UROP Project

***Autism interventions: It may be effective . . .but do they like it?

autism; social validity; intervention; education
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Research Mentor: Dr. Veronica Fleury,
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, Education
Contact Email: vpfleury@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Peter Marti
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: pmarti@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: Remote. All activities can be completed online. Lab meetings will be held via zoom.
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-7 hours per week, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: I would like to record a video on zoom and add the video link to my submission: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/00bSwMziwxwFVvdHbcnubTs1ihFkyZJhncNtkhEdgrXML5_5eBix-zLEmE-vYmE.G0n8pOJKaSXDR7kD

Project Description

Effective educational interventions for students with autism are only useful if consumers (i.e., educators, caregivers, students) are willing to use the intervention. It is important to establish that an intervention is not only effective, but also SOCIALLY VALID. Social validity refers to the extent to which consumers view the intervention as important, acceptable, and feasible within the "real world." The point of social validity assessments is to anticipate rejection of an intervention before that happens; therefore, social validity assessments should involve ALL relevant consumers of the program. The purpose of this project is to conduct a secondary review of published autism intervention studies to determine how researchers assess social validity, and importantly, whose perspectives are represented.

Research Tasks: Literature review; secondary coding of study variables, data entry.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Library search skills; Basic computer skills

Mentoring Philosophy

I strive to create a learning environment in which students respect each other and honor each other’s unique contributions. In operating this way, I am reflecting the values espoused by the special education profession broadly and the culture of this University specifically. In my time at FSU I have found it to be an intellectual environment that encourages all viewpoints to be voiced, as long as they are sincere and considered. We who benefit from such openness are obliged to bring the same culture of mutual regard and collective curiosity to our classrooms and advising. Shaping the future generation of scholars by involving students in research projects is a responsibility I not only accept, but value. Over the past five years, I have supervised over 30 students on my research projects. In our weekly research lab meetings, I am transparent about my research decisions so that students can learn all aspects of the scientific process, including troubleshooting common challenges that arise in applied research. I strive to establish a working environment where all members can be successful. This involves communicating clear expectations in my lab, working with my team members to create feasible goals to accomplish each week, and having a consistent accountability and performance feedback system.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRIHchApr9E
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