Lab Achievements

Awards & Scholarships

Emily Lynch was awarded the CHSS Unpaid Internship/Externship Scholarship through Montclair State University for Spring 2025.
Caroline Freden received a two-year predoctoral fellowship from the New Jersey Governor’s Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism to carry out the Community Helper Autism Training (CHAT) Project.
Mary Isaac Cargill received both the Graduate Student Research Award and Dawn Gemeinhardt Student of Excellence Award from the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA). The former award is presented to a graduate student in psychology who is either attending a New Jersey college or university or interning in a New Jersey institution or an NJPA student affiliate, who has demonstrated exceptional research potential as determined by his or her academic department. The latter award recognizes an NJPA member who has demonstrated exemplary student leadership and initiative through significant contributions to the organization.
Michael House was awarded the Wilson Center Junior Researcher Fellowship (September 2024)
Michael House was awarded the CHSS Student Travel Award for ABCT (October 2024)
Michael House was awarded the Spring 2024 Policy Brief Competition on Climate Justice. Announced but the Research on Interdisciplinary Global Studies (RIGS) with a $200 prize for the award.
Natalia Cifuentes Macias received the 2024 Orpha M. Lutz Fund Scholarship from Montclair State University, recipients of this award were nominated by a faculty member. (April 2024)
Natalia Cifuentes Macias and
Michael House are recipients of the Simons Foundation Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN), where undergraduate students gain hands-on research experience and contribute to neuroscience research under the mentorship of early career scientists. (July 2024)
Natalia Cifuentes Macias is a recipient of the Student-Led Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (SL-RSCA) Award from Montclair State University, which supports graduate and undergraduate students under the guidance of a faculty mentor through projects such as theses, dissertations, culminating applied projects and capstone projects. (October 2024)
Ava Costa and Emily Lynch received the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’s Unpaid Internship Scholarship in the amount of $1500.
Ava Costa, Efi Mazis, Michaela Reynolds and Wasayef Bsharat received the 2023 Orpha M. Lutz Fund Scholarship from Montclair State University, recipients of this award were nominated by a faculty member.
Britney Jeyanayagam received the International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Student and Trainee Award for the 2023 Conference.
Mary Isaac Cargill recently passed her comprehensive examinations and is now considered a Doctoral Candidate.
Mary Isaac Cargill received a grant from the Dean’s Office in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Montclair State University to support her research exploring autism stigma and knowledge among racial and ethnic minority groups.
Mary Isaac Cargill and Sadaf Khawar graduated as Advanced Medium-Term Trainees from the Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program at Stony Brook University. They each completed over 100 additional training hours in this capacity to further their interdisciplinary knowledge of autism and other neurodevelopment disabilities.
Rachel McDonald recently passed her comprehensive examinations and is now considered a Doctoral Candidate.
Sadaf Khawar successfully defended her dissertation proposal on 9/23/23: “Trends and Barriers in Service Utilization in South Asian and MENA families with Autism in the United States: A Mixed Method Study”
Sadaf Khawar was awarded the 2023 Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology [SSCP] Dissertation Award [$500]
Britney Jeyanayagam, Emily Lynch, Greg Hartle, and Lydia Wei received the 2022 Orpha M. Lutz Fund Scholarship from Montclair State University, recipients of this award were nominated by a faculty member.
Dr. Erin Kang was included in Spectrum's 2022 40 Under 40 list. Honorees on this list are young researchers who are regarded as rising stars for their work on autism-related science across the globe.
Dr. Erin Kang was awarded the 2022 SRCD Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars. The grant will support research understanding of how differences in neural and behavioral presentations of flexible thinking in children on the autism spectrum relate to clinical presentation.
Dr. Erin Kang is the 2022 recipient of the Slifka/Ritvo Innovation in Autism Research Award, which honors the most meritorious and innovative research ideas of junior investigators.
Dr. Erin Kang receives 2022 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grant in collaboration with Carrie Masia
Eden Fowler-Benton received the International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Student and Trainee Award for the 2022 Conference.
Nardin Yacoub received a grant from the Dean’s Office in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Montclair State University to support her research study for the second year project titled, “Effects of perspectives, age, and gender on route descriptions in children.”
Sadaf Khawar was awarded the 2022 Elsie Ramos Memorial Student Poster Award for her poster, “Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy via Telehealth Effective? A Pilot Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Support Parents of Developmentally Disabled Children.”
