Autism & Inclusion Lab
The goal of the Autism & Inclusion Lab is to conduct research aimed at improving the inclusion of children with autism in schools and communities. We focus on naturalistic behavioral strategies to support social interaction between children with and without autism, as well as training practitioners to implement evidence-based interventions within typical settings and routines. We work closely with several University of Alabama research centers and schools and families throughout the local community.
We also partner with the Department of Communicative Disorders to support Play Pals, an inclusive preschool on The University of Alabama campus that provides collaborative clinical training and research opportunities for graduate students in special education and speech language pathology.
We also partner with the Department of Communicative Disorders to support Play Pals, an inclusive preschool on The University of Alabama campus that provides collaborative clinical training and research opportunities for graduate students in special education and speech language pathology.
Our Recent Projects
- Teacher implemented Stay Play Talk interventions to support play and interaction in inclusive classrooms
- Naturalistic behavioral interventions to improve interaction between siblings with and without autism
- Incorporating preferred interests of preschoolers with autism into play activities to foster peer interaction and social engagement
- Efficient training strategies to teach parents, educators, and peers to support social interaction
- Using cascading coaching models + behavioral skills training with natural intervention agents
- Teacher implemented video-enhanced activity schedules in academic activities
- Parent implemented technology-based interventions for children with autism and developmental disabilities
- Multidisciplinary training of special educators and speech language pathologists
Selected Publications
* indicates graduate student contribution
- Watkins, L., Fedewa, M.*, Hu, X., & Ledbetter-Cho, K. (2022). A teacher facilitated peer-mediated intervention to support interaction between students with and without autism. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
- Fedewa, M.*, Watkins, L., Barnard-Brak, L., & Akemoglu, Y. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis of single case experimental design play interventions for children with autism and their peers. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
- Tomeny, T., Hudac, C, Malaia, E., Morett, L., Tomeny, K., Watkins, L., & Kana, R. (in press) Serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the age of COVID-19: Special considerations for rural and underserved families. Rural Special Education Quarterly.
- Watkins, L., Tomeny, T., O’Reilly, M., Sillis, K., & Zamora, C. (2021). A naturalistic behavioral intervention to increase interaction between siblings with and without autism. Behavior Modification. 45(6), 863-886
- Barnard-Brak, L., Watkins, L., & Richman, D. (2021). Autocorrelation and estimates of treatment effect size for single case experimental design data. Behavioral Interventions.
- Towson, J., Akemoglu, Y., Watkins, L., & Zeng, S. (2021). Shared interactive book reading interventions for young children with disabilities: A systematic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.
- Watkins, L., Akemoglu, Y., & Fedewa, M.* (2021). Training parents via telepractice to implement dialogic reading strategies with children with developmental disabilities shows promise but additional research is needed. Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention.
- Hu, X., Lee, G., Watkins, L., & Jiang, Y.* (2021). Combining preferred activities with peer support to increase social interactions between preschoolers with ASD and typically developing peers. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
- Ledbetter-Cho, K., O’Reilly, M., Watkins, L., Lang, R., Lim, N., Davenport, K., & Murphy, C. (2020). The effects of a teacher-implemented video-enhanced activity schedule intervention on the mathematical skills and collateral behaviors of students with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
- Watkins, L., O’Reilly, M., Kuhn, M., & Ledbetter-Cho, K. (2019). An interest-based intervention package to increase peer social interaction in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 132-149.
- Watkins, L., Kuhn, M., Ledbetter-Cho, K., Gevarter, C. & O'Reilly, M. (2017). Evidence-based social communication interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 84, 68-75.
- Watkins, L., O'Reilly, M., Kuhn, M., Gevarter, C., Lancioni, G.E., Sigafoos, J., & Lang, R. (2015). A review of peer-mediated social interaction interventions for students with autism in inclusive settings. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 1070-1083.
Research Center Affiliations
The Center for Innovative Research in Autism (CIRA)
The Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI)
The Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems (CIBMHS)
The Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI)
The Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems (CIBMHS)
