Center for Literacy and Disability Studies

Karen Erickson, Ph.D. is the David E. and Dolores “Dee” Yoder Distinguished Professor in the Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Karen is also the Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and a Professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Karen, a former special education teacher, focuses her research on literacy and communication for individuals with extensive support needs.

Dr. Geist is a certified speech-language pathologist with an emphasis in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She has worked in direct service, consultation, and product development, with her efforts concentrated on intervention approaches that target communication, language, and literacy outcomes for children and adults who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood. Her research interests center on leveraging technology in the delivery of effective intervention. She is an investigator and director on multiple research projects, including Project Converse (PI), Building Bridges (co-PI), Project Open (co-PI) and Minimizing Text Complexity with AI (co-PI).

My work is primarily focused on research in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy development for individuals with complex learning and communication challenges. This interest grew out of my experience as a public school speech-language pathologist and assistive technology provider, where I frequently observed dedicated teachers, hard-working students and concerned parents express the need for more research, resources, and support to improve communication, literacy, and academic outcomes for the students. My research is typically done as part of a team and has involved creating professional development resources for teachers, academic coaches and paraprofessionals, entry level communication systems for students, progress monitoring systems to support data-based instructional decisions, and additional supports for both teachers and students related to literacy instruction. The last 5 grants I have worked on have used an implementation science model, allowing the materials we have researched and developed to be used by increasing numbers of teacher and student study participants. Through observation and input of those participants, we are have been able to refine our materials to achieve a better final product.

In addition to research, I have the honor of working with Masters and doctoral students. I teach the AAC course for the UNC SLP Masters students each fall and serve on doctoral student planning, comprehensive exam, and dissertation committees. I truly enjoy the teaching and learning exchange with these bright, dedicated and passionate students.