In Progress:

We’re looking for child participants in SouthWest and North Central Montana! We have an additional team at Montana State University – Northern in Havre, MT!

RAISE: Rural Autism Individuals - Supporting Expression

Improving language comprehension via gestures in rural Montana children with language impairment and/or autism
Funded in part by INBRE – “IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence” at Montana State University.

Our research will investigate how specific types of gestures can support receptive communication skills of hearing children with Language Impairments and/or Autism in rural communities. The study will use eye tracking methodology to understand relationships between successful understanding of determiners, such as “that”, and gestures such as “same”. The overarching goals of the project are to understand how individuals/families can effectively utilize gestures to support communication with their children.

 

We’re looking for child participants!

Please reach out to language-research@montana.edu or scan the QR code Below: 

QR code

 

Click here to Access Information for Clinicians

Click Here to Access Brochure for Caregivers 

 

Help wanted:  

Child Development - Data Analyst: https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/6880969

Undergraduate Researcher - Child language and eye tracking: https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/6281297

Research Lab Manager - Child language and eye tracking: https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/6298670/

 

Determiners and Eye Tracking (DET)

PERL is currently recruiting the following participants to take part in a short research investigation regarding how English-speaking people understand determiners (words like “the” and “a”). Participation will take approximately 30-60 minutes. Participants will be asked to look at a computer screen, read and/or listen to instructions, and click on some objects on the screen using a mouse. To participate, please contact Dr. Nadya Modyanova at nadezhda.modyanova@montana.edu, using “DET participant” as your subject line.

 

1. Adults with no history of language or cognitive impairment, age 18+

2. Adults with a history of language and/or cognitive impairment and/or an autism spectrum disorder, age 18+

3. Children with no language or cognitive impairment, ages 3-17

4. Children with a language and/or cognitive impairment and/or an autism spectrum disorder, ages 3-17

 

Definitions of Reading and Real-World Connections

PERL researchers are currently developing a survey to determine how education majors define reading and how this definition does/does not reflect what they read in their daily lives. For more information on this project, please contact Dr. Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu. 

 

What Texts Are Valued in Recent Educational Research?

PERL researchers are currently conducting a systematic literature review of top literacy journals to determine what types of texts and text-related tasks are being impicitly valued through inclusion in recently published research. For more information on this project, please contact Dr. Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu. 

 

Attitudes Toward Digital & Print Reading and Utilization of Reading Strategies *On Hold*

PERL is currently recruiting MSU students between the ages of 18 & 30 to take part in a short research investigation regarding relationships between attitudes toward print & digital reading and reading strategies utilized. Participation will take approximately 30 minutes. To participate, please contact Dr. Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu. 

 

 

Assigned Task and Utilization of Reading Strategies *On Hold*

PERL is currently recruiting MSU students between the ages of 18 & 30 to take part in a short research investigation regarding relationships between assigned reading-related task and reading strategies utilized. Participation will take approximately 30 minutes. To participate, please contact Dr. Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu.