The Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders (SECD) is one of seven academic departments in the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Mission
SECD is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with special needs, their families, schools, and communities.

Vision
Our vision is that every individual with special needs will:
-achieve maximum potential for learning.
-communicate autonomously.
-enjoy optimum health and well-being throughout the lifespan.

Values
Diversity - Our faculty represent diverse expertise in research, teaching and outreach encompassing professions of practice in special education, speech-language pathology and audiology.
Respect - We respect diverse people, viewpoints, ideas and perspectives.
Dedication - We are passionate about and dedicated to the mission of the department and college, focused on success in advancing knowledge, training leaders, and serving our clients, their families and our communities.
Collegiality - Our interactions with others are respectful, polite and professional. Each member's contribution is valued.
Creativity/Innovation - We strive to solve difficult problems to advance the department's professions of practice. We deal with complex issues facing individuals with special needs or disabilities, their families, schools and communities.
Collaboration - We work together across multiple disciplines and scientific fields in order to find answers and solve difficult and complex problems related to individuals with special needs.
Integrity - We carry out our mission and strive for our goals with the highest level of integrity.

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2023

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Photographs and Parent Training to Support Conversations about Past Events between Caregivers and Children with Autism, Naima Bhana, Tracy J. Raulston, Ciara Ousley, and Atikah Bagawan

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Inherent envelope fluctuations in forward masking: Effects of age and hearing loss, Marc A. Brennan, Adam Svec, Afagh Farhadi, Braden N. Maxwell, and Laurel H. Carney

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Home-literacy environments and language development in toddlers with Down syndrome, Madison S. Dulin, Susan J. Loveall, and Laura J. Mattie

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“You Feel a Sense of Accomplishment”: Outdoor Adventure Experiences of Youths with Visual Impairments during a One-Week Sports Camp, Lauren J. Lieberman, Katie Ericson, Melanie Perreault, Pamela Beach, and Kelsey Williams

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Perspectives on adaptive functioning and intellectual functioning measures for intellectual disabilities behavioral research, Laura J. Mattie, Susan J. Loveall, Marie Moore Channell, and Derek B. Rodgers

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Spontaneous allelic variant in deafness–blindness gene Ush1g resulting in an expanded phenotype, Vladimir Vartanian, Jocelyn F. Krey, Paroma Chatterjee, Allison Curtis, Makayla Six, Sean P. M. Rice, Sherri M. Jones, Harini Sampath, Charles N. Allen, Renee C. Ryals, R. Stephen Lloyd, and Peter G. Barr-Gillespie

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Comparing Taste Perception Across Modalities in Healthy Adults: Liquids Versus Dissolvable Taste Strips, Ross M. Westemeyer and Angela M. Dietsch

2022

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Active Learning and Student Achievement: A matter of space, experiences, or pedagogy?, Justin Bruner, Rebecca Affoo, and Angela M. Dietsch

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Characteristics of emotional disturbance of female and male students in elementary, middle, and high school, Douglas Cullinan, Matthew C. Lambert, and Michael Epstein

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Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elementary School Teachers’ Practices and Perceptions Across the Spring and Fall 2020 Semesters, J. Marc Goodrich, Michael Hebert, and Jessica M. Namkung

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Hearing and Vestibular Loss with Misuse of Opioids and Illicit Drugs: A Review of the Literature, Michelle L. Hughes, Amanda Rodriquez, Jonathan Hatch, and Kenneth Zoucha

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Students’ self-efficacy in self-regulation together with behavioural and emotional strengths: investigating their self-perceptions, Minna Ikävalko, Erkko Sointu, Matthew C. Lambert, and Jaana Viljaranta

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Assessing Pre-Literacy Behaviors in Infants and Toddlers: Psychometric Evaluation of the Infant Toddler Literacy Assessment (ITLA-3), Barbara J. Jackson, Christine Marvin, Amy J. Encinger, Nicole Buchholz, and Becky Zessin

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Investigating the use of spread of excitation as a measure of sensitivity to interaural asymmetry, Mona Jawad, Simin Soleimanifar, Michelle L. Hughes, and Justin M. Aronoff

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Function of bidirectional sensitivity in the otolith organs established by transcription factor Emx2, Young Rae Ji, Yosuke Tona, Talah Wafa, Matthew E. Christman, Edward D. Tourney, Tao Jiang, Sho Ohta, Hui Cheng, Tracy Fitzgerald, Bernd Fritzsch, Sherri M. Jones, Kathleen E. Cullen, and Doris K. Wu

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ANKRD24 organizes TRIOBP to reinforce stereocilia insertion points, Jocelyn F. Krey, Chang Liu, Inna A. Belyantseva, Michael Bateschell, Rachel A. Dumont, Jennifer Goldsmith, Paroma Chatterjee, Rachel S. Morrill, Lev M. Fedorov, Sarah Foster, Jinkyung Kim, Alfred L. Nuttal, Sherri M. Jones, Dongseok Choi, Thomas B. Friedman, Anthony J. Ricci, Bo Zhao, and Peter G. Barr-Gillespie

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Inclusion of Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Norm-Referenced Language Assessments, Susan J. Loveall, Marie Moore Channell, Laura J. Mattie, and Alexandria E. Barkhimer

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Addressing the Need for Training More School Psychologists to Serve Toddlers and Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Therese L. Mathews, Edward J. Daly III, Gina M. Kunz, Ashley M. Lugo, Paige McArdle, Katy Menousek, and Kevin A. Kupzyk

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The effect of taste on swallowing: A scoping and systematic review, Rachel Mulheren, Ross M. Westemeyer, and Angela M. Dietsch

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The perspectives of augmentative and alternative communication experts on the clinical integration of non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, Kevin Pitt, Miechelle L. McKelvey, and Kristy Weissling

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Dynamic causal modeling of neural responses to an orofacial pneumotactile velocity array, Yingying Wang, Rebecca Custead, Hyuntaek Oh, and Steven M. Barlow

2021

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MUSCLE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD, Steven M. Barlow and Jacob L. Greenwood

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Changes in Sensorimotor Cortical Activation in Children Using Prostheses and Prosthetic Simulators, Christopher Copeland, Mukul Mukherjee, Yingying Wang, Kaitlin Fraser, and Jorge M. Zuniga

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Interpretation of ambiguous pronouns in adults with intellectual disabilities, Kara Hawthorne and Susan J. Loveall

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Finding a Voice for Individuals With ASD Who Are Minimally Verbal Through Comprehensive Communication Assessment, Shelley Lund, Kristy Weissling, Wendy Quach, and Miechelle L. McKelvey

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Evaluating person-centered factors associated with brain–computer interface access to a commercial augmentative and alternative communication paradigm, Kevin Pitt and Jonathan S. Brumberg

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Evaluating the perspectives of those with severe physical impairments while learning BCI control of a commercial augmentative and alternative communication paradigm, Kevin Pitt and Jonathan S. Brumberg

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Applying Implementation Science to Support Active Collaboration in Noninvasive Brain–Computer Interface Development and Translation for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Kevin Pitt and Aimee Dietz

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Strategies for highlighting items within visual scene displays to support augmentative and alternative communication access for those with physical impairments, Kevin Pitt and John W. McCarthy

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What’s in a Photograph? The Perspectives of Composition Experts on Factors Impacting Visual Scene Display Complexity for Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Strategies for Improving Visual Communication, Kevin Pitt and John W. McCarthy

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Brain lateralization in children with upper‑limb reduction deficiency, Jorge Zuniga, James E. Pierce, Christopher Copeland, Claudia Cortes‑Reyes, David Salazar, YingYing Wang, K. M. Arun, and Theodore Huppert

2020

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Wireless Sensing of Lower Lip and Thumb-Index Finger ‘Ramp-and-Hold’ Isometric Force Dynamics in a Small Cohort of Unilateral MCA Stroke: Discussion of Preliminary Findings, Steven M. Barlow, Rebecca Custead, Jaehoon Lee, Mohsen Hozan, and Jacob Greenwood

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Revisiting the Role of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Aphasia Rehabilitation, Aimee Dietz, Sarah Wallace, and Kristy Weissling

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ADHD Parent and Teacher Symptom Ratings: Differential Item Functioning across Gender, Age, Race, and Ethnicity, George J. DuPaul, Qiong Fu, Arthur D. Anastopoulos, Robert C. Reid, and Thomas J. Power

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EFFECTS OF SENTENCE-COMBINING INSTRUCTION FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING LANGUAGE-MINORITY STUDENTS: Evidence From Two Single-Case Experiments, J. Marc Goodrich, Michael Hebert, Mackenzie E. Savaiano, and Tim Andress

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Development of First- and Second-Language Vocabulary Knowledge among Language-Minority Children: Evidence from Single Language and Conceptual Scores, J. Marc Goodrich and Christopher J. Lonigan

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Retinoic acid degradation shapes zonal development of vestibular organs and sensitivity to transient linear accelerations, Kazuya Ono, James Keller, Omar López Ramírez, Antonia González Garrido, Omid A. Zobeiri, Hui Ho Vanessa Chang, Sherri M. Jones, Andrianna Ayiotis, Gregg Duester, Charles C. Della Santina, Sarath Vijayakumar, Kathleen E. Cullen, Ruth Anne Eatock, and Doris K. Wu

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A Review of Factors and Display Characteristics Influencing P300 Brain-Computer Interface Performance for AAC., Kevin Pitt

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Barriers and solutions for translating brain-computer interfaces for augmentative and alternative communication from research into practice., Kevin Pitt

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Supporting the Visual-Cognitive Sciences by Exploring the Application of Photographic Composition to Visual Scene Displays, Kevin Pitt, John McCarthy, and Adrienne R. Pitt

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The perceptions of AAC professionals on supporting the clinical translation of brain-computer interface technology, Kevin Pitt, Miechelle L. McKelvey, Kristy Weissling, and Brynley Klein

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Photos for Visual Scene Displays: Input from Interviews with Visual Media Experts, Kevin Pitt, Meghan Salley, Kathrin Sindt, and John McCarthy

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Predictors of Swallowing Outcomes in Patients with Combat-Injury Related Dysphagia, Nancy Pearl Solomon, Angela M. Dietsch, and Katie Dietrich-Burns

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Functional Connectivity Evoked by Orofacial Tactile Perception of Velocity, Yingying Wang Dr., Fatima Sibaii, Rebecca Custead, Hyuntaek Oh, and Steven M. Barlow

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Effect of Pacifier Design on Nonnutritive Suck Maturation and Weight Gain in Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study, Alexander Ziegler, Jill L. Maron, Steven M. Barlow, and Jonathan M. Davis

2019

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Examining sensory ability, feature matching and assessment-based adaptation for a brain–computer interface using the steady-state visually evoked potential, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Anh Nguyen, Kevin M. Pitt, and Sean D. Lorenz

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Motor-Induced Suppression of the N100 Event-Related Potential During Motor Imagery Control of a Speech Synthesizer Brain–Computer Interface, Jonathan S. Brumberg and Kevin M. Pitt

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Taste Manipulation and Swallowing Mechanics in Trauma-Related Sensory-Based Dysphagia, Angela M. Dietsch, H. Duncan Dorris, William Pearson, Katie E. Dietrich-Burns, and Nancy Pearl Solomon

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Automatic Nonnutritive Suck Waveform Discrimination and Feature Extraction in Preterm Infants, Chunxiao Liao, Austin O. Rosner, Jill L. Maron, Dongli Song, and Steven M. Barlow

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Auditory, Cognitive, and Linguistic Factors Predict Speech Recognition in Adverse Listening Conditions for Children With Hearing Loss, Ryan W. McCreery, Elizabeth A. Walker, Meredith Spratford, Dawna Lewis, and Marc A. Brennan

