Research
Publications
Comparing language input in the homes of blind and sighted children: Insights from daylong recordings.
Erin E. Campbell, Lillianna Righter, Elika Bergelson
Iconicity as an organizing principle of the lexicon
Erin E. Campbell, Zed Sehyr, Elana Pontecorvo, Ari Cohen-Goldberg, Karen Emmorey, Naomi Caselli
Early Production of Imperceptible Words by Infants and Toddlers Born Deaf or Blind
Erin E. Campbell, Charles P. Davis, Martin Zettersten, Molly Cooke, Derek Houston, Naomi Caselli, Elika Bergelson
2025 - Open Mind
The role of vision in the acquisition of words: Vocabulary development in blind toddlers
Erin E. Campbell, Robyn Casillas, Elika Bergelson
2024 - Developmental Science
Home Literacy Practices for Young Children With Cochlear Implants
Erin E. Campbell, Deborah Bervinchak, Jean DesJardin, Kristin Ceh, Kathleen Lehnert, Deborah Grammer, and Howard W. Francis
Making sense of sensory language: Acquisition of sensory knowledge by individuals with congenital sensory impairments
Erin Campbell & Elika Bergelson
2022 - Neuropsychologia
The present article provides a narrative review on how language communicates sensory information and how knowledge of sight and sound develops in individuals born deaf or blind. Studying knowledge of the perceptually inaccessible sensory domain for these populations offers a lens into how humans learn about that which they cannot perceive. We first review the linguistic strategies within language that communicate sensory information. Highlighting the power of language to shape knowledge, we next review the detailed knowledge of sensory information by individuals with congenital sensory impairments, limitations therein, and neural representations of imperceptible phenomena. We suggest that the acquisition of sensory knowledge is supported by language, experience with multiple perceptual domains, and cognitive and social abilities which mature over the first years of life, both in individuals with and without sensory impairment. We conclude by proposing a developmental trajectory for acquiring sensory knowledge in the absence of sensory perception.
Characterizing North Carolina’s Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Infants and Toddlers: Predictors of Vocabulary, Diagnosis, and Intervention
Erin Campbell & Elika Bergelson
Purpose: This study sought to (a) characterize the demographic, audiological, and intervention variability in a population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children receiving state services for hearing loss; (b) identify predictors of vocabulary delays; and (c) evaluate factors influencing the success and timing of early identification and intervention efforts at a state level.
Method: One hundred DHH infants and toddlers (aged 4–36 months) enrolled in early intervention completed the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories, and detailed information about their audiological and clinical history was collected. We examined the influence of demographic, clinical, and audiological factors on vocabulary outcomes and early intervention efforts.
Results: We found that this sample showed spoken language vocabulary delays (production) relative to hearing peers and showed room for improvement in rates of early diagnosis and intervention. These delays in vocabulary and early support services were predicted by an overlapping subset of hearing-, health-, and home-related variables.
Conclusions: In a diverse sample of DHH children receiving early intervention, we identify variables that predict delays in vocabulary and early support services, which reflected both dimensions that are immutable, and those that clinicians and caretakers can potentially alter. We provide a discussion on the implications for clinical practice.
Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19449839
Effect of Dysphonia and Cognitive-Perceptual Listener Strategies on Speech Intelligibility
Connie K. Porcaro, Paul M. Evitts, Nicole King, Cassandra Hood, Erin Campbell, Layla White, & Jacqueline Veraguas
2019 - Journal of Voice
Presentations
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Comparing language input in homes of blind and sighted children: Insights from daylong recordings
Erin Campbell, Lillianna Righter, Eugenia Lukin, Elika Bergelson
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November 2023 - Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD)
October 2023 - Many Paths to Language (MPAL)
Comparing utterance composition and conversational content in everyday language input to blind and sighted toddlers.
