Scope - Therapy, Training, Consultancy - Communication Resource Centre

Research - February 2004

Staff at the Communication Resource Centre are engaged in a number of research projects. Here is a summary-

Determining the construct validity of the Triple C - Checklist of Communicative Competence.
Denise West, Karen Bloomberg and Teresa Iacono have recently completed analysis of checklists completed for 170 adults with an intellectual disability. The study aims to determine the validity of the Triple C as an assessment tool. A prospective study into how the Triple C compares to data obtained from direct observation is also planned for the future.
Changes in attitudes towards and willingness to work with people with complex communication needs: Potential impact of a course in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Hilary Johnson and Karen Bloomberg are investigating how comfortable undergraduate speech pathology students are in interacting with people with disabilities and whether this level of comfort changes at the completion of their course. Of particular interest is whether their level of comfort relates to their plans to work in the disability field. The project will also determine how many recent speech pathology graduates are working in disability and how well they feel their undergraduate training prepared them for this.
Measuring the outcomes of speech pathology intervention for adults with developmental disability and complex communication needs.
This project is partially funded by a Speech Pathology Australia Clinician Research Grant awarded to Karen Bloomberg. Karen, Sheridan Forster, Ruth Bryce and Teresa Iacono are investigating the usefulness of a new assessment tool in planning and evaluating intervention. The tool is - Social Networks: A Communication Inventory for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs and their Communication Partners
Assessment of communication skills in preschool children with physical and multiple disabilities.
Another project also being funded by a Speech Pathology Australia Clinician Research Grant (awarded to Gayle Porter) is collaboration between the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre and the Communication Resource Centre. Gayle and Teresa Iacono will utilise data obtained using structured and unstructured sampling procedures to develop a coding scheme for levels and modes of communication in children with multiple disabilities, and cues that scaffold their communication.

For further details contact Dr. Teresa Iacono
Tel: (03) 9843 2018
Email: tiacono.crc@scopevic.org.au