In 2026, Pretzel Learning, LLC provided consulting and creative development services for the Southwest Health Engagement and Research Collaborative (SHERC) pilot project, “Caregiver Spanish Intervention Training for Children with Language Disorder,” through Northern Arizona University. We worked directly with Dr. Lindsey Hiebert and the clinical team to create 96 custom children’s illustrations across 24 instructional sets.

The illustrations were informed by research in communication disorders, cognitive load, and visual instructional design. Because the project serves Spanish-speaking children from Mexican cultural backgrounds, we also considered cultural familiarity and visual elements that could support engagement and understanding.

Recurring characters and consistent visual environments were intentionally used so that children could focus on changes in the target action rather than unrelated visual differences. This approach supported the project’s work with Spanish cognates, verbs, and vocabulary discrimination. Pretzel Learning will continue consulting with the SHERC team as the pilot study progresses.