Lekeitha Morris

Associate Professor
Office: Speech and Hearing Building, Room 115-B
Phone: 409-880-7696
Email: lmorris6@lamar.edu 

Education

  • Ph.D., Communication Disorders, Louisiana State University
  • M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Central Arkansas
  • B.S., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Central Arkansas

Expertise

Child language development and disorders in culturally and linguistically diverse children

Board Certification/Licensure

  • American Speech-Language Hearing Association
  • Texas Speech-Language Pathology License
  • Louisiana Speech-Language Pathology License

Professional Affiliations

  • American Speech-Language Hearing Association
  • Society for Research in Child Development
  • Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association

Teaching Experience
Graduate:

  • Clinical Practicum
  • Language Disorders in Young Children
  • Early Intervention and Prevention
  • Anti-Racism in Speech-Language Pathology
Undergraduate:
  • Introduction to Speech and Hearing Sciences
  • Developing Speech and Language in Children
  • Language Disorders
  • Disorders of Articulation
  • Clinical Orientation
  • Appraisal and Diagnosis of Speech and Language Disorders
  • Methods in Communication Disorders

Research Interests

  • Caregiver training and prevention models
  • Language assessment of children from diverse backgrounds
  • Advising, recruiting, and retaining minority students into the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology

Publications

  • Meikle, P.A. & Morris, L.R. (2022). University Social Responsibility: Challenging Systemic Racism in the Aftermath of George Floyd’s Murder. Administrative Sciences,12(1). 36. 
  • Bellon-Harn, M.L., & Morris, L.R. (2022). From interest to engagement: recruiting and retaining parents of children within school contexts.  In SAGE Research Methods Cases
  • Morris, L.R. & Bellon-Harn, M.L. (2022). Parental Satisfaction and Impact of Internet-Intervention for Interactive Storybook Reading. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups,7(3), 897-911.
  • Bellon-Harn, M.L., Morris, L.R., & Jones, A. (2021). A self-managed internet parent training program for interactive storybook reading: Extension to a public-school setting. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 6(6), 1753-1761.
  • Morris, L.R. & Bellon-Harn (2021). Development and functionality of an internet-based, self-managed parent training program.  American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(2), 722-733. 
  • Morris, L.R. & Bellon-Harn, M.L. (2021). The Power of Faculty: Transformative Agents of Change for the Profession. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders, 5(3), Article 9.
  • Newkirk-Turner, B.L. & Morris, L.R. (2021). An Unequal Partnership: Communication Sciences and Disorders, Black Children, and the Black Speech Community. In Horton, R. (Ed). Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in Speech-Language Pathology (pp.180-196). IGI Global.
  • Bellon-Harn, M.L., Manchaiah, V., & Morris, L.R. (2020). A cross-sectional descriptive analysis of portrayal of autism spectrum disorders in YouTube videos: A short report. Autism, 24(1), 263-268.
  • Bellon-Harn, M.L., Morris, L.R., Manchaiah, V., & Harn, W. (2020). Use of videos and digital media in parent-implemented interventions for parents of children with primary speech sound and/or language disorders: A scoping review. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29, 3596-3508. 
  • Morris, L.R. (2017). Designing and implementing a prevention program that targets language and literacy development. Online Journal of Rural and Urban Research, 7, 70-74.
  • Stockman, I.J., Newkirk-Turner, B.L., Swartzlander, E., & Morris, L.R. (2016).  Comparison of African American children’s performances on a minimal competence core for morphosyntax and the Index of Productive Syntax. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25, 80-96.
  • Newkirk, B.L. & Morris, L.R. (2015). Practice guidelines for the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse school-age children. Handbook for speech-language pathologists in Mississippi schools.  Mississippi Department of Education.
  • Oetting, J.B., Newkirk, B.L, & Hartfield, L.R, Wynn, C.W., Pruitt, S.L., & Garrity, A.W. (2010). Index of Productive Syntax for children who speak African American English. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 41, 328-339.
  • Oetting, J.B., Hartfield, L.R., & Pruitt, S.L. (2009, May 5). Exploring LENA as a tool for researchers and clinicians. The ASHA Leader, 14 (6). 20-22.

Bio
Dr. Lekeitha Morris earned her Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Science Degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Central Arkansas and her Ph.D. in communication disorders from Louisiana State University.  Dr. Morris is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of clinical experience providing services to children and adults to enhance communication skills. Her most recent work involves caregiver training workshops related to facilitating language and literacy development in children birth to five years of age.  Dr. Morris comes to us from the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences at Delta State University where she served as the Department Chairperson and an Associate Professor.  Dr. Morris taught courses in language development and disorders. Her areas of research specialization are in language development and disorders, caregiver training methods, and prevention models with a specific focus on culturally and linguistically diverse populations.  Dr. Morris has published research in Language, Speech, Hearing Services in Schools and the ASHA Leader. Dr. Morris is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, the Society for Research in Child Development and the Mississippi Speech-Language Hearing Association.