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Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

Sara Cornett, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

(she/her/hers)Assistant Professor
Sara Cornett

Education

  • Florida State University, Bachelor of Science, Communication Science and Disorders & Psychology, 2018

  • Florida State University, Master of Science, Communication Science and Disorders, 2020

  • Florida State University, Doctor of Philosophy, Communication Science and Disorders, 2023

Area(s) of Specialization

Augmentative and Alternative Communication, child language and literacy, inclusive supports for intellectual and developmental disabilities

Achievements (past 5 years)

Publications

  • Lindström, E., Cornett, S. C., Shelton, A., McFadden, K., Nielsen-Pheiffer, C., Stewart, J., & Oni, T. (2025). What to Expect When You’re Investigating: Conducting School-Based Mixed Methods Research for Students with Extensive Support Needs. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 0(0), 1-17.

  • Cornett, S. C., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Burnett, T. (2024). Measuring Preschool Teachers’ Language Use During Shared Book Reading with Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Pilot Study. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, SIG 1, 9(6), 1489-1499. 

  • Biggs, E. E., Romano, M. Therrien, M. C. S., Abarca, D., Romano, M., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Collins, S. C. (2024). Examining the Family-Centeredness of Speech-Language Pathologists Working with Children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 33(2), 1021-1039.

  • Barton-Hulsey, A., Collins, S. C., Therrien, M. C. S., Biggs, E. E., Romano, M., & Coltellino, B. (2023). Augmentative and Alternative Communication Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Contextual Determinants of the Parent-SLP Partnership. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(6), 2889-2907.

  • Collins, S. C., Barton-Hulsey, A., Timm-Fulkerson, C. & Therrien, M. C. S. (2023). AAC & Literacy: A Scoping Review of Print Knowledge Measures for Students who use Aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 1-31.

  • Barton-Hulsey, A., Sevcik, R. A., Romski, M., & Collins, S. C. (2022). Home and School Literacy Experiences in Preschool-Age Children with Developmental Disabilities: Identifying Relationships between Speech, Language and Early Literacy Skills. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 7(6), 1585-1605. 

  • Therrien, M. C. S., Biggs, E. E., Barton-Hulsey, A., Collins, S. C., & Romano, M. (2022). Augmentative and Alternative Communication Services (AAC) Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Children, their Families, and Service Providers. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38(4), 197-208. 

  • Barton-Hulsey, A., Phinney, S., & Collins, S. (2021). Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Language and Literacy in Preschool: Considerations for Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Seminars in Speech and Language, 42(4), 345-362.

