Tandra Allen, MS, CCC-SLP

Assistant Director of Research
Tandra has led clinical research studies focused on understanding and enhancing one’s social-cognitive abilities as well as overall social health for over 13 years at the Center for BrainHealth. Her research includes development of virtual reality technology as a training tool to deliver high-level social reasoning training. Her work includes the use of fMRI imaging, in collaboration with Yale Child Medicine Center, to evaluate brain metrics of social-cognitive growth related to training.

Charisma: A Virtual Reality Training to Promote Social BrainHealth in Adults
This game-based platform with a clinician-led strategy training protocol helps adults navigate the socially complex interactions they face every day.

Brain Responses to Biological Motion Predict Treatment Outcome in Young Adults With Autism Receiving Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training: Preliminary Findings
Researchers targeted objective neural predictors for treatment outcomes in individuals with ASD.

Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training for Children With High Functioning Autism
Findings from the study suggest that VR training is a feasible approach to improving social skills in high functioning autistic individuals.

Neural Mechanisms of Behavioral Change in Young Adults with High Functioning Autism Receiving Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training: A Pilot Study
Findings from this pilot study provide valuable insights on ways the neuroplasticity of individuals with ASD can be harnessed.
