Research

Our research broadly seeks to improve access to mental health care for children and adolescents, including autistic youth and children exhibiting challenging behaviors. Schools serve as de facto mental health service providers, particularly in underserved communities. We are focused on developing novel methods for integrating evidence-based mental health practices into school settings in an effort to advance the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of mental health care for youth in communities where services are limited. Leveraging methods from implementation science, and guided by social-ecological systems theory, the COSMA Lab partners with community members, education systems, and researchers to support this mission.

Interested in partnering? Contact the COSMA Lab to learn how to get involved!

Current / Recent Projects

The Racial Equity in Autism Community Health (REACH) Project

Early identification and intervention is critical to improving outcomes for autistic children. Unfortunately, race-based disparities in the timing of diagnosis and access to quality intervention for autism are well documented. Delays in the diagnosis of autism and the resulting burden of adverse developmental outcomes among Black children is a significant and persistent race-based health disparity. There is an urgent need to develop effective, scalable strategies for connecting Black families to autism diagnostic services.

In this study, we are partnering with colleagues in the USA College of Education & Professional Studies and the USA College of Medicine to gather stakeholder perspectives about barriers and facilitators to autism diagnostic services. This information will inform the iterative development of an implementation toolkit that will facilitate culturally informed autism diagnostic assessments for Black children.

School-based Trauma Informed Care Survey (STICS) Project

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine school psychologist graduate trainees' perceptions of their education and training, behavioral intentions, and barriers and facilitators as it pertains to delivering trauma informed practices in school. A survey measuring knowledge, attitudes, and subjective norms as it pertains to trauma informed care, as well as perceived behavioral control (i.e., barriers and facilitators) as it relates to implementing trauma informed care in schools will be disseminated to trainees in school psychology graduate training programs throughout the South. We will also assess whether previous adverse child experiences and/or benevolent childhood experiences impact school psychology graduate trainees' behavioral intentions to implement trauma informed care.

ChatGPT for IEPs Project

Special education teachers are often tasked with developing Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for children who qualify for such services through public school systems. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, have the potential to support teachers as they develop IEP goals. This study aims to investigate the quality and content of IEP goals that are generated by ChatGPT for students across disability categories. Specifically, we aim to examine whether ChatGPT is able to generate 'quality' IEP goals, the language used in ChatGPT generated IEP goals, including whether the language is "medical" versus "neurodiversity-affirming" in nature. These findings will help to establish whether ChatGPT is a viable tool for special education teachers tasked with writing IEP goals for students across disability classifications.

Integrating Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices and Self-Determination Theory into Interventions for Autistic Youth

The neurodiversity paradigm posits that all variations in thinking and processing are valuable, that this form of diversity should be respected as a form of natural variation, and that these differences are integral to a person's identity. Self-determination theory suggests that individuals act as "causal agents" in their own lives and make choices and decisions without interference. I am interested in finding unique ways to integrate these frameworks into existing interventions in an effort to empower autistic youth and improve quality of life.

One example of this work is through our recent adaptation of PEERS-YA for autistic college students. The PEERS-YA program is an evidence-based intervention aimed at improving social skills for autistic young adults. While PEERS-YA has been previously adapted for use on college campuses, none of these adaptations have included perspectives of autistic students or community stakeholders. Our study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of PEERS-YA prior to its implementation on a college campus via qualitative interviews with autistic college students and parents of autistic college students. Adaptations to the intervention were based on the feedback of our local autistic community, and a pilot trial was conducted.

Previous Projects

Bridging Mental Health and Education (BRIDGE)

BRIDGE is an evidence-based teacher consultation model in which school-based mental health personnel are trained to consult with teachers on the implementation of classroom interventions for students who exhibit challenging behaviors. In partnership with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University, we are working to adapt BRIDGE for rural schools in Alabama using novel tech-based implementation strategies.

Improving Access to Quality Early Intervention + Early Childhood Programming for Young Autistic Children

Colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania conducted qualitative interviews with caregivers of autistic youth who were enrolled in early intervention, as well as early intervention providers and agency leaders to learn about barriers/facilitators to using parent coaching. Findings will help to inform targeted implementation supports focused on improving the implementation of parent coaching in publicly-funded early intervention. Publications for this project are ongoing.
In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Emory’s Marcus Autism Center, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and California State University, San Marcos, we conducted a systematic review of studies that evaluated the outcomes of inclusive early childhood programs for autistic youth. Results will inform future studies aimed at improving inclusive early childhood programming.

