Steven Warren
- Investigator, Life Span Institute
- University Distinguished Professor, Department of Speech Language Hearing: Sciences & Disorders
- Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Speech Language Hearing: Sciences & Disorders
- PhD Program Coordinator, Department of Speech Language Hearing: Sciences & Disorders
Contact Info
1000 Sunnyside Ave
Lawrence, KS 66045-7599
Biography —
Steven F. Warren, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders and an Investigator with the Institute of Life Span Studies at the University of Kansas. Dr. Warren’s research has focused throughout his career on communication and language development in children with developmental delays and disabilities. Much of this work has focused on the effects of different types of communication and language interventions as well as the way that children with specific neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. Down syndrome) respond to different interventions. Over the past 20 years, he and his colleagues have conducted several randomized clinical trials on the effects of these interventions on children’s language development. In 2004, he began working with an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers on the development of LENA, a breakthrough technology that automatically captures and analyzes huge amounts of child language interaction data in any language. Dr. Warren presently serves as Principal Investigator in collaboration with Dr. Nancy Brady on an ongoing longitudinal study on the impact of parenting on the development of children with fragile X syndrome (the most common known genetic cause of autism). This natural history study has been ongoing with NIH support since 2003 and is presently supported by an R01 from NICHD. Dr. Warren’s work has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health throughout his career. His research has been recognized by career research awards from the National Down Syndrome Congress (1999), the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2008), and the American Psychological Association (2013).
Education —
Research —
My research has focused on communication and language development in children with developmental delays and disabilities. Early in my career I contributed to the development of Milieu Communication Teaching, one of the primary approaches used in early language intervention. Much of my work has focused on the effects of different types of communication and language interventions and the manner in which children with specific disorders (e.g. Down syndrome) respond to these interventions. Over the past 20 years I have worked with colleagues to conduct several randomized clinical trials on the effects of these interventions on children's language development. I am also interested in the role of parenting in children's development. I am presently conducting a longitudinal study of parenting effects on children with fragile X syndrome. This research is presently funded by an R01 from the National Institutes of Health. Finally, early on I became involved in the development of LENA, an automatic device to collecting and analyzing large amounts of children's speech and their language enriching interactions with others in their environment. My research has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and the US Department of Education throughout my career. The impact of my research has been recognized by major research awards from the National Down Syndrome Congress (1999), the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2008), and the American Psychological Association (2013).
Research Interests
- Children, language, communication, early intervention, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, fragile X syndrome, parenting, randomized clinical trials, Milieu teaching,
Professional Service
Member, Behavioral and Biobehavioral Processes Study Section, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Initial Review Group, 2002-2007 (Chair, 2006-07); Member, Human Development and Aging Study Section 3, Center for Scientific Review, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 1997-1999; Member, Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes Study Section 6, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 1999-2001; 2003 - 2007 Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, NIH Autism Research Networks (CPEA/STAART)
Teaching —
I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders
Selected Publications —
Robinson, A.N., Roberts, J.E., Brady, N., McQuillin, S.D., & Warren, S.F. (2016). Physiological correlates of maternal responsivity in mothers of preschoolers with fragile X syndrome. American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 121 (2), 111-120.
Hahn, L.J., Brady, N.C., Fleming, K.K., & Warren, S.F. (2016) Joint engagement in young children with Fragile X syndrome. Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research, DOI: 10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L015-0005.
Komesidou, R., Brady, N.C., Fleming, K., Esplund, A., & Warren, S.F. (2017), Growth of Expressive Syntax in Children with Fragile X Syndrome. Journal of Speech, Language, Hearing Research , DOI: 10.1044/2016.
Gilkerson, J., Richards, J.A., Warren, S.F., Montgomery, J.K., Greenwood, C.R., Oller, D. Kimbrough, & Hansen, J.L., & Terrance D. Paul. (2017). Mapping the Early Language Environment Using All-Day Recordings and Automated Analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language-Pathology, Vol. 26, p. 248-295.
Sterling, A.M., Warren, S.F. (2016). Parenting of Children with Down Syndrome Compared to Fragile X Syndrome. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, PMID 27924668 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2016.1259274.
Warren, S.F., Brady, N., Fleming, K., Hahn, L. (2017), The effects of parenting on adaptive behavior in children with Fragile X Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Vol. 47: 768-784. D0I: 10.1007/s10803-016-2999-7. PMCID 5354989
Burke Lefever, J., Bigelow, K.M. Carta, J.J.., Borkowski, J.G., Grandfield, E., McCune, L., Irvin, D.W., & Warren, S.F. (2017). Long-Term Impact of a Cell Phone Enhanced Parenting Intervention Child Maltreatment, 22 (4), 305-314; DOI: 10.1177/1077559517723125.
Bredin-Oja, S.L. Fielding, H., Fleming, K.K., & Warren, S.F. (2018). Clinician vs. Machine: Estimating Vocalization Rates in Young Children with Developmental Disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, DOI: 10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0016
Muller, K., Brady, N., Warren, S.F., & Fleming, K. (2018). Mothers’ perspectives on challenging behaviors in their children with fragile X syndrome. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability (accepted, June 20th)).
Gilkerson, J., Richards, J., Warren, S.F., Oller, K., Russo, R., & Vohr, B. (2018). Language experience in the second year of life predicts language outcomes in late childhood. Pediatrics , Volume 142 (4).
Fielding, H. & Warren, S.F. Early predictors of later expressive language in children with Fragile X Syndrome. American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (accepted July 30th).
Selected Presentations —
Co-Chair, Discovering and Innovating Task Force, Initiative 2015 – University of Kansas Strategic Planning, 2008-09
Chair, Chancellor’s Task Force on Research Engagement, 2009-10
Co-Chair, Driving Discovery and Innovation Strategic Planning Task Force, 2010-11
Member, Chancellor’s Cabinet, 2008- 2014 Member, University Capital Projects Council, 2011- 2014
Member, Executive Committee, University Compliance Program, 2012-2014
Member, University Security Executive Committee, 2012- 2014
Chair, Provost Search Committee 2015-2016
Member, Kansas University Center for Autism Research and Training Executive Board, University of Kansas, 2014-present
Awards & Honors —
University Distinguished Professor, selected by the University of Kansas Committee on Distinguished Professorships and approved by the Provost on May 3, 2016
Edgar Doll Award (2013), American Psychological Association, Division 33. (The Doll Award is the Division’s highest recognition of outstanding scientific contributions to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities).
Lifetime Research Achievement Award (2008), American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. “Awarded for significant and meritorious contributions to the body of international scientific knowledge on early communication and language development.”
Theodore D. Tjossem Research Award (1999), National Down Syndrome Congress. Awarded in recognition of extensive research on early language development and intervention that has contributed to a greater understanding of Down syndrome.
Century Award (2003), Region V, American Association on Mental Retardation. (This award was given to 34 individuals in this region for significant contributions to the field over the past 100 years.)