Presentations 

  • Valentine, J., & Cornett, S. (2025, November). 11281: The rise and pitfalls of naturalistic aided AAC interventions: Communication as a gateway to belonging. Poster submitted to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Washington D.C.
  • Crump, D., Cornett, S., Brautigan, G., & Basey, H. (2025, November). 12346: Experiential exploration of culturally diverse women with autism spectrum disorder. Poster submitted to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Washington D.C.
  • Cornett, S. C., Shoenbrodt, L., Saal, L., Lindström, E., Taub, D., & Valentine, J. (2025, June). Fostering belonging in the goals we create: Doing the fundamental work to support individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Issue Brief accepted at the 149th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Valentine, J., & Cornett, S. (2025, June). Are naturalistic approaches truly natural? Examining augmentative and alternative intervention studies that support the communication of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Poster accepted at the 149th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Cornett, S. C. (2025, April). Reframing AAC as a communication intervention to enhance the speech, language, and literacy abilities of children with and without limited speech ability. Two-hour seminar presented at the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland.
  • Cornett, S. C. (2024, October). “What’s in a goal?”: Using our knowledge about speech, language, literacy and communication to develop meaningful therapy objectives for school-age children who use augmentative and alternative communication. 90-minute seminar presented at the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) Annual Conference, College Park, Maryland.
  • Collins, S., & Barton-Hulsey, A. (2024, July). Examining opportunities to develop early literacy knowledge during shared book reading that are accessible to preschool-age children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) 31st Annual Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.  
  • Collins, S., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Douglas, N. (2023, November). 4542L: Research in preschool settings: Using implementation science methods to understand practice. Technical research session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA. 
  • Collins, S., Barton-Hulsey, A., Summers, E., & Coltellino, B. (2023, November). 4695L: Using SALT Software to capture spoken and non-spoken communication in preschool teachers and students. Technical research session presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA. 
  • Contursi, A., Robertson, V., Coltellino, B., Collins, S., & Barton-Hulsey, A. (2023, November). 8937L: Measuring mothers’ communication with children with developmental disabilities during shared book reading. Poster presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA. 
  • Summers, E., Collins, S., & Barton-Hulsey, A. (2023, November). 8700L: Implications for inclusion: Measuring teacher communication strategies with children with IDD during shared book reading. Poster presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, MA.
  • Collins, S., & Barton-Hulsey, A. (2023, June). An implementation science approach: Teacher and child support needs for group literacy instruction. Poster presented at the 147th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Pittsburgh, PA. 
  • Barton-Hulsey, A., & Collins, S. (2023, April). Correlates of single word reading in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in K – 3rd grade. Poster presented at the 55th Annual Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO.
  • Collins, S. C. (2023, April). Setting the stage: Understanding the current classroom, student, and instructional needs of preschool teachers. Lightning round talk presented at the 2023 Implementation Science is for All Conference, (Convention held remotely). 
  • Collins, S., & Barton-Hulsey, A. (2023, April). Measuring teacher communication with children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities during whole-group shared reading. Poster presented at the 55th Annual Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO. 
  • Barton-Hulsey, A., Collins, S., Coltellino, B., & Gagnon, H. (2022, November). 1759L: Exploring literacy skills in children with limited speech abilities. Oral seminar presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, New Orleans, LA. 
  • Collins, S., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Burnett, T. (2022, November). 9888: Measuring teachers’ communication with children with developmental disabilities during shared book reading. Poster presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, New Orleans, LA. 
  • Collins, S., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Farquharson, K. (2022, November). 8520: Intellectual and developmental disabilities: Graduate coursework and school-based service delivery. Poster presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, New Orleans, LA. 
  • Hirn, J., Wright, B., & Collins, S. (2022, November). 4016L: Balancing a CF and Ph.D. program: Student reflections and successes. Technical clinical talk presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, New Orleans, LA.
  • Collins, S. (2022, June). Measuring teacher communication during shared reading with children who use augmentative and alternative communication. Oral seminar presented at the Students and Early Career Professionals (SECP) Research Colloquium at the 146th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Collins, S. C. (2022, May). Measuring teacher communication during shared reading with children who use augmentative and alternative communication. Oral concurrent session presented at the RERC on AAC Doctoral Student Think Tank, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania. 
  • Collins, S., Timm-Fulkerson, C., Barton-Hulsey, A., Therrien, M. & Khambalia, S. (2022, June). A review of early literacy measures administered to children who use aided augmentative and alternative communication. Oral concurrent session presented at the 146th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Collins, S. C., Barton-Hulsey, A., Farquharson, K., & Constantino, C. (2021, November). 8337V: Examining speech sound treatment in school-based service delivery for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the Annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Washington, D.C.
  • Collins, S. C., Hall-Mills, S., & Wood, C. (2021, November). 8159V: Clause-level grammatical accuracy in the expository writing of children with and without developmental language disorder. Poster presented at the Annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Washington, D.C.
  • Therrien, M. C. S., Biggs, E. E., Barton-Hulsey, A., Collins, S. C., Douglas, S., Romano, M., & Snodgrass, M. (2021, November). 1366: Partnering with families now and in the future: Lessons learned from providing AAC services during the pandemic. Oral-Seminar presented at the Annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Washington, D.C.
  • Collins, S., Therrien, M., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Timm, C. (2021, June). AAC & Literacy: An evaluation of word recognition assessment measures for students who use aided augmentative and alternative communication. Poster presented at the 145th Annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference, Jacksonville, FL, (Convention held remotely).
  • Barton-Hulsey, A., Collins, S., Therrien, M., Biggs, E., Romano, M., Allen, A., Coltellino, B., & Emery, E. (2021, April). Contextual determinants that influence family partnerships during augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presented at the 54th Annual Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kansas City, MO, (Convention held remotely).

Awards

  • Meritorious Poster Submission Recognition, “Experiential Exploration of Culturally Diverse Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder” presented at the American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Convention, Washington D.C. (2025)
  • 2022 ICAAC and AAC Editor’s Award for Most Significant Research Paper published in Augmentative and Alternative Communication: “Augmentative and Alternative Communication Services (AAC) Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Children, their Families, and Service Providers.” (2023) 
  • Leadership in Language and Literacy Doctoral Fellowship (2020-2023)  
  • Outstanding Doctoral Student in Communication Science and Disorders (2023) 
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Nominee (2021-2022, 2022-2023) 
  • Bob E. Leach Student Leadership Award (2022) 
  • Student and Early Career Professional Scholarship, 146th Annual Meeting on the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2022)
  • Meritorious Poster Submission Recognition, “Clause-Level Grammatical Accuracy in the Expository Writing of Children with and without Developmental Language Disorder” presented at the American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Convention, Washington D.C. (2021) 
  • Student and Early Career Professional Scholarship, 145th  Annual Meeting on the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2021) 

About Sara Cornett

Sara Cornett, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Loyola University Maryland. Her research focuses on enhancing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services within the naturalistic routines of children and their families. Dr. Cornett is also interested in adapted assessments and interventions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More specifically, she is interested in the school-based issues that surround access to instruction for students with limited speech abilities and teacher support methods to enhance feasibility in implementing evidence-based interventions in inclusive education settings. Dr. Cornett has over 5 years of professional clinical experience working alongside students and teachers in elementary school settings and families in early intervention. At Loyola, Dr. Cornett teaches courses on speech and language development, language disorders in infancy and early childhood, autism spectrum disorder, and augmentative and alternative communication. Dr. Cornett actively practices as an SLP in early intervention and school-based settings.