We had an incredible time at our 2024 Lab Retreat! It was a great opportunity to come together, share insights on our exciting new projects, and foster collaboration.

The NDL was honored to attend the 2024 Chicago ArtTism event at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.

The NDL team shared research and connected with families at the 19th International Fragile X Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Our lab is grateful to be part of the FXS community and work with some of these incredible families and individuals.

In July 2024, the NDL was awarded the third renewal of A Family Genetic Study of Autism and Fragile X Syndrome (NIMH R01MH09113110).

Janna shared her exciting dissertation findings on speech processing in autism at the Frequency Following Response (FFR) Workshop in Chicago in June.

Jiayin Xing, Mitra Kumareswaran, and Sarah Ethridge (from left to right) presented findings from their work investigating prosodic traits of speech among individuals with autism at the 2024 Meeting on Language in Autism at Duke[...]

At the 2024 Meeting on Language in Autism (MoLA), Janna Guilfoyle (left, 6th year clinical psychology doctoral student) presented a poster titled, “Physiological mechanisms contributing to atypical pragmatics in autism: A study of neural speech[...]

Emily Landau, 5th year clinical psychology doctoral candidate, presented findings from her dissertation at the 2024 Meeting on Language in Autism. Her poster, “A Multi-Method Study of Pragmatic Language in Autistic Females," explored sex differences[...]

Dr. Joe Lau presented exciting findings from a collaborative project with Dr. Rob Voigt from NU Linguistics titled, Using AI Large Language Models to Detect Pragmatic Language Markers of Autism during the 2024 Meeting on[...]

We are proud to announce that Jiayin Xing, 6th Year Communication Sciences & Disorders doctoral student, successfully defended her dissertation titled, "Multi-Modal Skill Coordination in Social Communication: An Investigation in Autism Spectrum Disorder and First-Degree[...]

Our lab has recently published important findings showing how machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence (AI), may be used to capture clinically significant features of speech impacted in autism across different cultures and languages. This[...]

We have received new NIH funding to continue our lab’s research focused on identifying specific language traits linked to brain and gene function involved in autism. This important award represents the 3rd cycle of continuous NIH funding for[...]

We are excited to welcome Lindsay Goldman to the NDL in the role of research assistant. Prior to joining as a research assistant, Lindsay volunteered in the NDL while completing her undergraduate degree at the[...]

Work from our lab was recently featured in Northwestern Now. Click here to learn more about how machine learning can be used to identify potential speech patterns characteristic of autism across languages. Photo by Emily[...]

Check out our recently published paper in Frontiers! This paper was published in collaboration with former NDL students, Dr. Michelle Lee and Dr. Nell Maltman, and colleagues, Dr. Gary Martin, Dr. Klinton Bicknell, and Dr. Adam[...]

July 1st marked the beginning of National Fragile X Awareness Month, and July 22 is World Fragile X Day.  The National Fragile X Foundation reports that the prevalence of FXS in males is approximately 1 in[...]

Emily Landau (bottom left), fourth-year clinical psychology graduate student, presented her research at INSAR this year, and her study explored narrative (i.e. storytelling) ability, which is an important skill for social communication. Her project characterized[...]

We are happy and sad to share that Lauren deTorres, NDL research assistant, will be leaving Northwestern to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s M.S.Ed program for Counseling and Mental Health Services. Lauren[...]

Maureen Butler, NDL first-year doctoral student in clinical psychology, has just been announced a Randi J. Hagerman Summer Scholar by the National Fragile X Foundation! In her project proposal titled,” The Biological Basis of Pragmatic Language in[...]

Please enjoy our holiday card and best holiday wishes from all of us at the NDL.

Please check out the flier below or attached PDF at bottom for more information on our study. NDL-flyer-FX2019_v2

The NDL is proud to celebrate World Fragile X day today. We had the pleasure of attending the International Fragile X Conference this past weekend and are looking forward to participating in NFXF X Strides[...]