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Differentiation of Patients with Balance Insufficiency (Vestibular Hypofunction) versus Normal Subjects Using a Low-Cost Small Wireless Wearable Gait Sensor, Tam Q. Nguyen, Jonathan H. Young, Amanda Rodriquez, Steven Zupancic, and Donald Y. C. Lie

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The relationship between socioeconomic status and white matter microstructure in pre-reading children: A longitudinal investigation, Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Elizabeth S. Norton, Yingying Wang, Sara D. Beach, Jennifer Zuk, Maryanne Wolf, John D.E. Gabrieli, and Nadine Gaab

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Behind the Scenes of Noninvasive Brain– Computer Interfaces: A Review of Electroencephalography Signals, How They Are Recorded, and Why They Matter, Kevin M. Pitt, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Jeremy D. Burnison, Jyutika Mehta, and Juhi Kidwai

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Considering Augmentative and Alternative Communication Research for Brain-Computer Interface Practice, Kevin M. Pitt, Jonathan S. Brumberg, and Adrienne R. Pitt

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sodium-activated potassium channels shape peripheral auditory function and activity of the primary auditory neurons in mice, Daniël O.J. Reijntjes, Jeong Han Lee, seojin Park, Nick M.A. Schubert, Marcel van Tuinen, Sarath Vijayakumar, Timothy A. Jones, Sherri M. Jones, Michael Anne Gratton, Xiao-Ming Xia, Ebenezer N. Yamoah, and Sonja J. Pyott

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Atoh1 Directs Regeneration and Functional Recovery of the Mature Mouse Vestibular System, Zahra N. Sayyid, Tian Wang, Leon Chen, Sherri M. Jones, and Alan G. Cheng

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The relationship between biological and psychosocial risk factors and resting‐state functional connectivity in 2‐monthold Bangladeshi infants: A feasibility and pilot study, Ted K. Turesky, Sarah K.G. Jensen, Xi Yu, Swapna Kumar, Yingying Wang, Danielle D. Sliva, Borjan Gagoski, Joseph Sanfilippo, Lilla Zöllei, Emma Boyd, Rashidul Haque, Shahria Hafiz Kakon, Nazrul Islam, William A. Petri Jr., Charles A. Nelson, and Nadine Gaab

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Uncoordinated maturation of developing and regenerating postnatal mammalian vestibular hair cells, Tian Wang, Mamiko Niwa, Zahra N. Sayyid, Davood K. Hosseini, Nicole Pham, Sherri M. Jones, Anthony J. Ricci, and Alan G. Cheng

2018

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Early uneven ear input induces long-lasting differences in left-right motor function, Michelle W. Antoine, Xiaoxia Zhu, Marianne Dieterich, Thomas Brandt, Sarath Vijayakumar, Nicholas McKeehan, Joseph C. Arezzo, R. Suzanne Zukin, David A. Borkholder, Sherri M. Jones, Robert D. Frisina, and Jean M. Hébert

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Grxcr2 is required for stereocilia morphogenesis in the cochlea, Matthew R. Avenarius, Jae-Yun Jung, Charles Askew, Sherri M. Jones, Kristina L. Hunker, Hela Azaiez, Atteeq U. Rehman, Margit Schraders, Hossein Najmabadi, Hannie Kremer, Richard J. H. Smith, Gwenaelle S. G. Geleoc, David F. Dolan, Yehoash Raphael, and David C. Kohrman

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A Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interface for Real-Time Speech Synthesis: The Importance of Multimodal Feedback, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Kevin M. Pitt, and Jeremy D. Burnison

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Brain–Computer Interfaces for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Tutorial, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Kevin M. Pitt, Alana Mantie-Kozlowski, and Jeremy D. Burnison

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Saliva Production and Enjoyment of Real-Food Flavors in People with and Without Dysphagia and/or Xerostomia, Angela M. Dietsch, Cathy A. Pelletier, and Nancy Pearl Solomon