Sadaf Khawar received a grant from the Dean’s Office in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Montclair State University to support her dissertation study titled, “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Service Utilization in Families with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Analysis of Minority and Immigrant Families in the United States.”
Sadaf Khawar received the 2022 International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Virtual Research Internship in Autism and Cultural Diversity.
Sadaf Khawar received the International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Diversity Travel Award for the 2022 Conference.
Sadaf Khawar received the 2022 Diversity Professional Development Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) .
Eden Fowler-Benton received the 2021 Orpha M. Lutz Fund Scholarship from Montclair State University, recipients of this award were nominated by a faculty member.
Kristen Schiavo received the 2021 Orpha M. Lutz Fund Scholarship from Montclair State University, recipients of this award were nominated by a faculty member.
Rachel McDonald received the International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Student and Trainee Award for the 2021 Virtual Conference.
Willow DeFilippo earned The Valerie Fund Academic Scholarship: Academic scholarship offered to pediatric cancer survivors treated by the Valerie Fund who show exceptional academic achievement and civic mindedness. They have received this scholarship from 2020-now.

Conference

Presentations

Kang, E., McDonald, R. G., Ahmad, R., & Wallace, D. (2025, May). Neural Correlates of Cognitive Flexibility Differences in Autistic and Allistic Youth. In E. Kang (Chair), Executive function development in autism: Multimodal insights into early indicators, neural mechanisms, and outcomes. Panel accepted to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
McDonald, R.G., Lynch, E., Cifuentes, N., Garcia, H., Ahmad, R., Castillo, A., & Kang, E. (2025). Emotion Dysregulation: Examining the Predictive Utility of Delta Beta Correlations in Autistic Youth. In R.G. McDonald (Chair), Physiological Indicators and Neural Mechanisms of Dysregulated Emotional Profiles in Autistic Youth. Presentation accepted to the International Society for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, United States.
Peters, A.W., McDonald, R.G., Khawar, S., Lynch, E., McSorley, N., Houston, S., Bixter, M.T., Kang, E. (2025, April 30 - May 3) Emotional Dysregulation as a Mediator of Task-based and Day-to-Day Executive Functioning in Adolescents. [Submitted Oral Presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, Washington, United States.
Baker, J.K., Fenning, S., Erath, A., Messinger, S., McDonald, R.G., Lynch, E., Cifuentes, N., Garcia, H., Ahmad, R., Castillo, A., Kang, E., Radoeva, P.D., Elizardo., C., McDonald., R.G., Hunt, J.I., Deoni, S.J., Sheinkopf, S.J., Mazefsky, C.A., Dickstien, D.P., Philip, N.S., Emezie, A., Kamel., R., Dunphy, M., Youn, A., Nuske, H.J., & Siegel, M. (2025, May). Physiological Indicators and Neural Mechanisms of Dysregulated Emotional Profiles in Autistic Youth. R.G. McDonald (Chair). Panel accepted to the International Society for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, United States.
Radoeva, P.D., Elizardo., C., McDonald., R.G., Hunt, J.I., Deoni, S.J., Sheinkopf, S.J., Mazefsky, C.A., Dickstien, D.P., Philip, N.S. (2025, May). White Matter Microstructural Organization Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Autistic Children in the ABCD Study. Presentation accepted to the International Society for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, United States.
Bsharat, W., Khawar, S., Cargill, M.I., Hartle, G., Hreno, S., Park, P., & Kang, E. (2024, November 14-17). Exploring the relationship between autism knowledge and stigma domains in underrepresented ethno racial minority groups: Implications for culturally sensitive support and services [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Bsharat, W., Khawar, S., Cargill, M.I., Lynch, E., House, M., Kang, E. (2024, April 26). The impact of autism diagnosis on stigma: parent-reported autism traits and stigma experiences in underrepresented ethno-racial minority groups [Poster presentation]. Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Bsharat, W., Mahmud, F., Hollender, A., Lynch, E., Cargill, M.I., Stephen, S., & Kang, E. (2024, April 11-14). Examining the roles of biological sex and social communication in anxiety among autistic and non-autistic youth [Poster presentation]. Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) Conference, Boston, MA, United States.
