Kristina Dumas
Clinical Psychology PhD Program (Health Emphasis)
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Yeshiva University
- E-mail: Kristina.dumas@psych.ferkauf.yu.edu
Research Interests:
- After earning a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, I began pursuing my doctoral studies in the Clinical Psychology-Health Emphasis program. Throughout my academic career I have been devoted to the field of developmental disabilities, and in particular, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
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My research interests include multisensory integration in individuals with ASD. Every second of our lives we receive visual, auditory, and tactile information simultaneously. The ability of our sensory systems to interact and enhance each other permits our unified experience of these multisensory events. Synthesis and organization of this flood of multisensory inputs are essential for effective perception and cognitive functioning (Talsma et al., 2010). It has been shown that children with ASD integrate sensory information differently from their typically developing peers (Rousso et al., 2010; Magnee et al., 2011; Kwakye et l., 2011). Using brain-imaging methods such as electroencephalography (EEG), I am interested in investigating how children with ASD integrate visual and auditory information and whether these children benefit from multisensory integration in the same way as typically developing children.
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Clinically I am interested in clinical neuropsychological evaluation of neurodevelopmental disabilities. The purpose of the neuropsychological evaluation is to investigate brain-behavior relationships. Clinicians determine strengths and weaknesses of children and adults affected by various neurological, medical, psychiatric, and developmental conditions, allowing formulation of recommendations regarding how affected individuals can better accommodate to life’s demands and proper intervention strategies. The evaluation also helps parents, teachers, and others involved in caring for the individual to better understand their behavior and thinking in order to assist with building productive and pleasant relationships.