This past weekend, members from the NDL had the pleasure of attending the 18th International Fragile X Conference in San Diego, California. […]

  Northwestern Now recently interviewed Dr. Losh and Dr. Lau, the lab’s post-doctoral fellow, on their recently published study, ‘Cross-linguistic patterns of speech prosodic differences in autism: A machine learning study’. In this study, machine[...]

Our lab member Kritika Nayar has published a new paper titled 'A constellation of eye-tracking measures reveals social attention differences in ASD and the broad autism phenotype' in the journal of Molecular Autism! Click here[...]

Have Dreams- Autism Agency - HIRING Autism Job Coach (young adult employment program) Qualifications: Experience working with youth and adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) preferred. About the Job: Provide support and assistance to interns[...]

Our team is so excited to attend the 18th International Fragile X Conference in San Diego on July 14th – 17th, where we will be presenting new findings, as well as providing opportunities for families[...]

Our lab has collaborated with Gary Martin, along with former PhD students in our lab, Drs. Shivani Patel and Lauren Bush on the publication of the Handbook of Pragmatic Language Disorders. This handbook examines pragmatic[...]

Every year, the NDL celebrates Fragile X advocacy day and this year, it is on March 1st 2022! Advocacy Day is one day each year when we come together as a community, talk to our[...]

Happy Holidays from the NDL! Please enjoy our annual holiday card, message pasted below: As this year comes to an end, we wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday season and a happy[...]

As the research surrounding Autism has increased, we have also seen an increase in the awareness and acceptance of Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Community outreach programs are helping young adults get access to occupational[...]

The National Fragile X Foundation reports that an “estimated 1.5 million people in the United States alone are impacted by Fragile X making it a leading inherited cause of intellectual disability today.” As such, creating[...]

As the world continues to embrace technology, the medical industry is not shy in taking advantage of the latest technological gadgets. A historical problem within the medical field has always been access- access to a[...]

Easterseals is a non-profit organization that is proudly committed to serving the Chicagoland and Greater Rockford communities. […]

As the vaccine becomes more readily available, it is important to develop a plan while continuing to prioritize safety. The Vax For All website has been created to offer free resources to help individuals with[...]

The MIND Institute, an international collaborative research and clinical treatment center, is hosting a multitude of Facebook live events and Q&A postings related to the pandemic, […]

Every year, the NDL celebrates Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day and we encourage you to join us in supporting those affected by autism, as well as their family members, caregivers, and friends. […]

The Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Laboratory at Northwestern University is seeking a research assistant, project coordinator, and/or project manager to work on ongoing NIH-funded research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). Positions are for a minimum[...]

Although the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has created and presented many challenges for individuals locally and globally, one positive that has come out of this is the increasing popularity and acceptance of telehealth.  […]

It is no secret that COVID-19 has presented a multitude of changes and challenges that we did not see coming, and these changes can be especially hard for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). [...]

Kritika Nayar, a doctoral student in the NDL, who is currently completing her Pediatric Neuropsychology Internship at the Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, was recently awarded the best poster research award at this year’s[...]

  Recently, the University of California, Davis MIND Institute was awarded a $2.1 million grant with the sole purpose of creating a four-year college program for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including those with Fragile-X Syndrome. [...]

  An exciting new paper from the NDL and some of our collaborators was recently covered in Spectrum News. […]

Same but Different, a U.K non-profit organization has dedicated its efforts to raising awareness and acceptance for those with rare disorders such as Fragile-x syndrome. […]

Autism (ASD), Fragile-X syndrome (FXS), and other neurodevelopmental disorders don’t come with a handbook. As a caretaker of an individual with ASD, much of the learning must take place on the job and requires continual[...]

Since 2000, July 22nd has been designated as  Fragile X Syndrome Awareness day. The goal of this day is to expand public awareness and educate those who can help. […]

Kritika Nayar, 6th-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program, defended her dissertation, the culmination of her PhD program. […]

Shivani Patel, 5th- year doctoral student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, defended her dissertation, the culmination of her PhD program. […]

FRAXA, one of the leading Fragile X Syndrome research foundations, is starting a webinar series to continue providing important information centered around current topics in Fragile X Syndrome research. […]

Following CDC, State, and University guidelines, and to ensure the safety of our lab members and the families who participate in our studies, we have moved to remote work for all staff and students and[...]

