March 17th – March 19th: This week, Caroline and two STARS lab members had the opportunity to attend the Down Syndrome Research Forum 2025. Yesterday, March 17th, undergraduate lab member Kaylie Burns present a prior STARS lab study, titled Exploring Sleep Behaviors ​and Behavioral Intervention Acceptance in Down Syndrome: ​A Caregiver-Child Comparison. Anna Pyle, a UAB Medical/Clinical Psychology graduate student, an ongoing STARS lab study titled Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Insomnia: Adaptations for use in Young People with Down Syndrome​. The Down Syndrome Research Forum is an annual international event, held virtually, that brings together researchers, students, practitioners, and families to share insights, discuss current research and practices, and learn from one another.

​A recent study by researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education reveals significant gaps in measuring emotional well-being among individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study found that existing assessments often overlook this group’s unique needs, especially those with severe or profound intellectual disabilities. Emotional well-being, distinct from mental health disorders, is linked to positive outcomes like meaningful relationships and community inclusion. The researchers emphasize the necessity for tailored tools to accurately evaluate and enhance emotional well-being in this population. The University of Connecticut is currently working with the STARS lab on our study assessing emotional well-being in school-age children.

March 3rd: Dr. Caroline G. Richter received the opportunity to demonstrate her appreciation for our community partners at UAB during the UAB College of Arts and Science Community Partner Luncheon! Pictured above are Dr. Richter’s and Dr. Kristi Guests’ collaborators. Dr. Richter’s community partners are Ev Gunn, from the Tarrant School district, and Laura Fiveash, from Spring Valley (to Dr. Richter’s left and right).

February 28th: Two of the STARS lab members, Graduate student, Alecia Mercier, and Undergraduate student, Kaylie Burns, received the opportunity to go to the 24th Annual Alabama Autism Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Alabama Autism Conference presents the latest research regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to build upon the vision of creating better services for individuals affected by ASD and develop relationships across the state.

Kaylie also presented a poster at the conference and received the Alabama Autism Providers Network (AAPN) Scholarship as a future leader in ASD research and service.

February 27th – 28th: The STARS Lab had an amazing time presenting in the 2025 Disability Health Symposium by the Center of Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (CEDHARS). This Symposium featured speakers, posters, and discussions on the forefront of how inclusion science feeds into programs and back into research. At the symposium, five of our lab members presented three different posters, and two posters received an award for placing in the top three!

December 4th: The STARS Lab is excited to have participated in the Fall 2024 UAB Expo, which celebrates excellence in research, creative activity, and scholarship. This is a great opportunity for our team to showcase our work, strengthen our presentation skills, and engage with fellow researchers while receiving valuable feedback from peers and faculty. The undergraduates in the lab presented four posters in total!

*Alvarado-Resendiz, T., *Moreno, J. M., Schaefer, M. C., Wilson-Mendenhall, C., Wicker, P., Richter, C. G. (2024). Poster presented at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology. Role of community care in scholars’ emotional well-being: Preliminary findings.  Poster presented at Fall 2024 UAB Expo.

Supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Healthy Minds.

*Burns, K. M. (2024, December). An Observational Analysis of the Frequency of Interactions with Clients in Natural Environment Teaching (NET) in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Poster presented at Fall 2024 UAB Expo.

Kaylie Burns was the 3rd Place Winner of the in-person Fall Expo 2024 in the Works in Progress (Class Projects) category.

November 11th: At the STARS Lab, we are always looking for ways to better support neurodiverse children in their learning journeys. In a recent Community Neuroscience Initiative webinar, Dr. Richter shared practical strategies for educators and parents to engage neurodiverse kids through hands-on activities and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Her insights offered valuable tools for creating inclusive and supportive environments that cater to the unique needs of every child.

Nov. 6th-8th, 2024—Dr. Richter visited Brazil this November, where she attended the 2024 CogCom Conference at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and presented a Keynote talk about “Neurodiversity and Education.”

Pictured left to the right: Caroline Richter, Daniela Teixeira Goncalves, Claudia Cardoso-Martins, Maria Luísa (Malu) Magalhães Nogueira, Jeane M. Soares

October 18th, 2024 – Our lab took a trip to Birmingham Botanical Gardens to destress and bond outside the lab.