“Yes! I liked Jasper intervention so much!

I saw Momoko’s progress so much since she started this intervention.

When she started, she was just playing by herself always and she did not try to welcome others.

But after started this, she tried to see and accept people playing with her.

Through this study, I, as a mom, learned so many techniques to communicate with Momoko.

Whenever I see BI from UCLA, they explained how to select good toys for her at every stem, and how to approach to have better connected interaction with daughter.

Momoko’s way of playing has been so changed (improved), and she started to have more sign language.

Sometimes she initiates me to play! (such as chasing , making bubbles , sand dough play etc)

I feel so connected with Momoko.

I would love to keep in touch with all people who works for this study, and I’m highly interested in same kind of program in the future too!

From Atsuko Toba (Momoko’s mom)”

Thank you so much for spending so much time with Austen. You have helped our family in so many ways I can not count.

Your insight and advice is invaluable. You have touched Austen and have given him such a great foundation that he will take with him throughout his life. We look forward to working with you more. Keep in touch!

- Alex, Karie, Austen, and Jules (Austen’s Family)

To the entire JASPER team,

A HUGE THANK YOU for all your hard work with Emmett and me over the past 8 weeks.

Your friends and family might think you just “play with kids all day,” but we know how intense, focused and rigorous your work really is. Your patience and warmth were amazing. Despite this being a research study, we never felt like guinea pigs. :)

We are so sad to have finished our 2 months with you, but we leave grateful for all your time and education and look forward to being in touch.

Much Love,

Parent

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Kasari Lab at UCLA. My two sons have been enrolled in multiple research programs conducted by the Kasari Lab (Baby Bears, PRISM, BLOOM) for their language development delay. The more I work with the Kasari Lab, the more I love this team, for several reasons as below.

The whole team at the Kasari Lab is very professional. The researchers and students in the lab are very well trained in various therapy methods (DDT, JASPER, PROMPT) and receive continued training every year in summer. They also train parents and outside speech therapists (I met one that is even from the east coasts!), so they are doing everything they can to educate and help more people in the Autism community.

The whole team works very efficiently. From the very initial contact to the admission, first assessment, weekly therapies, midterm and final assessments, and follow-up assessment, everything has been running smoothly for us. Each research program has its own coordinator, and each patient has his/her own assigned therapists. Communication is always easy and prompt. We feel very comfortable talking to each and everyone in the lab, and our questions can always be answered.

The whole team is also very friendly, enthusiastic, and considerate. We are always greeted by the therapists at the hallway with big smiles on their faces each time we go there for therapies. You can feel that everyone loves what they do as a career instead of merely a job. They truly care about their patients and are very considerate in that they are willing to work with families for scheduling and rescheduling. They give me very detailed instruction on parking on campus, and on the very first day, James from the intake team even met me downstairs in the parking garage to accompany me to the lab. They also give me recommendations on local service resources such ST and ABA, which are very helpful.

And finally, their therapies are effective! My two sons’ language development has improved tremendously along with their cognitive levels since we first participate. I give the highest recommendation to any family who has a child with language development delay.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone in the team, Dr. Connie Kasari, Caitlin McCracken, Wendy Shih, Sarah Seese, Sydney Seese, Beza Ayalew, Jonathan Panganiban, Brandon Villanueva, Maira Tafolla, James Yang and the other researchers and students in the lab that I have met and worked with.

“I am writing this testimonial to express my sincere gratitude for the tremendous work the Kasari Lab has done for my daughter with ASD. The innovative approach to intervention through JASPER has brought about significant improvements in the lives of many children, including my own.

Since my child began receiving JASPER therapy, I have seen remarkable improvements in her communication, social interaction, and overall behavior. The use of play-based techniques and naturalistic teaching strategies has been incredibly effective in promoting her development and helping her acquire new skills.

Compared to other interventions my child has received in the past, JASPER stands out for its individualized and flexible approach. The emphasis on tailoring the therapy to each child's unique needs and interests has made a tremendous difference in her progress. I appreciate that the therapy is focused on building skills that will benefit my child in the long term, rather than just treating her symptoms in the short term.

One of my favorite features of JASPER is the emphasis on parent involvement and training. The fact that I am able to participate in the therapy sessions and learn how to apply the techniques at home was life-changing. I felt empowered to support my child's development whereas before I felt more like I was on the sidelines watching the professionals work with my child. By interacting with my child using JASPER techniques, I learned how to engage with my child and increase her joint attention beyond what I thought possible and I was able to build a rapport with my daughter that did not exist before.

Speaking of the team, I cannot praise them enough for their expertise, professionalism, and compassion. Every member of the team has been a joy to work with, and I appreciate the care they have shown for our whole family. At every opportunity, they invited me to work with my daughter using the JASPER techniques while they watched and provided encouragement, constructive feedback, and suggestions. The team even reviewed footage of me working with my daughter at home and again provided priceless encouragement, support, and constructive feedback and suggestions. Their commitment to ongoing research and improvement is evident in the quality of the therapy they provide.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the impact JASPER has had on my child's life and the support we have received from the UCLA Kasari lab team. I have recommended many families to try JASPER since then. They are making a difference in the lives of many families, and I am honored to have been a part of their program.

“Absolutely loved the trainers. Found their feedback and training methods to be extremely helpful.

I loved how they were so open to having open discussions as a group, answering additional questions, and doing their best to provide us with requested resources to aid in learning (e.g. additional videos, individual feedback, examples of written goals).

They really tried to mold the program to match your learning style and were so open to other ideas and feedback to help the process. I also loved having JASPER certified clinicians in the observation room providing explanations and brainstorming questions throughout the observations so learning/participation was always happening even if you weren’t the one providing therapy at the time.”