About

Sabrina Elayne Brierley Schuck is an Associate Professor in the Pediatrics School of Medicine at UC Irvine and the Director of the Schuck Child Development Lab. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Riverside, an M.A. from Chapman University, and a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses on developing innovative strategies to build resilience and adaptive skills in children, particularly those with neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She aims to understand the socio-cultural and biological mechanisms underlying optimal outcomes for these children and to develop, improve access to, and better integrate evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in community and school settings. Her work emphasizes creating interventions that are easily integrated with or serve as alternatives to medication, are feasible in real-world environments, and are beneficial and acceptable to children and their families. Dr. Schuck's contributions include exploring canine-assisted therapy, digital health interventions, and wearable technology to monitor and improve behavior and self-regulation in children with ADHD. Her research is characterized by a focus on interdisciplinary approaches, community-based implementation, and the development of accessible, effective interventions to enhance developmental outcomes across the lifespan.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Computer Science
• Psychiatry
• Human–computer interaction
• Embedded system
• Medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Engineering

Selected publications

• FamilyBloom: Examining Ecologies of Collaboration in Family-Centered Health Tracking

  2026-04-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Family health informatics tools can help support well-being with shared data tracking. Prior work typically focused on shared data review, but often in specific moments, like bedtime, or centered on caregiving of children or elderly members. To investigate how tracking can support mutual health collaboration between family members pervasively across daily contexts, we designed and deployed FamilyBloom, a glanceable smartwatch and home display system for mood and goal tracking. Twelve families with both neurotypical and ADHD members used FamilyBloom for three months on average. Our findings reveal how family-centered tracking created collaboration opportunities and tensions across multiple ecological systems: individual self-regulation, collaborations within family dynamics, involvement of care networks with varying trust levels, institutional school constraints and cultural stigma, and temporality of regular routines and crisis periods. We discuss an ecosystem-aware approach to family informatics, wherein design can attend to how families navigate multiple contexts while sustaining family-level collaboration.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• ParentCoach: designing an mHealth parenting app to enhance parental involvement in ADHD support

  Frontiers in Computer Science · 2025-11-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction Parents play a vital role in supporting self-regulation and managing behaviors in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, many face barriers to accessing consistent, evidence-based support. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer a promising way to deliver flexible, low-burden guidance for parents on best practices and strategies to support their children's self-regulation. However, designing them is non-trivial. Objective This paper introduces ParentCoach , a mobile application designed to support parents of children with ADHD through brief daily lessons, reflection prompts, and skill-building activities. Methods ParentCoach was developed in two phases: (1) secondary analysis of qualitative data from over 30 families using mHealth tools to support self-regulation, and (2) co-design with ADHD experts to refine and validate the curriculum. Results Our findings identify key design needs for digital parenting tools: micro-interactions, flexible content formats, scaffolding for executive function, and emotional reflection. The resulting app delivers an 80-lesson curriculum across 16 weekly themes covering relational self-reflection, emotional regulation, communication, and behavior management. Discussion ParentCoach design and development show how evidence-based parenting strategies can be translated into accessible, scalable mHealth interventions. Our study offers key design implications for digital tools that support parent learning, emotional resilience, and behavioral consistency in the home. Currently, we are running a randomized controlled trial to provide evidence of ParentCoach's impact. This work contributes to ongoing efforts to develop technology-enhanced behavioral interventions for families of children with ADHD.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Acute salivary cortisol response in children with ADHD during psychosocial intervention with and without therapy dogs

