ISSN: 2375-4427
+44-77-2385-9429
Donald R. Fuller
Professor, Department of Communication Disorders
Eastern Washington University, USA
Donald R. Fuller, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Eastern Washington University (EWU). Having nearly a quarter century of experience in higher education, Dr. Fuller was involved in the creation of the speech-language pathology department at Florida International University and was the founding chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania. He served as chair of the communication disorders department at EWU from 2004-2012. Dr. Fullers primary area of expertise is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with primary emphasis on developmental disabilities. He is a co-author of two textbooks and has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed professional articles and made numerous conference presentations. He has served as a consulting editor for the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication and was an associate editor for that journal for six years. Dr. Fuller is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Dr. Fuller's research interests include efficacy studies on voice output communication aids and devices (e.g., the effect of rate of synthetic speech on intelligibility); characteristics of aided AAC symbols (e.g., iconicity and complexity) and their effects on symbol acquisition and retention; acquisition of AAC symbols by persons with cognitive impairments; the linguistics of American Sign Language; the use of microcomputers in teaching individuals with speech and language disorders and in teaching individuals with varying disabilities; the use of microcomputer technology in the manufacture of assistive devices for persons who are non-speaking; and visual perception of aided AAC symbols.