Infant Communication Lab at Boston University

We're proud to share this new publication, which was led by two undergraduate students with outstanding mentorship from Ashley Collimore-Doherty and Ellen Sutter. This work is a step in helping us understand how infants use the PUMA body weight support system to move and explore. PUMA stands for Portable Mobility Aid for Children. As always, a very big thank you to the babies and families who made the project possible!

We were excited to welcome back team members when we reunited in early September for our first meeting of the semester. We look forward to a fun and productive semester of work together!

Celebrating our lab’s presence at the 2026 10th World Congress of Biomechanics in Vancouver, Canada!

Our Postdoctoral Associate, Dr. Ashley Collimore-Doherty, represented the Infant Communication Lab at this year’s conference, where she presented her talk, “Feasibility and Reliability of OpenCap for Assessing Toddler Walking.”

Ashley also gave a talk for the International Women of Biomechanics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an environment where women and under-represented genders in biomechanics can gain support, visibility, and allyship. Ashley currently serves as President of the organization, and we are so proud to see her leadership and commitment to building a more inclusive biomechanics community alongside her research!

Congratulations Ashley on an incredible conference! We are proud to have you representing our lab and sharing your work with the international biomechanics community. 👏🎉

Do you have a toddler 18-32 months old? Help us learn more about toddlers' emotional behaviors!

For more information about this study please contact [email protected] or fill out this interest form: https://redcap.bumc.bu.edu/surveys/?s=NHXA37LCTL4WRHA7

Do you wonder how your child’s movement can influence their language learning and
planning ability? Help us answer these questions!

WHAT: We are looking to better understand how children’s cognitive skills (such as, the
ability to wait for a toy and remember a routine), language ability, and manual skills (such as, building Legos) develop together during the toddler years.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: This opportunity is for children between the ages of 24–30 months who have no history of language concerns and no close relatives with neurodevelopmental disorders. Eligible babies must hear mostly English at home.

Participation consists of one visit to Boston University which will take no longer than two
hours. During this visit, your child will be videorecorded playing with you and interacting with a researcher. Play-based assessments of manual skills, language, and cognitive development will be administered, and you will complete questionnaires regarding your
child’s development. Your child will wear fun glasses that will track their eye-gaze during
play!

As a thank-you for participation, you will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. You will receive this gift even if your child does not complete all the tasks.

For more information, email or call us at [email protected] or (774) 275-3321.
Fill out the following link if you are interested in participating: https://redcap.bumc.bu.edu/surveys/?s=AMWHMK3ERANNEXF9

Thank you to everyone who joined us at AAC by the Bay 2026!

Our lab’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Jana Iverson, had a wonderful time presenting Cascades in Development: Leveraging Mobility to Support Communication and Enhance Participation in Infants and Toddlers with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. The presentation highlighted current research on developmental cascades, the ON Time Mobility Framework, and innovative mobility interventions that can support communication, social interaction, and participation in young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

We are grateful to The Bridge School for hosting such an inspiring conference and for bringing together families, educators, clinicians, researchers, and advocates dedicated to advancing communication and mobility supports for children.

Conferences like AAC by the Bay create invaluable opportunities to share knowledge, learn from one another, and build meaningful connections across disciplines.

A special highlight of the conference was the opportunity for Dr. Iverson to meet and connect with Neil Young, co-founder of The Bridge School and a longtime advocate for children with complex communication and mobility needs.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared ideas, and contributed to these important conversations.

We look forward to continuing the work of supporting communication, mobility, and participation for all children.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2026 !

Our lab’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Jana Iverson, and ICL PhD Student and Speech-Language Pathologist Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin had a wonderful time presenting alongside itinerant teachers Betsy Connolly and Kim Sullivan.

Together, they shared their session, Facilitating Increased Participation for Infants and Toddlers with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Using the On-Time Communication and Mobility Frameworks, highlighting evidence-based approaches that support communication and mobility development in young children.

We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with families, educators, clinicians, and researchers who are dedicated to supporting children who are blind, deafblind, low vision, and/or have neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Thank you to Perkins School for the Blind for hosting such an inspiring event and creating space for collaboration, learning, and community.

We loved being part of this year’s conference and look forward to continuing these important conversations!

The final post in our Meet the Team series is Isabel Horney, a staff research assistant in the Infant Communication Lab!

Isabel graduated in May 2025 from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She began working in the lab as an undergraduate research assistant her junior year and transitioned to lab staff after graduating.

When she’s not in the lab, Isabel enjoys going for hikes, cooking, watching movies, and walking her Chocolate Labrador! 🐶🥖🌳

Next up in our Meet the Team series is Audrey Lorence, our lab manager!

Audrey received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she worked as a research assistant in the Infant Communication Lab before it moved to BU! After graduating, Audrey joined the ICL team at BU.

When she’s not managing the lab, Audrey enjoys listening to music and podcasts, dancing Irish step, and spending time with family and friends.