AAC Researchers Discuss Autism, Accessibility, and ‘Expensive Speech’

Speech-language pathologist Amy L. Donaldson returns to the podcast with two fellow members of Portland State University’s Autism and Social Communication Lab, SLP Brandon Eddy and AAC research lead Alyssa Hillary Zisk.

When Donaldson was most recently on the podcast, she spoke about normalizing and destigmatizing AAC use. In this episode, Donaldson, Eddy, and Zisk continue with a conversation on AAC, communication access, and agency.

Guests discuss what it means to use a participatory research model in their lab, and they share updates on the work they are doing in their lab around topics like internal speech experiences, “expensive speech,” and universal access.

Transcript

Learn More:

• ASHA Voices: An SLP’s Path to Leading a Neurodiversity-Affirming Clinic
• ASHA Voices: A Neurodivergent SLP on Creating Affirming Spaces for Clients, Colleagues, and Herself
• Autistic Communication: A Survey of School-Based Professionals
•  “Everyone Deserves AAC”: Preliminary Study of the Experiences of Speaking Autistic Adults Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Disability in Speech and Hearing Sciences: Reflections on Representation
• Communication Participation Item Bank — A tool that measures how communication affects participation in everyday life situations.
• National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) — ASHA’s data collection system that incorporates patient-reported outcomes measures, including the CPIB, to help evaluate functional communication outcomes and participation in real-world settings.