Checking in with PSU Alum: Dr. Ji Young Na

This past May (2016), Dr. Na presented about the Korean version of the EDEC assessment tool (Early Development of Emotional Competence) at the annual conference of the Korean Society of Special Education (KSSE).
Dr. Na explained, “Since other Korean professionals and myself had to go through a “special” translation process called “5-step translation” to deal with several linguistic and cultural differences, I focused on how I did this process during the presentation. This topic is also included in the manuscript (under review) submitted to the American Journal of Speech Language Pathology (AJSLP), but I more focused on how the assessment tool can be used for the Korean children with CCN. Once this manuscript is published, the English, Korean and Chinese versions of the tool will be accessible through AJSLP.”
Since completing the doctoral program at PSU in August of 2015, Dr. Na has been an assistant professor with School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University, with a specialization in AAC.
For more information about some of the incredible work Dr. Na has been involved with:
– Communication About Emotion During Book Reading by Parents & Children With Down Syndrome Using AAC — Presentation, ASHA 2015
– Interprofessional Practice in Developing an AAC System for Children With Down Syndrome — Publication, 2015
– Cultural Influences on Conversation About Emotion: Implications for Children With Complex Communication Needs (CCN)  — Presentation, ASHA 2014
– Multiculturalism and Emotion and the Implications for AAC Design – Presentation, ISAAC 2014
– “Talking about Emotions Using Culturally Sensitive AAC” — Publication, 2014