Geralyn R. Timler

Geralyn R. Timler is a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at James Madison University (JMU), and Director of the On-Campus Program for the Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.) degree. She holds a Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington, an M.S. in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her research focuses on social communication, language development and disorders, and assessment/intervention strategies. She leads the Social Communication and Language Evaluation (SCALE) Lab, which emphasizes evidence-based practices for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Key areas of interest include neurodiversity-affirming approaches, social communication deficits in ADHD and autism spectrum disorders, and linguistic diversity in assessment. Dr. Timler has published extensively on pragmatic language disorders, interprofessional interventions, and diagnostic accuracy. She is actively involved in training graduate students in clinical practices that bridge theory and real-world application.

Her educational background spans three decades of academic excellence, with a strong emphasis on applied clinical research. She collaborates across disciplines to address gaps in understanding and treating complex communication disorders. Dr. Timler’s work often intersects with cultural competence, particularly in assessing children from linguistically diverse backgrounds such as Bahamian Creole English speakers. She advocates for improved diagnostic tools that account for overlapping symptoms in neurodevelopmental conditions. Her contributions to the field include refining social communication interventions for preschoolers and school-age children, emphasizing peer interactions and generalization of skills.