Dr. Lorraine (Lori) Book is the Founding Program Director for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program and an Associate Professor. She is an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience in the field – providing direct patient service and supervising graduate student clinicians. Dr. Book received her Ph.D. in Communication Disorders from Florida State University where she was part of the doctoral fellowship program: Interdisciplinary Preparation of Leadership Personnel to Serve Children and Youths with Autism. She has worked in higher education teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders as well as serving in various administrative and leadership roles. Service to the community and profession is very important to Dr. Book. She has served on the Massachusetts Interagency Coordinating Council (which advises and assists the Department of Public Health on Early Intervention), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Early Intervention Higher Education Task Force, the National Black Association for Speech-Language & Hearing Steering Committee for the Northeast Chapter and as an advisor to the Autism Nature Trail (ANT) at Letchworth State Park in New York State. Her clinical and research interests include early intervention, early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the clinical supervisory process, and the relationships between language development and play skills in young children.
Education & Training
PhD, Communication Disorders, Florida State University
MS, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College
BA, Speech/English, Wittenberg University
Awards & Honors
Award for Continuing Education (ACE), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (April 2021, April 2019, April 2016, & May 2013)
Faculty Honor: Excellence in Student Mentoring, Massachusetts Speech-Language-Hearing Association (April 2012)
Research Interests
Relationships between play and language development in young children
Normal language development
Early diagnostic markers of autism spectrum disorder
Family/professional relationships in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities
