Rios Vega Research
- Research Associate, Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence
- Adjunct Faculty, Department of Occupational Therapy
901 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Rios Vega Research
Dr. Rios-Vega is a clinical researcher and occupational therapist specializing in autism, with a focus on Ayres Sensory Integration®, sensory-adaptive environments, and improving access to interventions for minoritized communities. Her work focuses on addressing disparities in therapy service access and utilization by engaging with culturally diverse communities, understanding their challenges, and making interventions culturally responsive.
Committed to community engagement, Dr. Rios-Vega collaborates with local and national organizations with diverse stakeholders to ensure research is community-driven and its findings are available to the community. She also designs sensory-adaptive spaces to improve the participation of autistic individuals in healthcare, schools, and at home. Valuing interdisciplinary collaboration, she works with experts in design, medicine, psychology, education, and other fields to improve the health and well-being of the autistic community.
Current Research
Testing Design Thinking Methodology to Engage Hispanic & Latino Families of Autistic Children in Research
Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (Co-Principal Investigator)
This project aims to improve the use of evidence-based occupational therapy interventions for minoritized communities such as the Hispanic and Latino communities. We are exploring experiences accessing and using therapy services, and culturally adapting the occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration® autism intervention, to ensure it meets the needs of Hispanic and Latino autistic individuals and improve its effectiveness.
Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the project also examines stakeholder engagement by comparing two methods: Design Thinking and Focus Groups and determine which is more effective in engaging the Hispanic and Latino community in research.
The project is guided by three stakeholder advisory boards consisting of parents, autistic individuals, occupational therapists, cultural experts, and autism experts from there large children’s organizations to ensure a collaborative and community-driven approach.