Sofia Benson-Goldberg (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program at the University of Oregon. Her research and clinical interests focus on the language, communication, and literacy experiences of individuals who are non-speaking and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. She is particularly interested in how to improve access to reading and writing instruction and intervention for individuals with high support needs who use AAC. Dr. Benson-Goldberg is a nationally-certified Speech-Language Pathologist who has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults who use AAC and their families in home-based, clinical, and school settings.

PhD (2021) Speech and Hearing Sciences
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

MS (2014) Speech Language Pathology
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

BA (2010) History
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Graduate Education Advancement Board Impact Award, UNC Chapel Hill, 2021

New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship, ASHFoundation, 2020

National Institute of Health Travel Award for the 40th Annual Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, Madison, WI, 2019

Graduate Student Scholarship, ASHFoundation, 2018

Doctoral Merit Assistantship, UNC Chapel Hill, 2017

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles *indicates student/trainee author  

Benson-Goldberg, S. & Erickson, K. (in press). Praise and Language Intervention: Is ‘Good Job’ Helping Us Do a Good Job? A Tutorial. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. 

Benson-Goldberg, S., Gullion, L.*, & Erickson, L. (2024). The Role of the Body in SGD-mediated Interactions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2024.2398436 

Benson-Goldberg, S., Geist, L., & Erickson, K. (2024). Simplified COVID-19 guidance for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13222

Benson-Goldberg, S., & Erickson, K. (2024). Reported and enacted emergent literacy instruction: Understanding young students with extensive support and complex communication needs opportunity to learn. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 44(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214241235404

*Keeley, J., Benson-Goldberg, S., *Saldaris, J., Lariviere, J., Leonard, H., Marsh, E. D., Demarest, S. T., Benke, T. A., Jacoby, P., & Downs, J. (2024). Communication of people with CDKL5 deficiency disorder as observed by caregivers: A descriptive qualitative study. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 194(7), https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.63570

Benson-Goldberg, S., Geist, L., & Erickson, K. (2023). Project Open: Design of an Open-Source AAC Research and Development Platform. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 17(1), 31-44. https://www.atia.org/atob-volume-17/

Benson-Goldberg, S., Geist, L., & Erickson, K. (2022). Communication growth overtime: A longitudinal analysis of the Project Core implementation model pilot data. Communication Disorders Quarterly. 45(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/15257401221120790

Benson-Goldberg, Geist, L., Satterfield, B., Bunn, D., & Erickson, K. (2022). Minimizing the complexity of public health documents: Making COVID-19 documents accessible to individuals who read below the third-grade level. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 16(2), 1-15. https://www.atia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ATOB-V16.2-Benson-Goldbert-et-al.pdf

Benson-Goldberg, S., D’Ardenne, C., & Erickson, K. (2021). The forms, functions, and uses of praise in self-contained classrooms: A qualitative examination. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.2003887

Benson-Goldberg, S., & Erickson, K. (2021, May 26). Praise in education. In G. W. Noblit (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1645

Benson-Goldberg, S., & Erickson, K. (2021). Eye-trackers, digital-libraries, and print-referencing: A single case study in CDKL5. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 112, 103913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103913

Benson-Goldberg, S., & Erickson, K. (2020). Graphic symbols: Improving or impeding comprehension of Communication Bill of Rights? Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 14(1), 1-18. https://www.atia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ATOB-V14-A1-Benson-GoldbergErickson.pdf 

Dr. Benson-Goldberg's research program is rooted in her ardent belief that all humans are deserving, and benefit from, language, communication, and literacy instruction, where literacy includes learning to read and write traditional orthography. The long-term goal of Dr. Benson-Goldberg's work is to improve communication, language, and literacy outcomes for people with who are non-speaking and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) including those with intellectual disabilities. This work specifically includes those with the most complex disabilities who are often excluded from intervention research. To that end Dr. Benson-Goldberg's research is centered around three main themes: (a) exploring the lived experiences of those who use AAC; (b) increasing literacy learning opportunities for individuals who use or would benefit from AAC; and (c) investigating solutions to increase access to and improve AAC systems.