Early Language and Social Interaction (ELSI) Lab
Directed by Megan Burkhardt-Reed, PhD
The Early Language and Social Interaction (ELSI) Lab is housed in the UT Conference Center. Our research examines the emergence and coordination of early vocalizations, gestures, and caregiver responsiveness, with a focus on how these multimodal signals support speech and language development across infancy and early childhood. Using naturalistic observation, perceptual coding, and acoustic analyses, ELSI identifies early markers of communicative growth that inform early identification, caregiver coaching, and strengths-based intervention across a range of developmental contexts.
Launching Spring 2026, our new study builds on prior work to examine how caregivers’
multimodal, well-timed responses shape toddlers’ babbling, gestures, and early language
development.
Interested in early communication research? Our lab is recruiting undergraduate and graduate research assistants to code child
gestures and vocalizations, organize audio-video datasets, and assist with studies
of caregiver-child interaction. Training is provided, and no prior research experience
is required. This is excellent hands-on experience for students looking to build strong
research skills and engage in developmental science.
- Communication development in older Infants and toddlers
- Parental inputs to babble, words, and gestures
- Early communication in clinical contexts