Perception and Acquisition of Words (PAW) Lab

The PAW (Perception and Acquisition of Words) Lab is part of the NTID SPACE center. It is directed by Dr. Allison Fitch, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. The lab’s goals concern the inter-relationships between the developing visual cognitive system and language acquisition.

Dr. Fitch is particularly interested in understanding how joint attention contributes to language acquisition, and the relationship between early language experiences and low-level visual attention mechanisms. The lab studies these questions primarily in infant and toddler populations, particularly deaf children acquiring American Sign Language.