teacher showing happy and sad faces to student with autism

Supporting individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism, as well as their caregivers and service providers, is central to the work of FPG. Understanding developmental trajectories and the impact of a developmental disability on the individual, family, and broader community informs both theory and practice. High-quality intervention across the age range can ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families fully participate in their community in ways that are meaningful to them. FPG investigators have identified central features of high-quality intervention, such as family-focused programming, early childhood inclusion, and the use of identified evidence-based practices. They lead the field in translating scientific knowledge into practical information for teachers and service providers, and actively join their colleagues from implementation science in promoting adoption and use of effective intervention practices in schools, homes, and community settings.

Featured FPG News Story

Executive functions—cognitive processes that underlie goal-directed abilities and behaviors—are well-established predictors of academic and social outcomes in neurotypical children. Because it was unclear whether these same associations are true for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a research team examined the relationship between executive functions and academic and social skills in cognitively able, verbal kindergarteners with ASD, using a multimeasurement approach to executive function skills.

Featured Person

Torica Exume, PhD, has a diverse background in working with individuals with various mental health disorders, spanning ages 1 to 60. Her expertise encompasses autism spectrum conditions, community-partnered participatory research, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices, outcome measures, and addressing racial and ethnic disparities. With a strong commitment to improving the lives of autistic children, Exume applies her extensive education and hands-on experience to enhance communication, social interactions, analysis and treatment of repetitive behavior disorders, and safety skills.

Featured Research Project

Recognizing the long-standing gap between research and classroom practice in special education, researchers at FPG have launched < href="https://fpg.unc.edu/news/fpg-researchers-awarded-36-million-new-afirm-ai-project">“Integrating AI and Evidence-Based Practices to Enhance Postsecondary Special Educators’ Preparation for Supporting Autistic Students.” This project draws on the strengths of artificial intelligence (AI) to make it easier for educators to identify evidence-based practices (EBPs) that are most effective for individual autistic students’ goals. By increasing access to information about EBPs, the project aims to prepare current and future teachers to design and implement a personalized system of instruction for autistic students.

Current Projects

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AFIRM for Paraeducators: Paraeducators' Use of Evidence-Based Practices to Increase Goal Attainment for Students with Autism
The dual increases in the prevalence of students with autism needing special education services and the number of paraeducators providing instruction in special education had created a need for preparing paraeducators to use evidence-based practices (EBPs) with autistic students in educational settings. The AFIRM for Paraeducators (AFP) program is a professional development program for paraeducators to be delivered by special education teachers in authentic educational settings. The purpose of this project is to examine the promise of the AFP program, through a pilot randomized control trial (RCT), for increasing paraeducators use of EBP with high fidelity of implementation and resultant goal attainment by autistic students receiving instruction.
Autism Research on Communication (ARCC)
Communication is fundamental to quality of life, social connection, and long-term outcomes. It encompasses the broad exchange of information through various means, including speech, gestures, facial expressions, and body language, while language is a structured system of symbols used as one specific way to communicate. Although language impairment is no longer a diagnostic criterion for autism, communication difficulties remain central to diagnosis. Parents often identify communication and language delays as an early concern, and nearly all early interventions focus on addressing these delays alongside the behavioral challenges that arise from communication difficulties. This project aims to generate meaningful, high-impact research that improves real-world outcomes and bring about increased knowledge and interest in research and care of autistic individuals and their communication needs through mentoring new generations.
EMERGE: Early Markers of Expressive and Receptive Language Growth in Ethnically Diverse Autistic Toddlers
Spoken language is predictive of many positive life outcomes, such as employment, social interaction, play skills and more. But, researchers still don’t know why some children talk and others don’t, especially as it relates to historically marginalized and minoritized populations. A new study, EMERGE: Early Markers of Expressive and Receptive Language Growth in Ethnically Diverse Autistic Toddlers, seeks to change that.
Examining adaptive peer-mediated interventions for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder and limited or no spoken language
Inclusive PreK STEM Playgroups: Empowering our Youngest Learners and their Caregivers for Confidence and Competence in STEM Learning
This project is grounded in a science education partnership between Kidzu Children’s Museum and FPG’s STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE). The project will include sharing resources and spaces to develop and implement playgroups for pre-K children with a variety of abilities and their caregivers with specific STEM related goals and activities through the sequence of playgroups.
Independent Study of Maryland's Online IFSP and MOIEP Systems
This project will evaluate Maryland’s online individualized family service plan (IFSP) and online individualized education program (IEP) systems. Specifically, the project aims to understand whether these systems effectively support children and students with disabilities, align with federal and state requirements, and meet the needs of their end-users. Evaluation activities will include conducting 80 interviews, facilitating at least 10 focus groups, and hosting four family listening sessions across systems.
Integrating AI and Evidence-Based Practices to Enhance Postsecondary Special Educators' Preparation for Supporting Autistic Students
The rapid increase in the presence of autistic students in U.S. education systems has placed a great demand for education services, and federal law states that such services and instruction must be based on evidence-based practices (EBPs). Teachers, however, report that they lack the information and preparation for using EBPs and instruction for autistic students in their classrooms. Given technological advances in recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise for supporting teachers’ use of EBPs to design and deliver personalized programs for autistic students based on their individual abilities and needs. The purpose of this project is to develop an AI-assisted application (called the IEP2EBP) that teachers will use to select the most efficacious autism intervention practices, link the most effective practices to students’ individual learning goals, access resources for applying the practices, and assessing student outcomes.
Resilience as a Mechanism to Address Health Disparities of Black Autistic Children and Caregivers
Black autistic children are more likely to be misdiagnosed, receive access to substandard services, and are almost twice as likely to have a co-occurring intellectual disability. As a result, we must thoroughly examine how to address these health disparities for Black families rearing an autistic child. This gaping hole in research contributes to poor outcomes for Black autistic children and their caregivers.