STEM Shoutout: Dr. Cathy Binger

Study gives children with speech impairments iPads to help them communicate

UNM professor Cathy Binger is working on a project that helps young children with severe speech impairments communicate by using an iPad to form sentences.

In conjunction with Dr. Jennifer Kent-Walsh, this five-year project is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“The results are expected to provide strong evidence that even young children can quickly learn to generate their own sentences, once they are provided with the right tools and teaching techniques,” Binger said. “When we provide these children with easy-to-access words in form of picture symbols on iPad apps in combination with evidence-based teaching techniques, we can help them express themselves more fully and help others to see their true learning potential.”