Recent research by faculty and students

ASHA Presentations 2021

David Hajjar, Assistant Professor (with Kathleen Mulkerin, graduate student)

Enhancing Communication with VSDs: Supporting Partners and People who use AAC to Capture and Share

This presentation will share clinical observations and original case study research. The presenters will discuss how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can support individuals who use AAC, to collect, edit, and share photos as visual scene displays(VSDs). VSDs show promise in AAC research as an effective intervention approach with beginning communicators and people with aphasia; however, are inconsistently used across clinical settings. The presenters will describe the process of capturing recreational media, storing and editing photos, and developing VSDs for different purposes of communication. Personalized digital media was collected during recreational activities and developed into VSDs using commercial applications such as SnapScene and GoVisual. Examples of VSDs will be shared to demonstrate how students may use these in educational and home environments. 

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Mary Pitti, M.S., CCC-SLP, Clinical Associate Professor 

Interprofessional Creation of a Gender Affirming Voice Modification Mobile Application: Innovative Solutions in Service Delivery

Transgender individuals seeking gender affirming voice modification and training may have limited access to services. This poster will provide an overview on how an interprofessional team of speech-language pathologists, physicians, and a research specialist collaborated with app developers, designers, and transgender individuals,  to develop an innovative solution to service delivery to improve access for individuals seeking gender affirming voice training. The mobile application contains a series of targeted learning modules and an interactive voice tracker, that individuals self-navigate. The application utilizes evidence-based treatment and current standards of care practices. Once validated, this app will be free and  individuals will have open access to the app. 

Recent Publications and Presentations

  • Lynne Hewitt, Professor and Chair
  • Jana Waller, Clinical Assistant Professor and Associate Dean
    • ​​​​​​​Hotchkiss, M., Waller, J., Edwards, K. (2021, July 29). Annual case competition to facilitate interprofessional collaboration and communication.  Poster Session presented at the 3rd Annual Heartland Interprofessional Education (HIPE) Conference, Virtual. 
    • Waller, J., Edwards, K., Hotchkiss, M., Heyne, L. (2020, November).  12807: Interprofessional collaboration: Authentic engagement and discovery through a health professions case competition. Proposal accepted at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (Convention canceled).