Lesley Olswang,
Dr. Lesley B. Olswang began her academic career at the University of Washington, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences in 1978. She was promotoed to Associate Professor in 1985 and Full Professor in 1991. She servied as Associate Chair from 1995-2005. She is currently a Professor Emeritus. She has had extensive clinical and research experience with children with language disorders. Her research has been supported by grants from the University of Washington, the Washington State Association for Retarded Citizens, the US Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. Her research has included two primary populations: young school-age children and children below the age of three. Her school-age research has examined the social communication of children diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as they participate in classroom activities. Dr. Olswang's research with children below the age of three has focused on two specific populations: infants with severe physical disabilities and complex communication needs, and toddlers with developmental language disorders. She has been investigating the benefits of treatment with these children and their families for the last 30 years. Her research with infants has focused on building early communication through preverbal behaviors of eye gaze and gestures. Her work with toddlers has examined ways to encourage first words and word combinations as a foundation for syntax. The promising findings of this research has led to her current interests in dissemination and implementation of evidence for treating young children and their families. This work culminated in the publication of two books: Building Preverbal Communication and Engagment: Triadic Gaze Interventiion for Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families and Implementation Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders. These books were designed as guides for practitioners and researchers in their efforts to better support individuals with communication disorders and their families.