Catalight Researcher Awarded NIH Grant to Study Program Meant to Enhance Educator Training on Supports for Autistic Students

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Catalight researcher has been awarded a $4.5 million National Institute of Health (NIH) R01 grant to study RUBIES, a program aimed at reducing challenging behaviors among autistic elementary students. In partnership with Dr. Jill Locke from the University of California, Los Angeles, Karen Bearss, Ph.D., received the grant through a highly competitive, peer-reviewed process. The funding will support a large-scale, nationwide trial in elementary schools – building on Dr. Bearss' and Dr. Locke's previous NIH-funded research into RUBIES and its companion program RUBI.

"This grant underscores the importance of research to improve outcomes for autistic students in public schools," said Dr. Bearss, vice president of caregiver-mediated solutions at Catalight, one of the nation's largest behavioral health networks. "The funding will enable Catalight and our research partners at UCLA to continue advancing applied research that helps educators and school staff improve the classroom experience for autistic students and their classmates."

School staff often lack the training to effectively support autistic students who engage in challenging behaviors, such as meltdowns and aggression. The grant will fund a five-year randomized study to evaluate RUBIES (Research Units on Behavioral Intervention in Educational Settings), a structured, evidence-based program that helps educators understand challenging behavior as a form of communication and respond with practical strategies. The study will also evaluate a new schoolwide leadership support strategy called Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize evidence (HELM), that seeks to effectively sustain the use of RUBIES strategies by working with school and district leaders. The goal is to create lasting change that reduces behavioral incidents, enabling students and educators alike to thrive.

"Paraeducators who work with autistic children do challenging work, often with limited training and institutional support," said Dr. Bearss. "RUBIES equips them with a deeper understanding of what students are communicating through their actions. By focusing on recognizing and addressing underlying needs rather than trying to manage behavior, the program empowers educators with practical strategies to respond thoughtfully, reduce stress in the classroom and better support student learning and wellbeing."

RUBIES is an adaptation of RUBI, a similar program designed for parents and caregivers that has previously been validated in three large-scale, NIH-funded trials. Both programs were co-developed by Dr. Bearss.

"Classroom programs need institutional support from school leaders to succeed," said Dr. Bearss. "This grant allows us to expand the scope of our research to look at a schoolwide implementation strategy to ensure that educators receive the support they need to sustain change in the classroom over time."

In the study, schools nationwide will be randomly assigned to receive RUBIES alone, RUBIES combined with a schoolwide leadership support strategy (HELM), or a conventional educator professional development program.

The study is a partnership with academic research teams at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Boise State University. Dr. Bearss is also an affiliate associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Washington.

About Catalight

Catalight is a nonprofit that breaks down barriers and biases to create a more equitable world so people with developmental disabilities can choose their path to care. Catalight provides access to innovative, individualized care services, clinical research and advocacy — all powered by intelligent technology. Through the work of affiliate partners, Easterseals Hawaii and Easterseals Northern California, Catalight and its family of companies support people with developmental disabilities and their families across their care journey. 

The Catalight family of companies is one of the largest behavioral health networks in the nation, with more than 16,000 practitioners serving 24,000 clients and families annually. Backed by more than a decade of experience and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, we are reimagining the way people with developmental disabilities and their families experience healthcare. Catalight's goal is to ensure that individuals and families receive timely access to evidence-based treatment, including naturalistic developmental and language-based services, applied behavior analysis and speech therapy.

SOURCE Catalight Foundation, a California non-profit corporation