  Frontiers in Psychiatry · 2024-10-24

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Introduction Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing animal-assisted intervention (AAI) to psychosocial treatment as usual (TAU). This brief report describes effects of AAI on acute HPA axis reactivity and regulation. Saliva was collected before, during, and after psychosocial intervention sessions with and without therapy dogs and later assayed for cortisol (ug/dL). Methodology Thirty-nine participants (n = 39) with ADHD, aged 7-9 years (79% male) provided saliva at 3 points during 90-minute sessions; ( i ) upon arrival, ( ii ) +20 minutes, and ( iii ) 15 minutes prior to departure, on 3 occasions across an 8-week intervention (weeks 1, 4, and 8). Cortisol slopes calculated within each session were compared across the intervention weeks to determine within subject and between group effect sizes. Spearman’s correlations between baseline individual neurodevelopmental symptoms and in-session acute cortisol responses were also evaluated. Results No significant between group differences were observed in cortisol responsiveness at week-1. By week-4, in-session changes in cortisol were evident, with significantly greater decreases in the AAI group (Cohen’s d = -.40). This pattern was also observed at week-8, with an even stronger effect-size ( d = -0.60). Concurrent symptoms of autism were associated with the in-session acute cortisol response. Specifically, higher parent-reported symptom scores were associated with steeper decreases in cortisol across the session at week 1 ( r = -0.42, p < .01) and week-8 ( r = -0.34 p = .05). At week-8 this association was stronger in the AAI group ( r = -0.53) versus TAU ( r = -0.25), with Cohen’s q = 0.413). Discussion AAI may influence acute HPA reactivity and regulation for children with ADHD. Concurrent symptoms of ADHD and autism may be related to individual differences in the nature of the effect. Implications of these findings for AAI as an alternative, or complementary intervention for ADHD are discussed. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05102344.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Digital health intervention for children with ADHD to improve mental health intervention, patient experiences, and outcomes: a study protocol

  BMC Digital Health · 2024-11-05 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric condition with profound public health, personal, and family consequences. ADHD requires comprehensive treatment; however, lack of communication and integration across multiple points of care is a substantial barrier to progress. Given the chronic and pervasive challenges associated with ADHD, innovative approaches are crucial. We developed the digital health intervention (DHI)-CoolTaCo [Cool Technology Assisting Co-regulation] to address these critical barriers. CoolTaCo uses Patient-Centered Digital Healthcare Technologies (PC-DHT) to promote co-regulation (child/parent), capture patient data, support efficient healthcare delivery, enhance patient engagement, and facilitate shared decision-making, thereby improving access to timely and targeted mental health intervention for children at significant risk for poor outcomes. The present paper will describe our planned protocol to evaluate the efficacy of CoolTaCo via randomized control trial (RCT). Methods/design: = 30) treatment (i.e., a waitlist control group). Among those randomized to immediate treatment, half will be assigned to DHI (delivered via a smartwatch and smartphone application), the other half to an active control treatment as usual (TAU). Unlike the DHI group, the TAU group will receive the smartwatch with no assigned activities, applications, or interventions on the devices. The intervention period will last 16 weeks; after a participant has been in the delayed treatment group for 16 weeks and has completed the post-waiting period assessment, they will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or active control group. Thus, 30 participants will complete the intervention, and 30 will complete the active control, with half of the total sample completing a waitlist period. Discussion: Individuals with ADHD have complex needs. Despite improvement in outcomes following cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and pharmaceutical treatment, long-term maintenance is a challenge often not addressed by traditional medical approaches, and, as we described, ineffective approaches to information sharing across points of care create further barriers to progress. Our research will fill a significant gap in translating early treatment investments and gains into long-term, sustainable outcomes.This study was registered as a clinic trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (Digital Health Intervention for Children With ADHD, ID# NCT06456372) on 06/13/2024.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Co-Designing Situated Displays for Family Co-Regulation with ADHD Children

  2024-05-11 · 25 citations

  articleOpen access

  Family informatics often uses shared data dashboards to promote awareness of each other’s health-related behaviors. However, these interfaces often stop short of providing families with needed guidance around how to improve family functioning and health behaviors. We consider the needs of family co-regulation with ADHD children to understand how in-home displays can support family well-being. We conducted three co-design sessions with each of eight families with ADHD children who had used a smartwatch for self-tracking. Results indicate that situated displays could nudge families to jointly use their data for learning and skill-building. Accommodating individual needs and preferences when family members are alone is also important, particularly to support parents exploring their co-regulation role, and assisting children with data interpretation and guidance on self and co-regulation. We discuss opportunities for displays to nurture multiple intents of use, such as joint or independent use, while potentially connecting with external expertise.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Observation of human-animal interaction for research (OHAIRE) behavior coding in a randomized control trial of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a canine-assisted intervention

