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Reseach Studies & Opportunities

November 26, 2015

The Virginia Tech Autism Clinic and the VT Center for Autism Research are offering a new research study to test a treatment to improve emotion regulation skills in children 5-7 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study targets emotion regulation for anger and anxiety using the Stress and Anger Management Program (STAMP). We will teach emotion coping skills to children and  parents by introducing different “tools” to use.  You and your child will complete a screening visit, 9 treatment visits (1 hour each), a post-treatment visit and a follow-up visit. Clinic fees will apply on a sliding scale.Families will be compensated $50 for their time and participation and may also benefit from learning new skills.Contact ascarpa@vt.edu or call (540) 231-2053 and mention STAMP to learn more.

Research
 for Adults on Vaccination Choices.
This is a new research study that seeks to understand different beliefs and concerns about the body, health and vaccination, and how they influence health choices such as whether to vaccinate or not. Our hope is that a better understanding of different beliefs can lead to a more constructive, nuanced dialogue about vaccination Anyone 18+ can participate and interviews will take approximately 90 minutes and will be audio recorded. They will take place at a location convenient/comfortable to participants, or via Skype. Contact Tarryn Abrahams at 267 269 1665 or healthbeliefs@vt.edu or tarryn.abrahams@vt.edu


Research Study for Parents and Teens

Parents and adolescents needed for Virginia Tech study of social and academic experiences. With their parent and a same-gender close friend, teens will be asked to complete questionnaires, conversation tasks, and a speech task. Participation should last 1.5 hours. Study is located on VT Blacksburg campus. Teens, their participating friend, and participating parent are each given $10 gift certificate. Interested? Call the Virginia Tech Social Development Lab at 231-8179 or e-mail rlm527@vt.edu

The infant-Language Emotion Attention Perception (i-LEAP) Lab at VT is seeking parents and their 13- to 15-month-old infants for a study on early word-object learning.  We are interested in whether infants are influenced by social cues in their attempts to learn the names of new objects. All sessions last approximately 20-30 minutes and you are compensated $10 for your participation.  We welcome older siblings if you would like to bring them along and have convenient parking near our location.  Please contact us at 540-231-3972 or by emailing iLeap@vt.edu.  
Eye Gaze & Emotions Project

From Virginia Tech Psychology Department: Is your child between the ages of 6-9? Contribute to the understanding of how kids read emotion. Parents/legal guardians complete questionnaires and children complete in-lab tasks and computer games.Flexible, after-school hours scheduling Receive between $10-$20 and a toy for your child! Contact Lauren at (540) 231-9735; Email: EyeGazeEmotions@gmail.com

*Adult and infant subjects needed for a research study about how carrying a baby affects your walking.  If you are aged 18-65, you & your baby can be in a research study at Radford University to help scientists understand how carrying a baby affects the way you walk.  You would bring your baby to RU for a 1 hour session.  Infant must be less than 12 months old and can be any baby that is familiar and comfortable with you.  You would carry your baby in your arms and in a soft cloth sling (provided), and you would be filmed by video cameras as you walked. Contact Dr. Laura Gruss at lgruss@radford.edu or 540-951-2106.

*Children ages 7-12 needed for a research study about infant carrying. Your son or daughter can participate in a research study at Radford University to help scientists understand how carrying a baby affects the way children walk.  You would bring your child to RU for a 1 hour data collection session.  Your child would carry a life-sized, realistically weighted baby doll in her/his arms and in a soft cloth sling (provided) while being filmed by video cameras.  Her/his movements would be analyzed using motion capture technology.  For information contact Dr. Laura Gruss at lgruss@radford.edu or 540-951-2106.

*Emotion Regulation Treatment for Children with Temper Issues

We are currently seeking children 8-12 years old to participate in a free study investigating a new treatment that will teach kids ways to manage their emotions. We are enrolling children who are having issues with anger, temper outbursts, and irritable mood. Participants and their caregivers will complete 13  weekly intervention sessions with a therapist, along with a series of measures to assess progress. Families will be compensated a total of $70 for their time and participation in the assessments for the study. If you are the parent of a child between the ages of 8 and 12 that has temper issues and you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Amber at MoodReg@gmail.com or 540-231-9735 for information.

*The VT Clinical Psychology graduate program is seeking children ages 7 – 17 years old for a volunteer child assessment. The assessment will consist of 3 sessions, each lasting approximately 2 to 3 hours. The graduate student will administer cognitive, achievement, and behavioral assessments tests to your child. The parent will complete a diagnostic interview. Email Rachel Miller-Slough (rlm527@vt.edu) for more info. We will be offering $30 to volunteers.
*Participants between the ages of 5-8 years old are sought for a research study investigating heart rate and repetitive behaviors. We are recruiting children with an ASD diagnosis as well as typically developing children at this time. During a 1-hour laboratory visit, the child will be asked to watch a video while wearing a heart rate monitor while a parent fills out a packet of questionnaires regarding their child's health history and behavior. Participants will receive a $20.00 gift card as compensation for their 1-hour laboratory visit. Contact Emma Condy @ VirginiaTechMBL@gmail.com or 1-540-231-3630.

*Family & Familia: Which Kids Speak Up?

We are conducting a study to determine the influence of familial and cultural background on the likelihood that a child will disclose his or her internal problems and worries. Open to kids between 9 & 12 and their primary female caregivers. The study involves a one-time 60- to 75-minute session. Sessions are conducted at the VT Child Study Center or the Roanoke Higher Ed Center, although additional sites may be determined. Participants and caregivers will receive $5 for their time and cooperation for a total of $10. Please contact by phone at (540) 231-3514 or via email at carlos18@vt.edu for more information or to enroll in the study.

*Emotion Study for Children 9 to 12

The goal of this study is to develop a new computerized system to detect human emotional expression. Involvement in the study will require one to two visits and completion of some paper and pencil and computerized tasks. The study takes approx. 2 hours to complete & participants will receive $30.00. Currently, we are recruiting adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as typically developing adolescents between the ages of 9 and 12 years Call 540-231-8276 or childstudycenter@gmail.com to obtain more info and please refer to the “FEET Study”

*Research Study on Adolescent Social Relationships

Does your 11-14 year old child have trouble making friends, feel left out at school, or experience stress related to problems with peers? We are recruiting for an IRB-approved study that will utilize cutting-edge therapy techniques to target avoidance of negative experiences. The majority of the study will be completed over the phone, but participants must be willing/able to attend some sessions at a clinic location in Blacksburg or Roanoke. Participants can earn $100 for completion.Contact Amanda Halliburton at ahallibu@vt.edu or 757-409-0062 to obtain more information and to sign up for the study.

*Children's Ability to control actions- 4 year olds needed

A study focusing on children’s ability to control their actions during card games. During visit, we will play some fun word and memory games. The visit should last about 1-2 hours. We are looking for 4 year-old children. We offer a $10 Target gift card as compensation for parents and a toy for children, and we can provide childcare for siblings. Contact Alleyne Ross by phone (research lab—231-2320) or by e-mail apross@vt.edu. (VT IRB: 15-335) 

*Group intervention research project seeks kids ages 8-11

Parents, does your child have difficulty with flexibility, organization, or planning? Does your child struggle with making transitions, negotiating with others, managing an emotional feeling, accepting differing viewpoints, and/ or accepting flexible interpretations of rules? Unstuck & On Target! is a new group intervention being offered at the VT Psychological Services Ctr. & is free and open for children between 8 and 11. For more information call 540-231-2024 or e-mail vtunstuck@gmail.com.