Cargill, M.I., Khawar, S., & Kang, E. (2024, November 14-17). Factors predicting access to autism services among ethnoracial minority families – the impact of autism stigma and knowledge. In M.I. Cargill & S. Khawar (Chairs), Engaging varied stakeholders to disrupt stigma as a barrier to care across mental health conditions [Conference session].Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). Examining the Relationship Between Profiles of Anxiety and IQ. To be presented at Montclair State University Student Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., Lynch, E., & Kang, E. (2024). Examining the Role of Emotion Dysregulation and Intolerance of Uncertainty in the Manifestation of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors. To be presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Cifuentes, N., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024, November). Examining the predictive utility of facets of executive functioning on anxiety symptom profiles in autistic and non-autistic youth. Poster presented at the 58th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Cifuentes, N., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024, April). A phenotypic examination of executive functioning challenges in children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Poster presented at Montclair State University Student Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
McDonald, R.G., Rosen, T.E., & Kang, E. (2024, November). Impact of emotion dysregulation on multiple mental health conditions in autistic youth. In R. G. McDonald & E.Kang (Chairs), Impact and treatment of emotion dysregulation in autistic people across the lifespan. Symposium accepted at the 58th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
McDonald, R.G., Rosen, T.E., Kang, E., Kushner, R., Holbrook, C., Hendrix, N., Pickard, K., Conner, C.M., Beck, K., White, S., Mazefsky, C., Libsack, E.J., Kukaj, G., Brennan, E., Keinan, E., Chen, J.H., Pepa, L., Bal, V., Chu, B.C., & Keefer, A. (2024, November). Impact and treatment of emotion dysregulation in autistic people across the lifespan. R. G. McDonald & E. Kang (Chairs). Symposium accepted at the 58th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Reynolds, M., Bsharat, W., Cargill, M.I., Kang, E. (2024, April 26). The impact of humiliation/rejection on the social & school functioning of autistic and non-autistic youth [Poster presentation]. Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Bsharat, W., Khawar, S., Mahmud, F., Wadi, A., & Kang, E. (2023, April). Exploring the Relationship between Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms in Autistic Youth. Poster accepted to the Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ.
Cargill, M.I., & Goldie, P. (2023, April). Critiquing Applied Behavior Analysis Using A Justice-Oriented Perspective [Conference presentation]. Project presented at the Montclair State University Autism Interdisciplinary Group’s Annual Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Cargill, M.I., & Goldie, P. (2023, April). Critiquing Applied Behavior Analysis Using A Justice-Oriented Perspective [Conference presentation]. Project presented at the University of Virginia’s Diversifying Scholarship Conference, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
Cargill, M.I., Jeyanayagam, B., & Kang, E. (2023, November). Correlates of Quality of Life in Parents of Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth and the Protective Role of Child and Parent Service Utilization. Poster presented the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.
Cargill, M.I., Jeyanayagam, B., DeFilippo, W., & Kang, E. (2023, May). Informant Discrepancy of Intolerance of Uncertainty Predicts Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors. Poster presented at the 2023 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
Hollender, A., Przygoda, S., Kang, E. (2023, July). “Clinical Presentations of Overcontrol in Neurodiverse Youth.” Poster presented at the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Future Directions Forum, Regina, Canada.
Jeyanayagam, B., Khawar, S., Mahmud, F., Cargill, M.I., Lynch, E., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2023, April). The Role of Parental Emotion Regulation on Child Behaviors in Autistic and Other Developmentally Disabled Children during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Investigating Mediation by Dysfunctional Parent-Child Interactions. Poster presented at the Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ.
Jeyanayagam, B., Khawar, S., Mahmud, F., Cargill, M.I., Lynch, E., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2023, May). The Role of Parental Emotion Regulation on Child Behaviors in Autistic and Other Developmentally Disabled Children during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Mediation by Dysfunctional Parent-Child Interactions. Poster presented at the 2023 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.
Jeyanayagam, B., McDonald, R.G., Cargill, M.I., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2023, March). The Influence of Autism Symptom Severity, Peer Victimization, and Prosocial Experiences on Social Anxiety in Youth. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.
Kang, E., McDonald, R. G., Mahmud, F., Cargill, M. I., Jeyanayagam, B., & Khawar, S. (2023, June). Identifying Mechanisms Underlying Autistic Characteristics and Anxiety as Treatment Targets in CBT. In E. Kang & S. H. Kim (Chairs), New Directions in Autism Research and Treatment. Symposium at the 10th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, Seoul, Korea.
