Biography - Katharina Boser, Ph.D.

President, Individual Differences in Learning

Clarksville, Maryland

 

Chair, ITA committee for Autism Speaks

Email: ita@autismspeaks.org

Phone: (410) 461-5720

Web: www.individualdifferencesinlearning.org

 

Katharina Boser, Ph.D. has a doctorate in developmental psychology and cognitive science from Cornell University. She has a research background studying language processing in early development, language impairments in both adults (stroke patients with aphasia) and children (autism and ADHD). She has published several papers on the acquisition of early language skills and on the use of computerized language training systems in patients with aphasia during her post doctorate at the University of Maryland, Department of Neurology. She was on the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology/ Neuropsychology, until 2005 where she studied cognitive skills in low-verbal subjects with autism, including visual processing, language, working memory and attention and published on the use of computerized language systems for this population. She currently serves as Chair of the Innovative Steering Committee for Autism Speaks and conducts research on computerized language systems for robotics technology for children with autism at Anthrotronix, located in Silver Spring, MD. She is the President and Chair of the Board of Individual Differences in Learning (IDL), Inc.. Dr. Boser has written and produced professional development materials and set of DVDs for IDL entitled, “Walking the Path with the Twice Exceptional Learning: Understanding the paradox of exceptional strengths and weaknesses” (made possible by a Horizon Foundation grant) that has been used to raise awareness of the needs of this population in school settings in Howard County, Maryland and neighboring Public School Systems. In addition to consulting on technology research for students with cognitive disabilities, organizing conferences and workshops and being an active speaker on technology integration for special needs populations, Dr. Boser has designed curriculum on Universal Design for Learning and Neurodiversity issues for the Masters in Teaching program at University of Maryland, University College, serves on the Board of the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center ASDEC and is on the Maryland advisory committee for Universal Design for Learning which provides guidelines, based on cognitive psychology, for making classroom learning and content accessible for all learners.