The Using Systemic Functional Linguistics to Understand Neurogenic Communication Disorders (USeFuL) Project is an multi-site, international collaboration of communication sciences and disorders researchers founded in 2022. The principle aims of the collaboration are to:
- Spread awareness of systemic functional linguistics and discourse structure analysis among speech-language pathologists. We want to help clinicians understand the value of a data-driven, function-oriented theory of linguistics and show how it can be used to guide the provision of client-centered services for people with neurogenic communication disorders.
- In collaboration with practicing clinicians and people with neurogenic communication disorders, develop psychometrically sound conversation-focused assessments that can be used to evaluate communication function in people with neurogenic communication disorders and their communication partners. We aim to leverage various technologies (video recording, automatic transcription systems, computer assisted data coding) to ensure that these assessments can be used in real clinical settings, within the time and resource constraints that clinicians must deal operate within. The assessments we develop will be the product of a series of research projects in which we gather (or use data gathered by others) in everyday settings, and subject the data to various forms of SFL-based analysis.
- In collaboration with practicing clinicians and people with neurogenic communication disorders, develop interventions that enable people with neurogenic communication disorders and their communication partners to have more meaningful, enjoyable conversations. Our focus is on helping our clients develop skills that they will be able to draw on across a wide variety of contexts, including in chats with their family and friends, conversations related to hobbies and leisure pursuits, conversations that grant access to community services and events and conversations that form an important part of work life. Again, we plan to develop therapy approaches that are useable and feasible in typical clinical settings, where time and resources may be limited.
Who are the members of the USeFuL Project?
Christa M. Akers, Thomas Jefferson University
Brent Archer, Project Co-ordinator, Director: Aphasia CHAT Lab Interactional Aphasiology Lab, Bowling Green State University
Rimke Groenewold, Applied Health Research Group, University Medical Center, Groningen
Ryan S. Husak, La Salle University
Louise Keegan, Moravian University
Marion C. Leaman, Director: Aphasia Language, Learning, Communication and Conversation (ALL-CAN-Converse) Laboratory , University of Kansas Medical Center
Zaneta Mok, Australian Catholic University
Liz Spencer, The University of Newcastle
Eleanor Gulick, Interactional Aphasiology Lab, Bowling Green State University