Lab Projects
Current
The Development and Testing of a Professional Development Intervention to Support Family Member use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Project Funding: Institute of Education Sciences
This project includes the creation, evaluation, and revision of a professional development for Speech Language Pathologists and an online training program for family members to support the implementation of aided language modeling with children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
**Now recruiting for this project**
A Data-driven Classroom Intervention Framework for Children with Social Peer Engagement Deficits
Project Funding: National Science Foundation
This project includes the creation, testing, and refinement of a sensor tool to support teacher instructional decision making for preschool aged children with peer engagement challenges.
Online Training for Paraeducators to Improve Communication Supports for Young Children with Complex Communication Needs
Project Funding: Institute of Education Science
This project includes the creation, evaluation, and revision of an online training program for paraeducators and their supervising special education teachers to support the communication of young children with complex communication needs (CCN).
Current Graduate Student Projects
Experiences of Caregivers of Children with Medical Complexities
Student: Emily Jensen
This mixed-methods study investigates the experiences of caregivers of children with medical complexities. The survey and interview data will provide us with information regarding schooling for children with medical complexities, caregiver experiences in medical settings, and the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of this sample of caregivers. Evidence-based recommendations will be provided to improve the quality of educational and medical care for these families.
Stressors and Coping Strategies for Caregivers of Individuals with Down syndrome: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research
Student: Chandani Bhandari
This meta-synthesis explores the emotions, stressors, and coping strategies of caregivers of children with down syndrome. Findings explore the ways in which professionals can better support these families in their journey.
Social/Communication Development of Children with Autism in the Family Context: Building Family Capacity
Student: Atikah Bagawan
This dissertation explores the development and testing of an online training to support family members in implementing social a communication intervention with children with autism in home settings.
Past
Cultural Considerations in Caregiver Implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: A Scoping Review
This study explored the cultural relevance and adaptations of previously published NDBIs. Findings showed that few NDBIs had been explored with diverse groups and cultural adaptations were also limited, but were present in two of the reviewed NDBIs.
A Partnership to Support Practitioners and Researchers in Developing and Carrying out Culturally Competent Interventions for Children and Families with Disabilities
Project Funding: MSU Alliance for African Partnership
This project included development of a mechanism to connect researchers, professionals, and graduate students who are interested in carrying out culturally relevant interventions for children and families with disabilities.
Understanding the Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with ASD
This project utilized a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to summarize the literature and understand the experiences of siblings of individuals with ASD. Characteristics of the individual with ASD, family, and sibling were explored within the context of relationships and roles. Siblings expressed how they are shaped by this experience and discuss barriers, resources, and problem solving and coping techniques that can be used.
Friendship Experiences of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and their Peers
This project utilized a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to summarize the literature and understand the friendship experiences of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their peers. Definitions of friendship, experiences, barriers, facilitators, and benefits were discussed.
The Medical Experiences of Caregivers of Children with ASD
This project utilized a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to summarize the literature and understand the medical experiences of caregivers and their children with ASD. The challenges faced obtaining medical care, positive experiences, and suggestions related to medical care for individuals with ASD were discussed.
Review of AAC Research in Educational Settings
This project utilized a scoping review approach to summarize the AAC research literature and understand the settings in which this research takes place. The specific focus of interventions, target populations, and setting locations were discussed. Recommendations for practice and future research were provided
Online AAC Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This project explored online AAC service delivery by SLPs across the US during the COVID-19 pandemic using an online survey. Service delivery models, challenges, benefits, training support, and recommendations were explored.
A Telepractice Approach to Support Family Members in Implementing Aided Language Modeling
Project Funding: Faculty Initiative Funding (MSU Internal)
Single case research design was used to test the impact of a telepractice training for family members to support aided language modeling (ALM). The project included two families with parents, siblings, and extended family members. Findings showed an increase in high fidelity AAC modeling, and rate of AAC modeling for family members as well as an increase in independent communication turns for the child who uses AAC.
Caregiver Experiences Transitioning from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education
This project utilized a qualitative meta-synthesis approach to summarize the literature and understand the experiences of caregivers and the transition from early intervention to early childhood special education. Caregiver experiences reflected on the barriers and facilitators related to communication and relationships, interagency infrastructure, parent involvement, alignment and continuity, and transition practices.
Social Media Birth Stories from Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome
A qualitative analysis of publicly available birth stories of mothers of children with down syndrome available on popular social media platforms was conducted. Two major themes emerged: receiving the diagnosis and processing the diagnosis. Mothers express their experiences, challenges, and facilitators within these themes.
