About the Lab

The Social Acceptability and Functional Evaluation of Behavior (SAFE Behavior) Lab focuses on the assessment and treatment of unsafe and interfering behavior in neurodivergent individuals, particularly children with autism. Our overarching research interest is the promotion of socially valid outcomes for children and adolescents who engage in severe behavior, such as aggression, self-injury, and property destruction. Toward that goal, we are exploring how to leverage technology to improve the accessibility and quality of training and service delivery, through research comprising three areas: (a) how to best facilitate caregiver involvement in the assessment, treatment, and maintenance of treatment effects, (b) parent training in behavioral interventions, (c) implementation of evidence-based practice across settings.

Current funded research projects focus on developing portal virtual reality (VR) trainings for parents of children with autism and healthcare professionals treating autistic patients, evaluating virtual acceptance and commitment therapy parent groups to improve the well-being of parents of children with autism, developing digital technology innovations to improve data collection and documentation of direct support professionals serving autistic individuals, identifying and improving medical professionals’ knowledge of autism and behavioral function, and evaluating alternative instructional methods that do not rely on physical guidance.

The SAFE Behavior Lab believes in a compassionate and neurodiversity-affirming approach to assessment, intervention, and research with autistic individuals. As such, we believe that it’s integral to include autistic voices in our work, assess the social acceptability of our work for the people who it’s meant to benefit, and consider a strengths-based approach to the care we provide. We acknowledge that the language we use is important and believe that the preferences of the individuals served should always be honored.