CCF faculty affiliate Dr. Noah Sasson and psychology doctoral student Desiree Jones recently published research showing that promoting understanding and acceptance of autism among non-autistic people helped reduce stigma and misconceptions about autism. “Targeting autistic behavior places the burden of social exclusion on autistic people, when we should really be challenging the attitudes that lead others to stigmatize autistic behaviors,” Jones said. “Research on race suggests that people who have racial biases tend to view that race as a monolith, assigning every member the same features. By exposing them to different people from the group, you can challenge those stereotypes. We believe the same principle applies to autism.” Read More...

CCF is pending funding approval from the National Science Foundation to establish a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program site, "Culturally Responsive Research in Developmental Science," to be led by CCF faculty affiliate Dr. Mandy Maguire and CCF Director Dr. Margaret Owen. This 3-year grant will provide a year-long paid internship for 3 cohorts of 10 college students from historically underrepresented groups, to support their acquisition of tools and connections to combine high-quality, developmental research with experiences in CCF’s Play With Me program. The intended impact is to support the next generation of successful scientists from historically underrepresented groups and to teach them the necessary tools to conduct high-quality research with real-world applications in families that are challenging-to-study, vulnerable, and underrepresented in science. Undergraduate students from UT Dallas and Dallas College are eligible to apply. See more information here.

Dr. Joanna Gentsch recently delivered her 2014 CCF Spring Lecture on "Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Talking to Your Child about Sex and Sexuality," with updated content and resources, to The Lamplighter School parents as part of their Parent Perks series. The talk is now available to view here.

Lecture description: "Whether you are a parent, teacher, or other professional working with children or teens, talking about sex and sexuality can be difficult. Research indicates that having these conversations early and often contributes to many positive outcomes. This talk will help get the conversation started by blending evidence-based findings with practical advice and the sharing of developmentally appropriate resources."

Additional videos are now available from First3Years' 3rd annual Baby Day event! CCF provided live and on-demand sessions for parents/caregivers and their children.

"5 Consejos Para Disfrutar a tus Hijos al Máximo" with Play With Me program parent Laura Damian (Spanish language only)

"Developmental Screenings Overview" with CCF staff member Maria Maese, MS, IMH-E (II)

Join us on Friday March 26th at 9:30am CST for a discussion with Dr. Cathie Tamis-LeMonda (NYU Steinhardt) of how culture infuses interactions between children and their caregivers. The lectures are free and open to the public. Click this link on March 26th to join us! This talk is being held as part of the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Colloquium Series.

In case you missed it, see here for slides, handouts, and videos of our previous spring lectures.

We are eagerly awaiting final grant award notice from the National Science Foundation for our new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, and are actively making plans for its initiation this Fall. This project will merge the research of our faculty affiliates with our outreach programs serving families, all while training undergraduate students in developmental science. This NSF REU program will contribute to the need for greater diversity among scientists in our field and in the populations of children and families that are studied. It's the perfect coupling of CCF's research, outreach, and training. Requests for additional support for the backbone of this project will be a focus of fundraising efforts in the coming months.