Khawar, S., Cargill, M.I., Jeyanayagam, B., Hartle, G., Lynch, E., Wadi, A., McDonald, R.G., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2023, March). The mediating effects of parental psychological flexibility and child behaviors on psychopathology in parents of developmentally and intellectually disabled children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed method study. Flash talk paper presented at the biennial convention of the Society for Research and Child Development, Salt Lake City, UT.
Lynch, E., McDonald, R.G., Jeyanayagam, B., & Kang, E. (2023, April). Congruence Among Clinician- and Parent-Reported Special Interests. Poster to be presented at the Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ.
Macapagal, N., Freden, C., Kang, E., Lerner, M. D. (2023, April). The Relationship of Social Anxiety and Bullying with Positive Social Interactions Amongst Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth. Poster accepted to the Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ.
McDonald, R.G., Hollender, A., & Kang, E. (2023). Unique Predictive Relationships of N170 Amplitudes and Latency on Anxiety and Emotion Dysregulation in Youth. Poster accepted to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) 50th Annual Convention, New York, NY.
McDonald, R.G., Cargill, M.I., Khawar, S., & Kang, E. (2023, May). Emotion dysregulation in autistic individuals: A meta-analysis. Presentation presented at the 2023 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
Cargill, M.I., Khawar, S., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2022, November). Parenting Stress and Other Processes Related to Depression in Parents of Developmentally Disabled Children During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Poster presented at the Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group at the annual convention of the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies, New York, November, 2022.
Cargill, M.I., McDonald, R. G., Yacoub, N., Khawar, S., Jeyanayagam, B., Lynch, E., Hartle, G., Wadi, A., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2022, November). Correlates of Parenting Stress During the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Protective Role of Parent Psychotherapy Experience in Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities. Poster presented at the annual convention of the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies, New York, November, 2022.
Cargill, M.I., McDonald, R.G.,Yacoub, N., Khawar, S., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2022, May). The moderating effect of sex on autistic trait emotional intelligence and alexithymia. Poster accepted to the 2022 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, TX, United States.
Fowler-Benton, E., McDonald, R.G., Khawar, S., Yacoub, N., Cargill, M.I., Macapagal, N., Rosen, T., Lerner, M. & Kang, E. (2022, May). Differential Effects of Specific Anxiety Symptoms on Facial Emotion Recognition in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Examination By Stimulus Type. Poster accepted to the 2022 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, TX, United States.
Jeyanayagam, B., McDonald, R.G., Cargill, M.I., Lynch, E., Khawar, S., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2022, November). Specific Autism Symptoms Differentially Predict Self- and Parent-Reported Social Anxiety in Youth With and Without ASD. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies, New York, NY.
Khawar, S., Schiavo, K., Fowler-Benton, E., Cargill, M.I., Yacoub, N., McDonald, R. G., Tilson, C., & Kang, E. (2022, May). Parent stress, emotion dysregulation, and depression in parents of children with autism and intellectual disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic: a mixed-method analysis. Poster accepted to the 2022 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, TX, United States.
McDonald, R.G., Day, T., Cargill, M.I., Khawar, S., Yacoub, N., Trimber, E., Lerner, M.D., Kang, E. (2022, May). Late Positive Potential to Emotional Faces in Young Children with Autism: Associations with Sex and Reciprocal Social Interaction. Poster accepted to the 2022 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, TX, United States.
McDonald, R.G., Mckenny, E., Cargill, M.I., Richards, J.K., Day, T., Kofner, B., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Lerner, M.D., Gotham, K., & Kang, E. (2022, November). Impact of friendships on generalized anxiety in gender-diverse college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster accepted to the annual convention of the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies, New York, NY.
McDonald, R.G., Yacoub, N., Fowler-Benton, E., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2021, November). Co-occurring behavioral symptoms and peer rejection in youth with ASD: A mediation by peer conflict. Poster accepted to the 2021 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA, United States
McDonald, R.G., Yacoub, N., Khawar, S., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2021, May). Discrete electrocortical predictors of anxiety during follow-up period after social skills intervention for youth with autism spectrum disorder. Poster accepted at the International Society for Autism Research, Virtual Annual Meeting.
