Recently Completed Projects

EASE: Emotional Awareness and Skills Enhancement Study for ASD

The Child Study Center at Virginia Tech conducted a research study to evaluate a new treatment for teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who struggle with handling their emotions. We enrolled 12-21-year-old individuals with an ASD diagnosis and IQ of 80 or higher who also have difficulties with their emotions.

ASSET: Treatment for Teens with Autism

The Psychosocial Interventions Lab at Virginia Tech conducted a study of a new treatment for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who struggle with handling their emotions. We enrolled 12-17 year olds with an ASD diagnosis and IQ of 80 or higher who also have difficulties with their emotions. The program involved individual sessions, online resources for parent and teen, and at home practices for the teen.

Child Phobia Project

Treatment for phobias in children was based on cognitive-behavioral therapy principles to help parents and their child build skills through education, modeling, and gradual exposure to the phobic object or situation. Common phobias treated included, but were not limited to, fears of dogs, snakes, storms, heights, costumed characters, and the dark. Qualifying families in the study were assessed prior to treatment, throughout treatment, and following treatment at 1-month, 6-months, and 1-year intervals.

Treatment of Oppositional Behaviors in Youth

This project examined two different psychological treatments for children ages 8 to 14 with symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder. The first type of treatment was Collaborative Problem Solving - a treatment based on work recently completed by Dr. Ross Greene at Harvard University. This treatment taught parents how to help their child identify and regulate his/her emotions and to solve behavior problems together. The second treatment was Parent Management Training and taught parents how to respond consistently and appropriately to their child's positive and negative behaviors. Children participating in the study were assessed prior to treatment, throughout treatment, immediately following treatment, and 1 year thereafter.

Treating Worry and Poor Emotion Regulation in Children

This project was designed for children aged 10-14 who express worry and are difficult to manage. The families involved had the opportunity to participate in an experimental treatment lasting approximately 12 weeks. The treatment involved an emotion focused cognitive behavioral therapy, focused on helping the child identify and regulate their emotions. In addition, the family learned to identify patterns of unsolved problems which lead to the child's negative behaviors, and how to work together to solve these problems.

Treatment of Nighttime Fears in Children

This project aimed to treat fears of the dark in children between the ages of 5 and 7 using our One-Session treatment (OST) and another form of treatment called bibliotherapy. With bibliotherapy, we provided treatment through the use of a fun, age appropriate book. The treatments were based on cognitive-behavioral therapy principles and helps parents and their children build skills through education, play activities, and graduated exposure to the dark.

Recent Publications and Books

Breaux, R., & Langberg, J. M. (2020). Development and refinement of the RELAX intervention, an intervention targeting emotion dysregulation and interpersonal conflict in adolescents with ADHD: Results from a pilot study. Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health. Advanced Online Publication. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2020.1759468

Breaux, R., Langberg, J. M., Swanson, C., Eadeh, H., & Becker, S. P. (2020). Variability in positive and negative affect among adolescents with and without ADHD: Differential associations with functional outcomes. Journal of Affective Disorders. Advanced Online Publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.027

Breaux, R., Waschbusch, D. A., Marshall, R., Rothe, E., Humphrey, H., Pelham, W. E., & Waxmonsky, J. G. (2020). The role of parental knowledge and attitudes about ADHD and perceptions of treatment response in the treatment utilization of families of children with ADHD. Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 5, 102-114. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2020.1727797

McFayden, T. C., Baskin, P., Stephens, J. D., & He, S. (2020). Cortical Auditory Event-Related Potentials and Categorical Perception of Voice Onset Time in Children With an Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, Advanced Online Publication.

McFayden, T., Jarrett, M. A., White, S. W., Scarpa, A., Dahiya, A., & Ollendick, T. H. (2020). Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and Their Comorbidity: Implications for Impairment. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 1-8.

McFayden, T. C., Panneton, R. K., Bruce, M., & Taylor, C. (2020). Exploring priming effects of social and non-social attention getters on older infants’ preferences for infant-directed speech. Infant Behavior and Development, 59, Advanced Online Publication.

Breaux, R. P, Langberg, J., Molitor, S.J., Dvorsky, M. R., Bourchtein, E., Smith, Z. R., & Green, C. D.
(2019). Predictors and trajectories of response to the Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS)
intervention for adolescents with ADHD. Behavior Therapy, 50, 140-154. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2018.04.001

Muskett, A., Capriola-Hall, N., Factor, S., Radtke, S. R., & Scarpa, A. (2019). Repetitive
behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations with depression and anxiety symptoms. Journal
of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Muskett, A., Radtke, S. R., White, S. W., & Ollendick, T.H. (2019; In Press). Brief review: Autism
Spectrum Disorder and Specific Phobia. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Ollendick, T.H., White, S.W., Richey, J.A., Kim-Spoon, J., Ryan, S.M., Wieckowski, A.T., Coffman,
M.C., Elias, R., Strege, M.V., & Smith, M. (2019) Attention bias modification treatment for
adolescents with Social Anxiety Disorder. Behavior Therapy, 50, 126-139. doi:
10.1016/j.beth.2018.04.002

Rafihi-Ferreira, R., Lewis, K.M., McFayden, T.C., & Ollendick, T.H. (2019). Predictors of nighttime fears and sleep problems in young children. Journal of Child and Family Studies. doi: 10.1007/s10826-019-01332-9

McFayden, T.C., Albright, J.A., Muskett, A.E., and Scarpa, A. (2018). The sex discrepancy in an ASD diagnosis: An in depth look at restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 1693-1699. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3839-9 (IF = 3.43)

Walczak, M., Ollendick, T.H., Ryan, S., & Hoff, B.E. (2018). Does comorbidity predict poorer treatment outcome in pediatric anxiety disorders? An updated 10-year review. Clinical Psychology Review, 66, 45- 61. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.12.005

Ollendick, T. H., Ryan, S. M., Capriola-Hall, N. N., Fraire, M. G, & Austin, K. E. (2018). Have phobias, will travel: Addressing one barrier to the delivery of an evidence-based treatment. Behavior Therapy, 49, 594-603. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2017.11.003

Ollendick, T. H., White, S. W., & White, B.A. (2018). The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Capriola-Hall, N.N., Wieckowski, A.T., Ollendick, T.H., & White, S.W. (2018). The influence of social communication impairments on gaze in adolescents with Social Anxiety Disorder. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 49, 672-679. doi: 10.1007/s10578-018-0782-z

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