Research at the Child Development in Context Laboratory (CDCL) focuses on the identification of early developmental markers and mechanisms that may be: (1) helpful in the early identification of developmental difficulties; and (2) inform early intervention efforts for developmental difficulties. Research has been generously supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the University of Texas at Austin.
For information about our current studies, please see our Facebook page or contact the lab directly at 512-471-5414 or cdcl@psy.utexas.edu.
Examples of past and present research projects in the CDCL include:
Latino Mother Study
This study focuses on the positive and negative maternal psychosocial outcomes of parenting a child with ASD. Research on this topic has been conducted, but primarily with Caucasian mothers. The goal of the current study is to gather data from Latino mothers of children with ASD in order to investigate the factors that (1) contribute to or (2) undermine the well-being of Latino mothers of children with ASD so that service providers may be able to help Latino mothers effectively. If interested, please call 512-471-5414 or email cdcl@psy.utexas.edu for additional information.
Social Development in Infant Siblings
The primary aim of this longitudinal study is to examine how social development unfolds over time in two groups of infants: (1) infants who have older sibling(s) without autism and (2) infants who have older sibling(s) with autism. This study will closely examine the developmental sequence with which social cognitive and social communication behaviors progress.
Infant Joint Attention and Synchrony in infant Siblings of Children with ASD
The primary aim of this study is to examine synchrony and joint attention abilities in infants with an older sibling diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to infants without an older sibling with an ASD. These comparisons will help us learn more about how early behaviors are related to the later development of autism.
Response to Ambiguous Emotions in HF Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
The primary aim of this study is to examine how high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders process ambiguous emotional expressions. A secondary aim of this study will also examine whether or not previous social experiences and social support may contribute to a predisposition toward patterns of recognition of ambiguous emotional information.
Differential Susceptibility to Emotional Information in Infancy
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the role that nature (e.g., polymorphisms of the 5-HTTLPR gene and temperament) and nurture (e.g., care giving behaviors) contribute to infant response to emotional information. Furthermore, we hoped to understand how these early individual differences may contribute to the development of prosocial behavior (e.g., helping, sharing, empathy) and problem behavior (e.g., non-compliance, regulatory difficulties) in toddlers. This research was conducted in collaboration with Chris Beevers (UT Austin), Judy Langlois (UT Austin), Teresa Partridge (University of the Incarnate Word), and John McGeary (Brown University).
Joint Attention in the Maternal Lifestyles Study
The primary aims of this study were threefold: (1) test for cocaine effects on joint attention skills at 12 and 18 months; (2) examine the stability of infant joint attention skills across 12 and 18 months in cocaine-exposed and comparison infants; and (3) examine the predictive validity of 12 and 18 month joint attention skills in the prediction of cognitive outcome at 3, 4, and 4½ years. The secondary aim of this study was to identify developmental precursors to infant joint attention skills. Grant support for this study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R03 DA017985). This work was completed in collaboration with Barry Lester and Steve Sheinkopf at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk.
Infant Regulation as a Predictor of Developmental Outcome
The primary aim of this study was to develop an integrated model of regulatory functioning in infants that may be used to more accurately identify which “at-risk” infants are most likely to experience developmental difficulties. It was undertaken as a collaborative effort with Barry Lester at Brown University.
