Kristin M. Rispoli

Michigan State University | MSU · Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education

A large portion of autistic youth experience co-occurring mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. The COMPASS model can be used to promote social-emotional skills and address mental health concerns using evidence-based practices that involve caregivers, teachers, and other school professionals. The use of COMPASS to address mental hea...

Schools are mandated to provide transition planning support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who receive special education services in the transition from high school to adulthood. Current research suggests critical gaps in this process that can lead to a number of negative outcomes for youth. It is imperative to better understan...

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS-3; Gilliam, 2013) is a commonly used level two screener for ASD (Aiello et al., 2017; Benson et al., 2019; Norris & Lecavalier, 2010). The GARS-3 is a substantial revision from the prior version, however, there is no independent research examining its factor structure. Previous GARS editions had notable psychom...

Purpose: This study examined (1) the causal impact of Head Start on children’s comprehensive outcomes and (2) why families did not comply to the original assignment. Method: Based on the Head Start Impact Study data, children between the ages of 3 and 4 years ( N = 3780) were examined for assignment, attendance, and causal impacts on outcomes. Resu...

Many children with developmental delays need early intervention services but do not receive them. Developmental screening provides the impetus for identification of delays and service referrals but is not used consistently across all early childhood education settings. We used an implementation science framework to examine attitudes and engagement...

Despite substantial empirical support, correlates of retention and success in community-based parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) implementation are not well defined. Widespread application of PCIT necessitates improved understanding of intervention components relating to family outcomes beyond highly controlled research trials. Using data coll...

Emotion regulation is critical for mental health and social competence. Many children with autism spectrum disorder struggle to regulate emotions yet there are few evidence-based programs to support this skill. This study examined whether parent-mediated intervention for emotion regulation holds promise in improving this skill among young children...

Anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly co-occur, but school-based assessment practices surrounding identification of co-occurring presentations are not well understood. This study examined school psychologists’ assessment practices for anxiety in students with ASD, perceptions of their role in the assessment process, and perceived trai...

The importance of early intervention for developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, is increasingly recognized as critical to children’s later success, making it necessary to better understand how professionals who work regularly with young children view the use of developmental screening in their professional practice. This stud...

The present study compared parent ratings to self-report ratings of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention problems, and atypical behaviors in youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and typically developing (TD) controls. Measures included parent and self-report forms from the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-S...

Background Emotion regulation (ER) is key to young children’s school readiness and mental health. Many children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit emotionally dysregulated behavior, yet no interventions target this skill in the preschool years. This study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a parent-mediated intervention to prom...

Parent-focused intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has garnered considerable evidence of effectiveness for treating core symptoms of the disorder. However, these programs often teach parents discrete skills that may or may not align with school-based interventions. Family-school partnerships (FSPs) are essential for childr...

For youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families, adolescence presents unique challenges that require parents work closely with school teams. Both parent involvement in education and family school partnerships are associated with positive student outcomes. However, research characterizing parents' role in working with school-based t...

This study examined Head Start’s impact on fathers’ school-based involvement and associations with Black children's cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional skills. With a sample of 1,354 Black children, fathers’ involvement was measured as attendance at school meetings, teacher conferences, school events, and/or volunteering at school events. C...

This study examined individual and interactive effects of child negativity and parental affective behaviors when children were 4 years of age on externalizing issues exhibited by children at 5 years of age using a subsample of children with developmental delays drawn from a nationally representative data set (N = 450). Hierarchical multiple regress...

Explored awareness of broad-band and autism-specific screening measures among preschool and daycare teachers (N = 130). Teachers reported little familiarity with screening measures, but indicated they would be interested in using screeners if trained to do so. Common barriers to screening included lack of training on use of screeners and how to pro...

Using data (N = 1,350) from the Head Start Family and Childhood Experiences Survey, this study examined sociodemographic predictors of parent involvement in educationally enriching activities at home for low-income children with disabilities compared with children without disabilities. Analyses examined whether associations were moderated by aspect...