With adjustments to routines for everyone working and learning from home the past few months, individuals with autism can  experience high levels of stress, frustration, and anxiety. […]

  Each and every year, we celebrate Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) Awareness Month! […]

  Due to the rarity of certain diseases such as Rhetts and Fragile-X Syndrome, funding for research and resources is limited. […]

Dr. Marcia Braden, a clinical psychologist and a member of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board to the National Fragile X Foundation, created a helpful guide titled, How to Help Your Child Cope with COVID-19.[...]

During these trying and uncertain times, we want to offer our support to anyone who may need it! […]

The NDL is part of Northwestern’s Autism Research and Clinical Collaborative – an alliance of Northwestern educators, researchers, and clinicians who are dedicated to serving the autism community by working together to understand autism [...]

The National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) leads an advocacy program to help advance research and programs to help provide better opportunities and lives to those living with Fragile X and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.[...]

The NDL recently attended the second annual Midwest Fragile X Research Exchange hosted by those at the Waisman Center in Madison, Wisconsin. […]

Individuals with developmental disabilities in the state of Illinois are currently faced with large wait lists and little finical aid as they seek services. […]

This holiday season, Autism Speaks and Cherry Hill Programs are partnering up to bring sensory-friendly Santa and holiday experiences to individuals of all ages and abilities! […]

The Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Laboratory at Northwestern University is seeking a research assistant or project coordinator to work on ongoing NIH-funded research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). […]

The International FMR1 premutation conference is a major interdisciplinary meeting held yearly for scientists, students, and clinicians involved in the fields associated with clinical phenotypes of the FMR1 premutation. […]

On Saturday, August 17th, the National Fragile X Foundation Heartland Chapter will be hosting a one- day Fragile X and Autism Education Conference in West Des Moines, Iowa. […]

On Friday, May 31st, 5th-year doctoral student Lauren Bush completed her dissertation defense, the culmination of her PhD program. […]

NDL doctoral student Janna Guilfoyle presented a poster on developmental academic profiles in siblings of individuals with ASD at the annual Feinberg School of Medicine Scholar’s Day. […]

The creators of the Happy Family Conference are hosting a free online conference May 16-20 […]

Check out this new article in Spectrum News about Dr. Losh, the NDL, and the broad autism phenotype! We would like to thank Rebecca Wiesenthal, one of our most loyal participants, who was interviewed about[...]

After watching the television series ‘Shark Tank’, Heidi Stieglitz Ham, the director the Spectrum Fusion organization, decided to launch a program modeled after the show for adults on the autism spectrum. […]

Check out the world-wide support that Autism Awareness Day received on April 2nd, as iconic buildings across the world lit up blue!

Northwestern’s Autism Research and Clinical Collaborative (NUARCC) is sponsoring a daylong conference on April 26th, 2019.

Northwestern’s Autism Research and Clinical Collaborative (NUARCC) is proud to support World Autism Month.

On this day, those affected by Down Syndrome and those who live/work closely with them organize events world-wide to bring public awareness to Down syndrome.

Business offices can be overwhelming for just about anybody, but individuals on the autism spectrum often have a particularly hard time adjusting to the noise, fluorescent lights, and small talk, as well as understanding various[...]

Dr. Losh and members of the NDL team recently traveled to Madison, WI to participate in the 2019 Midwest Fragile X Research Exchange. […]

The NDL was thrilled to support Have Dreams at the 2018 Night of Dreams! We're looking forward to continuing to work with this important organization in 2019. http://havedreams.org/

A new paper from Dr. Gary Martin and the NDL, “A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome,” was recently published […]

A recent study on the PEERS program at UCLA confirmed that this young adult/adult social skills program is providing lasting benefits to those who complete it! […]

Congratulations to Dr. Molly Losh, who recently received the Clarence Simon Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring! […]

The Illinois LEND program and the UIC Department of Disability and Human Development will be conducting free autism screenings […]

There are some great sensory-friendly events coming up in the Chicago area! […]

We want to thank everyone who made our experience at the Iowa State Fair so wonderful! We are so grateful to the 200+ Iowans who signed up to be a part of this important research,[...]

