Research & Publications

Dr. Factor is a prolific researcher whose research interests focus on social and emotional development in children with ASD, highlighting the impact of systems (e.g., peers, parents, the family) and how they inform interventions, by looking at mechanisms of change and treatment outcomes.

Publications

Factor, R. S., Rea, H. M., Dahiya, A. V., Laugeson, E. A., & Scarpa, A. (2022). Pilot Study Examining Caregiver–Child and Family Functioning in PEERS® for Preschoolers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-14.

Antezana, L., Albright, J., Scarpa, A., Richey, J. A., Laugeson, E. A., & Factor, R. S. (2022). PEERS® for Preschoolers preliminary outcomes and predictors of treatment response. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-14.

Factor, R. S., Rea, H. M., Laugeson, E. A., & Scarpa, A. (2022). Examining Feasibility and Outcomes of the PEERS® for Preschoolers Program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-13.

Moody, C. T., Factor, R. S., Gulsrud, A. C, Grantz, C. J., Tsai, K., Jolliffe, M., Rosen, N. E., McCracken, J. T., & Laugeson, E. A. (2022). A pilot study of PEERS® for Careers: A comprehensive employment-focused social skills intervention for autistic young adults in the United States. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 128, Article 104287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104287

Factor, R.S., Moody, C.T., Sung, K.Y., & Laugeson, E.A. (2022). Improving Social Anxiety and Social Responsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorder through PEERS®. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, doi: 10.1080/23794925.2021.2013138

Factor, R.S., Rea, H. M., Dahiya A.V., Albright, J., Ollendick, T.H., Laugeson, E.A., & Scarpa, A. (2022) An initial pilot study examining child social skills, caregiver styles, and family functioning in the PEERS® for preschoolers program for young autistic and their caregivers. Research in developmental disabilities, 121, 104152.

Factor, R.S., Arriaga, R.I., Morrier, M.J., Mathys, J.B., Dirienzo, M., Miller, C.A., Southerland, A.M., Abowd, G.D., & Ousley, O.Y. (2021). Development of a brief, interactive tool of early social responsiveness to track autism risk in infants and toddlers. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.

Scarpa, A, Swain, D.M., Factor, R.S., Dahiya-Singh, A.V., & Bertollo, J. R. (2021) Enhancing Flexibility: A Biosocial Model for Resilience to Adversity in Youth With Autism. SAGE Open, 11(3), 21582440211037997

Factor, R.S., Swain, D.M., & Scarpa, A. (2020). Physiological Measures of Parental Stress. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8

Reyes, N., Factor, R.S., & Scarpa, A. (2020). Emotion regulation, emotionality, and expression of emotions: A link between social functioning and ASD symptoms in children with ASD and their peers. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 106, 103770

Factor, R.S., Swain, D.M., Scarpa, A. (in press). Physiological Measures of Parental Stress. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8

Rea, H.M., Factor, R.S., Kao, W., & Shaffer, A.  (2020). A meta-analytic review of the Five Minute Speech Sample as a measure of family emotional climate for youth: Relations with internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 1-14.

Factor, R.S., Ollendick, T. H., Cooper, L. D., Dunsmore, J. C., Rea, H. M., & Scarpa, A. (2019). All in the Family: A Systematic Review of the Effect of Caregiver-Administered Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventions on Family Functioning and Relationships. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1-25. doi: 10.1007/s10567-019-00297-x

Condy, E.E., Factor, R.S., Swain, D.M., Strege, M.V., & Scarpa A. (2019). Impact of Maternal Rigidity on Affect During Stressful Task with Child: Comparing Physiological and Psychological Correlates. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Muskett, A., Capriola-Hall, N., Factor, R.S., Ryan, S.M., & Scarpa, A. (2019). Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 68, 101449.

Factor, R.S., Swain, D. M., Elias, R., Smith, I. C., Capriola-Hall, N. N., Waldron, K., & Clum, G. (2019). Behavior Management and Problem-Solving Training for 4-H Summer Staff: Linking Needs to Implementation. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice, 2(2): 19, 1–13. doi: 10.33596/coll.47

Hassenfeldt, T.A., Factor, R.S., Strege, M.V., & Scarpa, A. (2019). How do Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) Perceive and Understand Their autistic college students? Autism in Adulthood, 1(3). doi: Org/10.1089/aut.2018.0039

Factor, R.S., Swain, D., Antezana, L., Muskett, A., Gatto, A.J., Ryan, S.M., & Scarpa, A. (2019). Teaching Emotion Regulation to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Outcomes of the Stress and Anger Management Program (STAMP). The Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, ASD Special Issue. doi: 10.1521/bumc.2019.83.3.235

Dunsmore, J., Ashley, R., Bell, M.A., Swain, D., Factor, R., & Ross, A., Waldron, J., Scarpa, A. (2019). Marching to the beat of your own drum?: A proof-of-concept study assessing physiological linkage in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biological Psychology, 144, 37-45. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.03.001  

Antezana, L., Factor, R.S., Condy, E. E., Strege, M. V., Scarpa, A., & Richey, J. A. (2019). Gender differences in restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in youth with autism. Autism Research, (2), 274. doi: 10.1002/aur.2049

Achenie, L. E., Scarpa, A., Factor, R.S., Wang, T., Robins, D. L., & McCrickard, S. D. (2019). A Machine Learning Strategy for Autism Screening in Toddlers. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 40(5), 369-376. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000668

Rea, H. M., Factor, R.S., Swain, D. M., & Scarpa, A. (2018). The Association of the Broader Autism Phenotype with Emotion-Related Behaviors in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 49(3), 950-955. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3785-5

Factor, R.S., Swain, D. M., & Scarpa, A. (2017). Child autism spectrum disorder traits and parenting stress: The utility of using a physiological measure of parental stress. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(4), 1-11. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3397-5

Factor, R.S., Ryan, S. M., Farley, J. P., Ollendick, T. H., & Scarpa, A. (2017). Does the Presence of Anxiety and ADHD Symptoms Add to Social Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders47(4), 1122-1134. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-3025-9

Factor, R.S., Condy, E.E., Farley, J.P, & Scarpa, A. (2016). Brief Report: Insistence on Sameness, Anxiety, and Social Motivation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(7), 2548-2554.  doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2781-x

Kasari, C., Shire, S., Factor, R., & McCracken, C. (2014). Psychosocial treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan: New developments and underlying mechanisms. Current Psychiatry Reports, 16(11), 1-12. doi:10.1007/s11920-014-0512-6

Video Lectures

UCLA Tarjan Center Lecture Series (October 2021): “Adapting PEERS® for Preschoolers for Telehealth: Examining a Parent-Mediated Social Skills Intervention for Young Autistic Children.”

UCLA Tarjan Center Lecture Series (October 2020): “Examining Caregiver-Child Relationships and Family Functioning in Evidence-Based Social Skills.”

UCLA CART COVID-19 Video Series: Managing Attentional Challenges (June 2020).