Click on the studies below to read their descriptions:
| SELweb MS (children in 6th-8th grade) | VESIP Spanish (school partners) |
| VESIP Spanish (niños de 3° a 7° grado) | Spark Registry (autistic children and their families) |
Enrolling children in 6th-8th grades
Web-Based Assessment of Social-Emotional Skills in Middle School (R305A200220)
We are currently looking for children in grades 6–8 to complete some computer-based activities to help us develop and validate a brand new social-emotional assessment called SELweb Middle School (SELweb MS). Participation takes about 90 minutes and can be completed remotely via Zoom, and children receive a $30 gift card for participating. Click here to request more information, or contact our study coordinator Ashley Karls at ashley_karls@rush.edu.
SELweb MS is a web-based assessment designed to measure key social-emotional skills that are associated with success in school and life and that are the targets of school-based social-emotional learning programs. SELweb MS includes three assessment methods—factual questions, situational judgment tasks, and self-report. The intended use is to provide assessment data that can be used to guide instruction and measure skill acquisition after a period of instruction. In this way, SELweb MS will be designed to serve as a formative assessment and a tool for continuous improvement. School districts interested in using SELweb MS should reach out to ashley_karls@rush.edu. Click here to view details on the SELweb MS assessment and study.
Inscripción de niños de habla hispana en 3.º a 7.º grado
VESIP es una herramienta animada, basada en la web diseñada para medir las habilidades de razonamiento social de los niños en grados 3–7 (aprox. 8 a 12 años de edad). Recientemente desarrollamos una versión en español de VESIP, y estamos invitando a niños hispanohablantes de los grados 3–7 a completar VESIP-Español con una investigadora y ofrecer sus opiniones. Participación dura alrededor de una hora y es completada por sesión remota por Zoom. ¡Los niños recibirán una tarjeta de regalo de $20 por participar!
Si su hijo(a) está en o ha terminado recientemente 3–7 grado; habla español como primera lengua; y tiene acceso a internet y a una computadora, iPad, o dispositivo de tableta, por favor haga clic aquí para que un miembro del equipo se ponga en contacto con usted para darle más información.
Seeking School Partners!
Validation of a Spanish-Language Social Reasoning Assessment for Spanish Speaking English Language Learners (R305A200463)
We are looking for school districts interested in utilizing the Spanish-language version of VESIP, our web-based direct assessment of social information processing skills in grades 3–7. This study aims to determine whether the Spanish-language version of VESIP is valid for use by Spanish-speaking English language learner (ELL) students. For more information, contact our study coordinator Ashley Karls at ashley_karls@rush.edu.
VESIP uses a self-directed and interactive virtual system to measure responses to five types of challenging social situations across several assessment domains. Children design their avatar character and view social interactions unfold, answering assessment questions via interactions with a virtual peer character within the program.
Spark Online Registry
If you or your child has a professional diagnosis of autism, Rush University Medical Center invites you to learn more about SPARK, a new online research study sponsored by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. The mission of SPARK is clear: speed up research and advance understanding of autism by creating the nation’s largest autism study. Joining SPARK is simple – register online and provide a DNA sample via a saliva collection kit in the comfort of your own home.
Register in person at Rush University Medical Center by contacting us at 312–563‑2765, emailing SPARK@rush.edu, or visiting www.sparkforautism.org/rush.
Para SPARK en español, por favor visite a www.sparkforautism.org/rush/es/.