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Working memory in school-age children with and without a persistent speech sound disorder, Kelly Farquharson, Tiffany Hogan, and John E. Bernthal

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A Rapid, Handheld Device to Assess Respiratory Resistance: Clinical and Normative Evidence, Aaron B. Holley, Wesley D. Boose, Michael Perkins, Karen L. Sheikh, Nancy P. Solomon, Angela M. Dietsch, Jafar Vossoughi, Arthur T. Johnson, and Jacob F. Collen

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My Client Knows That He’s About to Stutter: How Can We Address Stuttering Anticipation during Therapy with Young People Who Stutter?, Eric S. Jackson, Hope Gerlach, Naomi H. Rodgers, and Patricia M. Zebrowski

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Loss of α-Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (αCGRP) Reduces Otolith Activation Timing Dynamics and Impairs Balance, Sherri M. Jones, Sarath Vijayakumar, Samantha A. Dow, Joseph C. Holt, Paivi M. Jordan, and Anne E. Luebke

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A screening protocol incorporating brain-computer interface feature matching considerations for augmentative and alternative communication, Kevin M. Pitt and Jonathan S. Brumberg

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Guidelines for Feature Matching Assessment of Brain–Computer Interfaces for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Kevin M. Pitt and Jonathan S. Brumberg

2017

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Brain encoding of saltatory velocity through a pulsed pneumotactile array in the lower face, Rebecca Custead, Hyuntaek Oh, Yingying Wang, and Steven M. Barlow

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Swallowing Mechanics Associated With Artificial Airways, Bolus Properties, and Penetration–Aspiration Status in Trauma Patients, Angela M. Dietsch, Christopher B. Rowley, Nancy Pearl Solomon, and William G. Pearson Jr.

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A Preliminary Study of a Spanish Graphic Novella Targeting Hearing Loss Prevention, Mark Guiberson and Emily Wakefield

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RAP: A Reading Comprehension Strategy for Students with Learning Disabilities and Concomitant Speech-Language Impairments or ADHD, Suzanne E. Kemp

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Neuropharmacological Targets for Drug Action in Vestibular Sensory Pathways, Choongheon Lee and Timothy A. Jones

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Assessment with children who need augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): Clinical decisions of AAC specialists., Shelley Lund, Quach Wendy, Kristy S.E. Weissling, Miechelle L. McKelvey, and Aimee R. Dietz

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Gfi1Cre mice have early onset progressive hearing loss and induce recombination in numerous inner ear non-hair cells, Maggie Matern, Sarath Vijayakumar, Zachary Margulies, Beatrice Milon, Yang Song, Ran Elkon, Xiaoyu Zhang, Sherri M. Jones, and Ronna Hertzano

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Lessons to be learned: how a comprehensive neurobiological framework of atypical reading development can inform educational practice, Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Xi Yu, Yingying Wang, and Nadine Gaab

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Development of Tract-Specific White Matter Pathways During Early Reading Development in At-Risk Children and Typical Controls, Yingying Wang, Meaghan V. Mauer, Talia Raney, Barbara Peysakhovich, Bryce L. C. Becker, Danielle D. Silva, and Nadine Gaab

2016

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Using Motor Imagery to Control Brain-Computer Interfaces for Communication, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Jeremy D. Burnison, and Kevin M. Pitt

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Factor Analysis of the Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale for Children in Head Start Programs, Cynthia J. Cress, Matthew C. Lambert, and Michael Epstein

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A History of the Audiology Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 1920 to 2015, T. Newell Decker

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Teacher Perceptions of Two Multi-Component Interventions: Disability Awareness and Science, Emily A. Dorsey, Chryso Mouzourou, Hyejin Park, Michaelene M. Ostrosky, and Paddy C. Favazza

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Using Caregiver Strain to Predict Participation in a Peer-Support Intervention for Parents of Children With Emotional or Behavioral Needs, Kristin Duppong-Hurley, Stacy-Ann A. January, and Matthew C. Lambert

