Dr. Kim Cornish – Cornish Research Team, McGill University

Lisa Reisinger, M.Ed.

Tracking the developmental profile of children with pragmatic language impairment and children with autism.

» Download Pragmatic Language Information Sheet

Biography

Lisa Reisinger, a former teacher, completed her master's degree examining best teaching practices for children with severe learning disabilities. Currently an instructor in McGill University's departments of Educational Psychology and Integrated Studies, she is completing her doctorate degree with a special focus on the relationship between social cognition, pragmatic language, and autism. She is currently working in the Autism Clinic at the Douglas Mental Health Institute.

Awards and Scholarships

  • Fonds québécois de la recherché sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) (2006-2008)
  • Saul Levenson Scholarship (2006)
  • McGill Graduate Studies Fellowship for 2006-2007
  • McGill Graduate Studies Fellowship for 2005-2006
  • Alma Mater Travel Grant (2005)
  • English Montreal School Board Thesis Grant (2005)
  • McGill Graduate Studies Fellowship for 2004-2005
  • J.A. Bryant Award (1998)
  • Butter's Foundation Award (1998)
  • J.W. McConnell Award (1998/1999)
  • Golden Key National Honor Society Scholarship of Achievement (1998)
  • McGill Alumnae Society Prize (1999)

Research Interests

Lisa's doctoral study focuses on the domain of language and social cognition and charts the developmental trajectories of two known disorders that appear to share strong commonalities in terms of their atypical language profile: children with autism and children with pragmatic language impairment (PLI). One of the most striking characteristics of the language difficulties exhibited in children with autism and PLI is the significant impairment in pragmatic language. In contrast to the well documented cognitive profile of autism, PLI has not received comparable attention and little is known about how children with PLI perform across other cognitive domains most notably social cognition, for which children with autism demonstrate significant impairment. To date, this study represents the first of its kind in Canada. If similarities related to behavioral phenotypes are found between children with Pragmatic Language Impairment (PLI) and children with idiopathic autism, this will imply services for children with pragmatic language disorder that do not only focus on language but also on behavior and social interaction. Moreover, information both about important similarities as well as differences will contribute to abilities in differential diagnosis, currently a very important clinic topic that can affect whether or not a child receives a proper diagnosis.

How Can You Become Involved?

Does your child have difficulty with the social aspects of language, such as turn-taking in conversations, talking too loud or too quietly for the situation? Does he or she have difficulty making friends?

If your child is receiving services at school for difficulties in language, speaks English, and has some of the traits described above, contact us to find out if they meet the criteria to become part of our study.

Parents are welcome to volunteer their children aged between 7-13 yrs to participate in this exciting study. To become involved, please contact Lisa at lisa.reisinger@mcgill.ca for more information. Children are asked to visit our lab to partake in enjoyable game-like activies. Sessions can last from 1-2 hours, depending upon individual availability. For each visit, gifts, prizes, and games are presented to the children.

We need your help to change the future of school-based intervention and to become more aware of the differences between language-based difficulties that share some of the same social traits.

Conference & Poster Presentations

Reisinger, L. (March, 2007) Managing behavioral difficulties in the multi-dimensional elementary classroom (2006, March 31) Invited Speaker at the Spring Tonic Invitational Conference at Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, WI.

Reisinger, L., & Cornish, K. (March, 2007). Tracking the social cognitive developmental pathway between two disorders. Poster presentation for the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Reisinger, L., & Cornish, K. (June, 2007). Examining the pragmatic link. Poster presentation for the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Ontario (submitted)

Reisinger, L. (March, 2005) Planning classroom programs for autistic related populations (2006, March 24) Invited Speaker at the Spring Tonic Invitational Conference at Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, WI.

Reisinger, L. & Bramwell, G. (April, 2004). Teaching elementary students with learning disabilities to read. Adapting the creative process. Paper accepted for presentation at the International Conference on Teacher Research, San Diego, CA

Reisinger, L. & Cornish, K. (October, 2005). Research on autism and pragmatic language Impairment at the First Annual Conference on Fragile X for Parents and Teachers held by the Neuroscience Laboratory for Research and Education in Children with Developmental Disorders, Fragile X Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. & Cornish, K. (May, 2005). Delineating the social cognitive deficit in children with pragmatic language impairment and children with autism. Paper accepted for presentation at YAI National Institute for People with Disabilities Network, Manhattan, NY.

Reisinger, L. & Cornish K. (June, 2005). Similarities and differences in the language profile of children with pragmatic language impairment and children with autism. Poster accepted for presentation at TENNET XVI Theoretical and Experimental Neuropsychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, QC.

Daniel, K., Cornish, K., Reisinger, L., & De Stefano, J., (2006, May). Educating children with different developmental disabilities within an inclusive classroom: the role of genes and environment. Poster presentation submitted to the American Association of Mental Retardation, Montreal, QC.

Publications

Reisinger, L. & Cornish, K. (2006). Similarities and differences in the language profile of children with pragmatic language impairment and children with autism presented at: TENNET XVI Theoretical and Experimental Neuropsychology, June, 2005, University of Quebec at Montreal, Quebec. Brain and Cognition, a Journal of Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Research.(in press).

Allen, E., Harber, J., Hall, C., Hempstead, A., Ish-Shalom, Z., Maxwell, B., Murata, K., Osorio, D., Reisinger, L., & Sivak, H. (Eds.) (Spring, 1996). The McGill Review of Interdisciplinary Arts, Vol.3.

Workshops and In-Service Presentations

Reisinger, L. (February 12, 2008). Advanced Section: Teaching the Difficult Child. Seminar presentation for the Center for Educational Leadership, McGill University, Holiday Inn, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. (February 12, 2007). Dealing with challenging behavior in inclusive schools. Seminar presentation for the Center for Educational Leadership, McGill University, Holiday Inn, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. & Parkash-Puni, R. (September, 2006). Dealing with Homework. - CBC radio talk show "Radio Noon Montreal" with Anne Leagacé Dowson, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. (September, 2006). School - Off to a Good Start. Seminar Series presentation for the Center for Educational Leadership, McGill University in collaboration with Montreal Matters - CBC radio, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. (October, 2006). Collaborating with your Child's School. Seminar Series presentation for the Center for Educational Leadership, McGill University, in collaboration with Montreal Matters - CBC radio, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. (May, 2006). The difficult child. Workshop presentation at Pinewood Elementary School, Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board.

Reisinger, L. (March, 2005). Challenging behavior in the inclusive classroom. Seminar presentation for the Center for Educational Leadership, McGill University, Holiday Inn, Montreal, QC.

Reisinger, L. (May, 2005). Using social stories and promoting verbal behaviors with low functioning children with ASD. Workshop presentation at Sinclair Laird Elementary School, English Montreal School Board.