Current Projects
- A Family-Genetic Study of Language in Autism
- This project is an attempt to understand the nature of language use in autism, and investigates how particular language features may run in families, and may be tied to the genes involved in autism. The project focuses on individuals with autism and their parents, and involves exciting new technologies for studying language and cognitive processes, including analysis of visual processing patterns. We are recruiting families from North Carolina and nearby regions, as well as from Iowa. Participants will receive $50. This study is funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
- Pragmatic Skills of Children with Fragile X Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Typical Development
- This study investigates the development of pragmatic language skills (or the use of language in social contexts) among children with fragile X syndrome, autism, Down syndrome, and typical development. Our goal is to understand the shared and unique language profiles in each group, and to study the different cognitive, genetic, and environmental features that may contribute to these profiles. We are currently recruiting for all groups. Families will receive $40 for participating, as well as a report on their child’s language evaluation. This study is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
- A Multigenerational, Developmental Study of Language in Autism
- This project investigates the language development of individuals with autism and their relatives in order to characterize genetically meaningful features for use in molecular genetic studies of autism. Specifically, we are examining archival language data as well as a range of current language related tasks among individuals with autism and their parents and siblings. Because of the unique nature of the data, in order to participate in this study parents and/or siblings must have attended school in Iowa. Families will receive $50 for participating. This study is supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation.
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A Family Study of Fragile X Syndrome and Autism
- This project studies relatives of individuals with fragile X syndrome and autism in an attempt to identify subtle personality, behavior, and language profiles that could reflect the influence of brain regions and genes involved in fragile X and autism. Families will receive $30 for participating. This study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
- Speech of Boys with Fragile X Syndrome, Down Syndrome, and Typical Development
- This study investigates the factors related to speech intelligibility (or understandability) among boys with fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and typical development. We aim to identify the specific speech, cognitive, genetic, and environmental factors affecting speech intelligibility and whether similar patterns of association are observed across groups. We are currently recruiting for all groups. Families will receive $40 for participating, as well as a report on their child’s speech evaluation. This study is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
- Speech and Language Trajectories of Girls with Fragile X Syndrome
- This study is one of the first investigations to examine the speech and language development of girls with FXS, and how genetic, cognitive, and environmental factors contribute to their language development. Our study also compares the language profiles of girls to that of boys with FXS, in order to identify differences and similarities in language profiles. We are currently recruiting girls with FXS. Families will receive $40 for participating, as well as a report on their child’s language evaluation. This study is funded by the March of Dimes Foundation.
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