After realizing there are few resources for young adults with autism a group at the UC Davis MIND Institute designed a curriculum to help adults with autism better maneuver through the adult world and the[...]

Click the above image to check out part 2 of 2018 newsletter!

Our group will be at the Iowa State Fair from August 9-19 to share information about our studies with Iowans! […]

Kritika Nayar, a 5th year doctoral student in the lab, presented her work at Northwestern University’s Seven Minutes of Scholarship on Wednesday, August 1st. […]

In a study recently published in the European Journal of Neuroscience, researchers conducted a number of experiments comparing eye movements in typically developing individuals and individuals with autism. […]

In 2015, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, the chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, helped create a new hiring system focusing on key talents of candidates with autism. […]

A study from Stanford University School of Medicine, published in the journal, Brain, compared brain scans from children with autism and typically developing children, focusing on the pathway in the brain that typically makes social[...]

A recent study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that when teachers of school-aged children with autism received special training, their students showed improvements in social participation in the classroom. [...]

The Chicago Dogs, Chicago’s newest independent baseball team, is hosting its first Autism Awareness Night on Sunday, August 12th! […]

The NDL team had a great time at the National Fragile X Foundation’s 16th International Fragile X Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. […]

On July 5, representatives from the FRAXA Research Foundation took part in the ringing of the New York Stock Exchange opening bell to raise awareness for fragile X syndrome. […]

Ania Holubecki, an undergraduate research assistant in the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Lab, presented a poster on her senior thesis at Northwestern’s 2018 Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition. […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that 1 in every 36 children in the United States has an autism diagnosis representing the importance of continued research in this area. [...]

Dr. James Pennebaker, an expert in the computational analysis of language, recently visited Northwestern from the University of Texas-Austin. […]

The NDL was proud to sponsor the 2018 Night of Dreams gala on April 27 in support of Have Dreams, an organization that provides job training and other services to individuals with autism.  […]

As part of our recognition of Autism Awareness Month, The NDL was proud to sponsor the 2018 Autism Speaks Walk in Des Moines, Iowa on April 29. […]

April is Autism Awareness Month! […]

Many of the NDL graduate students are members of The Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci) at Northwestern University, a collaborative, cross-campus research and training initiative focused on research in the developmental sciences. Last[...]

Members of the NDL team had a wonderful time this past weekend working with a whopping four generations of one family! Thank you to all of the amazing families who participate in our research.

The NDL team had a great time working on new research grants while in costume!

On Saturday, October 28, Dr. Losh was a panelist at the “Autism Research Series: Discovery to Solutions” Town Hall, sponsored by Autism Speaks at Rush University in Chicago, where she highlighted the importance of studying[...]

The NDL was recently featured in an issue of The Carlisle Citizen, the official weekly newspaper of Carlisle, Iowa. […]

Dr. Losh will be leading a panel at the upcoming event “Autism Research Series: Discovery to Solutions,” sponsored by Autism Speaks, on October 28. […]

  Dr. Losh was one of the keynote speakers at “The Latest Trends in Fragile X Research” conference, sponsored by the Fragile X Association of Southern California, on October 1st. […]

Environmental factors are now recognized to play a strong role in development, and pose risk factors even in strongly genetic conditions like autism. The NDL is one of the many labs at Northwestern that are[...]

  Click the above image to check out part 1 of 2018 newsletter!

A new study from the NDL was recently published in a special issue of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AJIDD) focused on Down syndrome. In the study, we examined the rate of[...]

