autism & child language disorders

laboratory

Amy Donaldson, PhD, CCC-SLP, Director                                                                                               Portland State University

 


mission



The Autism and Child Language Disorders Laboratory (ACLD) at Portland State University is committed to conducting clinical research to investigate the use of communication within social contexts.  Our research focuses on assessment and intervention of the social communication skills of infants and children. We are particularly interested in examining the social interaction skills and communicative reciprocity of of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, as well as the influence of context on performance.



 

quick facts

  1. -Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, as well as restrictive and/or repetitive behaviors and interests (APA, 2000)

  2. -The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening during 18-month and 24-month well-child visits (Pediatrics, 2007)

  3. -Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the US (autismspeaks.org)

  4. -ASD affects 1 in 110 children; 1 in 70 boys (CDC, 2009)

  5. -Go To Our Resources Page for More Autism Information


current projects



Advancing Social Communication & Play


This multi-site randomized controlled trial investigates the efficacy of a fully-developed joint attention and symbolic play intervention for children with ASD within their preschool classrooms


Sibling-Mediated Intervention


This project investigates the effects of sibling-mediated intervention on the social communication skills of young children with ASD.