Dr. Nicole Sparapani is an Assistant Professor at the University of California Davis and a faculty member of the MIND Institute The UC Davis MIND Institute is a collaborative international research center, committed to the awareness, understanding, prevention, and treatment of the challenges associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Nicole has been working with Autistic individuals for many years and is now leading research studies about the importance of the language we use when working with students on the spectrum. Today we discuss her study and discover how much has changed in this field since she first started. In an ever-evolving field, we all have a lot to learn.

Bio

Nicole Sparapani is an assistant professor in the school of education and faculty member at the UC Davis MIND Institute. She is an SLP by discipline and specializes in programming for students with ASD in classrooms. Her research and clinical practice go hand-in-hand. I study the engagement and learning of students with ASD in the classroom and the factors that impact this (ie, teachers’ language).