This series of studies began with a grant proposal focused on students classified with learning disabilities which was successfully funded by the National Science Foundation. Although the main emphasis of this National Science Foundation program was science, technology, engineering, and math, we were also interested in broader educational and…

In my doctoral program, students are immersed in research from the onset. This study was my second-year team study, intended to provide me with experience designing and implementing single case design research. Building on a study from the previous year, I developed an idea to further examine methods for promoting listening comprehension for…

Interpersonal violence (IPV) and sexual assault is a prominent issue on college and university campuses across the nation. The rates of violence have increased over the past few decades; recent studies show that 26% of undergraduate women and 7% of undergraduate men experience some form of nonconsensual sexual contact during their time in college…

Communication Centers have traditionally been supportive campus places where students receive training and assistance with their communication skills. They are also often places where Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) principles are transformed into practice. This manuscript issues an invitation: that we intentionally expand those…

Deficits in phonological information processing in upper elementary students with specific learning disabilities in reading or spelling may increase, decrease, or remain stable over time. The authors examined the development of phonological processing longitudinally in 209 students (109 with learning disabilities and 100 typically achieving;…

Predictors of expressive grammar were compared in formal and naturalistic assessment tasks for children with typically developing (TD) language and with Developmental Langauge Disorder (DLD). Standardized expressive language assessments were administered to 110 preschoolers. The parents of these children reported whether or not they were concerned…

A qualitative study was conducted to understand how middle and high school students with visual impairments (VI) engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Readiness Academy, a Project-Based Learning (PBL) intervention, was designed to provide a week-long, immersive, outdoor, and inquiry-based science education program…

The present study aimed to explore clinical trends in the period 2000-2010, along with discriminating clinical factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in young children suspected of ASD. The following trends were observed: (1) a rise in referrals including an increase in referrals among language-abled children, (2) an increase in children…

Relations between mind-mindedness (assessed using the describe-your-child interview) and stress were investigated in parents of children with developmental disorders (ADHD, n = 51, ASD, n = 23, Down's Syndrome, n = 38, and 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, 22q11.2DS, n = 32) and typically-developing children (n = 89). Mind-mindedness did not differ…

With the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), inclusive education has become the main alternative to special schools for the schooling of children with disabilities. In order to promote the global implementation of inclusive education, a variety of stakeholders form networks to transmit and exchange information and…

Autistic adults report concerns with social skills and unemployment. Despite anxiety and difficulty with executive cognitive skills being associated with autism, no studies to date have investigated relationships between anxiety or executive cognition with social and work functioning. This study aimed to investigate the associations between…

Atypical sensory processing is prevalent across neurodevelopmental conditions and a key diagnostic criterion of autism spectrum disorder. It may have cascading effects on the development of adaptive functions. However, its unique contribution to adaptive functioning and the genetic/environmental influences on this link are unclear. In a clinically…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research is largely based on males, and females with ASD are at risk for under-identification. Research recommends listening to parent concerns since these are often predictive of a child's eventual diagnosis. This study examined how patterns of parent concerns predicted sex differences and eventual child diagnosis…

Elevated salivary cortisol levels have been documented in individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB), indicating acute physiological stress. Less is known about the chronicity of stress and SIB. We analyzed the relationship between parent ratings of problem behavior and hair cortisol concentrations (an index of chronic adrenocortical…

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the perceived hearing difficulties of a community sample of older adults to two clinical samples of older adults, one with no hearing aid experience and the other with hearing aid experience. Method: Scale scores from the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) were analyzed for a community sample…