VT Center for Autism Research
Photo credit: Brent Clark
Welcome to the
Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research
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 & Center for Autism Research has proudly served rural southwest Virginia for almost 20 years. Guided by the Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and our mission 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. We oppose unprincipled practices such as punishment, violation of consent, misinformation, harmful rhetoric, disregard for science, ableism, coercion, and unlawful demands for private data. We stand in solidarity with autistic self-advocates and are committed to research and services rooted in mutual respect, trust, and human rights.
We strongly support 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.
The VT Autism Clinic operates as a training clinic for graduate students. Our research is conducted through the VT Center for Autism Research. Our 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.
Hulick Serving Spirit Fellowship submission open for graduate students:
We are pleased to announce the Hulick Serving Spirit Award for 2025-2027 which funds a continuing outstanding graduate student in the disabilities field whose work is affiliated with the VT Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research (VTAC/CAR). Graduate students working with VTAC/CAR affiliates may be eligible to apply. Named after Virginia Tech Alumnus Jerry Hulick, the award is intended to support 2 years of professional and academic training of a graduate student seeking to pursue a service or research career that will positively impact special needs populations and their families, both intellectual and/or developmental, and with a special emphasis on autism spectrum disorders or related conditions. Broadly defined, the field includes areas such as autism, learning and developmental disabilities, and intellectual differences. Related work in the field includes normative or atypical development, work with individuals or families, prevention or treatment, and basic or applied research. The 2-year award will also include service each year with the VTCAR SAFE (Supporting Autism Friendly Environments) program.
Applications are due by 5pm on May 13, 2025, and will be announced on or around June 1.
Offering Autism Assessments in Dickenson, Wise, Washington, Grayson, Russell and Smyth counties and the City of Norton, Va.
We are providing diagnostic assessments to evaluate for autism in children 17 years of age or younger as part of a funded research project. Assessments will be free while funding remains available.
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