News

IRL Lab Receives Grant to Study Effects of Aphasia Identification Cards

Congratulations to the IRL lab for receiving a grant for their study, “PAUSE” (Processes and Attitudes Underlying Service Encounters), awarded by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This study will investigate the potential benefits of presenting aphasia identification cards to service workers before interactions.

Mack Receives Grant to Study Effects of Aphasia Identification Cards : School of Public Health & Health Sciences : UMass Amherst

Lilly Fellowship for Teaching Excellence

Congrats to Jennifer Mack on being selected as a 2024-2025 Lilly Fellow for Teaching Excellence!

Jennifer will create an evidence-guided redesign of her course, Introduction to Language Science (SLHS 215). This is an important class for students in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences because it introduces the structure of language and its cognitive and social bases. The class introduces this topic through an inclusive exploration of differences in language abilities and language experiences.

https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/news/mack-awarded-lilly-fellowship

Self-advocacy scripts improve listeners’ attitudes towards people with aphasia

For many people with aphasia, it can be helpful to develop a “script” to explain their aphasia to others and to ask for communication support. Our lab’s recent study showed that when people without aphasia listen to these scripts, their attitudes towards people with aphasia improve. They learn about aphasia and become more patient and empathetic. This can make a big difference in everyday interactions.

Please check out the article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/YIGX4AUT8PTUI4C9BDBJ/full?target=10.1080/02687038.2024.2373450

Colleen Ward presents research on aphasia self-disclosure at the 2021 ASHA Convention’s virtual library

On November 18, 2021, Colleen Ward, a NOLA graduate research assistant and second-year master’s student in the SLP program, is presenting her undergraduate honors thesis through a virtual technical research session at the hybrid 2021 ASHA Convention. The ASHA Convention is “the premier annual professional development and networking event for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists” (About the ASHA Convention). Colleen’s 30-minute presentation, titled “The Effect of Aphasia ID Cards on Neurotypical Comprehension of Aphasic Language,” will be available for viewing in the ASHA Convention Virtual Library for the duration of the conference.

NOLA Lab presents at the 2021 Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference and School of Public Health and Health Sciences Research Day

On April 23, 2021 Christine Reggio, Grace Haskell, and Joan Laramee presented their research at the 2021 Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference. Colleen Ward, Lindsay Hohenberg, Christina Clark, and Sarah Martins presented their research at the SPHHS Research Day. Congratulations to all of the lab members who presented their research!