My research examines children’s communication development from early moments of mutual alertness to complex symbol-infused conversations. I have been particularly interested in the developmental transformation of the structuring of attention and topics during social interactions. Through the study of both typical and atypical developmental paths, I hope to contribute to theoretical understandings of early social and cognitive development and to inform applied efforts to facilitate communication and language acquisition.

Currently, my primary project is a NIH-funded longitudinal investigation of the development of joint attention after infancy. In the current grant cycle which continues through 2014,  I am focusing with Roger Bakeman and Diana Robins on how caregivers support the emergence of joint attention and language skills in typically-developing toddlers and in very young children with autism and with other developmental disorders. In addition, I am collaborating with MaryAnn Romski and Rose Sevcik on a project that documents the effects of augmented language interventions on the course of early communication development in young children who are at high risk for delayed language acquisition and with Şeyda Özçalışkan on a study of gesture and speech..

During the past many years, I have also been deeply committed to efforts that foster interdisciplinary and international educational and research collaborations at Georgia State. This commitment has influenced not only my administrative activities but also my work as a psychologist as a founding member of the Center for Research in Atypical Development and Learning (CRADL), an associate member of the Neuroscience Institute, and a faculty member of the area of focus on Language and Literacy.

*Nelson, P. B., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (In press).  The developmental progression of understanding of mind during a hiding game. Social Development.

*Smith, A. L., Romski, M. A., Sevcik, R. A., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (in press).  Parental stress and its relation to parental perceptions of communication following parent-coached intervention.  Journal of Early Intervention.

Romski, M. A., Sevcik, R. A., Adamson, L. B., Smith, A. L., Cheslock, M., & Bakeman, R. (in press).  Parent perceptions of toddlers with development delays’ language development after participation in parent-coached language intervention.  American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.

*Wiggins, L. D., Robins, D. L., Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., & Henrich, C., (in press). Support for a dimensional view of autism spectrum disorders in toddlers.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Adamson, L. B., Romski, M. A., Bakeman, R., & Sevcik, R. A. (2010).  Augmented language intervention and the emergence of symbol-infused joint engagement.  Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 53, 1769-1773.

Adamson, L. B., Deckner, D. F., & Bakeman, R. (2010).  Early interests and joint engagement in typical development, autism, and Down syndrome.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 665-676.

Romski, M. A., Sevcik, R. A., Adamson, L. B., Cheslock, M., Smith, A., Barker, R. M., & Bakeman, R. (2010).  Randomized comparison of augmented and non-augmented language interventions for toddlers with developmental delays and their parents. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 53, 350-364.

*Wiggins, L. D., Robins, D. L., Bakeman, R., & Adamson, L. B. (2009).  Brief report: Sensory abnormalities as distinguishing symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in young children.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1087-1091.

Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., Deckner, D. F., & Romski, M. A. (2009).  Joint engagement and the emergence of language in children with autism and Down syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 39, 84-96.

*Nelson, P. B., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (2008). Toddlers’ joint engagement experience facilitates preschoolers’ acquisition of theory of mind.Developmental Science. 11, 840-845.

Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (2006). The development of displaced speech in early mother-child conversations.Child Development, 77, 186-200.

*Deckner, D. F., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (2006). Child and maternal contributions to shared reading: Effects on language and literacy. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 27, 31-41.

Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., & Deckner, D. F. (2005). Variations in shared attention and language development. In L. Namy (Ed.), Symbol development and symbol use. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

*McArthur, D., Adamson, L.B., & Deckner, D. F. (2005). As stories become familiar: Mother-child conversations during shared reading. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 51, 389-411.

Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., & Deckner, D. F. (2004). The development of symbol-infused joint engagement.Child Development, 75, 1171-1187.

Adamson, L. B., & Frick, J. E. (2003). The Still-Face: A history of a shared experimental paradigm. A target article, Infancy, 4, 451-473.

*Deckner, D. F., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (2003). Rhythm in mother-infant interactions. Infancy, 4, 201-217.

Adamson, L. B., McArthur, D., Markov, Y., Dunbar, B., & Bakeman, R. (2001). Autism and joint attention: Young children’s responses to maternal bids. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 439-453.

Adamson, L. B., & Russell, C. L. (1999). Emotion regulation and the emergence of joint attention. In P. Rochat (Ed.), Early social cognition: Understanding others in the first months of life (pp. 281-297). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

*Prezbindowki, A. K., Adamson, L. B., & Lederberg, A. R.. (1998). Joint attention in deaf and hearing 22-month-old children and their hearing mothers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 19, 377-387.

Adamson, L. B., & Romski, M. A. (Eds.) (1997).Communication and language acquisition: Discoveries from atypical development. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Includes Adamson, Order and disorder: Classical developmental theories and atypical communication development. (pp. 2-23).

*Russell, C. L., Bard, K. A., & Adamson, L. B. (1997). Social referencing by young chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 111, 185-193.

*McArthur, D., & Adamson, L. B. (1996). Joint attention in pre-verbal children: Autism and developmental language disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 481-496.

Adamson, L. B. (1995). Communication development during infancy. Volume in the Advanced Developmental Series. Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark. Re-released in 1996 by Westview Press. Boulder Co. Japanese translation by Y. Oyabu and M. Tanaka published by Kawashima Shoten in 1999.

*Deffebach, K., & Adamson, L. B. (1994). Teaching referential and social-regulative words to toddlers: Mothers’ use of metalingual language. First Language, 14, 249-261.

*Rosen, W. A., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (1992). An experimental investigation of infant social referencing: Maternal messages and gender differences.Development Psychology, 28, 1172-1178.

Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (1991). The development of shared attention during infancy. In R. Vasta (Ed.),Annals of Child Development, Vol. 8 (pp. 1-41). London, England: Kingsley.

*Smith, C. B., Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (1988). Interactional predictors of early language. First Language, 8, 143-156.

Adamson, L. B., Bakeman, R., Smith, C. B., & Walters, A. S. (1987). Adults’ interpretation of infants’ acts.Developmental Psychology, 23, 383-387.

*Jones, C. P. & Adamson, L. B. (1987). Language use in mother-child and mother-child-sibling interactions. Child Development, 58, 356-366.

Adamson, L. B., & Bakeman, R. (1985). Affect and attention: Infants observed with mothers and peers. Child Development, 56, 582-593.

Bakeman, R., & Adamson, L. B. (1984). Coordinating attention to people and objects in mother-infant and peer-infant interaction. Child Development, 55, 1278-1289.