Research
What have we been up to in Summer 2024?
Eunice Kim, member of the LACH-MERMAID Lab and graduate student, is ready to launch her thesis research this Fall. View the carousel at right to learn more, and see the flyer below. Know someone who'd like to participate? Email Eunice at kime6@southernct.edu
Graduate student and member of the LACH-MERMAID Lab, Riley Pettit has been diligently working on her thesis. Swipe through the carousel at left to learn more, and see the flyer below. Know someone who'd like to participate? Email Riley at pettitr2@southernct.edu
The LACH MERMAID lab wins big at the SCSU Undergraduate Research conference
2024 CSHA.pdfGao, X., Gusewski, S. & DeLuca, Z. (2024, April). Exploring Student Clinician’s Self-Reflection and Book Selection in Promoting Diversity within Communication Disorders Interventions. Poster session presented at the SCSU Undergraduate Research Conference, New Haven, CT
Cindy was awarded the Outstanding Poster Presentation Award in Health & Human Services at the Undergraduate Research Conference on Saturday, April 20, 2024! Cindy will also be presenting her project, "Exploring Student Clinician’s Self-Reflection and Book Selection in Promoting Diversity within Communication Disorders Interventions", at the CSHA convention, which will be held at Southern Connecticut State University on May 10th.
Dr. DeLuca presents at the
Connecticut disAbility Summit 2024
THE LACH-MERMAIDS LAB GOES TO ASHA 2023
Keriany Otero & Dr. Svenja Gusewski
Otero Garcia, K., Gusewski, S., Irani, F., & Rojas, R. (2023, November 16). Characterizing Disfluency Patterns in Narratives of Bilingual Children with frequent Disfluencies in both Languages. [poster presentation]. American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA.
Kathleen Griffin & Dr. Zara DeLuca
Griffin, K.S. & DeLuca, Z. W. (2023, November 16). Effect of Support Service Changes on the Wellbeing of Parent Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities. [poster presentation]. American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA.
Dr. DeLuca tours Dr. Gusewski around her old stomping grounds in Boston.
Dr. Gusewski goes to Europe 2023
Professor Svenja Gusewski recently had the privilege of engaging in a global exchange of knowledge as she attended two international conferences. At the XXXIII Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Española de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología in Santander, Spain, she presented her research on Spanish-English Dual Language Learners. The conference, themed "Logopedia: Desafíos en la Agenda 2030," brought together leading experts in the field to discuss how communication for all is essential to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (i.e., ending poverty and hunger; equal access to health, education, and work). More information about Communication, Swallowing and the Sustainable Development Goals can be found at the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Volume 25, Issue 1 (2023) (open access).
In addition to her involvement in the Spanish-speaking community of speech and language professionals, Professor Gusewski further expanded her horizons by attending the Crossing the Borders Conference in Potsdam, Germany. This international conference delved into the intricate interplay between cognition and language and featured keynotes by internationally recognized experts in neuropsychology and linguistics such as Dr. Angela Friederici. Professor Gusewski’s participation in these two conferences underscores her commitment to staying at the forefront of research and knowledge in her field while fostering international collaborations.
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2023, September). El rana, la rana, o the rana? Variabilidad en los trayectos bilingües de adquisición del lenguaje. Poster session presented at the XXXIII Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Española de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología e Iberoamericana de Fonoaudiología, Santander, Spain
THE LACH LAB GOES TO ASHA 2022
Eunice Kim & Harrison Clark
Harrison Clark, Dr. Svenja Gusewski, & Eunice Kim
Dr. Svenja Gusewski, Danielle Ott, and Dr. Raúl Rojas
Bilingual researchers celebrating Dr. Iglesias' legacy
Drs. DeLuca & Gusewski exploring New Orleans
Previous Presentations
2023
Griffin, K.S.* & DeLuca, Z. W. (2023, November 16). Effect of Support Service Changes on the Wellbeing of Parent Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities. [poster presentation]. American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA.
Nair, E., DeLuca, Z. W., & Malerba, A. (2023, November 3) Winter is Coming! What you need to know about ear infections, hearing, and communication. [invited presentation, virtual]. The Hartford, Hartford, CT.
Griffin, K.S.* & DeLuca, Z. W. (2023, April 29). The Effect of Personal Care Attendants on the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Parent Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities in Connecticut. [poster presentation]. Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT.
Griffin, K.S.* & DeLuca, Z. W. (2023, April 28). The Effect of Personal Care Attendants on the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Parent Caregivers of Adults with Disabilities in Connecticut. [poster presentation]. Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association Spring Conference, Wallingford, CT.
2022
DeLuca, Z. W., & Rupp, K. (2022, November 18). Physical Activity, Sport Participation, and Psychosocial Health in Adolescents with Hearing Loss. American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association Convention, New Orleans, LA. (Awardee, Meritorious Poster Submission 2022).
