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Category: Affiliate Research

Project identifies, enhances alternative communication opportunities for children with autism

Ciara Ousley, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders, recently evaluated the effects of embedding AAC within storybook reading and play time with young children with autism who have limited to no vocal speech. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

For the nearly 7 million American children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and have not developed functional vocal speech, communication can be difficult — and frustrating.

One promising option is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including speech-generating devices that support, supplement or replace vocal speech. Research suggests that using AAC in early interventions through play and other everyday activities may enhance language, social communication and play skills in children with autism. Full Article

Research collaboration aims to streamline children’s motor skills evaluation

Michaela Schenkelberg, associate professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is working with MAP Academy personnel to develop a streamlined assessment used to measure fundamental movement skills in children.

Michaela Schenkelberg, associate professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is collaborating with MAP Academy personnel to make it easier to evaluate young children’s gross motor skills — the basic, whole-body movements that lay the foundation for lifelong physical activity. Full Article

CHIME enhancing well-being among Head Start, Early Head Start educators

Holly Wilhite, associate professor of child, youth and family studies, shares information on the research behind social emotional well-being for teachers and young children during her January 2025 trip to Ghana. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

For many, work-related stress is often seen as part of the job, with emotional exhaustion, burnout and turnover reported across nearly every industry in the U.S.

For the early childhood workforce, however, such stress can reach beyond teachers’ well-being and into the classroom. Research shows that when educators are navigating ongoing stress and emotional exhaustion, it can affect how they respond to children and families, shaping the tone of interactions and the overall learning environment. Full Article

New database streamlines data collection, support for Nebraska deafblind students, educators

An instructor works with a young student at the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Nebraska City.

Deafblindness is a combination of vision loss and hearing difference that makes accessing the environment, language and communication more complex. It varies in severity and type and can be present at birth or acquired at any age.

With both vision and hearing impacted, access to the world often requires individualized supports for independent living, education and social interaction. Full Article

Program expands emotional regulation support for autistic students

Sungeun Kang, assistant professor of school psychology, recently led a project to refine and expand an intervention program designed to support regulation among autistic children in school settings. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

A large proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder often struggle with irritability and behavior challenges stemming from emotional dysregulation —  the inability to manage emotional responses. These struggles can include intense, prolonged anger, anxiety, sadness that are disproportionate to situations. Full Article

Research uncovers financial stress as a key challenge for Nebraska mental health practitioners

From left, Davianna Daydreamer and Jace Meunier, graduate research assistants, and Mun Yuk Chin, assistant professor of counseling psychology, are working to identify how financial stress develops for mental health practitioners, and explore how it impacts their work. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

Like other states, Nebraska faces a critical shortage of mental health practitioners. That shortage that may limit some communities’ access to mental health care.

Shortages in rural areas are sometimes due to practitioners seeking larger communities in which to practice, but other causes statewide include burnout and work-related stress — common challenges among those in health care professions. Full Article

Brain imaging offers insights into cochlear implant success

Yingying Wang, resident faculty of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior (CB3) and director of the Neuroimaging for Language, Literacy and Learning Lab (NL3), right, works with graduate research assistant Dania Javaid. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

For someone with hearing loss, a successful cochlear implant can be life-changing. But because outcomes vary, determining candidates most likely to benefit from the procedure is crucial.

A cochlear implant (CI) is a complex electronic device that can improve hearing in individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. While the implant does not restore normal hearing and differs from hearing aids, which amplify sounds, it does provide a useful representation of sounds by stimulating the auditory nerve. The device’s success depends on how well the auditory nerve functions. Full Article

Researchers explore ways to identify, enhance resilience among youth

From left, graduate research assistants Deogratias Musoke and Ni Ketut Wilmayani are working with Alex Mason, professor of child, youth and family studies, and CYFS, to explore resilience among vulnerable youth in residential care. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

As many as three-quarters of the nearly 25,000 American youth in residential care have experienced significant trauma, including maltreatment, poverty and, for many, systemic racism and discrimination.

Research suggests that such trauma increases risk for mental and behavioral health problems. However, some youth in residential care with trauma still display steadfast resilience, functioning well even in the presence of significant risk. Full Article