Our research explores the way that preschool children think about themselves and their social world. Our studies involve simple games in which children play one-on-one with a member of our research team with small toys, stickers, and action figures. By studying how children respond to these games we can learn important aspects of the way they think about themselves and their world. We have a particular interest in understanding how typically developing children and those with autism spectrum disorders develop different ways to understand their social world.

Each of our studies takes about 30 minutes, with plenty of flexible time for children to play and feel comfortable before we begin. Work with an individual child will take place in a small room adjacent to the play area. Parents may accompany children into this room, or you may watch our study from the main playroom via a live video screen. Our child-friendly space on the Bard campus is designed to make children and families comfortable and to help us learn the most that we can about the ways that young children think and solve problems!