Eugenia Lukin, Erin Campbell, Lillianna Righter, Elika Bergelson
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November 2023 - Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD)
October 2023 - Many Paths to Language (MPAL)
University-Community Partnerships: How Can Universities and Community Schools Support Each Other?
Jessica Shiller, S. England, ​Erin Campbell, Maya Berman
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May 2018 - Workshop Session: National Community Schools Forum
Effect of Listener Strategies on Speech Intelligibility of Dysphonic Speakers
Connie K Porcaro, Paul M Evitts, Nicole Smyth, Cassandra Hood, Erin Campbell, Layla White, Jacqueline Veraguas
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November 2017 - Poster: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention
Ongoing Projects
Measuring Brain Activity of Deaf and Hearing Adults
By placing electrodes on the head, we can measure the electrical activity in the brain during different activities. We're curious how language experience (spoken English vs. ASL) impacts how the brain processes words, objects, and events. This study is conducted in collaboration with the Cognition, Language and Plasticity Lab at Chapman University and is currently recruiting hearing adults and deaf signing adults in San Diego, CA.
Exploring the Development of Word Knowledge in Children
In this experiment, we’re testing how 9-24-month-olds respond to mispronunciations and to words that are similar to each other in meaning. We measure this by showing children two images (like a dog and cat, or dog and cookie), asking “where’s the dog?”, and tracking children’s eye movements between the two pictures. As children mature, we think that their knowledge of words’ sounds and meanings gets increasingly specific. This study is recruiting English-learning infants (9-22 months old) with typical hearing/vision in the Cambridge, MA area through the Bergelson Lab at Harvard University.
Early Sign Language Interaction
Deaf children learning sign language need to rapidly switch their attention between looking at their parent signing and looking at objects and events around them. In this study, we're measuring how signing parents and their deaf children interact during everyday activities - like playing with toys, reading books, and preparing food. This study is recruiting deaf signing toddlers (1-4 years old) and their parents in Austin, TX.
What senses do we associate with words?
When we hear a word like "apple", we might be reminded of the red, glossy look of an apple; the wet crunch of biting into an apple; internal sensations of joy or hunger; or the sweet, tart taste of an apple. The exact mental associations brought to mind by "apple" might differ person-to-person, since we all have a different set of experiences. In this study, we're investigating which senses are brought to mind by different words. We're currently recruiting adults who identify as d/Deaf, blind, or DeafBlind to participate in this online research study, which can be completed from anywhere in the United States.
Language Journeys of Deaf Children
There are lots of language options for deaf children, including speech and sign, and parents need to make decisions about what language options are best for their families. We know that these are complicated decisions, and that language choices may change across childhood. We're curious about how parents make these decisions and when changes tend to happen. We're currently recruiting hearing parents of deaf children (5-10 years old) for an online interview, which can be completed from anywhere in the United States.
Peripheral Vision Abilities Across Development
How much information can we get from things we see out of the corner of our eye?
We're not quite sure, but we expect that this changes as people grow older. In this study, we'll measure participants' peripheral vision and ask them to make guesses about things that they see in their periphery.
This study starts soon! In Fall 2025, we're recruiting deaf signers and hearing non-signers (ages 4-65 years old) for an in-person study in Rochester, NY. We may be coming soon to a city near you.
Information for Families
Eyetracking
During this study, your child would sit on your lap, and look at a screen with pictures while listening to words (for example "Where is the book?"). We would then measure where your child looks on the screen.
EEG (Electroencephalography)
When brain cells send signals to each other, small amounts of electricity are released. EEG measures the electrical activity in the brain. Our lab uses that a set of sensory that fit on the head like a swim cap. Each sensor is then filled with salty gel. During the experiment, your child would sit on your lap and listen to a set of words while wearing the sensors. We can then take the average of the electrical activity after each word to figure out the average brain response to different types of words.
Surveys
This study involves answering questions about the words that your child understands or says. You'll also be asked about your child's hearing and vision, as well as basic demographic information. Surveys can be completed online, from home.