Marquette Autism Project (MAP)

Director - Dr. Amy Vaughan Van Hecke


The Research

What is MAP?

The Marquette Autism Project (MAP) is a multi-faceted research program dedicated to understanding the development of autistic children, adolescents, and adults. Overall, we are interested in the ways autistic people connect with other autistic and non-autistic people and the world, what gifts they bring to society, how we can ensure access to helpful and wanted supports for autistic people, how their lives and neurobiology change and develop over time, and how we can train the autism workforce to provide better care. Several studies are and have been conducted as part of MAP. These include studies of the PEERS© friendship and social skills curriculum for preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults on the autism spectrum; studies of the Broader Autism Phenotype amongst college students; studies of anxiety in autistic people; studies of joint attention and socialization in toddlers; studies of mental health and social isolation in autistic people; and studies of attitudes towards college and therapeutic supports amongst autistic adolescents and adults.  Currently, the MAP is recruiting for two studies, the CUES autism/anxiety program and PEERS© social bootcamps. CUES, which stands for Coping with Uncertainty in Everyday Situations, is an 8-week parent training program designed by Dr. Jacqui Rodgers and colleagues, with autistic stakeholder input, at Newcastle University in the UK. The program is appropriate for families of children on the spectrum aged 6-16, who are hoping to improve their child’s and family’s ability to handle anxiety-provoking situations in everyday life.  The PEERS© bootcamps are teen/young adult and caregiver sessions that cover friendship and social support for individuals on the autism spectrum, aged 11-28.  These sessions occur in a “bootcamp” format, where the material is covered in 2 weekend days.  Completing the entire PEERS© curriculum would mean attending 3 bootcamps, but families may pick and choose which weekends/sessions to attend.  We have also recently started an initiative to connect with and learn from Native American communities in Wisconsin around autism. If you are interested in CUES, please reach out to us at autism@marquette.edu. If you are interested in PEERS© bootcamps, please reach out to us at  mu.peers@marquette.edu. If you are interested in our efforts to connect with Native American communities in Wisconsin, please reach out directly to Dr. Van Hecke at amy.vanhecke@marquette.edu.

The CUES Study

The CUES Study

Would you like to learn how to help your autistic child handle the anxiety that comes from uncertainty?

Who is eligible?

  • Caregivers and children on the autism spectrum aged 6 to 17.

How long is the study?

  • Attend a 2 hour in-person screening appointment (caregiver and child)
  • Attend a 2-hour Zoom interview (caregiver only)
  • Attend weekly, 1.5 hour meetings for 8 sessions (caregiver only)
  • Complete questionnaires and follow-up interviews at the end of the program, and 12 and 26 weeks later (caregiver and child)
  • CUES sessions are typically run in fall and spring of each year

What tests and procedures are involved?

  • Semi-structured assessments to confirm child’s diagnoses and functioning level
  • Completion of surveys and interviews before CUES and after CUES, and at 12 and 26 weeks after CUES

Where is the program and what does participation cost?

  • The program in its entirety costs $400
  • Participating in research reduces the fee to $200
  • A sliding scale for financial need is also available
  • We are not able to accept CLTS or insurance

Where will the study take place?

  • Marquette University, Cramer Hall, 604 N. 16th St, and the Autism Initiative, 1420 W. Clybourn St, Milwaukee, WI 53233
  • This study is approved by the Marquette University Institutional Review Board

Contact the CUES coordinator at autism@marquette.edu  or 414-288-4438 for any information about participating or any questions. Please note, our staff are part-time students, and it may take up to a week for a reply, and longer in the summer, when we are not in session. We appreciate your patience with our efforts to offer this program at the lowest possible cost.

The PEERS© Bootcamp Study

The PEERS© Bootcamp Study

Would you and your autistic teen/young adult like to learn how to develop high-quality friendships and social connections?

Who is eligible?

  • Caregivers and adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum aged 11 to 28.

How long is the study?

  • Complete 1 hour of questionnaires online (caregiver and teen/young adult)
  • Attend 2 weekend days (9 am -3 pm) of sessions (caregiver and teen/young adult)
  • Complete questionnaires at the end of the program and 12 weeks later (caregiver and teen/young adult)
  • PEERS© bootcamps are held three times a year, in fall and spring

What tests and procedures are involved?

  • Completion of online surveys before PEERS© and after PEERS© bootcamp, and at 12 weeks after PEERS©

Where is the program and what does participation cost?

  • Each bootcamp costs $100 for the 2 days total
  • Participating in research reduces the fee to $50
  • A sliding scale for financial need is also available
  • We are not able to accept CLTS or insurance

Where will the study take place?

  • Marquette University, Cramer Hall, 604 N. 16th St, and the Autism Initiative, 1420 W. Clybourn St, Milwaukee, WI 53233
  • This study is approved by the Marquette University Institutional Review Board

Contact the PEERS© coordinator at mu.peers@marquette.edu or 414-288-4438 for any information about participating or any questions. Please note, our staff are part-time students, and it may take up to a week for a reply, and longer in the summer, when we are not in session. We appreciate your patience with our efforts to offer this program at the lowest possible cost.


The Research Team

Graduate Students

  • Perry Catlin, MS
  • Sarah Lehman, BA
  • Madeleine Guell, BA
  • Molly Berman
  • Stephanie Gonzales
  • Paige Baffes
  • Hannah Wright

Contributors

  • Bolade Santos

Undergraduate Research Assistants

  • Matthew Lampres
  • Lilli Pincsak
  • Avery Rogan
  • Jessie Beyer
  • Cassie Johnson
  • Asad Akbar
  • Estelle Leonhard
  • Anna Lampman

Alumni

  • Audrey Meyer Carson, Ph.D.
  • Jeff Karst, Ph.D.
  • Sheryl Stevens, Ph.D
  • Kirsten Schohl Willar, Ph.D.
  • Bridget Dolan Wozniak, Ph.D.
  • Alana McVey, Ph.D.
  • Angela Haendel, MS, CCC-SLP
  • Hillary Schiltz, Ph.D.
  • Rachel Stanley, MS
  • Elyse Adler, MS
  • Alexis Arias, MS
  • Alex Barrington, BA

Contact Us

Address:
Cramer Hall, 3rd floor
604 N. 16th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Phone: (414) 288-4438
Fax: (414) 288-5333
E-mail: mu.peers@marquette.edu autism@marquette.edu