Gusewski, S., Camacho, N., Irani, F., & Rojas, R., (2022, May). A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Disfluencies in Typically Developing Spanish-English Bilingual Children. Poster session presented at the Joint World Congress on Stuttering and Cluttering, Montreal, Canada.
Gusewski, S. (2022, March). Longitudinal changes in Spanish article accuracy of Dual Language Learners.
Oral Presentation presented at the Fourth International Conference on Language Attrition and Bilingualism, New Haven, CT
2021
Lituma-Solis, D., & Gusewski, S. (2021, November). Characterizing Language Profiles of Spanish-English Bilingual School-aged Children through Language Sample Analysis. Poster session submitted to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
Gusewski, S., Camacho, N., Rojas, R., & Irani, F. (2021, November). Application of Language Sample Analysis to Assess Fluency in Spanish-English Bilingual Children. Oral seminar session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
Iassogna, R.*, DeLuca, Z.W., & Barber, L. (2021, November 18-20). [poster presentation]. Defining a Diagnosis: Clinician and Graduate Student Knowledge of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association Convention, Washington, DC.
Gusewski, S., Camacho, N., Irani, F., & Rojas, R., (2021, July). A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Disfluencies in Typically Developing Spanish-English Bilingual Children. Poster session submitted to the Joint World Congress on Stuttering and Cluttering, Montreal, Canada (Convention was cancelled due to Covid19).
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2021, June). Growth Trajectories of Spanish Article Accuracy in Narrative Retells of Dual Language Learners. Poster session presented at the 41st Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI.
DeLuca, Z.W., Gusewski, S., & Cook, B. (2021, April). Decentering Disability Diagnoses: Teaching Students to Look Beyond the Label. Panel Discussion session presented at the Southern Connecticut State University Women’s and Gender Studies Conference, New Haven, CT
DeLuca, Z.W. (2021, March 24). An SLP’s Purpose: Social or Individual Change? [Invited presentation]. Bilingual Language and Literacy Investigative and Networking Group (BLLING), New York University, New York, NY.
Pre - 2020
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2018, November). Growth trajectories of article accuracy in Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners. Technical talk presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Wood, K., Gusewski, S., Rojas, R. (2018, November). Comparison of narrative language production in DLL preschoolers with & without language impairment. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Camacho, N., Gusewski, S., Rojas, R. (2018, November). Longitudinal changes in article production in Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Morales, G., Hiebert, L., Gusewski, S., Rojas, R. (2018, November). Dual Language Learners: Effects of language use & maternal education on bilingual vocabulary development. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2018, June). Predicting reading achievement from vocabulary and tense marking growth trajectories in young Dual Language Learners. Poster session presented at the 38th Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI.
Gusewski, S., Rojas, R., & Hiebert, L. (2017, November). The impact of vocabulary and tense marking growth on reading achievement in Dual Language Learners. Technical talk presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.
Morales, G., Chauhan, S., Hiebert, L., Gusewski, S., Rojas, R. (2017, November). Dual Language Learners: Effects of home language, maternal education, and preschool attendance on vocabulary. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.
Gonzales, M., Gusewski, S., Hiebert, L., Rojas, R. (2017, November). Performance on a bilingual oral language screening: Effect of preschool enrollment and maternal education. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.
Gusewski, S., Hiebert, L., & Rojas, R. (2016, June). Finite verb morphology in bilingual preschoolers narratives. Poster session presented at the 37th Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI.
Hiebert, L., Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2016, June). Bilingual preschoolers: First language loss and longitudinal shift of grammaticality. Poster session presented the 37th Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI.
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2015, November). Grammaticality in Spanish-English bilingual preschooler’s narratives. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Denver, CO.
Gusewski, S., van der Gracht, K., & Rojas, R. (2015, June). Visual attention and language production in bilingual children. Poster session presented at the 36th Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI.
Gusewski, S., & Rojas, R. (2015, April). Grammaticality in Spanish-English bilingual preschooler’s narratives. Poster session presented at the UT Dallas Callier Center Promotion of Academic and Clinical Excellence (P.A.C.E.) Research Forum, Dallas, TX.
Publications
DeLuca, Z.W., Schwartz, R.G., Marton, K., Houston, D.M., Ying, E., Steinman, S., & Drakopoulou, G. (2022). The Effect of Sentence Length on Question Comprehension in Children with Cochlear Implants. Cochlear Implants International, 24 (1), 14-26.
DeLuca, Z.W. & Rupp, K. (2022). Physical activity and psychosocial health in adolescents with hearing loss. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71 (5), 635-641.
DeLuca, Z.W. (June-July 2020). A Sister Sparks a Career. The ASHA Leader. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Rockville, MD.
Francis, D.J., Rojas, R., Gusewski, S, Santi, K.L., Khalaf, S., Hiebert, L., & Bunta, F. (2019). Speaking and reading in two languages: On the identification of reading and language disabilities in Spanish-speaking English learners. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 166, 15-41.
Rojas, R., Hiebert, L., Gusewski, S., & Francis, D.J. (2019). Moving forward by looking back: Understanding why some Spanish-speaking English learners fall behind. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 166, 43-77.