TeamSTEPPS for School-Based Mental Health

Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is an evidence-based team science approach that has demonstrated enhanced team functioning in various healthcare settings. Colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania have adapted TeamSTEPPS to support school-based mental health teams and are examining the impact of these team science strategies on school mental health team communication and climate. Publications for this project are ongoing.

Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles | (*denotes a mentee/ **denotes a community partner)

Albright, J., Shinall, J., Tomczuk, L., Stewart, R.E., Mandell, D.S., Stahmer, A., Beidas, R.S., & Pellecchia, M. (2024). A multi-constituent qualitative examination of facilitators and barriers to caregiver coaching for autistic children in publicly funded early intervention. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241272993
Kuriyan, A.J., Albright, J., Rushworth, S., Duresso, B.*, Testa, S.*, & Wolk, C.B. (2024). Partnering with school stakeholders to adapt a team science intervention: Processes and challenges. School Mental Health, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09665-7
Albright, J., Worley, J., Rushworth, S., Cappella, E., Hwang, S., Testa, S., Duresso, B.*, Dallard, N.**, Banks, J.**, Du, C.**, Lawson, G.M., & Wolk, C.B. (2024). A community-partnered process for adapting a mental health teacher consultation model for a large-scale rollout in urban schools. School Mental Health, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09645-x
Tassone, A.U., Breitenfeldt, K.E., DeLucia, E.A., Albright, J., & McDonnell, C.G. (2024). A pilot study of political experiences and barriers to voting among autistic adults participating in online survey research in the United States. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0119
Albright, J., Hernandez, A., Piotrowski, Z., Russo, J., Cooney, D., Nutini, M.**, Sabatinio, N.**, Dodd, D.**, Mandell, D., & Worley, J. (2024). Lessons learned from a university-school district partnership to improve autism care in public schools. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 34(2), 1-22. doi:10.1080/10474412.2024.2303512
Albright, J., Fok, M., DeLucia, L., & Scarpa, A. (2023). A qualitative examination of the impact of COVID-19 on transition services for autistic youth. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06009-3
Weichselbaum, C., Hendrix, N., Albright, J., Doughtery, J.D., & Constantino, J.N. (2022). Social attention during object engagement: Toward a cross-species measure of preferential social orienting. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 14(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1186/s11689-022-09467-5
Antezana, L., Albright, J., Scarpa, A., Richey, J.A., Laugeson, E.A., &. Factor, R.S. (2022). Core autism features as predictors of outcomes in the PEERS® for Preschoolers program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s10803-022-05724-7
Factor, R.S., Rea, H. M., Dahiya A.V., Albright, J., Ollendick, T.H., Laugeson, E.A., & Scarpa, A. (2022). An initial pilot study examining child social skills, caregiver styles, and family functioning in the PEERS® for Preschoolers program for young children with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104152
Albright, J., & Williams, T. (2021). Examining national trends of teacher certification in autism: Implications for rural schools. Rural Special Education Quarterly. doi: 10.1177/87568705211031548
Marrus, N., Grant, J., Harris-Olenak, B., Albright, J., Bolster, D*.,…& Glowinski, A.L. (2020). Genetic architecture of reciprocal social behavior in toddlers: Implications for heterogeneity in the early origins of autism spectrum disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 32(4), 1190-1205. doi: 10.1017/S0954579420000723
Albright, J., Kulok, S.*, & Scarpa, A. (2020). A qualitative analysis of employer perspectives on the hiring and employment of adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 53(2), 167-182. doi: 10.3233/JVR-201094
Scarpa, A., Jensen, L., Gracanin, D., Ramey, S., Dahiya-Singh, A., Ingram, L.M., Albright, J., Gatto, A., Scott, J., & Ruble, L. (2020). Access to autism spectrum disorder services for rural Appalachian citizens. Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 25–40. doi:10.13023/jah.0201.04.
McFayden, T.M., Antezana, L., Albright, J., Muskett, A., & Scarpa, A. (2019). Sex differences in an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: Are restricted repetitive behavior and interests the key? Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 7, 119-126. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00183-w
McFayden, T.C., Albright, J., Muskett, A. E., & Scarpa, A. (2019). Brief Report: Sex differences in ASD diagnosis: A brief look at restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 49(4), 1693-1699. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3838-9
Du, C., DeGuisto, K., Albright, J., & Alrehaili, S. (2018). Peer support as a mediator between bullying victimization and depression. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 10(1), 59-68. doi:10.5539/ijps.v10n1p59
Antezana, L., Scarpa, A., Valdespino, A., Albright, J., & Richey, J.A. (2017). Rural trends in diagnosis and services for autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 590. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00590
McKenney, E. L. W., Stachniak, C., Albright, J., Jewell, J. D., & Dorencz, J. M.** (2016). Defining success for students with autism spectrum disorder: Social academic behavior in general education secondary classes. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51(3), 318-327.

