Nancy Brady, Ph.D.

Nancy Brady studies the development of communication and language in young children and in individuals with developmental disabilities. Her research has focused on describing development of gestures and prespeech vocalizations, beginning augmentative communication use, and negotiations of conversational breakdowns.

Research Interest

Prelinguistic communication

Communication interventions for children with developmental disabilities

Augmentative communication

Communication development in children with autism, fragile X syndrome and deaf-blindness

Major Honors

Chairperson: National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of
Persons with Severe Disabilites

Associate Editor American Journal of Speech Language Pathology 2000-2003

Associate Editor, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
2006-present

Recent Publications

Brady, N., Herynk, J. & Fleming, K. (2010). Communication input matters: Lessons from prelinguistic children learning to use AAC in preschool environments. Early childhood Services, 4, 141-154.

Warren, S.F., Brady, N.C., Sterling, A.M., Fleming, K., & Marquis, J. (2010). The effects of maternal responsivity on the language development of children with fragile X syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 115, 54-75.

Brady, N., Warren, S., & Sterling (2010). Interventions aimed at improving child language by improving maternal responsivity. In L. Masters Glidden and M. Mailick Seltzer (Eds.) Families: A volume in international review of research in mental retardation. 37 (pp. 333-357. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Snell, M., Brady, N., McLean, L., Ogletree, B., Siegel, E., Sylvester, L., Molika, B. Paul, D., Romski, M., and Sevcik, R. (2010). Twenty Years of Communication Intervention Research with Individuals who have Severe Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 115, 364-380.

Flenthrope, J. and Brady, N. (2010). Relationships between early gestures and later language in children with fragile X syndrome. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology 19: 135-142.

Brady, N. and Bashinski, S. (2009). Increasing communication in children with concurrent vision and hearing loss. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 33, 59-70.

Spradlin, J. and Brady, N. (2008). A behavior analytic interpretation of theory of mind. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 8, 335-350.

Warren, S., Fey, M., Finestack, L., Brady, N., Bredin-Oja, S., & Fleming, K. (2008). Longitudinal effects of low intensity responsivity education/prelinguistic milieu teaching for young children with developmental delays. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 51, 451-470.

Brady, N. (2007). Augmentative and alternative communication in children with Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome. In J. Roberts, R. Chapman, and S. Warren (Eds.) Speech and Language Development and Intervention in Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome (pp. 225-274). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes

Brady, N. Bredin-Oja, S., & Warren, S. (2007). Prelinguistic communication in children with Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome: Development and interventions. In Speech and Language Development and Intervention in Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome (pp. 173-192). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Brady, N., Skinner, D., Roberts, J., & Hennon, E. (2006) Communication in young children with fragile X syndrome: A qualitative study of mothers’ perspectives. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 15, 353-.

Brady, N., Steeples, T., & Fleming, K. (2005). Effects of prelinguistic communication levels on initiation and repair of communication in children with disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 48(5), 1098-1113

Brady, N., Marquis, J., Fleming, K., & McLean, L. (2004). Prelinguistic predictors of language growth in children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 47(3), 663-667

Presentations

Brady, N. (2011, April) Facilitating Early Communication Development in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:Focus on Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome, Presented to Illinois Speech Language Hearing Association.

Thiemann-Bourque, K. & Brady, N. (2010, November). Communication Outcomes for Preschoolers Using AAC: Can Peers Learn PECS? Symposium presented at annual meeting of the American Speech Language Hearing Association, Philadelphia, PA.

Brady, N. ,Wilkinson, K., McLean, K., Schooner, J. Ogletree, B., Mineo, B., Paul, D. (2010, November). Communication supports for persons with severe disabilities: FAQ�s and Discussion. Symposium presented to Annual convention of American Speech, Language, Hearing Association, Philadelphia, PA

Brady, N. (2010, November). Early Communication Teaching: A case study. Presented to Western Carolina University visiting scholar seminar in severe disabilities, Cullowhee, NC.

Brady, N. (2010) Assessing Communication. Presented to Centro Ann Sullivan de Perú, visiting scholar seminar series, Lima Peru.

Brady, N. (2010, March). AAC for children with Autism. Presented to NIH sponsored workshop on Nonverbal School-aged children with Autism.

Brady, N. and Thiemann-Bourque, K. (2010, May). Predictors of Language Outcomes in Beginning Communicators Learning AAC. Symposium presented to Bi-annual meeting of International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Barcelona, Spain.

Brady, N., Warren, S., Barnum, L. and Skinner, D. (2010, March). Contrasts in communication development by young children with fragile X syndrome. Symposium presented to the Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Annapolis, MD.

Romski, M., Brady, N. Sevcik, R. and Paul, D. (2008, November). Empowering clinicians to provide best practices to individuals with severe disabilities. Seminar presented at the American Association on Speech Language Hearing, Chicago, IL.

Brady, N. (2008, April). Prelinguistic communication development. Keynote presentation presented to the Canadian Speech Language Hearing Association, Kananaskis, Alberta, CA.

Communication Assessment Strategies for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (2006, March) Western Carolina University