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Pamela Rollins

Pamela Rollins

Professor

Research Interests: Social underpinnings of language with emphasis on intervention efficacy in culturally and linguistically diverse autistic children

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Professional Preparation

Ed.D. - Psycholinguisitics
Harvard University - 1994
M.S. - Communication Disorders
University of Wisconsin - 1983
B.S. - Speech Pathology and Audiology
Boston University - 1981

Research Areas

Research Interests
Dr. Rollins research has emphasized using behavioral paradigms to understand the dynamics of infant/child social interactions and social experiences as predictors of social, communication and language development. She investigates the social underpinnings of joint attention, word learning and language development. Dr. Rollins has extended this work to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), charting developmental trajectories and conducting translational studies. Her current research emphasis is on intervention efficacy in culturally and linguistically diverse autistic children 

Publications

De Froy, A., & Rollins, P. R. Task-Related Differences in the Gesture Production of Young Autistic Children. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. - publications
Rollins, P. R., Rangel-Uribe, C., Rojas, R., & Brantley, S. (2023). Examining Cultural and Linguistic Sensitivity of Pathways Early Autism Intervention with Hispanic Families. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-14.  - publications
De Froy, Adriane, & Pamela Rollins. (2023) The cross-racial/ethnic gesture production of young autistic children and their parents, Autism and Developmental Language Impairments. - publications
Rollins, Pamela, & Adriane De Froy, Reexamining Pathways Early Autism Intervention in Children Before and After the Third Birthday: A Randomized Control Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, (2022): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05599-8. - publications
Rollins, Pamela R, Adriane De Froy, Sebastian Gajardo, Sara Brantley, Pragmatic Contributions to Early Vocabulary and Social Communication in Young Autistic Children with Language and Cognitive Delays. Journal of Communication Disorders, (2022): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05599-8

- publications
De Froy, A., Sims, M.,  Sloan, B. M., Gajardo, S., Rollins, P.R., (2021). Differential Responses to Child Communicative Behavior of Parents of Toddlers with ASD. Journal Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 6 (2021). 1-15 - publications
Rollins, Pamela R., Adriane De Froy, Michelle Campbell, Renee, Thibodeau Hoffman (2020). Mutual Gaze: An Active Ingredient for Social Development. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.  DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04672-4 - publications
Rollins, Pamela R., Serena John, Alex Jones, & Adriane De Froy, A, (2019). Pathways Early ASD Intervention as a Moderator of Parenting Stress on Parenting Behaviors: A Randomized Control Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 49, no10: 4280-4293. - publications

Appointments

Professor
The University of Texas at Dallas [2018–2021]
Associate Professor
The University of Texas at Dallas [2000–2018]
Founding Director
UTD/Early Communication, Language and Social Skills preschool [2003–2009]
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas at Dallas [1994–2000]
Special Faculty Appointment
Southwestern Medical School [2006–2008]
Teaching Fellow
Harvard Graduate School of Education [1989–1990]
Research Assistant
Harvard Graduate School of Education [1988–1994]
Speech/ Language Pathologist
Brighton Early Intervention Program, Brighton, MA [1985–1987]
Speech/ Language Pathologist
Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Providence, RI [1984–1985]

Projects

Social Communication Lab

Additional Information

Certifications & Licenses
  •  Certificate of Clinical Competence, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1984 - present
  •  Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, TX State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

News Articles

Professor Receives Grant for Study of Autism Intervention Program
Professor Receives Grant for Study of Autism Intervention Program A UT Dallas researcher has been awarded a grant from the State of Texas to evaluate an early intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that could change the way the state administers early intervention for these children. 
The grant — for more than $980,000 —  is for research on a community-based program for toddlers called Pathways Early Autism Intervention Program. 

“Our previous study has shown that Pathways is a very effective model for supporting young children diagnosed on the autism spectrum,” said Dr. Pamela Rollins, associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “Now we will take a closer look at the program and one of its specific components — eye contact.” 
Robots Help Teach Social Skills to Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Robots Help Teach Social Skills to Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder Robots and humans socialize frequently in pop fiction — think of Wall-E and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now, a UT Dallas researcher is giving the fantasy of robotic friends a practical edge with a robot that teaches social skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Dr. Pamela Rollins, associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, explained that individuals with ASD often have social anxiety. Learning social interactions via a less threatening interface — a robot — may help patients better identify emotions and use specific social skills with humans, like holding a conversation.

Affiliations

UTD/Callier Center for Communication Disorders
UTD/Center for Children and Families
Professional Affiliations
Member, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1978 - present

Funding

“Establishing the Effectiveness of Pathways Early Autism Intervention in a State Funded Early Intervention Program”
$863,926.00 - Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Autism Grant Program (AGP) Innovative Treatment Models [2020/03–2021/05]
Randomized Control Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of Pathways Early Autism Intervention in Children, Birth to Five Years
$882,261.00 - Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Autism Grant Program (AGP) Innovative Treatment Models [2018/08–2020/12]
Assessing the Efficacy of Pathways Innovative Early Autism Intervention
$980,711 - Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Autism Grant Program (AGP) Innovative Treatment Models [2016/08–2018/12]
The social bases of communication: A longitudinal study.
$11,650 - Timberlawn Foundation [1998–2000]
The UTD Human Development Language and Communication Data Base
$3,600 - Faculty Research Initiative Award [1998–1998]