2013 Annual Report

This past year has been one of great transition within the Centre as far as research, teaching and staff are concerned. 2013 has seen a continuation of our research collaboration with Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta, USA, on a National Institute of Health (NIH) Fogarty grant. This grant allows the researchers to study speech and language delays in children with neurodevelopmental disorders from four language backgrounds in South Africa. It has also provided postgraduate students the opportunity to participate in collaborative international research, thereby providing a rich learning experience. In addition, the project’s staff exchange enabled UP staff members to visit GSU and vice versa and allowed them to not only sharpen their expertise at both research and practical implementation level, but also to complement our research network.

The translation of research findings into practice is now receiving major attention from the media and from government, which gives the Centre a strategic advantage, as translational research and writing to improve public awareness have been our focus for many years. We were delighted at receiving the “Hamlet outstanding achievement award” in recognition of our service delivery to individuals with intellectual disabilities in South Africa. The Centre staff disseminated our research findings at a number of national and international seminars and conferences, with a focus on the African continent (Zimbabwe, Kenya and Morocco) during 2013. A variety of workshops and skills shops were also conducted – a crucial focus area in a country such as South Africa with a critical skills shortage and limited knowledge about AAC. These conferences, seminars and workshops provided important opportunities for networking and established new collaborations with other researchers, AAC practitioners, service providers and stakeholders.