Book Chapters | (*denotes a mentee/ **denotes a community partner)

Campbell, J., Albright, J., & Scarpa, A. (2020). Evidence-based treatments for autism spectrum disorder. In R.G. Steele & M.C. Roberts (Eds.), Handbook of Evidence-Based Therapies for Children and Adolescents: Bridging Science and Practice (2nd ed., pp.169-185). Springer Science+Business Media, LCC. Doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44226-2

Presentations

Oral Presentations and Symposium Presentations | (*denotes a mentee/ **denotes a community partner)

Tugendrajch, S., Albright, J., Worley, J., Rushworth, S., Cappella, E., Hwang, S., Testa, S., Duresso, B.*, Ballard, N.**, Banks, J.**, Du, C.**, Lawson, G., & Wolk, C.B. (2024, November). A community-partnered process for adapting the BRIDGE mental health teacher consultation model for implementation in a large urban school district. [Symposium]. The 58th annual convention for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Philadelphia, PA.
Albright, J., Testa, S., Rushworth, S., Kuriyan, A.J., & Wolk, C.B. (2024, February). Examining school stakeholder perspectives on an adapted team science intervention. [Oral Presentation]. The National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.
Albright, J., Worley, J., Rushworth, S., Cappella, E., Hwang, S., Testa, S., Duresso, B., Dallard, N.**, Banks, J.**, Du, C.**, & Wolk, C.B. (2023, November). A stakeholder-engaged process for adapting a trauma-informed mental health teacher consultation model for a large-scale rollout in urban schools. In J. Albright (Chair), Engaging Stakeholders in Treatment Development and Implementation: Increasing Inclusivity and Improving Access to Evidence-based Care. [Symposium]. Accepted for presentation at the 57th annual convention for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Seattle, WA.
Wolk, C.B., Testa, S., Weiss, M., Albright, J., Rushworth, S., Duresso, B., Cappella, E., Hwang, S., Gwendolyn, L., Dallard, N.**, Banks, J.**, Du, C.**, & Worley, J. (2023, June). Adapting and implementing a mental health teacher consultation model in a large urban U.S. school district. [Oral Presentation]. Accepted for presentation at the 10th annual World Congress of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies. Seoul, Korea.
Albright, J., Tomczuk, L., Stahmer, A., Beidas, R., Mandell, D., Stewart, R., & Pellecchia, M. (2022, May). Parent coaching in early intervention for autistic children: What providers say versus what providers do. In D. Straiton (Chair), Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in Community Settings [Symposium]. The 48th annual meeting for the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Boston, MA.
Hupp, S., Albright, J., Barlaan, D., Clayborne, K., & Piñones, M. (2014, November). Great myths of the family [Symposium]. Social Learning and the Family pre-conference meeting at the Association of Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) national conference. Philadelphia, PA.

