The Little Listeners Project: studying language development in toddlers with autism
Even through cute but unintelligible babbles, infants are hard at work learning how to become successful communicators.
May 31, 2023
SALT & PEPPER: Seasoned tools to better understand speech and language disorders
We might know salt and pepper as the dynamic duo of seasonings that adds flavor to foods, but in the language and speech research world, the duo has a different meaning.
May 23, 2023
Sensory responses in autistic children are linked to a small under-explored region tucked deep down in the brain called the brainstem
The same external sensory stimulus – a flashing light, a hug, or hearing one’s name – can provoke a different reaction in every person.
April 5, 2023
In the lab where sign language advances science: A spotlight on Phu Duong
Epigenetics – the study of how environment can change and affect how genes function – was a new field for Phu Duong, PhD.
March 29, 2023
Let’s talk numbers: Epidemiology of intellectual and developmental disabilities research at the Waisman Center
In 2001, newborn screening of Hmong babies had an alarming number of positive results for an enzyme deficiency called MBADD.
March 14, 2023
From brain stimulation to speech and language interventions, Waisman researchers are making strides to better understand and treat individuals with cerebral palsy
More than 10,000 children are born each year with cerebral palsy (CP) making it the most common motor disability in childhood.
March 8, 2023
The Waisman Center’s comprehensive care and strides toward early interventions for children with cerebral palsy: Clinics and outreach
The clinics and the research laboratories of the Waisman Center intertwine to care for individuals with cerebral palsy. The mission is one: to improve the outcomes for individuals with cerebral palsy.
March 7, 2023
The sound of the Waisman Center’s work to improve cochlear implants
The Waisman Center has been at the forefront of research on cochlear implants and hearing science for more than two decades.
February 9, 2023
Waisman Center welcomes new investigator with a focus on early language intervention work
Alper’s path to communication sciences was not straight forward. She initially started down the biotechnology path and sprinkled in some reproductive embryology research as well. It wasn’t until she started in a voice physiology lab seeking research with more direct human interaction that she found the path she wanted to be on.
February 2, 2023
New NIH grant to study language use as potential predictor of neurodegenerative disorder in FMR1 premutation carriers
A new study will investigate if language differences can predict the development of a neurodegenerative disorder in people that carry a premutation of the gene FMR1.
December 19, 2022
Community TIES Series: Supporting individuals with disabilities through community training
Lapin recounts that he could sense the tension rising as his autistic client’s behavior started escalating after he had been triggered by something in the store.
December 1, 2022
Understanding recovery and development in children
Early interventions in children with cerebral palsy can be pivotal to improving motor and cognitive outcomes. The focus of this study is to longitudinally assess, over the first two years of life, the recovery and development of the infant brain after early stroke or brain bleed.
November 2, 2022
Better ears for better lives
Her child, who was born with congenital deafness, had received her first cochlear implant early enough to access spoken language, but with only one implant she had struggled with understanding speech in noisy environments or locating sounds.
November 2, 2022
Waisman center funds six internal grants to expand DEI efforts in research and clinical services
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critically important goals for the Waisman Center and UW Madison.
October 31, 2022
Four Waisman investigators receive prestigious Simons Foundation award to study autism
Four Waisman Center investigators will dig deeper into the function of genes implicated in autism and brain development with support from the prestigious Simons Foundation 2022 Pilot Award.
October 21, 2022
El Waisman Center le da la bienvenida a nuevo investigador que estudiará el impacto de experiencias auditivas tempranas y procesamiento del habla en niños
Carlos Benítez-Barrera, PhD, quien lidera el laboratorio de Experiencias Auditivas Pediátricas y el Cerebro, está interesado en el impacto de experiencias auditivas tempranas, desarrollo del lenguaje, y percepción del habla en niños. También trae nuevas técnicas para ayudar a impulsar este campo de investigación.
August 24, 2022Waisman Center welcomes new faculty to study impacts of early auditory experiences and speech processing in kids
Carlos Benítez-Barrera, PhD, who leads the Pediatric Auditory Experience and Brain lab, is interested in the impact of early auditory experiences, language development, and speech perception in kids and brings new technical expertise to help advance the field.
August 24, 2022
New autism group therapy series changes lives
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Oster was 16 when she was diagnosed with autism. Most autistic people are diagnosed young, typically between the ages of four and five according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and can start treatment and therapy early. For Lizzie, this wasn’t how it went.
April 1, 2022
New study finds toddlers incorporate gender into their language processing
Our understanding of language relies on more than just the spoken word. A myriad of external cues, like nonverbal signals and a person’s characteristics, contribute to how we understand and process language as we speak and communicate with others.
February 22, 2022
A life full of love and magic: Eva S. Borenitsch
Eva Susan Borenitsch was magical. She knew no limits. “We called her our little unicorn,” says her mom Emily Borenitsch.
February 21, 2022- More Speech & Language posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.