The USC ABA community is built upon a foundation of anti-racism and we therefore believe that we all have a responsibility to take practical action toward bringing about a more just, equitable, and compassionate future. Toward that end, we are engaged in a variety of student and faculty-initiated research, practice, and training initiatives. Projects and project leaders are described below.
Utilizing ACT to Mitigate Stigma and Biases in South Asian Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
stigmas and biases that are felt within the South Asian community regarding raising a child with developmental disabilities. Through ACT trainings, parents are able to evaluate their own stigmas and biases that they face within the home and the community. By highlighting their values and making committed actions, parents will progress in overcoming the cultural biases they experience and engage in chosen actions that they and their families value, for example, self-care and access to supports for their child. For more information about this study, contact Kriti at kcadambi@usc.eduA Telehealth Approach to Acceptance and Commitment Training for Enhancing Behavioral Parent Training for Chinese Parents
This study, led by USC ABA alumnus Zhen Lin, MS, focuses on using Telehealth Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) and Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) to support Chinese Parents. Parents of children with autism tend to experience higher stress than many other parents. Under the pandemic quarantine, the resources that Chinese caregivers can receive are very limited. This study evaluated a bilingual practical model to improve parenting skills and self-motivation and to decrease experiential avoidance and stress for parents of children with autism living in China.
ACT-Based Support for University Students in the LGBTQ Community
This study, led by USC ABA alumnus Hongen Ma, MS, focuses on applying Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) to support university students who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ individuals tend to experience psychological distress due to social pressure and discrimination. This study provides ACT training to help improve a core set of skills, including mindfulness, acceptance, and cognitive defusion, with the goal of empowering students to live more rewarding and fulfilling lives.
Practical Resources for Talking to Children with Autism about Systemic Racism
This study, led by USC ABA alumnus Julie Melendez, MS, addresses systemic racism with their children on the autism spectrum. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) should be educated about how they, and their families, can combat systemic racism in their everyday lives. The present paper addresses this gap in available treatment resources by offering practical suggestions and guidelines for how adults can address the topic of systemic racism with children on the autism spectrum to educate them and prepare them to contribute to a more honorable and just future.
Implicit Bias Training
This training, led by USC ABA alumnus Jacqueline Ramirez, MS, utilizes an ACT approach to teaching constituents to be mindful of bias that may have an impact on their overt behavior. Implicit bias was discussed and operationalized through a behavior analytic lens which enabled participants to become more aware of their biased behavior while using their values to identify prosocial overt behaviors that they could put into practice every day in practice and in their communities.
Multilingual Diversity in the Field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism: A Brief Review and Discussion of Future Directions
This review, led by USC ABA alumnus Yiyi Wang, MS, addresses multilingual diversity within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as it relates to treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and discusses how multilingualism might be better addressed within the field of ABA. We briefly review the very small amount of existing research on multilingual approaches when using ABA and discuss directions for future research. In addition, we discuss potential future directions for the field, in terms of increasing the number of international students in graduate programs, enhancing diversity curricula within graduate programs and continuing education, and efforts by professional organizations to address diversity.
The Effects of Bilingual Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) on Physical Activity in Bilingual International University Students
This study, led by USC ABA alumnus Yiyi Wang, MS, evaluates a bilingual, five-week, one-on-one ACT-based coaching program for increasing exercise in bilingual international university students. After receiving the ACT intervention, all four participants increased their average daily steps, gym visits, and gym duration significantly, and gains maintained after the intervention was terminated. The results of this study suggest that an ACT-based bilingual coaching program of moderate duration can be effective for increasing exercise in bilingual university students.
Exploring the impact of Mand Training using Telehealth methods in Uganda
This study, led by our USC student Miriam Mukasa, provides web-based training for primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities in Uganda. During this training, primary caregivers will be taught various ways to support their children to develop skills. We seek to adopt evidence-based behavioral interventions to the specific cultural contexts of limited resource communities as well as to address the gap between geographical and socioeconomic disparities in developmental disabilities research.
Mindfulness-Based Coaching for Immigrant Parents
This study, led by our USC student Claudia Rodriguez, identifies the
effects of mindfulness-based practices on overt behaviors of immigrant parents, regardless of legal immigration status, not dependent on their children being diagnosed with ASD. Hopefully, the results of the study propel more researchers to conduct further studies with immigrant parents especially undocumented immigrant parents as they consistently seem to get left out of research; including behavior science research. For more information about this study, contact Claudia at cr42649@usc.edu.
Impact of Fluency Training and Mindfulness on Gender-Affirming Language for Families of Transgender Youth
This study, led by USC ABA student Jay Smirga, aims to support transgender and gender non-conforming youth by providing opportunities for their family members to adjust their verbal behavior surrounding the person’s identity. This program will use fluency training to allow family members to practice using the person’s correct name and pronouns without the youths themselves present, helping to overcome their previous learning history. Elements of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), especially mindfulness and cognitive defusion, will also be included, with the goal of helping families engage in verbal behaviors that affirm and support their transgender family member.
Neurodiversity Training in Typical Education Classrooms
This goal of this project, led by USC ABA student Emma Farber, is to create a curriculum that promotes neurodiversity and acceptance in elementary school classrooms. This curriculum will serve as a tool for teachers to help their general education students understand their neurodiverse peers as well as a tool for the teachers themselves to learn about their students’ learning differences. The objective is to help younger students become more accepting and prevent biases against neurodivergent people from forming.