Early Communication and Play Lab
UCF Communication Sciences and Disorders
Overview
The Early Communication and Play (ECAP) Lab focuses on supporting communication and language development in infants and toddlers with neurodevelopmental disorders who may benefit from the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) support systems and strategies.
Research conducted in the Early Communication and Play Lab focuses on:
- Developing and evaluating the effectiveness of early communication and play interventions for minimally verbal children; and
- Examining mechanisms for moving evidence-based interventions into routine practice.
News
Meet Our Team
Director and PI
Julie Feuerstein, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Collaborators
- Jennifer Tucker, PT, DPT, PCS Exercise Physiology & Rehabilitation Science, Physical Therapy
- UCF Go Baby Go
- Early Steps of Central Florida
- Space Coast Early Steps
- Early Mobility and Play (EMAP) Lab
Students
Brooke Baron
Undergraduate Research Assistant and Lab Manager
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Laila Moursi
Undergraduate Research Assistant and Lead Coder
Biomedical Sciences
Selected Relevant Publications and Presentations
Our laboratory makes a concerted effort to publish our findings in respected academic journals and present at regional, national, and international conferences. In addition to contributing to collective body of knowledge in a given field, presenting original data at conferences is a fun way for the lab’s students to enhance their self-confidence and network with other scientists.
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Pfeiffer, D. L., Feuerstein, J., & Landa, R. J. (2023). Speech-Language pathologists’ Perceptions of language and literacy instruction for pre-K children with developmental language disorder. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 1-13.
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Douglas, N., Hinckley, J., Grandbois, K., Schliep, M., Wonkka, A., Oshita, J., & Feuerstein, J. (2023). How a power differential between clinicians and researchers contributes to the research-to practice gap. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(2), 803-810.
- Olswang, L., Feuerstein, J., & Pinder, G.L. (2022). Building preverbal communication & engagement: Triadic Gaze Intervention for young children with disabilities and their families. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.
- Pfeiffer, D., Feuerstein, J., & Landa, R. (2022). Early childhood providers’ perceptions of effective professional development components: A qualitative study. Infants and Young Children, 35(3), 248-263.
- Davidson, M., Alonzo, C., Barton-Hulsey, A., Binger, C., Bridges, M., Caron, J., Douglas, N., Feuerstein, J., Olswang, L., Oshita, J., Schliep, M., Quinn, E., & Morris, M. (2022). Prologue: Implementation science in CSD and starting where you are. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(3),1023-1025.
- Douglas, N., Oshita, J., Schliep, M., & Feuerstein, J., (2022). Knowledge brokering in communication sciences and disorders. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1-6.
- Binger, C., Kent-Walsh, J., Feuerstein, J., Tucker, J., Douglas, N., Buchanan, C., Harrington, N. (2022, April). MAC on the GO: The feasibility of adding AAC to modified ride-on cars. Implementation Science IS For All: A Practice-Research Exchange, Virtual conference.
- Douglas, N., Feuerstein, J., Oshita, J., Schliep, M., & Danowski, M. (2021). Implementation science research in communication sciences and disorders: A scoping review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-30.
- Schliep, M., Feuerstein, J., Oshita, J., Douglas, N. (2021, November). A scoping review of implementation science in CSD. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Washington, D.C.
- Schliep, M., Alonzo, C., Barton-Hulsey, A., Binger, C., Bridges, M., Caron, J., Davidson, M., Douglas, N., Feuerstein, J., Morris, M., Oshita, J., Quinn, E., & Olswang, L. (2021, November). Uniting stakeholders: Partnerships in implementation science in CSD. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Washington, D.C.
- Feuerstein, J. & Landa, R. (2020), Implementation of early achievements for childcare providers: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 520-533.
- Feuerstein, J. & Olswang, L. (2020). A randomized controlled trial investigating online training for prelinguistic communication. Journal of Speech Language, and Hearing Research, 63(3), 827-833.
- Azad, G., Dillon, E., Feuerstein, J., Kalb, L., Neely, J., Landa, R. (2020). Quality of life in school-aged youth referred to an autism specialty clinic: A latent profile analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(4), 1269 – 1280.
- Feuerstein, J., Olswang, L., Greenslade, K., Pinder, G. L., Dowden, P., & Madden, J. (2018). Implementation research: Embracing practitioners’ views. Journal of Speech Language, and Hearing Research, 61(3), 645-657.
- Feuerstein, J., Olswang, L., Greenslade, K., Pinder, G. L., Dowden, P., & Madden, J. (2017). Moving Triadic gaze intervention into practice: Measuring clinician attitude and implementation fidelity. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(5), 1285-1298.
Contact
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UCF Early Communication and Play Lab
Innovative Center
3280 Progress Dr. Suite 700
Orlando, FL 32826
We are a short distance south of the UCF Main Campus.