Upgrading the science and technology of pediatric mental health care ™

Information for Undergraduate Students

We recruit motivated and tenacious undergraduate resarch assistants. CLC research assistant (RA) positions are competitive, and we look for students who are motivated to learn, who possess the potential to excel in clinical science, and whose career goals include graduate school in clinical child psychology or related fields.

CLC research assistant (RA) positions require a minimum of one year (3 semester) commitment at 10 hours per week.

Research assistants will have the opportunity to interact directly with children with ADHD and other clinical disorders, as well as learn valuable lab and data skills to increase their competitiveness for graduate school admissions. Students may also have the opportunity to learn and implement evidence-based neurocognitive treatment for children with ADHD and related difficulties. High achieving CLC research assistants in the past have earned the opportunity to co-author conference presentations, book chapters, and peer reviewed journal articles.

For FSU students, CLC research assistant positions are available for course credit (Directed Independent Study) or as a UROP fellowship.

Minimum requirements are:

3.5 GPA or higher
Able to commit to three consecutive semesters @ 10 hours/week + weekly lab meeting
Sophomore or junior standing(or UROP program acceptance)

Interested students should email their CV/resume, unofficial degree audit, and a brief letter of interest 4 weeks before the end of the semester (i.e. the semester prior to the semester they are applying to begin volunteering) to clc@psy.fsu.edu. The number of openings depends on how many RAs graduate the prior semester.

About Our Research

Research in the Children's Learning Clinic (CLC) focuses on understanding relations among cognitive, behavioral, physiological, and educational outcomes for children with ADHD within the context of positive youth development. We use cutting edge technology and classic experimental design to better understand why children with ADHD display the hallmark ADHD behavioral symptoms (inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity) and associated functional challenges. The goal of CLC research is to translate these findings into effective treatments for children with ADHD that build their capabilities and promote positive outcomes.

Our programmatic body of research is based on four interrelated pillars:

Children's Learning Clinic Research Philosophy

Clinical research service delivery model. As clinical scisntists, we conduct research that informs our clinical practice. And our clinical practice informs our research questions. We are proud to be able to offer clinical services to all families who participate in our research - at no cost to families! In other words, we provide today's gold standard to families, while families provide us with the data to develop tomorrow's gold standard.
Experimental psychopathology. A lot of psychological science is correlational, which is a good start but does not tell us about cause and effect. With correlational research we can say that certain skills and abilities are associated with ADHD, but we can't say whether they are causing ADHD. And if we don't know what's causing the chalenges that children with ADHD experience, how can we possibly cure it? We use classic experimental designs and sophisticated technologies to go beyond the correlations to test for cause and effect relationships between neurocognitive abilities and observable ADHD behaviors and outcomes.
Translational science. Identifying the underlying causes of behavior is important, but it's not the final step. Once we identify underlying factors that are causing or contributing to challenging behaviors, the next step is to develop interventions to try and improve those difficulties. In the Children's Learning Clinic, we are developing and testing novel, neurocognitive training protocols with the potential to improve important brain functions that contribute to ADHD behavioral symptoms. Research assistants in our clinic have the opportunity to serve as "Executive Function Coaches," who are personal trainers for children with ADHD to help them exercise the brain abilities targeted by our program!
Positive youth development. Children with ADHD are more than just a list of symptoms and deficits. In the Children's Learning Clinic, we believe that optimal outcomes will come from not only treating the child's deficits, but also identifying and harnessing their strengths. In other words, we believe that we can move children with ADHD not just from struggling to 'doing okay', but all the way from struggling to thriving! The positive youth development framework keeps us focused on this goal, and reminds us to examine personal, family, and social-community assets that promote resilience for children with ADHD.