Phone: 
+1 206 543-7888

Speech & Hearing Sciences
1417 NE 42nd St, Seattle, WA 98105
Office: 
Eagleson 253
Box: 
354875

Sara
 
Kover
,
Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Director, SPHSC Master of Science Program
Education: 
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2012)
M.S., Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2007)
Academic Expertise: 
Language development in neurodevelopmental disorders
Fragile X syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder

Sara Kover joined the Speech and Hearing Sciences faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2014. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her doctorate in Educational Psychology there as well.

Dr. Kover’s research focus is on the development of language abilities in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research has included individuals with fragile X syndrome, which is the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability, as well as individuals with autism spectrum disorder or Down syndrome. The overarching goal of this research is to understand how specific cognitive processes and learning mechanisms interact with the learning opportunities afforded by the environment over the course of development. Ultimately, this work will inform what is known about the linguistic phenotypes associated with these disorders and will help guide intervention.

Dr. Kover serves as co-director of the CASE (Collaborating Across Special Education) Scholars Program funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, along with Dr. Carly Roberts and Dr. Selma Powell of the College of Education. This interdisciplinary training program serves master's students who are interested in working in the public schools to meet the needs of students with high intensity needs. 

Recent Publications
Consistency and reliability of automated language measures across expressive language samples in autism. (2023 Feb 1) Autism Res MacFarlane H, Salem AC, Bedrick S, Dolata JK, Wiedrick J, Lawley GO, Finestack LH, Kover ST, Thurman AJ, Abbeduto L, Fombonne E

Analysis of a Repetitive Language Coding System: Comparisons between Fragile X Syndrome, Autism, and Down Syndrome. (2022 Apr 29) Brain Sci 12(5): Hoffmann A, Thurman AJ, Sterling A, Kover ST, Finestack L, Berry-Kravis E, Edgin JO, Drayton A, Fombonne E, Abbeduto L

[Formula: see text]Parental interaction style, child engagement, and zemerging executive function in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). (2022 Oct) Child Neuropsychol 28(7): 853-877 Mattson JT, Thorne JC, Kover ST

Relationship Between Task-Based and Parent Report-Based Measures of Attention and Executive Function in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). (2020 Sep) J Pediatr Neuropsychol 6(3): 176-188 Mattson JT, Thorne JC, Kover ST

Expressive language development in adolescents with Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome: change over time and the role of family-related factors. (2020 Jun 27) J Neurodev Disord 12(1): 18 Del Hoyo Soriano L, Thurman AJ, Harvey D, Kover ST, Abbeduto L