WHAT: University of Nebraska at Kearney Science Café
HOSTED BY: Sigma Xi The Scientific Research Society
TITLE: “Verbal and Non-verbal Communication in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders”
TOPIC: Philip Lai will discuss a study that examines how children with Autism Spectrum Disorder communicate with their mothers at 2.5 years of age and 5.5 years of age. Results suggest differences in how verbal and preverbal children communicate with respect to eye contact and negative affect. For mothers in both groups, their communicative behaviors decreased at 5.5 years compared to those at 2.5 years during social play, as children increased their communicative behaviors and presumably became more independent.
SPEAKER / PRESENTER: Philip Lai, UNK assistant professor of communication disorders, received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California San Diego, where he majored in cognitive science with a specialization in neuroscience. He earned his Masters of Arts degree at San Diego State University in psychology, writing a thesis on music and emotion in individuals with Williams Syndrome. His Ph.D. was completed in the Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders at San Diego State University and University of California San Diego. His dissertation centered on communication in children with different neurodevelopmental disorders. He also completed a postdoctoral at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he investigated language in toddlers with autism.
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
DATE: Monday, Feb. 12
PLACE: The Loft, Cunningham’s Journal, 15 W. 23rd St., Kearney
CONTACT: Allen A. Thomas, assistant professor of chemistry, 308.865.8452, thomasaa@unk.edu
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