Emily Saunders, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher | Boston University
Academic Journey
A lifelong love of reading led me to pursue a BA in English at UT Austin, where I was introduced to the field of Linguistics for the first time. Studying language from a scientific perspective quickly captured my attention, and after a last-minute enrollment in an American Sign Language course, I was hooked. From there, I found a way to blend all of my academic loves by developing a resarch interest in the cognitive processing underlying reading and language development for deaf signers across the lifespan.
Featured Projects
Visual attention patterns for deaf toddlers and their caregivers during shared reading
Utilizing head-mounted eye-tracking, this work provides a detailed analysis of where and how deaf toddlers and their caregivers direct their visual attention while engaging in linguistically rich interactions like shared picture book reading.
Morphology matters: an alternate route to reading success for deaf readers
This series of works focuses on the unique role of morpho-orthographic cues in facilitating reading. These cues do not rely on phonological awareness, and may provide a more accessible route to reading comprehension for deaf readers with reduced access to the sounds of written language.