Penny Hauser-Cram, Lynch School of Education Professor and Chair Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology
Some people look at the challenges children and their families face from a purely statistical perspective. Penny Hauser-Cram sees the study of developmental disabilities and poverty as a personal project, investing years–dozens at a time–in the study of how specific families cope.
Her insights are revolutionary. In her book, The Development of Children and Adolescents, she and her coauthors trace real-world parenting, policy, and practice through each stage of development–from the biological foundations of prenatal conditions through the unique cognitive and psychosocial challenges of adolescence.
And the world has taken note: Hauser-Cram has been invited to present at scores of prestigious institutions across the globe, with a passport that’s been stamped in Canada, the UK, Israel, Switzerland, and Belgium. Her expertise includes how best to integrate policy with early intervention for infants with developmental disabilities.
“‘Why do many young children think that clouds are alive or that their grandparents were born old?’ Those were the types of questions that first drew me into the study of child development,” Hauser-Cram remembers. “Then, as a teacher of young children, I witnessed the extent to which children’s cognitive skills are associated with their social and emotional well-being and how, in turn, their well-being is related to the support provided by their family and community.
“Studying young children requires an understanding of the many systems that support their positive development.”
Hauser-Cram’s approach and results have won her 16 research grants, including support for a 23-year longitudinal study of children with disabilities and their families. She has also won coveted consulting engagements for the National Academy of Sciences, Children’s Hospital in Boston and many other organizations.
“I have conducted several longitudinal studies. Such investigations offer us a vibrant view of human development over multiple phases of the life cycle,” she said. “Only through longitudinal examinations can we begin to understand the stability and change in developmental pathways and the factors that predict positive as well as detrimental change in behavior.”
Beyond teaching, research, consulting, and speaking, Hauser-Cram is a prolific and renowned writer and editor. In addition to several monographs and nearly 40 articles in peer-reviewed publications, she has authored or coauthored chapters for approximately 30 books on issues that include interactions between mothers and children with Down syndrome.