Download |
Research Projects
Ongoing Research Projects
| Study Name | Researcher & Funding Source | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing Abilities in Children with ASD | Anjali Bhatara, PhD – UCLA Division of Head & Neck Surgery Fellowship, American Association of University Women Postdoctoral Fellowship | To better understand how children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) hear and process sounds in their environments, Dr. Anjali Bhatara is testing the hearing abilities of children ages 10-14 while measuring their brain activity using EEG technology. |
| Improving Language Development in Preschool Children | Connie Kasari, PhD – Organization for Autism Research (OAR) Grant | This two-year project, headed by Dr. Connie Kasari, is testing the effectiveness of improving language development for preschool children with ASD through treatment in joint attention and symbolic play. |
| Understanding the Positive Impact of Music | Elizabeth Laugeson, PsyD – NAMM Foundation Grant | Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson will be examining the positive emotional and behavioral impacts of a school-based music education program for lower functioning children with ASD. |
| Identifying the Neural PathwaysAssociated with Understanding Emotions | Istvan Molnar-Szakacs, PhD – Grammy Foundation Grant | In this innovative project, Dr. Istvan Molnar-Szakacs is using music as a tool to explore the ability of children with ASD and to identify emotions in musical excerpts and facial expressions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. |
| Detecting Dynamic Facial Expressions in Children and Adolescents Emotions | Judith Piggot, PhD – UCLA Center for Autism Research & Treatment Grant | Using fMRI technology, Dr. Judith Piggot is comparing children and adolescents with ASD to typically developing children in order to understand the neurological processing of emotion in dynamic faces. |
| Using Yoga to Decrease Sleep Problems and Anxiety for Children | Jane Tavyev Asher, MD | Using a yoga intervention, Dr. Jane Tavyev Asher is examining the effectiveness of reducing anxiety, decreasing sleep problems and increasing the overall quality of life for children ages 5-8 with ASD. |
| Decreasing Social Anxiety in Elementary School Aged Children | Jeff Wood, PhD – Autism Speaks Family Services Community Grant | Dr. Jeff Wood is heading this project to test the effectiveness of training mental health practitioners at The Help Group to implement a cognitive behavioral treatment intervention to treat social anxiety in children ages 7-11 with ASD. |
| Improving Social Skills for Middle School Students | Elizabeth Laugeson, PsyD – Nathan& Lilly Shapell Foundation Grant, Shapell & Guerin Family Foundation Grant, Friends of the Semel Insitute Grant, Semel Scholar Award for Junior Faculty Development | This study, led by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, is testing the effectiveness of improving friendship skills for middle-school students with ASD using a teacher-facilitated, parent assisted social skills intervention in the classroom. |
| Successful Transition in the Early School Years for Children | Jan Blacher, PhD – Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Grant | In order to guide the development of evidence-based interventions to promote student-teacher relationships, Dr. Jan Blacher is investigating salient factors and predictors of success to understand how children with ASD adapt best to early schooling. |