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VT Center for Autism Research

Merging science with service

through interventions, education, and research.

Read an overview

Photo credit: Brent Clark

Tabletop with 3 sets of hands (clinicians and client) playing a puzzle game with colorful cards, a book, and crayons.
Photo credit: Brent Clark
Autism Clinic
Center for Autism Research
Learn About Our Team
SAFE Program & Events

Welcome to the
Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research

Home of the Mobile Autism Clinic

Our mission is to improve the quality of life for autistic individuals and their families through *intervention, education, and research directed towards effective services.

The Virginia Tech Autism Clinic (VTAC) operates as a training clinic for graduate students in the Clinical Psychology program. 

Cutting-edge research is conducted through the Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research (VTCAR). 

Guided by the Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and our purpose to merge science with service, we are dedicated to providing neuro-affirmative care, advocating for ethical, high-quality research, and protecting our clients’ and collaborators’ privacy. 

unprincipled practices such as punishment, violation of consent, misinformation, harmful rhetoric, disregard for science, ableism, coercion, and unlawful demands for private data. 

autistic self-advocates and are committed to research and services rooted in mutual respect, trust, and human rights.

neurodiversity and acknowledge varying preferences regarding language among self-advocates within the autism and broader community.  Please let us know your preference for identity-first (i.e., "autistic individual") or person-first language (i.e., "individual with autism/ASD") when we meet.

You're invited to our 20th Anniversary Celebration and Neurodivergent Open House!

When: Saturday, September 26, 2 - 4pm

Where: VT Autism Clinic (white building), 3110 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg

Parking: in the lot adjacent to the Psychological Services Center (large brick building)

RSVPs are appreciated.  Please email jenp@vt.edu if you plan to attend.

 

Our team researches the biomedical, psychological, technological, and educational contexts of autism with the goal of enhancing autistic people’s lives. To do that, we base our efforts on autistic people’s stated needs. The Self-Advocate Advisory Committee is one of our sources of innovation and inspiration. The committee is a group of diverse autistic adults who advise on various research, programs, clinical services, marketing, and communications to help ensure that autistic people and their interests are represented in how VTAC/CAR advances its mission on behalf of the autism community. Outcomes of meeting discussions directly inform potential center research and related services. 

Current research efforts are:

  • Develop and test the feasibility of a model for autism service provision by offering assessments and professional development for educators            
  • Development of a hybrid mentoring program for autistic STEM undergraduate students and establish a pipeline from-graduation-to-work with industry partners
  • EmotionAIze - Empathy-Driven Interactive Human-AI System for Countering Negative-Self Talk for Autistic Individuals
  • Machine learning in AI to better understand collaboration between autistic and non-autistic individuals in the workplace
  • Designing AI as a Mental Health Resource for Autistic Adults: Enhancing Therapeutic Approaches with Multimodal Interactions
  • Piloting a Parenting Mobile App to Reduce Treatment-time for Families in Virginia
  • Mobile Autism Clinic (MAC), one of our signature initiatives, which supports our work on accessible autism services for rural Virginians.
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