Yacoub, N., McDonald, R.G., Fowler-Benton, E., Lerner, M.D., & Kang, E. (2021, November). Social anxiety mediates the relationship between atypical social communication and reciprocal friendships in ASD. Poster accepted to the 2021 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA, United States
Schiavo, K. R., McDonald, R. G., Lerner, M. D., & Kang, E. (2021, May). Relations of Theory of Mind and Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster accepted at the 2021 Association for Psychological Science Virtual Convention

Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., Lynch, H., Cifuentes, N., Khawar, S., & Kang, E. (2025). Examining the Relationship Between Treatment Usage and Executive Functioning Among Autistic Youth. Poster accepted at International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA, United States.
Cifuentes, N., Garcia, H., Ahmad, R., Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2025). Examining Emotion Dysregulation Profiles in Relation to Reward Positivity and Feedback-Related Negativity in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth. Presentation accepted at International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA, United States.
Mahmud, F., McDonald, R.G., Bsharat, W., Shahin, S., Wallace, D., Masia, C., Kang, E. (2025, May). Exploring the relationship between cognitive flexibility and anxiety in autistic youth. Poster presentation at International Society for Autism Research, Seattle, WA.
Peters, A.W., McDonald, R.G., Khawar, S., Lynch, E., McSorely, N., Houston, S., Bixter, M. T., Kang, E. (2025, April 30 - May 3) Emotional Dysregulation as a Mediator of Task-based and Day-to-Day Executive Functioning in Adolescents. Poster accepted to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, Washington, United States.
Radoeva, P.D., McDonald, R.G., Elizardo, C., Li, E.A., Legere, C.H., Saletin., J.M., Hunt, J.I., Deoni, S.C.L.., Sheinkopf, S.J., Mazefsky, C.A., Philip, N.S., Dickstein, D.P. (2025). Relationship between Food Selectivity, Sleep Problems and Emotional Reactivity in Autistic Youth. Poster accepted to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA, United States.
Ahmad, R.F., McDonald, R.G., Hollender, A., & Kang, E. (2024). The Mediating Role of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors on Social-Neurocognitive Processes in Neurodiverse Youth. Accepted to the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Ahmad, R.F., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). Differences in Social Behavior within Neurodiverse Youth. Presented at the Montclair State University Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Bsharat, W., Khawar, S., Cargill, M., Hartle, G., Hreno, S., Park, P., & Kang, E (2024, November). Exploring the Relationship between Autism Knowledge and Stigma Domains in Underrepresented Ethno Racial Minority Groups: Implications for Culturally Sensitive Support and Services [Poster Abstract]. Presented to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Bsharat W., Khawar S., Cargill M., Lynch E., House M., and Kang E., “The impact of autism diagnosis on stigma: Parent-reported autism traits and stigma experiences in underrepresented ethno-racial minority groups,” in Montclair State University Research Symposium, Poster Presentation, 2024.
Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). Examining the Relationship Between Profiles of Anxiety and IQ. Presented at Montclair State University Student Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Castillo, A.C., McDonald, R.G., Lynch, E., & Kang, E. (2024). Examining the Role of Emotion Dysregulation and Intolerance of Uncertainty in the Manifestation of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors. Presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Cifuentes, N., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). A phenotypic examination of executive functioning challenges in children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Accepted to MSU Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Cifuentes, N., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). Examining the predictive utility of facets of executive functioning on anxiety symptom profiles in autistic and non-autistic youth. Presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
DeFilippo, W., Freden, C.E., Filstein, T., Kang, E. (2024, October 24). Examining Influences of Autism Presentation on Parent-Child Agreement on Child’s Anxiety [Poster Presentation]. To be presented at the International Society for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, United States.
DeFilippo, W., Mahmud, F., Freden, C.E., Bsharat, W. Kang, E. (2024, April 25). Parent-Child Agreement on Magnitude of Anxiety in Autistic vs Non-Autistic Children [Poster Presentation]. Presented at the Montclair State University Student Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Filstein, T., McDonald, R.G., Polanco, C.,& Kang, E. (2024). Impact of Social Skills and Theory of Mind on Internalizing Symptoms. Poster submitted to Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Hollender, A.E., Polanco, C., Bang, S., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Relationships between Specific Executive Functions in Neurodiverse Youth. [Poster] Association of Psychological Sciences Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.
