Speech Convergence

I am conducting another ongoing study that is funded by an R21 grant and focused on rhythmic entrainment in communication and its implications for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sensitivity to underlying rhythms in communicative signals enables speakers to extract and utilize acoustic information from their partners’ speech, facilitating conversational turn-taking and adjustment of speech prosody. This rhythmic coordination is crucial for effective spoken communication.

Individuals with ASD often face challenges with social interaction, including difficulties with conversational rhythm and entrainment, leading to a lack of synchronization in social interactions and further exacerbating social withdrawal and communication barriers. My research aims to investigate how rhythmic entrainment, particularly nonsocial beat synchronization, impacts interactional synchrony in conversations involving individuals with ASD and typically developing individuals. By exploring the underlying sensorimotor and social factors, we aim to identify strategies to improve communication outcomes for individuals with ASD. This study not only enhances our theoretical understanding of speech and communication in individuals with autism but also has practical implications for developing targeted interventions to improve the social interaction skills of these individuals.