Dr. Losh will be participating in a Discussion Group (“Children who see the world differently”) at this year's Naomi Ruth Cohen Mental Health Conference. This year’s theme is “Raising Resilient Children: Prioritizing Their Mental Health.” The Conference[...]

The article in Scientific American discusses the lab's recent research findings with individuals with the FMR1 premutation, along with other research laboratories. Our research lab explores how the FMR1 gene can influence developmental domains by[...]

Check out recent research findings from our lab that are highlighted in a recent edition of Spectrum!

Beginning February 28th through March 1st of 2017, the annual event, “National Fragile X Foundation Advocacy Day” will be taking place. Our research lab advocates for the National Fragile X Foundation by hosting a Fragile[...]

Autism Speaks, New York Collaborates for Autism (NYCA) and the Poses Family Foundation are expanding an innovative program to hire, train, and retain employees on the autism spectrum. Our research lab partners with Project SEARCH[...]

On Monday, October 24th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, the Department of Communication Science and Disorders and the Department of Radio/Television Film at Northwestern University will be hosting the film screening and panel discussion for the[...]

Results of a recent study indicate that younger siblings are 14 times more likely to develop autism if an older sibling has autism. These findings are particularly relevant to our NIH-funded family studies of autism[...]

A powerful new machine-learning approach has been developed to analyze the entire human genome. Putting this to use to study autism resulted in the identification of over 2000 new genes that may be linked to[...]

Several students from Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism program at Northwestern University, a transition to employment program for students with autism, have graduated from the program. Our research team had the wonderful opportunity of supervising[...]

A retailer store has launched a range of school wear options that take into consideration the sensory needs of children with autism. One of our research projects includes tasks that address sensory sensitivity and tactile[...]

Language use and development is a primary focus of the research in our lab, so we were excited to see new findings from a study examining children with autism who are raised in bilingual environments.[...]

A recent study showed that the use of photos, often of animals, can help teens and young adults with autism to more easily share accounts of their experiences and difficulties transitioning out of school and[...]

New York, NY - NY Daily News OUT - 6/28/16 - Special NYC Screening of SUNDANCETV's Original Series "THE A WORD". -Pictured: Charlie Collier, Peter Bowker, Ilene Lainer, David Remnick and Eli Gottlieb -Photo[...]

A new study investigating mental health outcomes in siblings of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (e.g., autism) reported increased risk of mental health problems in siblings of individuals with autism. We are currently studying similar questions[...]

A new project in our lab builds on exciting findings from researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, who reported that the absence of one specific species of gut bacteria causes social deficits in mice reminiscent[...]

Williams, CEO of suit-maker Hart Schaffner Marx, seeks to accommodate the communication and sensory needs of individuals with autism in the workplace setting by implementing repetitive and structured tasks which include visual cues. Additional companies[...]

A recent investigation of individuals with autism who subsequently lost their diagnosis over time found evidence that these individuals were able to make such substantial gains in language and communication because they may have developed[...]

Published June 9th in Cell Press, a mouse study revealed aspects of ASD inclusive of touch perception, anxiety, and social abnormalities linked to defects in peripheral nerves. Our research studies seek to investigate social language (pragmatics) use[...]

A recent study highlighted the important influence that stress may have on health –to both children with autism and  their mothers.  Our own lab is contributing to these questions through a study examining the types[...]

Discusses the importance of highly individualized treatment plans for individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities; our research studies explore various profiles (assessment of the Broad Autism Phenotype) occurring in families with autism and the influence of[...]

Cognitive abilities, language skills and executive functioning can influence the development of play skills in individuals with autism. Our research seeks to investigate these aforementioned domains (e.g., language use) in families of children with both[...]

View our colleague and collaborator, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, professor of child neurology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago discussing the challenges of assessing cognitive problems in fragile X mice. We collaborate with Dr. Berry-Kravis on[...]

Employment opportunities and social services available to individuals with autism spectrum disorder: our research lab partners with Have Dreams, Project SEARCH Collaborates for Autism, an internship program for individuals with ASD in their final year[...]