Research-Occupational Therapy Program
Affective Processing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders|Mechanisms of Sensory Responsivness |Documenting Clinical Change
Julia Wilbarger, Ph.D., OTR
jlwilbarger@education.wisc.edu
The aim of Dr. Wilbarger's research is to understand the underlying neuropsychological processes that influence how people with neurodevelopmental disorders respond to the sensory and affective dimensions of the environment. Dr. Wilbarger's research incorporates the collection of both psychopysiological and neuropsychological data. A further area of interest is to develop means to bridge the gap between occupational therapy researchers and occupational therapy practicioners to document the effects of treatment.
Affective Processing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Current Research
Affective and sensory processing in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorder with a focus on understanding responses to social and emotional information by people with autism
Many functional deficits in affect regulation, attention and activity level in children with developmental disabilities appear to be influenced by their responses to the alerting and affective cues in the environment. The aim of my research is to understand the underlying neuropsychological processes that influence how people with neurodevelopmental disorders respond to the alerting and affective dimensions of environmental stimuli. My research incorporates the collection of both psychopysiological and neuropsychological data. My most recent research examines affective startle modification along with several other psychophysiological measures during a picture-viewing paradigm with individuals with autism.
Current projects:
- Affective Processes in Autism: examines physiological responses to affective stimuli including startle and facial EMG
Related Publications:
McIntosh, D.N., Reichmann-Decker, A., Winkielman, P. & Wilbarger, J.(2006). When the Social Mirror Breaks: Deficits in Spontaneous, but not Voluntary Mimicry of Emotional Facial Expressions in Autism. Developmental Science.
Winkielman, P., Berridge, K, & Wilbarger, J. (2005). Unconscious affective reactions to masked happy versus angry faces influence consumption behavior and judgements of value. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Winkielman, P., Berridge, K., & Wilbarger, J.(2005). On the relation between emotion and consciousness. In Feldman-Barrett, L., Niedenthal, P., & Winkielman, P. (Eds.), Emotion: Conscious and Unconscious. Guilford Press. New York.
Wilbarger, J.L. (2003). Affective startle modification in individuals with autism. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of Denver, CO.
Mechanisms of Sensory Responsiveness
Mechanisms and underlying dimensions of sensory responsiveness and modulation in typical and atypical individuals.
While behaviorally atypical sensory responsiveness such as aversive responses to non-noxious stimuli has been documented in varied groups of individuals the origins and underlying neuropsychological processes that cause those behaviors are poorly understood. The aim of this area of research is to examine possible mechanisms of atypical responses to sensation using self report, psychopysiological and neuropsychological data in a range of populations.
Current Projects:
- Sensory Aversion Measurement Project: Developing methods to measure multiple dimensions of response to sensation that can be used in research to identify sensory disruptions in clinical populations and understand key mechanism of sensory aversion.
- International Adoption Project with Seth Pollak & Mary Schneider, Department of Psychology and Mary Schneider, Department of Kinesiology, OT program. Examining parent report, child ratings and observations of response to sensory input in children who have been internationally adopted. Comparisons will be made between children with varied lengths of institutionalization prior to adoption.
- Sensory over responsiveness in adults women with fibromyalgia with Dane Cook, Department of Kinesiology. A pilot study to identify presence of atypical sensory responsiveness across multiple modalities of sensation.
Documenting Clinical Change
Documentation of clinical change in children with learning, developmental and sensory integrative dysfunction engaged in occupational therapy.
A further area of interest is to develop means to bridge the gap between occupational therapy researchers and occupational therapy practitioners. Occupational therapists must take steps to document the effectiveness of treatment, both for individual clients and for research. Most practitioners though have neither the time nor the research expertise to meet both demands. Clinical occupational therapists, though, generate a wealth of data on their clients, which, if structured properly, can serve as evidence to intelligently guide practice and future research.
- Effectiveness of Therapeutic Listening in collaboration with Sheila Frick
Wilbarger, J.L.. & Wilbarger, P.L (2002). Wilbarger approach to treating sensory defensiveness and Clinical Application of the Sensory Diet. Sections in Alternative and Complementary Programs for Intervention, Chapter 14. In Bundy, A.C., Murray, E.A., & Lane, S. (Eds.). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, 2nd Ed. F.A. Davis, Philadelphia, PA.
Miller, L. J., Wilbarger, J. L., Stackhouse, T.M., Trunnell, S.T., & Hanft, B. E. 2002)
Use of Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy: The STEP-SI Model of Treatment of Sensory Modulation Dysfunction. In Bundy, A.C., Murray, E.A., & Lane, S. (Eds.). Sensory integration: Theory and practice. 2nd Ed., F.A. Davis, Philadelphia, PA.