This work offers a conceptual synthesis of several contemporary educational service delivery models that implicitly embed compassionate educational practices into supporting the learning and growth of diverse student populations. This manuscript discusses how such paradigms, such as culturally responsive positive behavior intervention and supports...

Using the Head Start Impact Study data, this study examined racial disparities in maternal perceptions of social support and social service receipt, and their associations with depression. Associations between Head Start participation and these variables were also studied. A total of 3,269 mothers were included (n = 971 Black, 1,086 Hispanic, and 1...

This study evaluated whether parenting and childcare experience across infancy and toddlerhood were associated with children’s reading, math, and social–behavioural skills prior to kindergarten entry. Analyses also examined whether race or ethnicity moderated associations. A representative sample of Hispanic, Black, and White children from the Earl...

Associated with complex developmental, personal, and environmental risk factors, adolescent parents have been found to display higher rates of unfavorable parenting practices than adult parents, placing their children at high risk for social, emotional and behavioral concerns. Nevertheless, interventions targeting this group often focus solely on a...

The early childhood developmental period has gained significant emphasis in both research and practice as an important period for educational programming and policy. Research outcomes continue to demonstrate a host of long-term academic, social-emotional, and health benefits for students who participate in high quality early learning programs. Such...

This study examined associations among Head Start attendance, individualized education programmes (IEPs), parental behaviours and child outcomes in a sample of five-hundred and seventy 3- to 4-year-old children with disabilities. Home language, number of disabilities and Head Start enrollment were associated with having an IEP. Parents of children...

This study investigated the impact of Head Start, disability status, and receipt of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) on early language, literacy, and mathematics skills for low-income children with language, cognitive, emotional/behavioral, sensory, and physical disabilities. Secondary analysis of data was performed on a sample of children...

Parents have many opportunities to support their child’s education, including reading at home, volunteering, and participating in educational decisions (Epstein, 2010). While positive benefits of parent involvement are well-documented, less is known about how this factor differentially affects children with and without disabilities. It is also uncl...

Evidence-based practices are rarely translated into school settings. The literature examining the science-to-practice gap provides possible explanations, although these explanations are not supported with empirical evidence. Variables affecting behavior intervention implementation, such as lack of teacher training, lack of time, lack of resources,...

Research Findings: Children's early academic achievement is supported by positive social and behavioral skills, and difficulties with these skills frequently gives way to underachievement. Social and behavioral problems often arise as a product of parent-child interactional patterns and environmental influences. Few studies have examined the role o...

The statistical precision by which intervention outcomes are evaluated has increased in recent years in an effort to improve their viability in addressing emotional, social, behavioral, and academic issues. Despite these advances, treatment integrity, a vital aspect in evaluating the merit of a given intervention, remains largely overlooked. Defini...

A wealth of research demonstrates the importance of early parent-child interactions on children's social functioning. However, less is known about the interrelations between child and parent characteristics and parent-child interactions in early childhood. Moreover, few studies have broadly examined the longitudinal relations between these construc...

Preschool children may exhibit a range of problematic behaviors that may impede development and disrupt classroom functioning. As a result, preschool children are often expelled from programs when behavioral issues cannot be adequately addressed. Preschool behavioral consultation serves as a promising alternative to expulsion, as consultants can pr...

Meaningful interactions between families and schools benefit multiple facets of children’s functioning including their academic, social, and behavioral adjustment (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001). Positive relationships between parents and teachers predict children’s enhanced social-emotional functioning and academic adjustment across time (Izzo, Wei...

The authors present an investigation of a classwide intervention to reduce disruptive behavior in a kindergarten classroom. Participants included children in 3 kindergarten classrooms and their teachers in an at-risk school district in Northeast Ohio. On the basis of student behaviors and teacher goals, the authors chose the Good Behavior Game plus...

Within the current climate of educational reform, there is a great need for evidence-based academic interventions aimed at increasing achievement among school-aged students. Particularly in the area of mathematics, few empirically validated, cost-, and time-efficient interventions are available for remediating basic math skills deficits. The curren...