Expertise
Currently working in the Language and Learning Lab under the mentorship of Associate Professor Rocio Rosales.
Research Interests
The effects on bilingualism on behavioral interventions, Autism behavioral intervention, public safety and crisis De-escalation during severe problem behaviors.
Education
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Neuroscience - Christopher Newport University
- Teaching Bilingual Learners with Disabilities Certificate
Biosketch
Karen is passionate about advancing health service accessibility for neurodiverse youth, specifically bilingual individuals diagnosed with Autism. She is bilingual (Spanish and English) with research experience in Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Karen aims to take initiatives that promote equity and accessibility to neurodiverse communities. Her previous work was a research assistant at a non-profit organization that serves children and adults with severe problem behaviors. There she worked on single-case studies and organizational behavior management. Karen graduated with a B.S in Neuroscience, during her time in undergrad, she gained experience in Quantitative Psychology, Political Science, and oral history research.
Selected Publications
- Newcomb, E. T., Ernest, R., Meeker, K., Salazar, K. D., Newcomb, B. B., Pugliese, S. N., ... and Osborne, M. R. (2025). An Empirical Comparison of Common Problem Behavior Among Preschoolers With and Without Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 40(4), e70037.
Selected Presentations
- "Roberts, K., Salazar, K., Jonet-George, G., Liesfeld J., and Newcomb E. (2024). Building Foundational First Aid Skills Using the 鈥淭each-back鈥� Approach. Poster presented at the , Alexandria, Virginia, April 12-13, 2024.
- Hunter, L.S., Many, R., Salazar, K., Vioral, E., and Kanal, A. (2022). Do Face Masks and Sunglasses Impair Facial Expression Recognition in Child and Adult Faces? Poster presented at the , Chicago, Illinois, May 26-29, 2022.
- DeBorde, K., Ferozpuri, A., Salazar, K., Koswolski, K., Stites, P., and Hunter, L.S. (2020). Does Accurate Facial Expression Recognition Influence Dwell Time? Poster presented virtually at the annual meetings of the , New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1-4, 2020.
- Stein, B., DeBorde, K., Salazar, K., Koswolski, K., Ferozpuri, A., and Hunter, L.S. (2020). Can Time Spend with Children Explain Differential Processing of Other-Age Faces? Poster presented virtually at the annual meetings of the聽, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1-4, 2020.