Rachel Gordon
About
Research Advisors: Sandra Russ & Anastasia Dimitropoulos
Research Interests: I am interested in working with children and families affected by developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder and Prader-Willi Syndrome. I hope to support social, emotional, and family well-being through integrating evidence-based practices directly into family and community systems. Specifically, I am interested in examining the impacts of play therapy on various developmental and social outcomes, through identifying mechanisms of change and providing parent and community-based training opportunities.
Selected Recent Publications & Presentations:
Gordon, R. A., Russ, S. W., & Dimitropoulos, A. (2023). Examining Effective Intervention Strategies in a Play-Based Program for Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities.
Walton, K. M., Borowy, A. R., Gordon, R. A., & Wainer, A. L. (2023). Enhancing stakeholder roles in autism early interventions in the United States: A stakeholder-driven research agenda. Autism, 13623613231195743.
Dimitropoulos, A., Doernberg, E.A., Gordon, R.A., Vargo, K., Nichols, E, Russ, S.W. (In Revision). Efficacy of a Remote Play-Based Intervention for Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Gordon, R.A., Doernberg, E.A., Nichols, E.M., Vargo, K., Russ, S.W., Dimitropoulos, A. Building Social Cognition via Pretend Play: Results from Wave 2 of the PRETEND Program, a Quasi-Randomized Trial for School-Aged Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO.
Gordon, R.A., Hyun, M., Doernberg, E.A., Russ, S.W., Dimitropoulos, A (April, 2023). From Facilitator to Partner: Examining Effective Intervention Strategies in a Pretend Play Intervention for School-Aged Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Poster presented at the 55th Annual Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO.
Wainer, A., Walton, K.W., Borowy, A.R., Gordon, R.A. (In Preparation). Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Autistic Children and their Families.