There are 3 projects in the Autism Family Culture and Communication Education Lab (ACCEL) in which VIP students can participate in for Spring. 

Promoting Meaningful Interaction and Social Engagement (PROMISE) is a community-based program for immigrant and refugee children and youth with autism established in 2023 in partnership with Chinese Culture and Community Service Center in Rockville. Students interested in this project will explore the impact of the program on children’s social engagement, emotional, language, literacy, and executive functioning outcomes.

Implementation/data collection will occur at the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center Academy in Rockville. Data analysis will occur asynchronously (students will work on their own and bring progress and updates to the weekly project meetings).

For students interested in implementation and data collection, they will complete staff training by watching training videos and reviewing training slides.  Program sessions with children will be 7 Saturdays 12:30-5:30pm from 4/3-5/15.

Alternatively, you can also assist with administering/supporting language, executive functioning, and literacy assessments in person throughout the spring and summer, which will take place at CCACC Health Center located in Rockville, MD. 

Assessments will usually occur in later afternoon/evenings or weekends with young children ages 5-15 years.

For students interested in data analysis, students will work on their assigned task (e.g., scoring parent questionnaire, standardized assessments) asynchronously and come back with updates and questions at the check-in meeting.

Students interested in both implementation/data collection and data analysis can participate in both.

Toddler Talk  is a project in partnership with an early intervention program in Prince George’s County who works with birth to 2 year old children with developmental disabilities or delays. ACCEL has been providing professional development for the educators in the program since 2024 and this year, the training will focus on bilingual social emotional literacy and positive behavior and language support. Students interested in this project will support the observation of toddler groups led by educators and data analysis by tracking and synthesizing educators’ behaviors, instructional, and parent coaching practices to examine the effect of training on these outcomes.

Implementation/data collection will occur at different locations in local schools, public libraries, or community centers where the community groups take place in Prince George’s County. . Students interested in hands-on experience with observation assessment and observing families, young children (birth to 3 years), and educators in action can choose this opportunity and assist with observation and scoring educator practices and family and children behaviors.

Data analysis will occur asynchronously (students will work on their own and bring progress and updates to the weekly project meetings).

Students interested in both implementation/data collection and data analysis can participate in both.

Enhancing Marylanders’ Belonging, Rights, and Advocacy for Disability Community (EMBRACE) is a policy advocacy project since 2025 in which students will be matched with an organization in the Maryland Equity Coalition for People with Disabilities which has +39 grassroot nonprofit organizations supporting immigrant and refugee communities with disabilities. Students will engage in implementation of “cultural navigation” which include (a) cultural translation (b) advocacy (c) system navigation (d) community education and (e) trust building and conduct interviews, observation, and collection of artifacts from community including photographs, meeting notes, and presentation materials, to synthesize and disseminate the importance and impact of cultural navigators. Students will also meet with state and county legislators to increase the awareness of cultural navigators with the long-term goal of advocating for a legislation or a budget item that supports the preparation and compensation of cultural navigators to promote a sustainable state-wide model.

Implementation/data collection will involve working with one of the 2 organizations, AmigoCare ABA and Empowering Pathways. The work will involve hands-on experience with families and community advocates working with immigrants and refugees with disabilities. Data analysis will occur asynchronously (students will work on their own and bring progress and updates to the weekly project meetings).

For students interested in implementation and data collection, they will work during the times that align with their matched organization's schedule and a recurring schedule will be arranged at the beginning of the semester with their organization. For students interested in data analysis, students will work on their assigned task asynchronously and come back with updates and questions at the check-in meeting. Students interested in both implementation/data collection and data analysis can participate in both.