2023

September 26, 2023 — Preprint now available:  The ADHD vocabulary size advantage (with link)

Following great excitement for the research I presented at the International Symposium on Bilingualism and the Association francophone du savoir conferences this year, I am very excited to make the first preprint of my project on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder available: Find the preprint here

Summary of the preprint: Individuals with ADHD and bilinguals have each widely been considered vulnerable to vocabulary deficits compared to their peers. However, the interaction of ADHD and bilingualism in affecting vocabulary in both languages has yet to be studied. We tested whether a 'double disadvantage' exists for bilinguals with ADHD by measuring the vocabularies of 391 young adults. In Study 1, we categorized them into one of four groups: monolinguals and bilinguals with and without ADHD. Individuals with ADHD had larger vocabularies than those without ADHD, in monolinguals and bilinguals alike, and in both the dominant and non-dominant languages. In Study 2, bilingualism and ADHD status were assessed continuously. Bilingualism and ADHD interacted in both languages such that those with greater ADHD symptomatology had larger vocabularies, particularly for monolinguals and less balanced bilinguals. These findings refute the notion of a "double disadvantage" and instead point to an overall ADHD vocabulary advantage.

See you in the discussion section for some potential explanations for these surprising findings!

June 26, 2023 — Talk at the International Symposium on Bilingualism 14: ADHD & Bilingualism in Young Adults: A Comparison of Bilingual Vocabulary (with link to slides & poster versions of the talk)

I am very excited to present our newest data at a talk at the International Symposium of Bilingualism 14! Join me later today at 12:35 Australian Eastern Standard Time (12:35 AM EST) in Room 207/Stream 4 to hear more about how ADHD and bilingualism interact with vocabulary size.

Find my slides here.
Can't make it? No problem, find a poster version of the presentation here.

May 12, 2023 — Winner of Best Poster Award at the Congrès de l'Association Francophone du Savoir: "TDAH et bilinguisme chez les jeunes adultes: Comparaison du vocabulaire bilingue"  (with link to poster)

It was a pleasure to present my most recent findings at the Congrès de l'Association Francophone du Savoir, and a great honour to be presented with a best poster award! For those of you who speak French, you can find the poster here.

March 16, 2023 — Now published: "Quebec-based parents’ concerns regarding their children’s multilingual development"  (with links to paper and preprint)

Another paper from this fantastic collaboration is now out! This one focuses on parents' concerns regarding raising their children with multiple languages.  A total of 821 Quebec-based parents raising multilingual children aged 0-4 years were included in the study.  Parental concerns primarily related to the effect of multilingualism on children's cognition and whether enough exposure to attain fluency in each of their languages would be had.  The presence of a heritage language, more than two languages, or developmental issues were all related to stronger parental concerns. 

Find the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2023.2184475.
Don't have access? No problem, 50 free copies are available here (first come, first serve!): https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/RYPHZTPTXJJX9BCU2PYR/full?target=10.1080/14790718.2023.2184475

You can also find the pre-print here: https://psyarxiv.com/583ge


February 17, 2023 — Match Day: MUHC Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service

I am very pleased to be joining the McGill University Health Centre Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service team this September! I look forward to working on this highly multidisciplinary team with both inpatients and outpatients at the Royal Victoria and Montreal General Hospitals.

January 2, 2023 — Therapy Grab Bag: Some 2022 favorites

I thought I would start the year by rounding up some useful concepts and resources that I really enjoyed in 2022:





I hope you discovered something new that you will find useful, and I wish you a fulfilling 2023!