The Training Experiences of AAC Practitioners in Michigan
This project included a focus group of AAC practitioners across Michigan to learn about their training experiences both to prepare them to support individuals who use AAC, and to support the communication partners of individuals who use AAC.
Instructional Decision Making for Pre-Linguistic Communicators who use AAC: Expert Perspectives
This project included a written online interview with AAC experts to learn about the instructional decision making processes they use when supporting the use of AAC for pre-linguistic communicators.
Paraeducator Training and Supervision in Michigan: Current Practices, Policies, and Future Recommendations
Project Funding: Michigan Applied Public Policy Research Grant (MSU Internal)
The aim of this project is to examine paraeducator training and supervision through surveys with administrators, teachers, and paraeducators themselves. What is current practice and what are areas of improvement will be inspected. Information will also be sought from individuals in the Michigan Department of Education.
Wearable Sensor Technology: Social Interactions in Preschool
Project Funding: Research in Autism, Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Grant (MSU Internal)
Peer communication and relationships are important for all children in preschool, and especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This project aims at further understanding what these peer interactions look like in the classroom setting using sensor technology and observational data.
Early On Caregiver Coaching Study
Project Funding: Early On Michigan Faculty Grant
This project is focused on understanding the use of coaching practices through surveys and qualitative interviews with service providers in the state of Michigan. Speech language pathologists, early interventionists, and others who work directly with families who have a young child with a disability were included. The study aims to gain a better picture of the ways in which service providers are prepared for coaching, and the ways in which it is used in practice.
POWR Parent Online Training Program
Parents of children with differing communication needs were trained using a hybrid online/in-person training. The training follows the POWR (Prepare, Offer opportunities, Wait, Respond) strategy and teaches parents how to implement it with their children. Communication levels of both the parent and the child were analyzed before and after, and it was found that this training significantly increased communication levels.
Sibling Communication Partner Training
A sibling version of the POWR parent training strategy was created, called Plan, Talk, Wait, and Respond. Older typically developing (TD) siblings of children with differing communication needs were taught the strategy through in-person trainings, and given the opportunity to practice with feedback. Communication levels of both siblings were analyzed before and after training, and it was determined that the training impacted the levels of communication between siblings.
Plan, Talk, Wait, and Respond Qualitative Case Study
This study used a case study to look at a small adaptation to the Plan, Talk, Wait and Respond sibling training strategy. It offered more in-depth descriptions of the types of communication the TD sibling could be providing to help them see the multiple different ways they could ask a question, give a comment, provide a choice, or respond to their sibling. One sibling dyad was used to determine the impact of this adaptation. It was found that the strategy helped increase communication, and there were changes in the different types of communication the TD sibling provided.
Paraeducator Training Curriculum
Training curriculums for paraeducators were qualitatively analyzed according to content and type of curriculum. Descriptions and information on curriculum comparisons were given.
Past Graduate Student Projects
Stay-Play-Talk Intervention via Telepractice for Typically Developing Siblings of Children with Disabilities
Student: Atikah Bagawan
Siblings play an important role in the lives of children with disabilities. In this project, we will be implementing a sibling-mediated intervention via telepractice. Using a single-case research, we hope to investigate the relationship between the social behaviors by TD sibling and the child with DD, explore the strategies that support positive social behavior between TD sibling and their sibling with DD, also to describe the advantage and challenges in implementing intervention via telepractice for TD siblings of children with DD.
Indonesian Caregivers’ Perspective of Their Child’s AAC Use
Student: Atikah Bagawan
This qualitative study aims to explore how Indonesian caregivers view the use of AAC by their child with autism.
Barriers to Pre-Service Teachers Perspectives of Inclusion
Student: Sophia D’Agostino
Pre-service teachers working with young children with autism in inclusive settings participate in longitudinal survey research. By conducting this project we hope to understand the perceptions, barriers, and challenges faced by pre-service child development majors when inclusive practices are implemented with children with autism in preschool settings.
Parent Support Group for Parents of Children with ASD: Pilot Study
Student: Rebecca Kammes
This project is a pilot study testing a curriculum for a parent support group for parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ASD-type diagnoses. The curriculum was developed from the Double ABCx model of adjustment and adaptation. It is being tested for parent adjustment and stress reduction outcomes, being run alongside a social skills group for children with ASD.
Sexuality and Relationships in Individuals with Developmental Delays: Parent and Service Provider Training Groups
Student: Rebecca Kammes
Parents and service providers both attend psychoeducation groups aimed at discussing sexuality and relationships for individuals with intellectual and other developmental delays. This project is using a community-based needs assessment format to determine the best way to impact and deliver information to individuals in these groups.