SPAU4377 - Research Methods in Child Language Development and Disorders

SPAU 4377 Research Methods in Child Language Development and Disorders (3 semester credit hours) This course explores research methods in infant, toddler, and child language development and disorders. In this course, we will consider research methods currently employed in the study of child language and cognitive development and examine how each method provides unique insights into the developmental processes. Examples include preferential looking, eye-tracking, EEG, MRI, fMRI, fNIRS, etc. as well as observational, longitudinal designs, large normative databases, and parental questionnaires. We will also examine each method with respect to its ability to identify children at risk for neurodevelopmental language disorders (i.e., Developmental Language Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, etc.) as well as to differentiate children with neurodevelopmental disorders from those children who merely fall at the low end of the normal developmental continuum. In addition to the discussion of weekly readings, students will be required to design and conduct their own research study. Prerequisites: (SPAU 3303 and SPAU 4308) or instructor consent required. (3-0) R