Project Title: Language Development in Individuals with FXS, DS, or ASD
Supervisor: Leonard Abbeduto, Ph.D., and Angela John Thurman, Ph.D.

MAJOR RESPONSIBLITIES

The incumbent for this position will be involved in several projects focused on characterizing, measuring, and treating the language impairments of children, adolescents, and young adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS), Down syndrome (DS), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). At the core of all the research we do is the collection and analysis of audio-recorded samples of spoken language from children, adolescents, and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders collected under well-controlled conditions. The procedures for collecting these samples, which we call Expressive Language Sampling (ELS), are being widely disseminated and are increasingly being used by other researchers and clinicians around the United States. Learning how to transcribe and analyze these samples is thus a valuable research experience and will help prepare the incumbent with skills needed for a variety of further academic pursuits as well as for participating in the preparation of reports from our lab for presentation at scientific conferences and for publication. Increasingly, our projects are expanding to include Spanish-speaking participants as well as English-speaking participants, which requires Spanish-English bilingual staff.

Under the direction of the PIs, the incumbent will learn to transcribe and analyze audio-recorded samples of spoken language according to standard child language conventions using specialized software. The incumbent will also work with the PIs and other lab staff to organize and track transcription activities, as well as learn to score transcriptions to determine fidelity and agreement across transcribers in the lab. There is a current project from which some of the transcription will be of Spanish-language samples and some will be of English-language samples. The incumbent will also learn to work with other transcribers to reach consensus on problematic transcription and coding issues that arise and will collaborate with other lab members to help update transcription and coding manuals. The incumbent also will learn to perform behavioral coding of transcripts and of video-recorded interactions using specialized software. The incumbent will also work with other members of the lab in activities needed to prepare data for analysis for reports, presentations, and publications, including data checks for accuracy and data entry. As the incumbent works with the PIs on conceptualizing and preparing reports for presentation and publication, he/she will also learn techniques for statistical analysis and presentation of data. In addition, the incumbent will attend weekly lab meetings and, in collaboration with the PIs, learn how to help prepare manuscripts and presentations.

General responsibilities include:

I. RESEARCH ACTIVITY (80% EFFORT)

• Learn to use SALT and other specialized software to transcribe and code audio/video-recorded language samples obtained from study participants. These samples are the core data for the scientific presentation and publication of the lab.
• Learn to use specialized software to code behavioral data obtained during lab visits using coding systems for characterizing social and communicative behaviors. These data are used to supplement language transcriptions in the presentations and publications of the lab.
• Meet with the PIs and other transcribers and coders in the lab on a regular basis to ensure consistency of transcription and coding and to reach consensus on and challenging transcription/coding decisions.
• Work with other lab members to accurately enter and track information about transcription and coding activities and progress
• Update transcription and coding manuals for the lab as needed
• Assist with data processing, data checking, data management, and statistical analysis in SPSS and other software programs

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (15% EFFORT)

• Attend weekly lab meetings and bi-weekly transcription meetings.
• Prepare presentations for conferences and the community in collaboration with the PIs by participating in weekly lab discussions and meeting on an individual basis with the PIs to develop ideas and plans for data analysis and to review drafts of presentations and manuscripts.
• As needed, assist PI with preparation of grant applications including conducting literature searches and analyses of pilot data
• Contribute to writing manuscripts for publication, including assisting with data cleaning, literature reviews, and synthesis of information for dissemination of research findings to the public, with these contributions determined by the agenda of the lab and the particular interests of the incumbent.
• Develop research questions in collaboration with the PIs through weekly lab discussions and individual meetings and by preparing written drafts of questions for feedback, as well as perform analyses of data collected as part of the research study to be presented at internal and/or professional conferences, with authorship possible depending on the level of contribution.
• Attend research presentations at the MIND Institute, including biweekly Research Seminar Series talks and Monthly Distinguished Lecture Series presentations, which are critical for learning about the research enterprise and about the clinical populations being studied in the lab.

III. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5% EFFORT)

• Participate in MIND Institute committees and meetings around research ethics and quality control, sharing information learned with other lab members.

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