The REKNEW research group addresses the complex communication needs of children and adults with developmental, acquired and/or neurodegenerative disabilities. We work on many different REKNEW projects, targeting different adult groups and communication supports. Our approach is based on a philosophy of Participatory Action Research: we believe that individuals with complex communication needs should be part of our research endeavors, from the initial questions posed in a study to the dissemination of research results.

We invite you to explore our website and examine our different clinical research projects. We would be happy to discuss our work with you, whether you are interested in participating in a study, supporting us, learning about our recent publications or knowledge translation activities, or just finding out more about communication supports for adults.

~Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken

REKNEW team members Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken, Aimee Mooney and Michelle Kinsella presented the on line interactive tool, Thinking about Thinking for AAC (TaT4AAC), at Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference on January 30, 2019. This national conference is attended by the assistive technology industry, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) specialists, special educators and other rehabilitation professionals. The TaT4AAC is a resource designed to provide summaries from literature in the fields of AAC and cognition. Clinicians and AAC technology developers access information regarding the attention, memory, and executive function demands that different AAC technology features impose upon people with complex communication needs. This online tool will be widely available free on charge in October 2019 as a resource to increase the awareness of cognition and AAC technologies.