Photo of Nicholas FearsNicholas Fears 

Assistant Professor

Bachelor's Degree(s): Psychology, Indiana University 2013

Master's Degree: Psychological Science, Tulane University 2016

PhD: Psychological Science, Tulane University 2019

Phone: 225-578-7175

Email: nfears@lsu.edu

Office: 2214 Huey P. Long Field House

Curriculum Vitae 

Biography

Dr. Nicholas Fears is an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, USA. Dr. Fears completed his undergraduate training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University in 2013 and his graduate training in Developmental Psychology at Tulane University in 2019. He completed his postdoctoral training in the Department of Physical Therapy at University of North Texas Health Science Center and in the School of Kinesiology at University of Michigan in 2022. Dr. Fears joined the School of Kinesiology in August 2022.

Dr. Fears’s research focuses on the development of the dynamic relationships between motor, visual, and cognitive processes. He is interested in how these relations affect the performance of activities of daily living in neurodivergent populations (i.e., autism, developmental coordination disorder). The goal of his research is to improve the lives of neurodivergent people by adapting their environments and providing support for them to achieve their goals. Dr. Fears is the director of the Human Development & Daily Life (HuDDL) Lab

Select Publications

Miller, H. L., Licari, M. K., Bhat, A., Aziz‐Zadeh, L. S., Van Damme, T., Fears, N. E., ... & Tamplain, P. M. (2024). Motor problems in autism: Co‐occurrence or feature?. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 66(1), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15674

Fears, N. E., Palmer, S. A., & Miller, H. L. (2022). Motor skills predict adaptive behavior in autistic children and adolescents. Autism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2708

Fears, N. E., Templin, T., Sherrod, G. M., Bugnariu, N., Patterson, R., & Miller, H. L. (2022). Autistic children use less efficient goal-directed whole body movements compared to neurotypical development. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05523-0

Fears, N. E., Bailey, B., Youmans, B, & Lockman, J. J. (2019). An eye-tracking method for directly assessing children's visual-motor integration. Physical Therapy, 99(6), 797-806. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz027

Select Presentations

Invited Presentaions

Motor Skills & Autism: Impacts on Functional Behavior. (2023, March). Department of Psychology, Tulane University.

Researching Neurodiversity: Bridging the Gap between Scientist & Community. (2022, February). Center for Neural Science, New York University.

Autism, Motor Development, & Activities of Daily Living. (2021, July). Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. University of Michigan.

Conference Presentations
Fears, N. E., Tamplain, P. M., & Miller, H. L. (2024, June). Data Sharing Through the International Consortium On Motor Behavior In NEurodivergence (COMBINE). Joint Conference of the International Motor Development Research Consortium and International Society of Research and Advocacy for Developmental Coordination Disorder. Ghent, Belgium.

Fears, N. E., Palmer, S. A., Miller, H. L. (2022, May). Motor skills predict daily living and communication skills in autistic children and adolescents. North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.

Fears, N. E., Templin, T. N., & Miller, H. L., (2021, September) Drinking from a cup: Upper extremity movements during activities of daily living in children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifth Assembly of International Motor Development Research Consortium. Komotini, Greece.

Select Grants

Healthy Weight Research Network Pilot and Feasibility Grant - $50,000
PI, 2024-2026
"Adapting a Play-based, Parent-mediated Motor Skills Intervention App to Reduce Motor Difficulties and Increase Physical Activity in Autistic Preschoolers"

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation Collective Impact Grant - $250,000
Co-I, 2023-2024
"Doing LIFE Together: Learning Independence From Experience"

Links

Google Scholar

Human Development & Daily Life Lab