Intellectual Disabilities Communication Lab at UIUC

This project includes people with Down syndrome. Great to see the impact of this work in the disability community being recognized!

We are thankful to our many colleagues who have contributed to this project, including our partner lab, Dr. Laura Mattie’s UIUC Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities Lab, Clinical Associate Professor Clarion Mendes, Dr. Heejin Kim, Dr. Mark Hasegawa-Johnson (Lead Investigator), Communications Director Meg Dickinson, and MANY community partners who help make sure people with disabilities and speech differences have the opportunity to contribute to this study.



Forbes

Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

Speech Accessibility Project named to Forbes Accessibility 200 list Forbes included the project and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in its Accessibility 200 list. It includes global leaders in communication, mobility, education, software, consumer products, robotics, sports and recreation, travel, the workplace, entertainment and more.

That’s a wrap! The 2025-2026 IDCL worked hard and played hard!
✨They contributed to 3 funded research projects, led 3 of their own, presented to (and with) community partners, helped write scientific papers, hosted a global disability advocate’s visit to campus, volunteered with local disability advocacy organizations, won fellowships and scholarships for their academic excellence and commitment to community service, welcomed a visiting scholar from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile into the IDCL family, and much, much more!

✨This was a special bunch. ✨

🎓Abbie, Liz, and Megan (not pictured) are entering the professional world as SLPs, and Beka (not pictured) will be a professor starting this fall.

👏 Way to go, everyone! Thank you for all you do for the Down syndrome and disability community! 💛💙💛



Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

Congratulations, IDCL graduates! 🎓Abbie Keasler, Liz Gremer, and Megan Alajoki completed their master’s degrees in our clinical speech-language pathology program. The world just gained 3 very special SLPs! 💙🧡💙


Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

🚨Free webinar! Learn from Dr. Genova, one of our collaborators!

Join NDSS and Helen Genova, associate director of the Center for Autism Research at Kessler Foundation, as she walks attendees through the web-based program, KF-Stride™ on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 1 PM ET.

👉 Backed by research, this program is designed to help teens and adults identify their personal strengths and express them to achieve their goals. Created with neurodiverse learners in mind, the KF-Stride™ curricula cover a range of topics such as employment readiness and wellness.

Register for free at https://ndss.org/ndss-webinars

This was our first presentation as a team! We had a great time. 💛💙💛 Shoutout to our colleagues Dr. Meghan Burke at Vanderbilt and Dr. Susan Loveall and her UNL Learning Lab for their support!

College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

At the University of Illinois Public Engagement Summit las month, Prof. Marie Moore Channell and her co-researchers presented the talk:

"Experiences of Co-Researchers with Down Syndrome Partnering with Academic Researchers to Develop and Implement a Health Study."

Channell and Ph.D. student Alex Barkhimer were joined by co-researchers Joey Kane, Meghan Maynard, Paul Safanik and Charlotte Woodward over Zoom.

With this steering committee, Channell is leading an NIH-funded study, aimed at developing community resources to support the well-being of adults with Down syndrome: https://ahs.illinois.edu/health-study-involves-adults-with-down-syndrome-every-step-of-the-way/

URS 2026! ✨IDCL undergraduate students Karissa Zimmerman, Elise King, and Jessica Krklus presented their research project which looked at s*x differences in autistic traits among youth with Down syndrome.
🎉Congrats to each of you on your very first undergraduate research symposium!
📣Shoutout to PhD student Beka Bosley and MA-SLP student Sophie Campa for providing outstanding mentorship to this group!
🔸🔹🔸

Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

It was a big day for the IDCL!🏅Five of our students were recognized at the SHS Awards Ceremony. So proud of every one! Congrats, Karissa, Elise, Sophie, Liz, and Abbie! 🎉

✨Karissa Zimmerman (junior) - Robert O. Cartier Scholarship

✨Elise King (junior) - Adeline Jo Puccini Scholarship

✨Sophie Campa (SLP master’s) - H. William Porterfield, M.D., and Linda Obenauf Porterfield Speech and Hearing Graduate Fellowship

✨Liz Gremer and
✨Abbie Keasler (SLP master’s)- John C. and Judith D. Turner Applied Health Sciences Scholarship Fund

🔸🔹🔸

College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois

Dr. Channell had a great time at the Brighter Futures Conference on Adults with Down Syndrome and Aging hosted by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society!

✨Dr. Channell presented in a “Tech Talk” panel where she discussed how the Speech Accessibility Project is helping make voice recognition technology more accessible for people with disabilities.

Conference highlights included learning from and with advocates who have Down syndrome, including:

🔹Author and global advocate, David Egan, and his mother, Dr. Kathleen Egan, who shared why they participate in Alzheimer’s research (pictured)

⭐️ Matthew Schwab, public speaker who gave the keynote at the Awards Dinner (pictured)

🎶 Sujeet Desai, musician who performed with 3 different instruments (he can play 7)! 🎶 (pictured)

🎭 Performance by The Improvaneer Method

🍪 Samples galore from Collettey's Cookies

…and many, many more advocates and allies in the adult Down syndrome community!

Thank you, Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) and National Down Syndrome Society!
💙💛

Matthew Schwab Speaks
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois
Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois