ASD Researchers at UNC

Research Scientist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute

Dr. Jessica Dykstra Steinbrenner, CCC-SLP, is a research scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.  She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences and a certified speech-language pathologist.  Dr. Steinbrenner’s research interests are in the area of autism spectrum disorders, with a focus on school-based interventions and individuals on the spectrum with significant communication needs.  She is also interested in observational measurement, and has worked to adapt and use observational coding systems for social communication and engagement.   

Dr. Steinbrenner worked on the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA), a large multisite grant developing and evaluating a comprehensive intervention program for high school students on the autism spectrum. She previously served as principal investigator on an applied research grant funded by the Organization for Autism Research titled “Improving Social-Communication and Engagement of Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Adapting a Preschool Intervention for Elementary School Classrooms”.