Lauren Usher, PhD

Biography

BA, Florida State University – Psychology MS, University of Miami – Developmental Psychology PhD, University of Miami – Developmental Psychology Waisman Faculty Mentors: Marsha R. Mailick, PhD, Jan Greenberg, PhD, and Leann Smith DaWalt, PhD Lauren’s program of research focuses on the individual and contextual factors that relate  to lifespan social cognition and social development of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In her dissertation, Lauren examined how adolescents with and without autism formed perceptions of each other during a naturalistic social interaction, as well as how they were able to understand the perceptions that others formed of them. As a postdoctoral trainee, Lauren is studying the role of the family in adolescents and adults with autism and fragile X syndrome. She aims to combine her previous and current research experiences to contribute to the development of interventions targeting social cognition and social development in adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with the goal of increasing well-being and adaptation across life contexts such as the home