RERC on AAC
The RERC on AAC is a collaborative center committed to advancing knowledge and producing innovative engineering solutions in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The RERC on AAC will support a research and development program that addresses three areas of rehabilitation science and engineering:
- Improving access to technologies through exploration of innovative approaches and through integration of multi-modalities;
- Developing innovative language support technologies, including natural language processing and computer-mediation, to support effective communication for children and adults with limited access to language;
- Improving the human computer interface to reduce cognitive visual processing demands and enhance communication performance.
We also will support a range of training and dissemination activities. Our goal is that the AAC technologies and knowledge generated by the RERC on AAC will enable individuals with complex communication needs to achieve the basic human right of communication, and to maximize their participation in education, employment, health and community activities.
Interactions with healthcare professionals: The experiences of people who use AAC (Chapple et al, 2021)
At ATIA 2021, David Chapple (and colleagues) gave a virtual presentation on the experiences of people who use AAC during interactions with healthcare professionals
Online training to support interaction with medical professionals (Stroschein et al, 2020)
Becca Stroschein (and colleagues) described an online training package to support communication with medical professionals (Penn State Undergraduate Virtual Research Event)
Bridging Research to Practice with Visual Scene Displays (VSDs)
For October’s AAC Awareness Month, PSU grads and current students will describe creative uses of a visual scene display (VSD) approach to supporting communication.
New RERC on AAC Funded by NIDILRR (2020-2025)
New RERC on AAC funded by NIDILRR to improve communication outcomes for persons with complex communication needs
The Effects of an Online Training on Preservice SLPs’ Use of Family-Centered Skills (Mandak et al., 2020)
Mandak et al. evaluated the effects of online instruction in a family-centered, relational skills strategy on preservice SLPs use of family-centered skills.