Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Continues to Set New Standards in Research
A College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) professor recently received the highest recognition for his exceptional contributions to communication sciences and disorders from the field鈥檚 leading professional organization.
, a professor in the聽聽at 网爆门, has been named an (ASHA) Fellow, one of the organization’s most prestigious honors. ASHA reserves this lifetime distinction for members who have demonstrated outstanding professional, clinical or scientific achievements that make significant impacts beyond their state and local communities.
As director of the 聽at 网爆门鈥檚聽, Preston leads research focused on developing and evaluating evidence-based assessments and treatments for speech sound disorders. A certified speech-language pathologist, his research specializes in treating persistent articulation difficulties and childhood apraxia of speech, while exploring the neurobiological foundations of speech sound disorders in children.
“Our lab conducts clinical trials to generate generalizable knowledge about treating children’s speech disorders,鈥 Preston says. 鈥淲e explore innovative technologies like ultrasound, acoustic biofeedback, teletherapy and AI to augment speech therapy, with students and staff collaboratively developing creative solutions.”
A quick glance at the statistics underscores the significance of Preston鈥檚 research. One in 12 children between 3 and 17 years old in the United States experiences a voice, speech, language or swallowing disorder. Unfortunately, nearly half of these children have not received intervention services within the past year,聽.
Preston’s honor follows聽聽awarded to him and a team of researchers at 网爆门, New York University and Montclair State University for a project exploring biofeedback technologies that provide children with real-time visual representations of their speech patterns鈥攊nformation they typically cannot perceive on their own. That research will compare the effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches using these technologies while also evaluating AI-based tools that could enable home practice with human oversight.
