Research & Publications — Alexis Arias
Alexis A. Arias, M.S., BCBA

Research &
Publications

Scholarship spanning autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental intervention, social neuroscience, and applied behavior analysis — with a focus on translating research into meaningful clinical practice.

Manuscripts

4 publications
2022
Arias, A.A., Rea, M., Adler, E., Haendel A.D., Van Hecke, A.V.
Utilizing the child behavior checklist (CBCL) as an autism spectrum disorder screener and outcome measure for a social skills intervention for autistic adolescents.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities
2021
Haendel A., Barrington, A., Magnus, B., Arias, A., McVey, A. J., Pleiss, S., Carson, A., Vogt, E. M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Changes in Electroencephalogram coherence in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder after a social skills intervention.
Autism Research
2020
Schiltz, H. K., Mcvey, A.J., Dolan, B., Stanley, R., Haendel, A., Arias, A., Gordon, N., Van Hecke A.V.
The role of loneliness as a mediator between autism features and mental health among autistic young adults.
Autism
2022
Arias, A., Tseng W.L., Dolan B.K., Haendel A.D., McVey A.J., Schiltz H. K., Carlson M., Krueger W., Yund B., Mata-Greve, F., Van Hecke, A.V.
Social brain structures as biomarkers of outcomes and predictive of treatment responders of the Program for Education and Enrichment of Social Skills (PEERS®) for autistic adolescents.
In preparation In Prep

Oral Presentations

6 presentations
2021
Arias, A.
When it's not only Autism: Comorbidities and their complex role in autism.
Invited Psychiatry Grand Rounds Speaker — Cottage Psychiatric and Addiction Medication Department, Santa Barbara, CA. Virtual.
2021
McVey, A. J., Herrington, J. D., Barrington, A., Porcelli, A., Schiltz, H. K., Haendel, A.D., Dolan, B., Arias, A., Carlson, M., Krueger, M., Casnar, C. L., Yund, F.M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Changes in Amygdala Activity across the PEERS® Intervention: The Role of Co-occurring Social Anxiety.
20th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Virtual.
2019
Arias, A., Barrington, A., McVey, A. J., Schiltz, H. K., Haendel, A. D., Yund, B., Kreuger W., Carlson, M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Changes in amygdala and hippocampus volumes among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder over the course of the PEERS® social skills intervention.
18th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Montreal, Québec, Canada.
2019
Haendel, A.D., Barrington, A., McVey A. J., Dolan, B., Willar, K. S., Carson, A., Arias, A., Johnson, N., Jones Moyle. M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Evidence of Neuroplasticity in Adolescents with Autism After a Social Skills Intervention. EEG coherence changes related to the PEERS® Intervention: Evidence of Neuroplasticity.
82nd annual convention of the American Speech-Language Association (ASHA), Orlando, FL.
2019
Haendel, A.D., Barrington, A., McVey A. J., Dolan, B., Willar, K. S., Carson, A., Arias, A., Johnson, N., Jones Moyle. M., Van Hecke, A. V.
EEG coherence changes related to the PEERS® Intervention: Evidence of Neuroplasticity.
18th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Montreal, Québec, Canada.
2017
Arias, A., McVey, A. J., Schiltz, H. K., Haendel, A., Dolan, B., Willar, K. S., Pleiss, S., Karst, J., Carson, A., Mata-Greve, F., Vogt, E., Van Hecke, A. V.
Caregiver vs. adolescent report of internalizing symptoms and relationship to physiological arousal across the PEERS® intervention.
16th annual International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), San Francisco, CA.

Panel Presentations

1 presentation
2022
Ferguson, E., Arias, A., Jimenez-Muñoz M., Licona, S., Russell, K., Adams, P., Nees, A., Vernon, T.W.
Pivotal for Early Autism Intervention: Preliminary Outcomes of a Smartphone App-Based Parent Education-Based Autism Intervention.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, Texas.

