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About
Rai Nihei
Co-leader
mhancock3@niu.edu
Rai Nihei functions as a research administrator for the university, but her preferred role is as the mother of one autistic son. Diagnosed just before his third birthday, Clark had major language delays, as well as other developmental delays. While a diagnosis didn’t change who Clark was, it supplied a limited explanation for his struggles and a range of options. Rai has done what parents and other caregivers do; she’s become a researcher on treatments and an advocate for her child. She continues to learn and grow in her role as the parent of an autistic child and is eager to foster a community of knowledge with others.
Allison Gladfelter, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
agladfelter@niu.edu
Research website: HUSKIES Lab
Allison Gladfelter, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the School of Allied Health and Communication Disorders at Northern Illinois University. Before coming to NIU, Gladfelter received her Ph.D. and clinical master's degree in speech-language pathology from Purdue University. She has also worked clinically on an interdisciplinary diagnostic team at the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Gladfelter's research explores language acquisition in children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder with the ultimate goal of developing more evidence-based language interventions for these children. Gladfelter has over a decade of experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder and she is very excited to get to know the ASD community in the NIU area.
Milijana Buac, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
mbuac@niu.edu
Research website: BEAR Lab
Milijana Buac, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Allied Health and Communication Disorders at Northern Illinois University. Buac received her Ph.D. and clinical master's degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Buac also worked as a pediatric bilingual speech-language pathologist at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in Madison, WI. She provided assessment and intervention services to children ages 18-months to 16-years old with a wide range of speech, language and feeding needs, including children with an autism spectrum disorder. Buac's research focuses on bilingual language development in neurotypical children as well as children with developmental disorders with the goal of developing the least biased assessment tools for children from multilingual and/or multicultural backgrounds.
Alicia LaRouech
Graduate Student Coordinator
Z1882430@students.niu.edu
Alicia LaRouech is a current graduate student pursuing an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology, and she serves as a student coordinator with the NIU Autism Caregiver Group. Alicia is also a member of NIU’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic’s autism diagnostic team and is looking forward to a great year! After graduation, Alicia hopes to work in early intervention or pediatric services.
Ayleen Ramos
Bilingual Undergraduate Student Coordinator
aramos10@niu.edu
Ayleen Ramos is the Spanish-English bilingual student coordinator for the autism services offered at the NIU Speech-Language Hearing Clinic. She is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders with minors in Special Education Foundations and Rehabilitation Counseling. After completing her master's degree, she hopes to work as a speech-language pathologist in an early childhood setting. Ayleen has experience working with preschool and elementary age children with autism spectrum disorder and she is excited to contribute to this group!
Adriana Dinello
Undergraduate Student Coordinator
Z1896046@students.niu.edu
Adriana Dinello is a student coordinator for the NIU Autism Caregiver Group. She is currently a junior majoring in Communicative Disorders with minors in Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling. After completing her master's degree, she hopes to become a speech-language pathologist in an early childhood setting. Adriana has experience working with elementary-age children and middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder. She is really excited to be a student coordinator for the group and is looking forward to this year!
Leah Isaacson
Undergraduate Student Coordinator
z1872287@students.niu.edu
Leah Isaacson is a student coordinator for the NIU Autism Caregiver Group. She is a current senior with majors in communicative disorders as well as rehabilitation and disability services, and a minor in psychology. After completing her master’s degree, she hopes to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Leah has experience in providing therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder, and she is excited to engage with the community this year.
Ashley Mendez
Undergraduate Student Coordinator
z1918401@students.niu.edu
Ashley Mendez is a student coordinator for the NIU Autism Caregiver Group. She is currently a senior majoring in Communicative Disorders with a minor in Family and Child Studies. After finishing her bachelor's degree, Ashley will go on to obtain a master's degree in speech-language pathology and hopes to work as a speech-language pathologist in a private practice or clinical setting. She loves being around children and enjoys meeting new people!
Fabiola Vargas
Undergraduate Student Coordinator
z1926285@students.niu.edu
Fabiola Vargas is a Spanish-English bilingual student coordinator for the NIU Autism Caregiver Group. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders with a minor in family and child studies. After completing her master’s degree, she hopes to work as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Fabiola is strongly committed to creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated. She does this by gaining experience through professional and volunteer opportunities. Fabiola is pleased to participate in the Autism Caregiver Group and in all the wonderful things they do.
Autism Caregiver Group
NIU Family Health Wellness and Literacy Center3100 Sycamore Rd
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9126
