Katie Belardi is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her research interests include language acquisition and development and effective interventions for improving language and play skills in children with autism.

Jessica Dykstra is a Ph.D. student in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She received her M.S. in Speech Language Pathology from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a research assistant for JASP and her research interests focus on low functioning autism, integrating effective interventions into school environments, augmentative and alternative communication.

Ashley Freuler is a doctoral candidate in the Division of Occupational Science, studying under an interdisciplinary Autism Leadership Training Grant. She received a B.S. in Sociology from the University of Georgia, and an M.S. in Counseling from Mercer University. Ashley has worked with children and families in both public school and inpatient hospital settings as a mental health counselor and early intervention coordinator, and served as a graduate teaching assistant at Kansas State University while completing graduate coursework in Early Childhood Special Education. Ashley works under the direction of Dr. Grace Baranek as a research assistant for the Sensory Experiences Project. Her research interests include resilience and family routines in military families who are raising a child with Autism.

Maura Sabatos-Devito is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology, studying under an interdisciplinary Autism Leadership Training Grant with Drs. J. Steven Reznick and Grace Baranek. She earned a B.S. in Elementary/Special Education from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and is a certified New York State Special Education/Elementary Education teacher. She also received an M.S. in Psychology from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Under the guidance of Dr. Grace Baranek and the Sensory Experiences Project team, Maura is investigating the relationship between attentional orienting and sensory response patterns of young children with autism using eye tracking methods (SEP Study 6). She is also working with the Early Development Project-2 as an interventionist for families with toddlers at risk for autism or developmental delay. She is interested in understanding typical developmental processes of children between birth and age 3, and using that knowledge to inform research on early diagnosis and intervention for children at risk for autism and developmental delays.