Research in Developmental Disabilities Language Lab

Happy World Down Syndrome Day! The RIDDL Lab is excited to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome and discuss this year’s theme, together against loneliness.

Earlier this month, our very own Claudia Schabes, Amy Banasik, Latifatu Mohammed, and PI Audra Sterling had the opportunity to present their presentation titled "Language Disorders & Executive Function: Considerations for Assessment and Intervention in Schools." at the 2026 WSHA Convention!

Happy New Year!

The RIDDL Lab had another successful and productive year of research. Look through our slides to see everything we accomplished in 2025!

Thank you to all the participants, families, and lab members who made our research possible this year.

The RIDDL Lab had a fabulous time attending ASHA this year! Beow you can learn more about what the RIDDL Lab presented on at ASHA 2025!

Have you ever heard of JavaAbilities? JavaAbilities is a coffee shop in Monona, WI that promotes inclusivity for both customers and employees, employing individuals with disabilities and creating an accessible coffee shop for its customers. Check out JavaAbilities today! ☕️

October is AAC Awareness Month!! 🍁🍂Celebrate with us by learning more about AAC and debunking some common AAC myths! 🍂🍁

Text description:
AAC stands for Augmentative and AlternativeCommunication.
* Augmentative: to enhance/supplement speech
* Alternative: used instead of speech
Communication is a human right, and AAC is sometimes the key in achieving this human right.

AAC Myths
FALSE: AAC will prevent someone from talking
AAC may actually increase speech production and improves participation in conversation. The production of speech by an AAC device provides a consistent model for speech.

FALSE: My child is too young to use AAC
AAC can result in postiive effects on speech produciton and there are no prerequisites for communication (this includes AAC)!

FALSE: Some speech is enough
AAC can support an individual in expressing exactly the message they want to produce and participate in longer/deeper interactions.

Meet RIDDL Lab member, Kenzie!

Kenzie is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with certificates in Disability Rights and Services, Education and Educational Services, and Educational Policy. After undergrad Kenzie hopes to become a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist and work with children with developmental disabilities.

Fun Fact: Kenzie loves to bake!

Activities for Children’s Language Development #2: Comprehension! Comprehension is the ability to understand written or spoken language and is important for learning about the world. When you read, describe, and point to the text and illustrations of picture books, you are working in comprehension!

Happy World Fragile X Syndrome Day! Here at the RIDDL Lab we are honored to be celebrating such a unique and wonderful group of people!

Happy Disability Pride month! Disability Pride month honors the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Join the RIDDL Lab in learning about Disability Pride month and celebrating individuals with disabilities!

Image Description:
Image one: A white background with large black text reads “July is Disability Pride Month!!”. Below is a picture of the Disability Pride flag with white text over the flag that reads “Celebrating Disability Pride Month”. The disability pride flags background is charcoal grey and there is a diagonal band that contains a red, gold, white, blue, and green stripe.

Image two: Large red text reads “Why July?”. Small blue text below reads “Disability Pride month is celebrated in July because its the month that the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990”. Large red text reads “What is Disability Pride Month?”. Small blue text below reads “Disability Pride Month honors the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. The goal of Disability Pride month is to raise awareness about the experiences of individuals with disabilities, foster better inclusion, reduce the stigma, and celebrate the achievements of those with disabilities”. Below is a drawing of people outlined in different colors of the rainbow that are holding hands.

Image three: An image of the disability pride flag is at the top right corner of the slide. Next to the flag, large red text reads “Flag Symbolism”. Below, blue small text reads “Charcoal grey background: mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse.
Red: physical disabilities
Gold: neurodiversity and cognitive and intellectual disabilities
White: invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
Blue: emotional and psychiatric disabilities
Green: sensory disabilities”. Below, large red text reads, “Flag Artist”. At the bottom right corner there is an image of Anne Magill. Next to the image, small blue text reads “The flag was originally designed by Anne Magill, an artist who has cerebral palsy, and updated in 2021 to be more accessible”.

Happy Research Appreciation Day! The RIDDL Lab is so thankful for the participants and families who help make our research possible. Thank you to all the researchers around the globe who help to improve science, healthcare, and knowledge. Your dedication and perseverance are greatly appreciated!

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT - RIDDL Lab edition!

Tiffany Chavers Edgar and RIDDL Lab members recently published their findings on the agreement between autism classification from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2) in individuals with fragile X syndrome.

Click on the open access link below to read more!

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-025-06888-8