Motor skills are visible early in life and shape how children explore, communicate, and learn. We study how motor abilities relate to language and social development in autistic children, children with developmental language disorder (DLD), children with dyslexia, and their peers.

This work employs behavioral studies with children; with our collaborators. We have also used meta-analytic methods to answer research questions related to this theme and beyond.

Caregivers are central to children's development. Using participatory, strengths-based research, we study the experiences, needs, and sources of resilience of caregivers of autistic children; with the aim of informing supports that are culturally responsive and grounded in community knowledge.

Caregivers contribute to this work as community co-researchers, and undergraduate and doctoral students take part at every stage.

We study how people understand autism and how attitudes and environments shape inclusion for autistic people. Earlier work in this theme developed and tested online autism training for college students, which was co-designed with autistic students.

Friendship shapes well-being at every stage of life. We study what people look for and value in a friend, and how those qualities differ across development and among neurodivergent people.

This work is a collaboration with Dr. Alexis Block and the SaPHaRI Lab in Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.

This collaboration between Engineering and Psychology allows us to explore how this understanding of friendship can inform the design of technology that helps people connect.