Collaborations

The Parent Perspective: How to Best Support Mothers and Fathers of AAC Users 

 Supporting families on their AAC journey is essential, however navigating this can be challenging. Understanding mothers’ and fathers’ perspectives is critical in improving outcomes and preventing system abandonment.  This project aims to determine the potential similarities and differences between the perspectives of Mothers and Fathers of AAC users.  Parents of AAC users will be interviewed and asked to share their experiences supporting their child. Common themes from interviews will be compiled into a list of implementations “Do’s” and “Don'ts” and disseminated to practitioners and researchers. This project will help guide SLPs with practices they should implement, continue, or avoid, when collaborating with mothers and fathers of AAC users. Lynsey Lobdell and Brie Norton (see picture and bio below) are working as collaborators with this project. 

Lynsey Lobdell, M.S., CCC-SLP 

Lynsey Lobdell, M.S., CCC-SLP specializes in augmentative/alternative communication, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and bilingual populations. Over the past 11 years, she has worked in a variety of settings including public schools, early intervention, home health, and private practice. She currently works for Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. in Northwest Arkansas where she developed a comprehensive Augmentative/Alternative Communication Program in 2013. The AAC Program focuses on family support, collaboration, and improved community awareness for improved communication outcomes.

Brie Norton, M.S., CCC-SLP 

Brie Norton, M.S., CCC-SLP specializes in supporting individuals with complex communication needs. Brie’s BA in Education and Psychology led her to pursue her MS in Communication Disorders. For the past 10 years, Brie has worked in the Bentonville School District in Bentonville, Arkansas with students, staff, and caregivers to ensure students have a comprehensive communication system. She also provides training to staff, family, and private service providers to increase knowledge of best practices in the field of AAC. 

Other Collaborators: 

Kenn Apel, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of South Carolina. He was formerly the chair of the department, but now dedicates his time to research. Dr. Apel has over 30 years of experience conducting research in the areas of written and spoken language. His most recent research focuses on the reading and spelling skills of children, specifically morphological awareness and orthographic knowledge. Dr. Kenn Apel has recently collaborated with Dr. Victoria Henbest to develop the standardized assessment, the Morphological Awareness Test for Reading and Spelling (MATRS). 

Yingshan Huang. Ph.D., recently earned her doctoral degree from the University of South Alabama. She presented a dissertation study in November of 2023: Emergent Literacy and Early Reading Skills in Chinese-Mandarin: Evidence from Kindergarten and First Grade Children. Dr. Huang was a university professor in China prior to her attendance at the University of South Alabama. She worked with Dr. Brenda Beverly throughout her time in the doctoral program.