  Frontiers in Psychiatry · 2024-02-27 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Diagnosed in about 10% of children in the United States, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Traditional interventions, such as pharmacological and psychological interventions, are often used in conjunction with integrative health options, such as animal-assisted interventions. The objective of this manuscript is to report behavior coding findings from a randomized control trial of children with ADHD. Methods: As part of a larger randomized control trial focused on the efficacy of combining a canine-assisted intervention (live therapy dog or control stuffed dog) with cognitive behavioral therapy for children with ADHD, the current manuscript focuses on video-captured behavior observations (n = 35 children, approximately 322 minutes of data). Data were extracted and coded using the Observation of Human-Animal Interaction Research (OHAIRE) Coding System. Behavior codes are reported as summary scores for the following domains: animal social interaction and human social interaction (further separated into human-adult social interaction and human-peer social interaction). Repeated measures mixed models analyses were performed using SAS PROC GLIMMIX to evaluate group differences and change across the study period. Results: There were no significant differences in how much children interacted with the live therapy dogs versus control stuffed dogs. With respect to human-to-human social interactions, children showed greater increases over time in human-directed social interactions in the presence of live therapy dogs compared to stuffed dogs (p = .020). Over the course of the 12-week intervention, children increased in interactions with both adults (p = .006) and their peers (p = .014); however, there were more increases over time in adult-directed social interactions in the live animal condition compared to the control stuffed animal condition (p < 0.0001). Discussion & conclusions: Findings suggest changes in social interaction when participating in this canine-assisted intervention, specifically greater increases in human-to-human social interactions over time when a live therapy dog is present compared to a control stuffed dog. Children appear to engage relatively equally with both live and stuffed dogs; however, the impact of animals on human socialization differs based on if a live animal is present. Future studies should consider incorporating behavior coding analysis into studies of canine-assisted interventions to identify how human-animal interactions may be moderators or mechanisms for psychosocial outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Contributors

  Elsevier eBooks · 2024-10-01

  book-chapterOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Children with Executive Function Deficits in Animal-Assisted Intervention and Human–Animal Interaction

  Elsevier eBooks · 2024-10-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Unpacking the Lived Experiences of Smartwatch Mediated Self and Co-Regulation with ADHD Children

  2023-04-19 · 47 citations

  articleOpen access

  Challenges associated with ADHD affect children’s daily routines and response to environmental stimuli, and support from parents is helpful in managing and overcoming behavior regulation challenges. Positive reinforcement is increasingly integrated into family technologies for teaching regulation skills, but typically support specific co-located activities. To better understand how technology can support co-regulation within families with ADHD children, we deployed CoolTaco, a smartwatch and phone system to support collaboration in creating tasks, gaining points for achieving them, and redeeming rewards. Ten families with ADHD children used CoolTaco in their daily routines. By qualitatively analyzing family interviews and usage logs, we find that smartwatches can help provide pervasive regulation support to children, but the division across devices and parent-child roles interfere with developing independence. We discuss how technology should support co-regulation while also fostering future self-regulation, such as by guiding children in goal setting and helping them reflect on progress and achievements.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Chapter 6. Companion Animals in the Treatment of ADHD

  American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · 2023-02-16

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01HD066593

  NIH · $2.1M · 2015

Frequent coauthors

• Kimberley D. Lakes

  University of California, Riverside

  27 shared

• James M. Swanson

  25 shared

• Pamela Flodman

  University of California, Irvine

  17 shared

• Robert K. Moyzis

  University of California, Irvine

  17 shared

• M. Anne Spence

  NOSM University

  16 shared

• Yuan-Chun Ding

  City of Hope

  15 shared

• Gillian R. Hayes

  University of California, Irvine

  14 shared

• Franceli L. Cibrian

  Chapman University

  14 shared

Labs

• Schuck Child Development LabPI

Education

• B.A., Psychology

  University of California, Irvine

  1990

• M.A., Clinical Psychology

  Chapman University

  1997

• Ph.D., Education

  UC Riverside

  2008