Latifatu Mohammed, MS

Latifa is a PhD student from Ghana in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders under the mentorship of Dr. Audra Sterling. Latifa holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a master of science degree in speech and language therapy both from the University of Ghana. She designed a simple language screening tool for preschoolers aged 24-36 months who are bilingual English and Twi (the most widely spoken language in Ghana) speakers. Latifa has practiced as a licensed speech and language therapist since 2021 where she worked in both adult and pediatric clinics. While working in Ghana, Latifa discovered a gap in knowledge in the area of neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder. Her research interest is to understand the role of genetics and environment in language development in children and adolescents with autism. Also, Latifa is interested in the role of the environment (maternal responsivity) in language development in children with autism.