Biography
Dr. Alper is a licensed speech-language pathologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders within the College of Public Health at Temple University. Dr. Alper completed her MA, PhD, and a Graduate Certificate in biostatistics at the University of Iowa, where she was a Presidential Fellow under the co-mentorship of Drs. Karla McGregor and Richard Hurtig. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Temple Infant and Child Lab with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. Dr. Alper’s research focuses on understanding and improving language and academic outcomes for children who are at-risk as a result of learning environment, communication disorder status, or both. This work includes clinical behavioral assessment research, as well as research on the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinician and caregiver-mediated early language and literacy interventions. Additionally, Dr. Alper is interested in research methodology and data analysis for speech-language research.
Education
- PhD, Speech and Hearing Science, University of Iowa
- MA, Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of Iowa
- BS, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
Google Scholar: Rebecca Alper's Google scholar profile
Courses Taught
Number | Name | Level |
|---|---|---|
CSCD 4979 | Honors in Communication Sciences | Undergraduate |
CSCD 5521 | Foundations in Child Language Disorders | Graduate |
Selected Publications
Recent
Rumper, B., Alper, R., Jaen, J., Masek, L., Luo, R., Blinkoff, E., Mogul, M., Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2021). Beyond Translation: Caregiver Collaboration in Adapting an Early Language Intervention. Frontiers in Education, 6. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.660166.
Alper, R., Beiting, M., Luo, R., Jaen, J., Peel, M., Levi, O., Robinson, C., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2021). Change the things you can: Modifiable parent characteristics predict high-quality early language interaction within socioeconomic status. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(6), 1992-2004. doi: 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-20-00412.
Alper, R., Hurtig, R., & McGregor, K. (2020). The role of maternal psychosocial perceptions in parent-training programs: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. Journal of Child Language, 47(2), 358-381. doi: 10.1017/S0305000919000138.
Luo, R., Alper, R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Mogul, M., Chen, Y., Masek, L., Paterson, S., Pace, A., Adamson, L., Bakeman, R., Golinkoff, R., & Owen, M. (2019). Community-based, caregiver-implemented early language intervention in high-risk families: Lessons learned. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 13(3), 283-291. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2019.0056.
Pace, A., Alper, R., Burchinal, M., Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2019). Measuring success: Within and cross-domain predictors of academic and social trajectories in elementary school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 112-125. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.04.001.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Alper, R., & Golinkoff, R. (2018). Living in Pasteur’s Quadrant: How Conversational Duets Spark Language at Home and in the Community. Discourse Processes, 55(4), 338-345. doi: 10.1080/0163853X.2018.1442114.
Hurtig, R.R., Alper, R.M., & Berkowitz, B. (2018). The Cost of Not Addressing the Communication Barriers Faced by Hospitalized Patients. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 3(12), 99-112. doi: 10.1044/persp3.sig12.99.
Alper, R., Masek, L., Hirsch-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2022). “Languagizing” the early childhood classroom: Supporting children’s language development. In What teachers need to know about language (2nd Edition).