ANCAR Lab

We are honored to share that SMS parent Mary Beall was the commencement speaker for the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department Graduation Recognition Ceremony at the University of Colorado Boulder on May 2, 2026. Mary was invited by Christine Brennan, a PRISMS Professional Advisory Board member and assistant professor at CU Boulder.

Mary shared her daughter’s journey of communication development and reflected on the many challenges (and successes) their family navigated throughout her schooling and beyond. She highlighted the critical role of speech-language pathologists, audiologists, educators, and other clinicians in supporting individuals with communication needs and their families across the lifespan.

Her message helped graduates connect their academic training to the real-world impact of compassionate, thoughtful, and collaborative care. Mary also capitalized on the opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of Smith-Magenis syndrome with future clinicians and their families.

It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the graduates as they begin the next chapter of their journey, to bridge academic learning with real-world clinical practice, and to share information about Smith-Magenis syndrome with future clinicians and their families.

Thank you, Mary, for inspiring these graduates and reminding them of the reasons they chose to pursue degrees in speech, language, and hearing sciences. And thank you for reminding all of us of the impact that dedicated clinicians can make on the lives of individuals and families.

The ANCAT Lab has a new paper out in Fronteirs in Rehabilitation Sciences based on recent MA-SLP graduate student Avery Allen’s thesis project!

Frontiers | Harnessing AI for aphasia: a case report on ChatGPT's role in supporting written expression IntroductionAphasia is associated with impairments in written language, including difficulty with sentence formulation, word finding, and editing. While writ...

Forbes just identified speech-languagege pathology as one of 10 AI-proof college majors, stating projections of 18% job growth through 2033.

AI-Proof College Majors To Secure Your Future In 2025 And Beyond As AI tools continue to disrupt industries from content creation to software development, the calculus of career planning has fundamentally changed.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11369869/

Successful use of an eye gaze AAC communication board by a young adult with advanced Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS IIIA): Case report Sanfilippo syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III or MPS III) is a family of rare, lysosomal disorders characterized by progressive cognitive and motor deterioration. Even though individuals with MPS III present with complex communication needs, ...

Dr. Hilger is part part of a team of researchers running a study looking at how mothers provide instructions for their children. We finished recruiting mothers of typically developing children and are now looking for mothers of autistic children or children with autism. If you have an autistic child or child with autism who is 3-5 years of age, or know someone who is, feel free to reach out to [email protected]. The study is entirely online and you will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. You do not have to live in Colorado to participate as well! Message me with any questions. Thank you!

A new guidebook offering recommendations for parents and those caring for individuals with SMS to approach emotional and behavioral challenges by understanding the person, the syndrome, and effective practices in on the PRISMS website.

Download your copy here: https://www.prisms.org/education/publications-and-resources/

ANCAR Lab Director, Christine Brennan, was one of the authors on this PRISMS publication that provides strategies for emotional and behavioral challenges experienced by individuals with SMS.

A new guidebook offering recommendations for parents and those caring for individuals with SMS to approach emotional and behavioral challenges by understanding the person, the syndrome, and effective practices in on the PRISMS website.

Download your copy here: https://www.prisms.org/education/publications-and-resources/

ANCAR Lab published a paper this summer in Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences: “Person-centered aural rehabilitation program improved mood, cognition, and auditory processing in a professional musician who uses a hearing aid and cochlear implant: Case Report,” authored by Christine Brennan, McKenna Spence-Olson (former MASLP student), Kalya Cormier (PhD Candidate), Sherri Tennant, and Anu Sharma. This paper was based on master's thesis work completed by CU Alum, McKenna Spence-Olson.

Frontiers | Person-centered aural rehabilitation program improved mood, cognition, and auditory processing in a professional musician who uses a hearing aid and cochlear implant: Case Report Introduction: Aural rehabilitation focused on music for individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) and/or hearing aids (HAs) typically emphasizes perceptual skills rather than enjoyment of music. Yet, those with CIs and/or HAs often struggle to enjoy music, complaining that it sounds distorted with th...

Christine Brennan, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, has published a new paper that examined SMS patient registry data to compare two groups of individuals with SMS, those with a chromosome 17p11.2 deletion and those with an RAI1 variant.

The aim of the study was to determine if genetic differences influence the communication phenotype and to determine the importance of the RAI1 gene in hearing, speech, and language abilities in children. The results revealed small group differences for hearing status, otopathological findings, mode of communication, voice quality, intelligibility, speech-language abilities, and literacy. Overlap in the speech-language phenotype between groups confirms previous hypotheses that suggest haploinsufficiency (i.e., when the remaining functional copy of the gene is not adequate) of the RAI1 gene responsible for the SMS phenotype and that the RAI1 gene is critical for speech-language development.

This study has been published and for a limited time is available in full and for free by clicking on the link https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1jgxd5022dil%7E

New lab logo!