Project:
Symbolic understanding in early development: Examining links between speech, comprehension, gesture, and play
Laboratories:
Laura Schulz, Ph.D., Elika Bergelson, Ph.D.
Biographical Information:
Amanda received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Hamilton College, her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Boston University, and her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology from Harvard University. She conducted her doctoral research in Dr. John Gabrieli’s lab at MIT, where she examined the role of the motor system in speech and language in autism. Before earning her Ph.D., Amanda worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a speech-language pathologist in the Autism Language Program and as a clinical researcher in the Translational Neuroscience Center. Most recently, Amanda served as a Postdoctoral Researcher with Dr. Elika Bergelson in the Laboratories for Developmental Studies at Harvard University, studying speech and language in infants and toddlers. Amanda is broadly interested in how speech and language develop, and how these developmental trajectories differ in autism.
Current Work:
After just a single year of life, children begin to speak and understand many words. Although these developmental changes are both robust and universal amongst typically developing children, the cognitive systems that support this rapid language growth – and deviations in this trajectory for autistic children – remain poorly understood. One promising mechanism that may contribute to the co-development of these milestones is the emergence of early forms of symbolic representation, or the understanding that one entity can be used to represent another. Indeed, the act of speaking may both reflect and enhance a child’s understanding that words are symbols used to convey meaning, thereby increasing a child’s attention to the spoken words of others, and leading to a boost in comprehension. Drawing on my training in speech-language pathology, cognitive science, and speech and hearing sciences, while also deepening my foundational knowledge of developmental science and applying cutting-edge analytical approaches, the present proposal asks critical and novel questions about the directionality, strength, order, and real-time coordination among early speech production, language comprehension, and two indicators of early symbolic representation: gesture and play. This proposal uses corpus-based (observational and caregiver report; Aim 1) and lab-based (experimental; Aim 2) approaches to provide nuanced insights into the mechanisms supporting early communication development. The research will address critical gaps in knowledge related to language development in typical children by clarifying the links between early speech, comprehension, and symbolic understanding. It will also inform and lay the groundwork for future clinical translation for autistic individuals, aimed at improving early identification and intervention approaches.
Publications:
Nishith, S.*, O’Brien, A. M.*, Li, C., Bungert, L., Oddis, K., Riddle, J., & Gabrieli, J. (2025). Improving autistic experiences in the workplace: Key factors and actionable steps. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-07036-y
Ozernov-Palchik, O.*, O’Brien, A. M.*, Lee, E. J., Richardson, H., Romeo, R., Lipkin, B., Small, H., Capella, J., Nieto-Castañón, A., Saxe, R., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Fedorenko, E. (2024). Precision fMRI reveals that the language network exhibits adult-like left-hemispheric lateralization by 4 years of age. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.15.594172
O’Brien, A. M., May, T. A., Koskey, K. L. K., Bungert, L., Cardinaux, A., Cannon, J., Treves, I. N., D’Mello, A. M., Joseph, R. M., Li, C., Diamond, S., Gabrieli, J. D. E., Sinha, P. (2024). Development of a self-report measure of prediction in daily life: The prediction-related experiences questionnaire. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06379-2
O’Brien, A. M., Perrachione, T. K., Wisman Weil, L., Sanchez Araujo, Y., Halverson, K., Harris, A., Ostrovskaya, I., Kjelgaard, M., Wexler, K., Tager-Flusberg, H., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Qi, Z. (2023). Altered engagement of the speech motor network is associated with reduced phonological working memory in autism. NeuroImage: Clinical, 37, 103299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103299
Cannon, J.*, O’Brien, A. M.*, Bungert, L., & Sinha, P. (2021). Prediction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Autism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2482
O’Brien, A. M., Bayet, L., Riley, K., Nelson, C., Sahin, M., & Modi, M. (2020). Characterization of speech and non-speech auditory event related activity in children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2020.00014
O’Brien, A. M., Schlosser, R. W., Shane, H. C., Wendt, O. Yu, C., Allen, A. A., Cullen, J., Benz, A., & O’Neill, L. (2020). Providing visual directives via a smart watch to a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An intervention note. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 36(4), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2020.1862299
Keywords:
Speech and language, symbolic representation, play, gestures, toddlers