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Andrea Barton-Hulsey and Michelle Therrien, associate professors in the FSU School of Communication Science and Disorders, are part of a multi-institutional team awarded a $5M grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help develop AI-enhanced tools for children with significant speech and language limitations. (Alexey Tsibin\/Adobe Stock)\t\t<\/p>\n
Florida State University researchers are part of a multi-institutional team awarded a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop new tools using artificial intelligence to help children with speech and language limitations communicate.<\/p>\n
Andrea Barton-Hulsey and Michelle Therrien, associate professors in the FSU School of Communication Science and Disorders<\/a>, will lead two of six projects supported by the five-year Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication grant.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s work focuses on developing AI-enhanced tools to help children with significant speech and language limitations communicate more easily and precisely. Notably, the collaborative effort also includes a constituent board of adults who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), ensuring that the research is guided by the expertise and lived experiences of people with disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI am thrilled that the work of Dr. Therrien and Dr. Barton-Hulsey is being supported through this significant funding,\u201d said Dean Michelle Kazmer of FSU\u2019s College of Communication and Information. \u201cTheir combined expertise and innovative application of AI will help improve the lives of young people, both those who use augmentative and alternative communication tools as well as those who interact with them. Their impactful solutions in application of health technologies align beautifully with FSU Health and with the needs of children in Florida and across the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n Therrien\u2019s research project focuses on identifying \u201csocial zones\u201d on playgrounds, analyzing the language used in those zones and developing technology supports to help children who use AAC communicate more effectively with their peers.<\/p>\n \u201cFriendships are protective factors for physical health, mental health, academic performance, and community engagement,\u201d Therrien said. \u201cGiving children a voice is critical to building relationships and preventing social isolation.\u201d<\/p>\n Barton-Hulsey leads the literacy assessment portion of the grant, which aims to create and evaluate new technology for assessing literacy in children with intellectual or developmental disabilities who use AAC.<\/p>\n \u201cProviding young children with communication tools not only gives them credibility but also prevents judgment about their true abilities, opening doors to academic learning and further development,\u201d Barton-Hulsey said.<\/p>\n Both projects are part of a larger collaborative effort involving researchers from FSU, University of Arkansas, Auburn University, Penn State University and Temple University, as well as the constituent board of adult AAC users. The team\u2019s efforts also include ensuring that participants are fairly compensated for their expertise and time.<\/p>\n \u201cThese grants allow us to address gaps in supporting early communication and literacy development for children who use limited or no speech,\u201d Barton-Hulsey said. \u201cOur collaboration with engineers, educators and adults who use AAC is essential to developing effective tools and strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n The projects under the grant add to the growing body of research based at FSU that help generate and share innovative strategies for improving human communication across the entire lifespan.<\/p>\n \u201cThis grant is a testament to the expertise and innovative approaches of Dr. Barton-Hulsey and Dr. Therrien\u00a0to solving real-world challenges,\u201d said SCSD Director Carla Wood. \u201cThis\u00a0award positions our school as a vital hub for cutting-edge AAC research that will directly impact clinical practice, inform how we prepare the next generation of practitioners, and strengthen our collaborative work through FSU Health to serve children and families in our community and beyond. We are incredibly proud that their work helps ensure that every child has access to the communication tools they need.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about FSU\u2019s College of Communication and Information, visit cci.fsu.edu. To learn more about FSU\u2019s School of Communication Science and Disorders, visit commdisorders.cci.fsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Michelle-Therrien-Headshot-scaled-1-256x256.jpg\")
Michelle Therrien.<\/p>\n![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Andrea-Barton-Hulsey-Headshot-thumbnail.jpg\")
Andrea Barton-Hulsey.<\/p>\n