Jennifer Thistle
دانشیار · Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Western Washington Universityمعرفی
Dr. Jennifer Thistle is an Associate Professor and Post-Baccalaureate Program Director in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Washington University. She holds a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. from Emerson College. Previously, she taught at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before joining Western in 2017. Her research focuses on enhancing AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) interventions for children with complex communication needs, particularly exploring symbol design features like background color and arrangement, literacy development in AAC users, and pedagogical strategies in graduate AAC education.
Dr. Thistle’s academic interests span AAC display design, motor learning in communication, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her work emphasizes evidence-based practices to improve communication access and clinician training. She contributes to the Speech-Language and Hearing Clinics at Western, providing hands-on educational opportunities for students.
Her publications highlight interdisciplinary collaboration, with recent studies addressing AAC in emergency communication scenarios, clinician decision-making in AAC design, and cognitive processes in AAC education. Though no scientific awards are explicitly listed, her extensive publication record reflects sustained academic impact in communication disorders.
Dr. Thistle’s teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses on child language disorders, normal language development, and AAC. She advocates for active listening skills in SLP trainees and emphasizes practical application of AAC principles. No grants are mentioned in the provided text, though her research aligns with funding priorities in disability technology and educational innovation.
