Jessica Kinard, PhD CCC-SLP

I am a Research Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill with dual appointments in the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. My background is in bilingual speech language pathology specializing in communication development and disorders. My work focuses on:

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• Early parent-child interactions and communication outcomes

• Parent- and teacher-delivered communication and play interventions

• Neurobiology of reward processing (i.e., how an individual responds to and learns from rewards) 

• Cultural and linguistic diversity in assessment and intervention

• Autism spectrum disorder 

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Through my research, teaching, and clinical work, my goal is to connect families with effective, accessible, and culturally-relevant care and education, so that parents feel empowered and their child can experience intimate, joyful, and meaningful relationships with family and friends.

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Please explore my portfolio to find out more about my work.