For Immediate Release

ESSC Autism Services Research Team Publishes Study in Renowned Autism Journal

January 28, 2019

ESSC Autism Services Regional Training Supervisor Khrystle Montallana recently completed a study with Director of Assessments Brendan Gard, Director of Research Dr. Amin 'Duff' Lotfizadeh, and Dr. Alan Poling, a Professor at Western Michigan University, which was published in the esteemed peer-reviewed medical journal, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

The study evaluated the accuracy of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), a tool commonly used to assess language and socials skills in individuals, which is also used as a guide for teaching curricula to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

They did this by assessing whether two people who independently assess the same child at the same time obtain the same scores, thereby determining whether the tool is reliable. Prior to this study, no other studies had evaluated the reliability of the VB-MAPP.

The results indicated that overall, it is a reliable tool, with a few possible exceptions outlined in the paper.

"The VB-MAPP is a commonly used assessment tool for autism interventions, therefore it is important for practitioners to be informed of its reliability when making clinical decisions using this tool," Duff explained.

Congratulations to Khrystle, Brendan, and Duff on the completion and publication of this important study!​