Poster Presentations | (*denotes a mentee/ **denotes a community partner)

Bowers, L.*, Ikonomou, V., & Albright, J. (2024, November). Examining parenting stress and self-efficacy of autistic children receiving inpatient care. [Poster Presentation]. Poster submitted to be presented at the Association of Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) national conference. Philadelphia, PA.
Duresso, B.*, Albright, J., Rushworth, S., Kuriyan, A., Testa, S., & Wolk, C.B. (2024, November). Associations between burnout and perceptions of teamwork, collaboration, and staff characteristics among school mental health team members. [Poster Presentation]. Poster submitted to be presented at the Association of Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) national conference. Philadelphia, PA.
Tham, S.*, Albright, J., Duresso, B.*, Rushworth, S., Kuriyan, A.J., Testa, S., & Wolk, C.B. (2024, November). Staff and leader perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing an adapted TeamSTEPPS team training model for school mental health teams. [Poster Presentation]. Poster submitted to be presented at the Association of Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) national conference. Philadelphia, PA.
Robeson, M.*, Albright, J., Baxter, A., Chassin, V.*, Lewis, C.*, Zlomke, K. (2024, September). Listening to autistic voices in the adaptation of PEERS for college students: A rapid qualitative analysis. [Poster Presentation]. Poster submitted to be presented at the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics annual meeting. Washington, D.C.
Testa, S., Rushworth, S., Albright, J., Kuriyan, A.J., & Wolk, C.B. (2024, February). Implementation of teamwork intervention for school mental health teams. [Poster Presentation]. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.
Duresso, B.*, Albright, J., Rushworth, S., Kuriyan, A.J., Testa, S., & Wolk, C.B. (2023, November). Perceptions of teamwork in greater Philadelphia area school-based mental health service teams. [Poster Presentation]. Poster presented at the Association of Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) national conference. Seattle, WA.
Worley, J.A., Weiss, M., Testa, S., Albright, J., Rushworth, S., Lawson, G., Cappella, E., Hwang, S., Du, C.**, Dallard, N.**, & Wolk, C.B. (2023, March) Bridging Education and Mental Health: Adaptation and Implementation of the BRIDGE Model in the Philadelphia School System. [Poster Presentation]. Poster presented at the Pennsylvania Department of Education Conference, Hershey, PA.
Albright, J., Warnakulasooriya Fernando, V., Pellecchia, M., DaWalt, L., Morgan, L., & Jobin, A. (2023). Systematic review of measurement tools used to evaluate inclusive early childhood education programs for children with autism. [Poster Presentation]. Poster presented as the Western Psychological Association Annual Convention, Riverside, CA.
Albright, J., DeLucia, E., Fok, M., Bernstein, K.*, Sejas, L.*, & Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Effects of COVID-19 on the transition services for autistic youth: A qualitative analysis. [Poster Presentation]. The 21st annual meeting for the International Society for Autism Research, Austin, TX.
Bertollo, J.R., Albright, J., Dahiya, A.V., Fok, M., DeLucia, E., Constantino, J.N., & Scarpa, A. (2022, May). Autism assessment from home: Inter-rater reliability of the remote, caregiver-facilitated CARS-2 observation during COVID-19. [Poster presentation]. The 21st annual meeting for the International Society for Autism Research, Austin, TX.
Antezana, L. Albright, J., Scarpa, A., Richey, J.A., Laugeson, E.A., & Factor, R.S. (2021, May). Restricted and repetitive behaviors and outcomes of the PEERS® for Preschoolers Program [Poster presentation]. The 20th annual meeting for the International Society for Autism Research, Boston, MA.
Factor, R.S., Rea, H. M., Dahiya A.V., Albright, J., Ollendick, T.H., Laugeson, E.A., & Scarpa, A. (2021, May). Social skills, parenting styles, and family functioning in the PEERS® for Preschoolers Program [Poster presentation]. Poster presented at the 20th annual meeting for the International Society of Autism Research, Boston, MA.
Albright, J., Kulok, S.*, & Scarpa, A. (2020, May). A qualitative analysis of employers’ perspectives on the hiring and employment of autistic adults [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA. (Cancelled).
Albright, J., Munro, S.*, & Scarpa, A. (2019, November). A systematic review of paraprofessional implemented social competence interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 53rd Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Albright, J., Beaudet, L.*, Gerhart, E.*, Munro, S.*, & Scarpa, A. (2019, November). Paraprofessionals’ awareness and utilization of evidence-based practices for students with autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 53rd Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Albright, J., & Scarpa, A. (2019, June). Rurality as a social determinant of autism spectrum disorder diagnostic access [Poster presentation]. 3rd Annual Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.
