Skip to main content

Dr. Ciera Lorio

Assistant Professor, PhD, CCC-SLP
Communication Sci & Disorders
Office
Fairchild Hall - FH 217B
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Biography

Dr. Ciera M. Lorio is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Prior to completing her doctorate at Florida State University, Dr. Lorio worked as a school-based speech-language pathologist, serving children in preschool through fifth grade. Her current research focuses on parent- and teacher-implemented language and literacy interventions for young children with or at-risk for developmental disabilities. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on topics related to language, literacy, and professional issues in speech-language pathology.

Current Courses

299.002Independent Honor Study

499.003Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

287.002Independent Study

400.009Independent Study

406.001Language for Learning and Literacy

275.001Spoken And Written Language Analysis

275.002Spoken And Written Language Analysis

291.003Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Communication Sciences Disorders

499.001Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

400.001Independent Study

Research Interests & Areas

Dr. Lorio's research specifically focuses on young children with or at risk for language and literacy disorders. Her program of research is organized around three main areas:

(1) validating and refining existing caregiver coaching strategies to support replication of research and application in the field;

(2) developing time-efficient professional development and educational opportunities with coaching to increase the fidelity and sustainability of caregiver-implemented interventions in natural routines; and

(3) designing interventions that target vocabulary development and emergent literacy skills for young children with or at risk for language disorders.

If you are a student interested in working in Dr. Lorio's lab (Research in Early Language and Literacy Acquisition - RELLA Lab), please reach out to her to set up a meeting.

Ph D Communication Sciences & Disorders

Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

MS Communication Sciences & Disorders

Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH

BS Communicative Disorders

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI

SLP Educator of the Year

Communication Sciences and Disorders
2023

University Teaching Initiative Award

Center for Integrated Professional Development, Illinois State University
2022

Outstanding Alumnus Award

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
2019

Bridging the Word Gap Research Network Emerging Scholar

Bridging the Word Gap Research Network
2018

Journal Article

Delehanty, A., Lorio, C., Romano, M., Brown, J., Woods, J., & Wetherby, A. (2024). Social communication and parent verbal responsiveness across interaction contexts in toddlers with autism, developmental delay, and typical development. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 33, 1266–1282. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_AJSLP-23-00319
Lorio, C., Carta, J., & Stephens, N. (2023). Exploring language development support for foster children: A scoping review of interventions for foster care families. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00082
Mahurin-Smith, J. & Lorio, C. (2023). Transition class: A bridge from early intervention to early childhood special education, Education 3-13, DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2023.2233983
Lorio, C. M., Delehanty, A., & Romano, M. (2022). A systematic review of parent-child shared book reading interventions for infants and toddlers. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121421998793
Lorio, C.M., Carta, J.J., & Stephens, N. (2022, December). Exploring Language Development Support for Foster Children: A scoping review of interventions for foster care. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-19. http://doi.10.1044/2022_asjlp-22-00082

Presentations

Lorio, C., Hartle, L., Rudkin, H., & Rauwolf, C. (2024, February). Building undergraduate students' knowledge of early intervention through an interdisciplinary learning community. Oral seminar presented at the Annual Convention of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Rosemont, IL.
Delehanty, A., Lorio, C., Romano, M., Brown, J., Woods, J., & Wetherby, A. (2023, November). Social communication and parent verbal responsiveness across interaction contexts in toddlers with and without autism. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Boston, MA, hybrid.
Giuffre, C., & Lorio, C. (2023, November). Foster care, ACEs, and social communication development: A survey study. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Boston, MA, hybrid.
Kelly, C., & Lorio, C. (2023, November). An analysis of fathers‘ and children’s behaviors during shared book reading. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Boston, MA, hybrid.
Puhlman, J., & Lorio, C. (2023, November). Narratives to measure language in children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing: A scoping review. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Boston, MA, hybrid.
Provider perceptions of early intervention telepractice. American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention. American Speech-Language Hearing Association. (2022)
Lorio, C. M., & Zolper, C. (2021). An interdisciplinary EI learning community for university students. Oral Presentation. Division of Early Childhood Conference, January 25, 2021. online.
Lorio, C. & Romano, M. (2021, February). Early intervention in childcare settings: Using the SS-OO-PP-RR coaching framework. Oral presentation at the Illinois Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention, online.
Lorio, C., Lartz, M., & Boester, C. (2021, February). The LIMITLESS project: Building EI providers‘ understanding of sensory disabilities. Oral presentation at the Illinois Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention, online.
Incorporating transformational goals into teaching methodologies. 2020 ISU Teaching and Learning Symposium. Illinois State University. (2020)

Grants & Contracts

BirdFEEDER Research Grant. Office of Student Research. Illinois State University. (2023)
Pre-tenure Faculty Initiative Grant. College of Arts and Sciences. Illinois State University. (2023)