Poster Presentations

25 presentations
2026
Adler, E. J., Guell, M.K., Lehman, S.A., Arias, A., Pleiss, S., Willar, K.A., Wozniak, B.D., Van Hecke, A.V.
Examining RSA across a PEERS® RCT: Parasympathetic Deterioration in Autistic Adolescents Irrespective of Treatment or Waitlist Group.
25th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Prague, Czech Republic.
2026
Guell, M.K., Adler, E. J., Haendel, A., Arias, A., Van Hecke, A.V.
Changes in Parental Stress, Parental Efficacy, and Parent-Child Relationship Dynamics Following Participation in PEERS for Preschoolers.
25th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Prague, Czech Republic.
2025
Guell, M.K., Willar, K.A., Haendel, A., Arias, A., Pleiss, S., Van Hecke, A.V.
The Effects of Internalizing Symptoms on Adolescent Outcomes of the PEERS® Intervention.
24th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, Washington.
2023
Arias, A., Garcia, M., Halmos, T., Vernon, T.W.
Autistic Dating Experiences and Needs: Towards Co-Creation of a Dating-Related Social Skills Program.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
2023
Braylan, S., Licona, S., Ferguson, E.F., Arias A., Jimenez Munoz, M., Russell, K.M., Vernon, T.W.
Improvements in Parent Use of Contingency through App-Based Training in the Pivotal Response Treatment Intervention Model.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
2023
Licona, S., Elizalde, I., Kim, A., Teodoro, S., Walton, B., Jimenez Munoz, M., Russell, K.M., Ferguson, E.F., Arias A., Vernon, T.W.
Improvements to Parent Intervention Fidelity and Dosage after Participation in a Pivotal Response Treatment App-Based Training Program.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
2023
Vernon, T.W., Licona, S., Ferguson, E.F., Jimenez Munoz, M., Arias, A., Russell, K.M.
Increases in Child Language Attempts Following Parent Training in Pivotal Response Treatment.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
2023
Bordofsky, S., Licona, S., Ferguson, E.F., Jimenez Munoz, M., Arias, A., Russell, K.M., Vernon, T.W.
Increasing Child Responsiveness to Social Communication Bids: Results from the Pivotal App Clinical Trial.
22nd annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Stockholm, Sweden.
2022
Arias, A., Vernon, T.W.
Autistic Experiences and Perspectives on Dating and Romantic Relationships: Towards an Inclusive Dating Social Skill Program for Autistic Adults.
21st annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Austin, Texas.
2021
Arias, A., Tseng W.L., Dolan B.K., Haendel A.D., McVey A.J., Schiltz H. K., Carlson M., Krueger W., Yund B., Mata-Greve, F., Van Hecke, A.V.
Towards a Personalized Social Intervention for Autistic Adolescents: Utilization of MRI Biomarkers As Predictors of PEERS® Treatment Responders.
20th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Virtual.
2021
Arias, A.A., Rea, M., Adler, E., Haendel A.D., Van Hecke, A.V.
Utilizing the CBCL As an ASD Screener and Outcome Measure for a Social Skill Intervention in Autistic Adolescents.
20th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Virtual.
2020
Arias, A., Barrington, A., McVey, A. J., Haendel, A. D., Schiltz, H. K., Kreuger W., Carlson, M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Changes in Anterior Cingulate Cortex surface area among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder over the course of the PEERS® social skills intervention.
19th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA (Virtual).
2019
McVey, A. J., Herrington, J. D., Barrington, A., Schiltz, H. K., Dolan, B., Haendel, A.D., Willar, K. S., Arias, A., Van Hecke, A. V.
Malleability of neural activity in response to treatment: Examining fMRI biomarkers of social behavior and anxiety among autistic adolescents across the PEERS® intervention.
19th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Seattle, WA (Virtual).
2019
Stoppleworth, A., Mckee, M., Kodak, T., Arias, A., Meredith, D., Best, M.
Increasing tolerance for aggression maintained by attention and access to tangibles.
19th annual Mid-American Association for Behavior Analysis, Omaha, NE.