Dahiya-Singh, A., Ingram, L.M., Gatto, A., Albright, J., Scott, J.P., Jensen, L., Ruble, L., & Scarpa, A. (2019, May). Improving access to rural mental health services specific to autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Montreal Canada.
Weichselbaum, C., Albright, J., Hendrix, N., Marrus, N., Dougherty, J. & Constatino, J. (2019, May). Toward a cross-species measure of social motivation: Social attention during object engagement in autism and Williams syndrome [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Kulok, S.*, Albright, J., & Scarpa, A. (2019, May). An analysis of social competence in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring conduct problems [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Dahiya-Singh, A., Ingram, L.M., Gatto, A., Albright, J., Scott, J.P., Jensen, L., Ruble, L., & Scarpa, A. (2019, March). Improving access to rural mental health services specific to autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. International Convention of Psychological Science, Paris, France.
Antezana, L., Factor, R.S., Albright, J., Strege, M.V., Richey, J.A., & Scarpa, A. (2018, November). The role of insistence on sameness on social skills and problem behaviors in young children with autism [Poster presentation]. 52nd annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Washington, D.C.
Albright, J., Muskett, A., & Scarpa, A. (2018, October). Examining the relationships between attention, auditory processing, and social communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. 13th biennial National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Kansas City, MO.
Muskett, A., Albright, J., Capriola-Hall, N., & Scarpa, A. (2018, June). Insistence on sameness and self-injury: Potential assessment tools of co-occurring symptoms among youth with ASD [Poster presentation]. 2nd Annual Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.
Albright, J., Muskett, A., & Scarpa, A. (2018, May). Attention switching and sensory processing difficulties predict social communication deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder [Poster presentation]. 30th Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention, San Fransisco, CA.
Du, C., Miyazaki, Y., Albright, J., & Yazigi, L. (2018, May). Relational language influence on the analogical reasoning of children: A cross-culture study [Poster presentation]. 30th Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention, San Fransisco, CA.
Du. C., Miyazaki, Y., Albright, J., & Yazigi, L. (2018, May). The mediation role played by peer support among bullied victims in school [Poster presentation]. 30th Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.
McFayden, T.C., Albright, J., Muskett, A. E., & Scarpa, A. (2017, June). The gender discrepancy in an ASD diagnosis: An in depth look at restricted interests and repetitive behaviors [Poster presentation]. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.
Albright, J., Goldstein, A., Swain, D., Scalzo, G.*, White, S. W., Ernst, J.**, Azano, A., & Scarpa, A. (2017, May). Comparing perceptions of young adults with autism and their caregivers on employment and vocational rehabilitation needs [Poster presentation]. 14th annual International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), San Francisco, CA.
Albright, J., Bolton, C., Rosen, N., Bolourian, Y., & Laugeson, E. (2016, May). The influence of self-concept in predicting changes in social anxiety in adolescents with ASD following the UCLA PEERS school-based curriculum [Poster presentation]. 13th annual International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), Baltimore, MD.
Stachniak, C., Jones-Soto, E., Barlaan, D., Albright, J., McKenney, E., & Hupp, S. (2015, November). Parent management training and reparenting for oppositional defiant disorder: College students’ beliefs before and after three different dissemination presentations [Poster presentation]. 49th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Chicago, IL.
Barlaan, D., Jones-Soto, E., Albright, J., Stachniak, C., McKenney, E. L. W., & Hupp, S. (2015, November). Cognitive-Behavioral therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy for childhood depression: College students’ beliefs before and after three different dissemination presentations [Poster presentation]. 49th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Chicago, IL.
Rectenwal, G., Hammond, A., Morris, A., Deerhake, J., Barron, L., Kelly, T., Barlaan, D., Albright, J., & Ferguson, E. (2015, April). Does gender effect cultural values of college students? [Poster presentation]. SIUE Psychology Expo. Edwardsville, IL.
Deerhake, J., Barron, L., Kelly, T., Barlaan, D., Albright, J., & Ferguson, E. (2015, March). The effects of parenting styles on cultural values: An argument for the parental values inventory [Poster presentation]. SIUE Graduate School Spring Symposium. Edwardsville, IL.

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