Augmentative and Alternative Communication Laboratory
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Laboratory is part of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso. It is run and directed by Associate Professor Vannesa Mueller, Ph.D., Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist CCC-SLP.
The AAC laboratory focuses on the following goals/objectives:
- Examination of the ways in which the use of baby sign impacts the early linguistic environment and early speech and language perception of typically hearing infants.
- Investigation and development of effective and efficient baby sign training strategies.
- Creation of multimedia educational resources for families of children with complex communication needs.
This laboratory focuses on working with individuals with complex communication needs including but not limited to the following diagnoses: Autism, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Aphasia, and Head Injury. In addition to research, the lab strives to serve these populations clinically by providing access to AAC devices and other clinical support services such as evaluation, voice banking, device programming, instruction, and implementation.
For more information, to participate in a study, or to volunteer as a student in the Lab, please contact Vannesa Mueller at (915) 747-8221 or at vtmueller@utep.edu