House, M., Cargill, & E. Kang E., “Embracing diversity in autism care: Beyond aba to meet the rising needs,” in Montclair State University Research Symposium, 2024
House M., “Martial arts as a therapeutic modality for children with autism spectrum disorder: An interdisciplinary approach to improve motor, neurological, and psychosocial outcomes,” in Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapists (ABCT) 58th Annual Conference, Poster Presentation, 2024.
Hreno, S., Khawar, S., Freden, C., Bsharat, W., Hartle, G., Mazis, E., Park, P., & Kang, E. (2024, November). Correlates of Family Stress, Quality of Care, and Unmet Needs in Underrepresented Ethnoracial Groups with Autistic Children: An Exploration via Path Analysis [Poster Abstract]. Presented to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Lynch, E, House, M., Bsharat, W., McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024) The Utility of the EFCT within the Autism Population. To be presented at Montclair State Student Research Symposium, Montclair, NJ, United States.
Lynch, E, McDonald, R.G., & Kang, E. (2024). Relationships between Executive Functioning and Social Behaviors in Neurodiverse Youth using a Novel EF Measure. To be presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Shahin, S., Mahmud, F., McDonald, R.G., Bsharat, W., Masia, C., & Kang, E. Use of an autism-specific anxiety measure to explore anxiety profiles in autistic and non-autistic males and females [Poster Abstract]. Anxiety & Depression Association of America Conference, Boston, MA
Terroso, S. R., McKenney, E. E., Brunwasser, S. M., Richards, J. K., Day, T. C., Kofner, B., McDonald, R. G., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Kang, E., Lerner, M.D., & Gotham, K. O. (2024, May). Longitudinal relationships between depressive attributional style and internalizing symptoms among neurodiverse students in their first semester of college. [Poster presentation]. International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 23rd Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia.

Posters

Papers

Ghanem, Zeina Y., "The Process of Healing Individual and Communal Traumatic Experiences Through Natural and Cultural Reconnection in Silko’s Ceremony," International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: Vol. 16: Iss. 1, Article 6.
House, M., “Exploring genetic contributions to autism from 2020 to 2024: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevention, elimination and environmental influences,” International Journal of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, vol. XX, 2024, DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/5TCSJ In Review.
McDonald, R.G., Cargill, M.I., Khawar, S., & Kang, E (2024). Emotion dysregulation in Autism: A meta-analysis. Autism, 29(12). DOI: 10.1177/13623613241257605.
McKenney, E. E., Richards, J. K., Day, T. C., Brunwasser, S. M., Cucchiara, C.L., Kofner, B., McDonald, R. G., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Lamm, J., Kang, E., Lerner, M.D., & Gotham, K. O. (2024). Satisfaction with social connectedness is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in neurodiverse first-semester college students. Autism, 28(8). DOI: 10.1177/13623613231216879.
Terroso, S. R., McKenney, E. E., Brunwasser, S. M., Richards, J. K., Day, T. C., Kofner, B., McDonald, R. G., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Kang, E., Lerner, M.D., & Gotham, K. O. (2024). Longitudinal Relationships Between Depressive Attributional Style and Internalizing Symptoms in an Autism-enriched Sample of Incoming College Students. Autism in Adulthood.

Khawar, S., Cargill, M.I., Hreno, S., Bsharat, B., Esler, A., & Kang, E. (2025). Correlates of Family Stress and Quality of Care in Underrepresented Ethnoracial Groups with Autistic Children: An Exploration via Path Analysis.
Khawar, S., Esler, A., Dababneh, S., Hartle, G. Hreno, S.,*Tangarife, A., *Ghanem, Z., & Kang, E. (2025). Trends, Barriers and Facilitators in Service Utilization in South Asian, MENA, and East African Diaspora with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States: A Mixed-Method Review.
Khawar, S., Esler, A., Hartle, G., Hreno, S., & Kang, E. (2025). Unmet Needs and Parental Mental Health in Underrepresented Ethnoracial Group with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States: A Mixed-Method Review.
Khawar, S., Ghanem, Z., Tangarife, A., Esler, A., Hreno, S., & Kang, E. (2025). Parental Perspectives in Dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Analysis.