Rachel Sortino

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About

Rachel Sortino’s research sits at the vital intersection of developmental psychology, human-computer interaction, and accessible education, with a specific focus on early language acquisition. Her most notable contributions investigate how virtual humans can engage and facilitate language learning in the youngest and most vulnerable populations, particularly deaf infants during the critical developmental window of 6–12 months. In her highly cited 2019 work, “Can a Signing Virtual Human Engage a Baby’s Attention?” (7 citations), Sortino demonstrated that a signing avatar could successfully capture and hold an infant’s gaze, laying foundational evidence for technology-assisted language intervention. Her companion paper, “Can a Virtual Human Facilitate Language Learning in a Young Baby?” (3 citations), directly addresses the stark paucity of language learning systems for infants, arguing that deaf babies, who risk lifelong language and reading deficits without early exposure, represent an underserved group that stands to benefit enormously from such innovations. By bridging the gap between developmental science and embodied conversational agents, Sortino’s work pioneers new pathways for early intervention, offering a scalable, engaging tool to mitigate language deprivation before it begins. Her research is a compelling call to action for technologists and educators alike.