Ways you can help:
- Donate! Every lab needs money to fund research projects, compensate participants for their time, buy and upkeep equipment (such as eye-tracking devices, headphones appropriate for transcription of audio files, and some labs even need neuro-imaging equipment), and to get the word out about their findings.
- Participate in a study. If you qualify to participate in a study, labs often need volunteers! Every experiment is different, so you will have a unique experience you won't forget. Even if you don't have a communication disorder, many researchers are looking for control groups for their studies, or normed sample groups for new tests they are developing.
- Join a research team. If you are enrolled in a university (or hope to enroll), contact the director of a laboratory that is doing research that interests you. This benefits the lab, because they will have another hard worker to assist in data collection and/or analysis, and it also benefits you by giving you experience in the research world. Even if you don't plan to pursue a PhD, you will learn so much about the research process, best practice, and you'll be very up to date about any new findings!
If there is a specific population with communication disorders that you would like to support (such as stroke victims, individuals with rare genetic syndromes, individuals with Autism and learning differences, etc.), ask and offer your help in those areas. If we work together to help improve the lives of people with communication disorders, evaluations and treatments will improve. The more we know and understand, the better we can connect with each other—whether we have communication disorders or not!
