Current
Beat It: US Based Pilot Evaluation of the Behavioral Activation Intervention, Beat It, for Young Adults with ID
Principal Investigators: Andrea Caoili, MSW, Mariah Sommers, MSW, Brittany Powers, PhD, and Karen Weigle, PhD
Aims: 1) Ensure suitability of the Beat It intervention and accompanying manualized materials in the US; 2) Ensure that the research group can administer Beat It with fidelity for up to 20 individuals with IDD identified as having low mood or meet clinical criteria for depression; and 3) Evaluate the experiences and outcomes for patients and therapists.
Long-term Goal: To bring an evidenced-based depression intervention, from the UK, to the US. This pilot work will lay the ground needed for a large, randomized trial in the future.
Total awarded: $17,000. Research institution’s match $30,000.
Promoting Self-Determination in Psychotherapy
Principal Investigator: Richard Champman, PhD, The Partnership for People with Disabilities, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University
Award Amount: $70,000 (two years)
Description: This project will develop an intervention manual that is based on the Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction and pilot a 10-week intervention with a group of people with IDD-MH.
Determining the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of an Online, Self-guided, Single-Session ACT Program to Improve Quality of Life for Autistic Adults Experiencing Mental Health Concerns
Principal Investigator: Ty Aller, PhD, of the Institute for Disability, Research, Policy, and Practice (IDRPP), Utah State University
Award Amount: $35,000
Description: This study will address issues related to acceptability and accessibility of mental health treatment for autistic adults by co-creating an online, single-session, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based intervention with a participatory research team. Once created, the team will then determine its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in an open trial of the newly developed single-session intervention.
Survey of Psychological Training in Autism and Intellectual Disability
Principal Investigator: Amy Keefer, PhD, the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins
Award Amount: $19,658
Description: This project aims to examine current training opportunities in autism and intellectual disability research as well as the perceptions of, comfort with, interest in and knowledge about psychological services for autistic and intellectually disabled individuals. This information will be used to identify useful training resources and potential barriers to improving training within graduate psychology programs.
Past
Using Mixed-Reality Simulation to Train School-based Mental Health Professionals how to Support Students with Developmental Disabilities with Co-occurring Mental Health Concerns
PI: Emily Graybill, PhD., Director, Center for Leadership in Disability, Georgia State University
Goals: Through this project, we will train 20 school psychology students and 20 school counseling students on how to build the competence to support the mental health concerns of students with developmental disabilities (MH/DD) in schools. We will measure their attitude, knowledge, and skills related to receiving training on supporting students with MH/DD.
Aims: 1) Increase awareness of mental health concerns in students with developmental disabilities; 2) Increase knowledge of signs and symptoms of mental health concerns of students with disabilities; and 3) Increase skills in supporting students with developmental disabilities who are showing signs of mental health concerns.
Total Awarded: $15,000. Research institution match $15,000.
Examining the Mental Health of Autistic College Adults
PI: Brian Freedman, PhD, Senior Associate Director, University of Delaware Center for Disability Studies, DE
Aims: 1) Examine the internal construct validity and reliability of a commonly used mental health instrument in college counseling centers, the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 item (CCAPS-62), for students on the autism spectrum; 2) understand the specific mental health needs of college students on the autism spectrum when compared to college students with other disabilities and no disabilities; 3) explore predictors of mental health needs of autistic college students.
Long-term Goal: to increase educational supports for those with ASD in collegiate settings.
Total Awarded: $9,360. Research institution’s match: $15,000.
Examining Cognitive Accessibility and Clinical Applications of the VIA Character Strengths Survey
PI: Ariel Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L, MGH Institute of Health Professions
Aims: 1) Examine the comprehensibility of the VIA Character Strengths Survey, when used by adults with IDD and 2) Describe how knowledge of character strengths is used in clinical practice with adults with IDD.
Long-term Goal: This work is designed as a first step towards deploying the VIA Survey in an electronic application, which be filled out by persons with IDD, and design of strengths-based intervention for those with IDD.
Total Awarded: $11,360. Research institution’s match: $15,000.
Positive Mental Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders
PI: Luke Kalb, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, MD
Aims: Examine the: 1) profiles of well-being among parents raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); 2) psychometric characteristics of the PERMA-Profiler, a measure of well- being, among adults with ASD; 3) profiles of well-being among adults with ASD; and 4) correlates of well-being among adults with ASD and caregivers of children with ASD.
Long-term Goal: To advance research and measurement of well-being on among those with ASD and their families. This is a major gap in the literature. Previous research is highly focused on deficits.
Total Awarded: $7,000. Research institution’s match: $15,000.
Psychological flexibility in adults with ASD: Psychological distress in the context of COVID-19
PI: Ty B. Aller, PhD, LMFT, Utah State University Center for Persons with Disabilities/UCEDD
Aims: 1) Explore how psychological flexibility influences psychological distress in adults with ASD in the context of COVID-19 with a pilot epidemiological study; 2) Establish the dimensionality, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and the concurrent and convergent validity of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II) in adults with ASD; 3) Establish the dimensionality, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and the concurrent and convergent validity of the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) in adults with ASD; 4) Provide research opportunities for undergraduate and/or graduate research assistants and UCEDD trainees to learn more about the intersection of mental health and intellectual/developmental disabilities.
