Developmental Trajectories

Learning how children with autism and developmental disabilities develop and mature is important to identify key areas for greater support. This is especially important when considering the diverse environmental experiences that children with autism and developmental disabilities experience. This area of research is focused on describing key aspects of development for children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities. 

​Read more about our research on the developmental trajectories of children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities below.

Mapping the Interactions of Language and Early motor Skills in Down Syndrome

(Ongoing Project)

The MILES Study is a new study focused on understanding the development of early language, communication, motor skills, and physical activity in infants and toddlers with and without Down Syndrome. We will follow young children for one year to study the interactions between language and communication skills with motor skills and physical activity.

Status: Recruiting

Funded by: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD; PIs: Sandra Vanegas, PhD, University of Texas at Austin; Megan Flores, PhD, PT, Baylor University)

Project Dates: June 1, 2024 – Ongoing

Project Website: https://sites.utexas.edu/milesstudy

Study Interest Form: https://bit.ly/MILESInterest

For more information, contact: Sandra Vanegas, sandra.vanegas@austin.utexas.edu

Diverse Language Experiences Project

(Pending Project)

The Diverse Language Experiences Project is focused on understanding how multilingual home environments and multilingual language skills impact and influence children’s development, especially when the child has autism or another developmental disability. We are focused on identifying the child, family, and environmental factors that influence how children learn and grow in multiple languages. 

​Status: Pending

Funded by: Pending 

Project Dates: August 31, 2023 – Ongoing

For more information, contact: Sandra Vanegas, sandra.vanegas@austin.utexas.edu

EMPOWER Research Study

(Ongoing Project)

The Evaluation and Measurement of healthcare transition Preparedness, Opportunities, and Wellness in Racially/ethnically diverse youth with IDD Study is focused on understanding healthcare transition in youth with IDD.

Youth with autism and developmental disabilities will eventually need to transition to healthcare services that addresses their needs as they become adults. However, youth with autism and developmental disabilities often receive very little support to prepare, plan, and complete this transition successfully. This study is focused on understanding the experiences, barriers, and needs of youth with autism and developmental disabilities and their caregivers as they embark on healthcare transition. We are especially interested in understanding these experiences, barriers, and needs of youth from racial/ethnic and linguistic minority communities. 

​Status: Recruiting

Funded by: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (PI: Sandra Vanegas, PhD, University of Texas at Austin)

Project Dates: September 1, 2023 – August 30, 2026

Project Website: https://sites.utexas.edu/empowerstudy/

Study Interest Form: https://bit.ly/3zrtrp3

For more information, contact: Sandra Vanegas, sandra.vanegas@austin.utexas.edu

Related Presentations and Publications

* Denotes student author

​Presentations

  • Vanegas, S. B. (2023, May). Evaluating the social communication development of multilingual children with autism: A medical record review study. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Vanegas, S. B. (2023, April). Exploring the bilingual language profiles of parents and their children with developmental disabilities. Paper presented at the Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO.
  • Vanegas, S. B., *Panjwani, H., & *Nelson, N. (2023, March). Links between grammatical error patterns and executive functioning skills among bilingual (English/Spanish) children with autism. Poster presented at the annual Meeting of Language in Autism, Durham, NC.
  • Vanegas, S. B., *Davila, M., *Le, C., & *Hernandez, A. (2021, May). Adaptive behavior in racial/ethnically diverse children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, Boston, MA.
  • Vanegas, S. B., & Magaña, S. (2019, April). Health care disparities affecting Latino children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Down Syndrome in a national sample. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, San Antonio, Texas.
  • Vanegas, S. B., & Magaña, S. (2018, May). Semantic fluency in monolingual and bilingual children with ASD, ADHD, or typical development: Assessing the role of language and executive functioning skills. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Publications
  • Magaña, S., Heydarian, N., & Vanegas, S. B. (2022). Disparities in health care access and outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190632366.013.288
  • Vanegas, S. B., Magaña, S., *Zeng, W., & *Pavon, C. (2021). Decision making among culturally diverse individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families: A call for research. In L. Hickson & I. Khemka (Eds.), Decision Making by Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Research and Practice (pp. 221-251). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74675-9_10
  • Vanegas, S. B. (2019). Academic skills in children with autism spectrum disorders with monolingual or bilingual experience. Autism and Developmental Language Impairments, 4, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941519888170
  • Vanegas, S. B., & Davidson, D. (2015). Investigating distinct and related contributions of Weak Central Coherence, Executive Dysfunction, and Systemizing Theories to the cognitive profiles of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and typically developing children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 11, 77-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.12.005