Contributions to Science
Vocal biomarkers of speech impairment in cerebral palsy
2019 - ongoing
My programmatic line of research aims to identify early predictors of communication impairment in cerebral palsy (CP) through the study of infant vocal behaviors. My central hypothesis is that neurological damage resulting in a CP diagnosis will also impact the early development of the speech-motor system. This work is informed by an infrastructural framework of vocal development which presumes that prelinguistic vocal production is foundational to later speech production. My research is richly grounded in my experience as a speech-language pathologist where I served preschool and school-aged children with CP and other neurodevelopmental disorders with complex communication needs. The long-term goal of this work is to facilitate earlier diagnosis to support treatment planning and improved communication outcomes of children with speech impairment and CP.
Featured papers:
Marginal and canonical babbling in ten infants at risk for cerebral palsy (Long & Hustad, 2023)
A probe study on vocal development in two infants at risk for cerebral palsy (Long, Eichorn, & Oller, 2023)
Longitudinal change in speech classification between 4 and 10 years in children with cerebral palsy (Long et al., 2022)
Functional communication abilities in youth with cerebral palsy: Association with impairment profiles and school-based therapy goals (Koopmans et al., 2021)
Infant vocal fitness signaling and the origins of language in humans
2015 - 2022
My predoctoral work evaluated social and nonsocial factors associated with infants' vocal fitness signaling of general wellness and developmental progress to caregivers. Grounded in an evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) framework, this research presumes that infant vocalizations follow a natural logic of development that emerges along a similar trajectory as the pathway to language in the human species. The fitness signaling hypothesis is based on the assumption that there exist positive selection pressures on advanced vocal behaviors that support the emergence of language in infants.
Featured papers:
Perspectives on the origin of language: Infants vocalize most during independent vocal play but produce their most speech-like vocalizations during turn taking (Long et al., 2022)
Protophones, the precursors to speech, dominate the human infant vocal landscape (Oller et al., 2021)
Social and endogenous infant vocalizations (Long et al., 2020)
Reliability of listener judgments of infant vocal imitation (Long, Oller, & Bowman, 2019)
Open science practices in communication sciences and disorders
2020 - ongoing
My secondary line of research evaluates attitudes and behaviors associated with the use of open science practices across scientists in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). We aim to further our understanding of our field's knowledge, interests, and perceived barriers in actively engaging in open science practices.
Featured papers:
The effect of open access on scholarly and societal metrics of impact in the ASHA Journals (Long, Drown, & El Amin, 2023)
Open science practices in communication sciences and disorders: A Survey (El Amin et. al., 2022)
Access research beyond the paywall: Five strategies to read what you need (Pfeiffer, Long, & El Amin, 2022)
Upcoming and Recent
Conference Presentations
SRCLD 2023
Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders
Madison, WI June 1-3, 2023An examination of the relationship between early vocal production and later language abilities in young children with cerebral palsy
Long, H. L., Hayes, S., Christensen, L., & Hustad, K. C.Imp Sci IS for All
2023 Implementation Science IS for All Conference
Virtual April 27-28, 2023Exploring speech-language pathologists' perceptions of a team-based AAC evaluation program: A qualitative study
Long, H. L., Elmquist, M., Marshall, S., & Seale, J.55th Gatlinburg Conference 2023
Kansas City, MO April 11-13, 2023A scoping review of vocal development in infants with and at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities and speech impairment
Long, H. L., Hayes, S., Christensen, L., & Hustad, K. C.Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 6:00-7:30 pm
ASHA 2022
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association annual convention
New Orleans, LA November 17-20, 2022Precursors to Language in ASD and Other Developmental Conditions
Oller, D. K., Su, P., Long, H. L., Yoo, H., Farran, L., Adams, E., Bene, E. R., Burkhardt-Reed, M. M., & Ramsay, G.iPoster
Longitudinal communicative participation in children with and at risk of cerebral palsy between 18-60 months
Long, H. L., Elmquist, M., Natzke, P., & Hustad, K. C.iPoster