Renee Charlifue-Smith, MA, CCC-SLP
Training Co-Director
Speech-Language Pathology Discipline Director
ENRICH Early Intervention Coordinator
Senior Instructor, Section of Developmental Pediatrics, JFK Partners
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

How did you become interested in research?

My first research experience was with Dr. Sally Rogers as a clinician in a pilot study of the Denver Model and PROMPT interventions. Since that time, I have been fortunate to work with the JFK Partners’ and Developmental Pediatrics’ faculty in various research studies. Some of these experiences have included the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), parent coaching in the strategies of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) in Developmental Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the ENRICH Early Intervention Team/Project ENRICH (which has provided early intervention services young children and their families and has provided training to Colorado early intervention professionals and teams since 1994). 

What is your area of research?

Recently, I have participated in research with faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz and the University of Colorado Denver. The majority of this experience has been participating in two nationally distributed surveys of early intervention (Part C) and early childhood special education (Part B) professionals. The research explores the professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in their work with young children and their families. Additionally, one of the studies investigates initial evaluation practices to identify young children with delays and disabilities for Part C and Part B services. Further data analysis to examine caregivers' experiences in the initial evaluation process and to look at state-specific data are being done. As a doctoral student in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education program at UC Denver, I have had the opportunity to participate in these two projects.

Publications:

Steed, E. A., Stein, R., Burke, H., & Charlifue-Smith, R. (2023). Early Childhood Professionals’ Reported Use of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices During Initial Evaluations: A Mixed Methods Study. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, [published online ahead of print, 2023, April 21]. https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214231163720

Steed, E.A., Stein, R., Charlifue-Smith, R. (2023). Initial Evaluation Practices to Identify Young Children With Delays and Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Early Interv. 45(3), 264-284. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538151221127909 

Shapiro, A. L. B., Lawless, M., Flesher, A., Lattanzi, K., & Charlifue-Smith, R., & Johnson, S. (2022). Acceptance of a novel food is related to caregiver perceptions of infant and toddler food-related receptive language. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(7), 684-690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.04.004

Steed, E. A., Phan, N., Leech, N., & Charlifue-Smith, R. (2022). Remote delivery of services for young children with disabilities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Journal of Early Intervention, 44, 110-129. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538151211037673

Khetani, M. A., McManus, B., Arestad, K., Richardson, Z., Charlifue-Smith, R., Rosenberg, C., & Rigau, B. (2018). Technology-based functional outcomes assessment in early intervention: A pilot study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies (Special Thematic Series), 4:65. https://doi.org/ 10.1186/s40814-018-0260-1

Rogers, S. J., Hayden, D., Hepburn, S., Charlifue-Smith, R., Hall, T., & Hayes, A. (2006). Teaching young nonverbal children with autism useful speech:  A pilot study of the Denver Model and PROMPT interventions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(8):1007-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0142-x