Joanne Lasker

Joanne Lasker's teaching and research focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), specifically for adults living with acquired neurogenic disorders. She has published numerous papers and chapters related to assessment and treatment of adults with acquired communication disorders who may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication techniques, in particular people living with aphasia.

Her work has been published in several refereed journals, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology, and Clinical Aphasiology.

In collaboration with Dr. Kathryn L. Garrett, Dr. Lasker created an on-line assessment tool entitled the Multimodal Communication Screening Test for People with Aphasia (MCST-A), designed for people with aphasia who may be suitable for AAC intervention. She has received funding to systematically investigate a treatment technique combining speech generating devices and speech practice for adults with apraxia of speech.

Dr. Lasker participated as a member of the Medicare Implementation Team panel – a group of professionals who advocated successfully for Medicare funding of AAC speech generating devices for adults with acquired communication disorders. In addition, she served for three years on the Steering Committee for the Division on AAC as part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

In 2009, Dr. Lasker and Dr. Garrett won the ASHA Leader Outstanding Contribution Award for Speech-Language Pathology, for their article entitled, "Aphasia and AAC: Enhancing communication across health care settings."

Watch Joanne Lasker talk about her work:

• In the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
• On creating a speech assessment tool