News Release: WIDA Researcher Delis Cuéllar Receives Best Paper Award From AERA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MADISON, Wis. – WIDA researcher Delis Cuéllar has been recognized with the Dr. Jamal Abedi Best Paper Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Cuéllar received the award during the AERA Annual Meeting held in April 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

Cuéllar’s paper, “Communication and Language in Multilinguals with Cognitive Disabilities: A Study with Immigrant Mothers and Educators,” co-authored with Laurene Christensen of WIDA, highlights how multilingual children with significant cognitive disabilities communicate across home and school contexts. Drawing on data from immigrant mothers and educators, the study centers family perspectives to better understand children’s multimodal communication, including gestures, sign language, spoken language, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

The findings highlight important differences in how families and educators interpret children’s communication and language abilities, particularly with respect to home language use and everyday communication practices. By elevating family voices, the research underscores the need for instructional planning and assessment practices that are more culturally and linguistically responsive.

The Dr. Jamal Abedi Best Paper Award is presented annually to one prepublication paper that exemplifies excellent research methodology and execution, makes a significant contribution to the research literature and demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion and fairness in educational assessment. The award honors esteemed leaders in the field who have worked to dispel bias and prejudice in educational systems through rigorous, empirically grounded research.

WIDA congratulates Delis Cuéllar and Laurene Christensen on this outstanding achievement.

WIDA is an educational services organization within the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education that engages, equips and inspires educators who impact the lives of multilingual learners.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact: 

Hannah Haynes, hrhaynes@wisc.edu