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Stereocilia-staircase spacing is influenced by myosin III motors and their cargos espin-1 and espin-like, Seham Ebrahim, Matthew R. Avenarius, M’hamed Grati, Jocelyn F. Krey, Alanna M. Windsor, Aurea D. Sousa, Angela Ballesteros, Runjia Cui, Bryan A. Millis, Felipe T. Salles, Michelle A. Baird, Michael W. Davidson, Sherri M. Jones, Dongseok Choi, Lijin Dong, Manmeet H. Raval, Christopher M. Yengo, Peter G. Barr- Gillespie, and Bechara Kachar

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Assessing the Writing Achievement of Young Struggling Writers: Application of Generalizability Theory, Steve Graham, Michael Hebert, Michael Paige Sandbank, and Karen R. Harris

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Students at Enrollment Into CommunityBased Systems of Care: Characteristics and Predictors of Functioning in School, Stacy-Ann A. January, Matthew C. Lambert, Michael Epstein, Mary Spooner, and Tesfayi Gebreselassie

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Annexin A5 is the Most Abundant Membrane-Associated Protein in Stereocilia but is Dispensable for Hair-Bundle Development and Function, Jocelyn F. Krey, Meghan Drummond, Sarah Foster, Edward Porsov, Sarath Vijayakumar, Dongseok Choi, Karen Friderici, Sherri M. Jones, Alfred L. Nuttall, and Peter G. Barr-Gillespie

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Latent Structure of Scores From the Emotional and Behavioral Screener, Matthew C. Lambert, Stacy-Ann A. January, and Corey D Pierce

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Remembering Gregg Schraw, Matthew T. McCrudden

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Differential effects of Cdh23753A on auditory and vestibular functional aging in C57BL/6J mice, Bruce E. Mock, Sarath Vijayakumar, Jessica Pierce, Timothy A. Jones, and Sherri M. Jones

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Real-Time Classification of Patients with Balance Disorders vs. Normal Subjects Using a Low-Cost Small Wireless Wearable Gait Sensor, Bhargava Teja Nukala, Taro Nakano, Amanda Rodriguez, Jerry Tsay, Jerry Lopez, Tam Q. Nguyen, Steven Zupancic, and Donald Y. C. Lie

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Neural encoding of saltatory pneumotactile velocity in human glabrous hand, Hyuntaek Oh, Rebecca Custead, Yingying Wang, and Steven M. Barlow

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Applied Examples of Screening Students At Risk of Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities, Corey D. Pierce, Philip D. Nordness, Michael Epstein, and Douglas Cullinan

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INFLUENCE OF WRITING ABILITY AND COMPUTATION SKILL ON MATHEMATICS WRITING, Sarah R. Powell and Michael Hebert

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Self-perceived competence and social acceptance of young children who stutter: Initial findings, Naomi H. Rodgers and Patricia Zebrowski Ph.D

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Predicting Speech Intelligibility Decline in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Based on the Deterioration of Individual Speech Subsystems, Panying Rong, Yana Yunusova, Jun Wang, Lorne Zinman, Gary Pattee, James D. Berry, Bridget Perry, and Jordan R. Green

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Professional Practice and Ethical Issues Related to Physical Restraint and Seclusion in Schools, Brenda Scheuermann, Reece L. Peterson, Joseph B. Ryan, and Glenna Billingsley

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Dysphagia Management and Research in an Acute-Care Military Treatment Facility: The Role of Applied Informatics, Nancy Pearl Solomon, Angela M. Dietsch, Katie E. Dietrich-Burns, Edda L. Styrmisdottir, and Christopher S. Armao

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Program Monitoring Practices for Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Early Intervention, Anne E. Thomas and Christine Marvin

2015

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Using Visual Scene Displays as Communication Support Options for People with Chronic, Severe Aphasia: A Summary of AAC Research and Future Research Directions, David R. Beukelman, Karen Hux, Aimee R. Dietz, Miechelle L. McKelvey, and Kristy S.E. Weissling