Gusewski, S. & Rojas, R. (2017). Tense marking in the English narrative retells of dual language preschoolers. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 48, 183-196
Francis, D.J., Santi, K.L., Khalaf, S., Bunta, F., Rojas, R., Gusewski, S., & Hiebert, L. (2019). Identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking children in English-speaking contexts. In E. L. Grigorenko., Y. Shtyrov, & P. McCardle (Eds.), All about Language: Science, Theory, and Practice (pp.155-170). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.
Gusewski, S. (2019). Growth trajectories of grammatical skills and foundational reading skills in Spanish-English Dual Language Learners (Order No. 28288317). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2497153240).
Grants and Awards
DeLuca, Z. W. (2024-2025). Una experiencia compartida: Bridging support for young siblings of children with disabilities across Spanish and English speakers. Southern Connecticut State University Faculty Creative Activity and Research Grant (FCARG). Amount: $2,500. Awarded; Role: PI.
DeLuca, Z.W. (2024-2025). Language sampling with deaf and hard of hearing children (DHH): best practices for collection and analysis. Southern Connecticut State University: Joan Finn Fellowship. Amount: 9 credits release time. Awarded; Role: PI.
Gusewski, S. & DeLuca, Z.W. (2024). Increasing availability and use of culturally and linguistically diverse children’s books for speech, language, and reading intervention. Southern Connecticut State University: Social Justice Grant. Amount: $1,500. Awarded; Role: PI, Co-PI
DeLuca, Z.W. (2024-2025). Comparison of Language Sample Methodology for Assessment of Children with Hearing Loss. Southern Connecticut State University: Scholarship Reassigned Time Program. Amount: 3 credits. Awarded; Role: PI.
Gusewski, S. (2023-2024). Longitudinal changes in disfluent speech patterns of bilingual school-aged children. Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System: CSU - AAUP Faculty Research Grants. Amount: $5,000. Awarded; Role: PI
Gusewski, S. (2023-2024). Longitudinal changes in disfluent speech patterns of bilingual school-aged children. Southern Connecticut State University: Faculty Creative Activity Research Grant. Amount: $2,500. Awarded; Role: PI
Gusewski, S. (2023-2024). Longitudinal changes in disfluent speech patterns of bilingual school-aged children. Southern Connecticut State University: Joann Finn Junior Faculty Research Fellowship. Amount: 9 credits release time. Awarded; Role: PI
Gusewski, S. (2023). Promoting Cultural and Linguistic Awareness in Graduate Clinicians’ Intervention through Diverse Picture Book Selections. Southern Connecticut State University: Research and Scholarship Advisory Committee. Undergraduate Research Grant. Amount: $3,000. Awarded; Role: Faculty Mentor
DeLuca, Z. W. (2022-2023). Sibling today, caregiver tomorrow: Support for young siblings of children with disabilities. Southern Connecticut State University Faculty Creative Activity and Research Grant (FCARG). Amount: $2,500. Awarded; Role: PI.
Gusewski, S. (2022) Representation within Instructional Materials used by pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists. Southern Connecticut State University: Research and Scholarship Advisory Committee. Undergraduate Research Assistant Program.. Amount: $3,000. Awarded; Role: Faculty Mentor
Gusewski, S. (2022) Determining Representation in Children’s Literature in a University Communication Disorders Clinic. Southern Connecticut State University: Research and Scholarship Advisory Committee. Undergraduate Research Grant. Amount: $3,000. Awarded; Role: Faculty Mentor
Gusewski, S. (2022-2023) Investigating Dual Language Trajectories and Reading Achievement in Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners. Southern Connecticut State University: Scholarship reassigned time program. Amount: 3 credits release time each. Awarded for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023; Role: PI
Gusewski, S. (2021-2022). Evaluating Service Learning to promote Cultural Competence in undergraduate students in Communication Disorders. Southern Connecticut State University: Scholarship reassigned time program. Amount: 3 credits release time. Awarded for Spring 2022; Role: PI
Gusewski, S. (2021) Anti-racism workshops created and led by students. Southern Connecticut State University: Social Justice Grant. Amount: $2,500. Awarded; Role: PI
DeLuca, Z.W. & Sheta, A. (2021-2022). Examining Programming Skills for Children with Language Disabilities via Robotics Education. Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System: CSU - AAUP Faculty Research Grants. Amount: $7,350. Awarded; Role: PI
DeLuca, Z. W. (2021-2022). Learning to walk and chew gum: quantifying working memory skills in school-aged children. Southern Connecticut State University Faculty Creative Activity and Research Grant (FCARG). Amount: $2,500. Awarded; Role: PI.
Gusewski, S. (2021-2022) Creating a database of language samples. A pilot collaboration between the Center for Communication Disorders and the Language and Literacy Lab. Southern Connecticut State University: School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Graduate Student Assistantship GSGA. Amount: $12,000. Awarded; Role: Graduate Assistant Mentor