Current Research Projects
Child and Adolescent Social-Emotional Development Study
This study focuses on how parents can help foster more positive development of social and emotional competencies as children grow. Participants in the study will complete ratings and behavioral tasks on two occasions, approximately one year apart (visit lengths = ~2.5 hours), and parents will complete daily ratings for a two week period following the visits.
Parent questionnaires involve multiple questionnaires on their child’s social, emotional, behavioral, and medical functioning, and their own stress, emotions, and parenting practices. Families will be provided with feedback and a report detailing the findings of the mental health and academic evaluation following the visits (30 minute feedback visits).
Your family will be compensated up to $200 for completing all parts of the study, and your child will be given a small prize at each visit.
If you would like to learn more about the study, please contact the CALMER Lab at calmerlab@gmail.com or 540-231-8511.
At this time we are only recruiting participants ages 9 and 11-15 years.
Online Program for
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American
Parents of Preschoolers
The CALMER Lab at the Child Study Center at Virginia Tech is excited to begin recruiting families of preschoolers with behavioral difficulties from Eastern cultures for a new research study examining how well Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, an evidence-based program for families, works to improve academic, emotional, and social functioning
A total of $50 in compensation is available for completing all parts of the study
Please contact the CALMER Lab to receive more information about the study and/or to schedule the initial study visit: 540-231-3514 or calmerlab@gmail.com
Treks Parenting Program
The Virginia Tech Child Study Center and Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research, in partnership with the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, seek to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and benefit of the Treks App for reducing child behavior problems and increasing parents’ feelings of competency in supporting youth behavior.
Treks incorporates technological support to a mobile app, such as instructional videos, strategies to attempt, options of activities to try, and reinforcement for effort through daily parent lessons provided over a course of 28 days.
If you would like to learn more about the study, please contact us at vtautismcenter@vt.edu or 540-231-8747
Recently Completed Studies
Telehealth RELAX Intervention Pilot Study - The RELAX intervention targets emotion dysregulation and family conflict in families of adolescents with ADHD. RELAX consists of 8 weekly 90 minute groups for parents and adolescents. With a review session 1 month and 6 months after the groups are completed.We recently finished the telehealth RELAX intervention pilot study for middle schoolers with ADHD (n = 20). We have applied for additional funding to continue to provide this opportunity for families and hope to run more groups in winter and spring 2022.
Middle School Coping Program Study - During the COVID-19 pandemic we offered a free, online coping program for middle school students to help them cope with the stresses of the pandemic and the transition back to school.
Teleworking COVID-19 Impact Study - Working with Dr. Charles Calderwood and the Work Stress and Recovery Lab, this study sought to better understand how living through the COVID-19 pandemic may affect work, family, parent, and child functioning. Parents completed rating scales about spring 2020 stay-at-home orders and rating scales during fall 2020 after the transition back to hybrid schooling and in person work for many parents. Additionally, they provided daily ratings on weekdays over a 2 week period so we could better assess daily interactions between parent, work, and child functioning.