2019
Arias, A., McVey, A. J., Schiltz, H., Haendel A. D., Mata-Greve, F., Vogt, E.M., Willar, K.S., Dolan, B., Van Hecke, A.V.
Influence of IQ on discrepancies and inter-rater agreement on self- versus caregiver-report on the ASEBA DSM-oriented subscales among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
18th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Montreal, Québec, Canada.
2019
McVey, A. J., Herrington, J. D., Schiltz, H. K., Dolan, B. K., Barrington, A., Arias, A., Haendel, A.D., Willar, K. S., Van Hecke, A. V.
Malleability of neural activity in response to treatment: Examining fMRI biomarkers of social behavior and anxiety among autistic adolescents across the PEERS® intervention.
18th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Montreal, Québec, Canada.
2018
Arias, A., McVey, A. J., Schiltz, H., Haendel, A., Rivera, K., Pleiss, S., Carson, A., Mata-Greve, F., Yund, B.D., Van Hecke, A. V.
Adolescent Autism Traits: Associations with Parental Age and Physiological Functioning.
17th annual International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands.
2018
Van Hauwermeriren, O., Arias, A., McVey, A.J., Rivera, K., Martinez, G., Van Hecke, A.
Discrepancies in self- and caregiver-report of PTSD and externalizing symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
Annual meeting of the Wisconsin Psychological Association (WPA), Madison, WI.
2017
Arias, A., Lee, T. M., Mirabito, L., Heck, N.C.
Psychopathological symptoms and correlates across sexual orientation in male webcam models.
125th annual American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
2017
Lee, T. M., Audi, C. O., Arias, A., Mirabito, L., Heck, N.C.
An Investigation of the Motivations of Female Webcam Performers.
125th annual American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
2016
Arias, A., Pleuhs B., Saldivar N.
Motivations for performing sexual behaviors online: An investigation of male webcam performers.
124th annual American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
2016
Worden, A., Arias. A., Saldivar, N.
Early sexual debut and risky sexual behavior among male webcam performers: Associations with sexual orientation and race.
124th annual American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
2016
Arias, A.
Serotonin modulates motor output patterns of reticulospinal müller cells in Ichthyomyzon unicuspis.
Annual Marquette University Department of Biological Sciences Poster Symposium, Milwaukee, WI.
2016
Arias, A., McVey, A. J., Dolan, B., Cibich, D., Windorff, D., Carufel-Wert, L., Letter, O., Jacobson, M., Van Hecke, A. V.
Discrepancies in self- and caregiver-report of anxious and depressive symptoms among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
Annual Wisconsin Psychological Association, Madison, WI.
2016
Saldivar, N., Worden, A., Arias, A.
Psychosocial correlates among sex workers using internet based platforms.
Annual Wisconsin Psychological Association, Madison, WI.
2014
Arias, A., & Ebert N.
Stress by spermine and spermidine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not induce prion formation.
Annual Marquette University Department of Biological Sciences Poster Symposium, Milwaukee, WI.

Community Presentations

5 presentations
2022
Casa Pacifica
Autism & Neurodiversity
Invited Presentation
2021
Santa Barbara Public Library
¡Hablemos! Cómo crear oportunidades para fomentar el lenguaje y socialización de los más pequeños
Invited Presentation — [Let's talk! How to create opportunities to foster the language and socialization of young children]
2021
Santa Barbara Public Library
Cuidando Ninos Sabiamente: Crianza Positiva con Juegos
Invited Presentation — [Nurturing Know-How: Positive Parenting with Play]
2021
University of California, Santa Barbara — Sociology Club
Autism Spectrum Disorder Acceptance Month: What is Autism & Neurodiversity
Invited Presentation
2020
Acacia Counseling and Wellness, Isla Vista & Goleta, California
Autism and adult services
Invited Presentation

Bold indicates presenting or primary author. Last updated April 2026.