Northwestern launches Communication Justice Project

Northwestern University has launched an innovative, community-based partnership that aims to dismantle systemic barriers to speech and language services by screening hundreds of preschool-aged children, including many whose voices have been historically underrepresented in scientific research.  

This work builds on a research initiative led by the School of Communication’s Marisha Speights, who specializes in early detection of speech disorders in young children. Her lab, Pediatric Speech Technologies and Acoustic Research (PedzSTAR), is working to identify racial inequities in current testing methods.  

PedzSTAR’s partnership with the Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE) and local nonprofit CHAT (Communication Health, Advocacy & Therapy) creates the Communication Justice Project, expanding the scope of Speights’ research and building on CHAT’s work bringing speech-language services into underserved communities. 

The critical need to update biased screening methods 

Speights points to critical flaws in current testing models that do not adequately account for variations in speech and language patterns among different racial or ethnic groups because ‘whiteness’ has been centered in both test design and scoring.  These biased models can lead to misidentification, Speights said.

“This can have harmful, long-lasting consequences, particularly by delaying appropriate interventions or unnecessarily labeling children with disorders they do not have,” she said. “My research team is focused on redesigning measures for early identification using an equity-based lens.” 

Expanding data collection, removing barriers to therapy and providing support 

Speights piloted this work last year, collecting data and providing free language development support in one Evanston preschool. It has now expanded to eight preschools across Evanston and Skokie, where CHAT speech-language pathologists (SLPs) conduct screenings, collect data and provide services onsite.  

“Outside the world of speech-language pathology, there is little awareness of the societal impact of undiagnosed, untreated communication disorders,” said Karine Fiore, CHAT president and CEO. “Sustainable identification and support should be the norm for everyone, not just for those with private insurance or at well-funded schools.” 

In 17 classrooms of children ages three to five, CHAT SLPs lead full-class activities focused on language and literacy and conduct screenings to identify children at risk for speech-language delays or disorders. After the screenings, families are given an opportunity to share their child’s results with the PedzSTAR lab and contribute to Speights’ research. Children who would benefit from additional interventions will have access to deeper assessments, individual and small group therapy services provided onsite by CHAT SLPs.  

“Partnering with CHAT enables us to center community stakeholders in our research, ensuring our work is guided by diverse perspectives,” Speights said. “CHAT’s team of SLPs is dedicated to delivering culturally responsive care, allowing us to quickly screen and assess children within culturally diverse communities and create individualized plans for those who might otherwise face long wait times.” 

Notes

The PedzSTAR lab is simultaneously conducting two separate research projects spread across eight geographic areas in the U.S., including the work that is underway locally with CHAT and CNE. The projects are supported through grant funding provided by Northwestern's Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.