Zara DeLuca

Zara DeLuca, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Southern Connecticut State University’s College of Health and Human Services. Her clinical and research focus spans early childhood language development, speech perception, and holistic approaches to speech-language therapy for children with hearing loss.

• Education: BS from Emerson College, MS from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, PhD from CUNY Graduate Center.

Dr. DeLuca advocates for anti-ableist practices in speech-language pathology, emphasizing naturalistic language sampling for assessing deaf/hard-of-hearing children and promoting inclusive materials for language development. She founded the Southern Connecticut Sibshop and leads the @heysibsister Instagram account, sharing insights on sibling relationships in disability. Her collaborative LACH-MERMAIDS Lab integrates memory and eyetracking research with disability studies.

Her 2022 article in the Journal of Adolescent Health explores how adaptive sports participation influences psychosocial health in adolescents with hearing loss, reflecting her commitment to inclusive outdoor activities through partnerships with Summit Adaptive Sports and the Health and Movement Sciences department.

At Southern Connecticut State University, she teaches courses on early childhood language disorders, speech perception, and aural rehabilitation, fostering mindful, collaborative learning environments.