The Memory Development and Policy Lab at Virginia Tech
We work at the intersection of disability advocacy, policy, and memory science
Leveraging over two decades of experience in the development and validation of cognitive and memory assessments in developing children and special populations, the Memory Development and Policy Lab aims to translate the best practices for assessment and education into better procedures and policies for full inclusion and equity for all children in school, medical, and forensic systems. Our focus is sexual abuse prevention, including the improvement of educational practices and forensic interviewing methods with children diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
About Lab Director Jamie Edgin
MaP Lab is directed by Jamie Edgin, Professor of Psychology and Department Chair at Virginia Tech
Jamie Edgin is a psychologist specializing in developmental disabilities and developmental cognitive neuroscience. Her recent work has direct implications for disability policy, including the prevention of sexual abuse. She was named chair of the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech in July 2023.
Representative Publications
Assessments
The MaP Lab developed and validated assessment strategies for measuring cognitive development in young children and “hard to assess” groups who may be less able to respond to standardized assessments, resulting in a 23 test iPAD test battery (The “A-MAP”) which is now in use in active clinical trials.
Leveraging this experience, the MaP Lab hopes to develop new methods for supporting forensic reporting and sexual education in children with disabilities, with the ultimate goal of reducing the high rates of abuse experienced by these groups.
Advocacy and Policy
Across her career, Jamie Edgin has engaged in efforts to support advocacy and policy change for individuals with developmental disabilities. She currently serves on the Science board of the National Down Syndrome Society and has served on numerous public boards, including an AZ Governor’s appointment to the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. She has visited parent advocacy groups across the globe, including stakeholders in Mexico, Canada, and Europe. She is committed to using the last stages of her career to support abuse prevention in these groups.
On the Hill with NDSS