Announcing Exciting partnership with Penn State University
Oregon Health & Science University and The Pennsylvania State University are pleased to announce the establishment of a partnership for the development of current and future research in the area of Augmentative & Alternative Communication
This exciting new collaboration will focus on research and development to enhance communication, increase participation, and improve quality of life for children and adults who have complex communication needs, including children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, aphasia, dementia, and acquired motor speech disorders.
Our vision is to increase communication access for every person who is experiencing challenges because of developmental or acquired disabilities.
REKNEW Projects are researching ways that Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can support adults with degenerative neurological disease as they experience complex communication impairments. REKNEW Projects are conducted in collaboration with various community partners as well as the following organizations:
- Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center
- Center for Spoken Language Understanding
- OHSU outpatient ENT
- OHSU Neurology clinics
- AAC-Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) in Communication Enhancement
- National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDRR)
REKNEW Projects have reached out to several populations, including adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), Locked-in Syndrome (LIS), Dysarthria, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We have also looked at the outcomes of training caregivers in Alzheimer’s Care Units to use communication systems with their residents.
