Beach students show up for children with autism

Psychology students at The Beach are devoting their summer to community-based research to help raising young children exhibiting early signs of autism.

This Early Intervention Study is taking place under the banner of the Community Autism Research for Equity Lab, or CARE Lab, which seeks to improve therapies for young children in underserved communities. This project centers on identifying family-therapist dynamics that empower parents and other caregivers, especially those in Latine and Spanish-speaking families, to better support young children with early signs of autism.

"If that caregiver learns strategies that therapists implement, and uses them in their day-to-day life, that will be the most beneficial for the child," fourth-year psychology student Bianca Contreras said.

CARE Lab researchers like Contreras hope their work will inform mental health care agencies and therapists serving families who speak Spanish at home or face other barriers to care, such as mistrust of the healthcare system or community stigmas. The National Institutes of Health is funding the project to support culturally-responsive care.

CARE Lab is part of the Psychology Department in the College of Liberal Arts. Lab director Barbara Caplan has assembled an equity-minded team of graduate and undergraduate researchers, many of whom are first-generation, to contribute to the study.

"I'm very passionate about diversifying our science," said Caplan, also an assistant professor of clinical science.

Helping families

CARE Lab students get a first-hand look at how therapists do their jobs. The project requires students to be effective community ambassadors; recruiting study participants during face-to-face presentations and phone calls is a major part of their summertime work.

"I think what keeps me motivated in this process is seeing the therapists and agencies that we partner with and hearing how necessary this work is," said graduate psychology student Nicole Reyes-Camacho, who plans to pursue a Ph.D.

By making connections with families and providers, the CARE Lab receives permission to record children's therapy sessions. Researchers plan to review these recordings to see how therapists can foster positive caregiver engagement.

One question is the extent to which language matters. Contreras, who intends to complete a doctoral program and serve as a pediatric neuropsychologist, said she plans to look closely at how important it is for Spanish-speaking families to have therapists who know their preferred language.

"We believe that when there is a match between the therapist's language and the home language, then there would be more improved results for the child," she said. "That analysis is still underway for us."

Although the research is still in progress, CARE Lab student Miranda Arnold said she is determined to learn Spanish after seeing how important it is for families to be able to receive care in their preferred language.

"You would hope that your clinician is able to connect with you and speak your language," said Arnold, a fourth-year psychology student who wants to become a pediatric neuropsychologist.

Building clinicians

The research can be personal for CARE Lab members. For example, Natalie Flores '26, was inspired to study psychology from an early age.

Flores' younger brother, Tommy, was diagnosed with autism when he was a small child. A therapist encouraged Flores to help with his development outside of sessions. These acts ranged from teaching Tommy how to safely cross a street, be mindful of others' personal space and to regulate his emotions.

"I do remember her, and I think she was the one who inspired me the most to get into it," Flores said.

Flores followed up on her graduation from The Beach by starting the Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy program at USC.

Several CARE Lab students similarly aspire to become clinicians and clinical scientists, and community-based research can inform how students approach their future education and service.

Contreras foresees that her time with CARE Lab will help her become a more culturally sensitive and understanding clinician. Reyes-Camacho observed that community-based research helps her to see a full picture of working therapists' successes and challenges.

"It's helping me conceptualize everything and put everything into perspective for myself as a future professional," she said.