A College of Arts and Sciences professor recently received the highest recognition for his exceptional contributions to communication sciences and disorders from the field’s leading professional organization.
Jonathan Preston, a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Syracuse University, has been named an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Fellow, one of the organization's most prestigious honors. ASHA reserves this lifetime distinction for members who have demonstrated outstanding professional, clinical or scientific achievements that make significant impacts beyond their state and local communities.
As director of the Speech Production Laboratory at Syracuse University’s Gebbie Clinic, Preston leads research focused on developing and evaluating evidence-based assessments and treatments for speech sound disorders. A certified speech-language pathologist, his research specializes in treating persistent articulation difficulties and childhood apraxia of speech, while exploring the neurobiological foundations of speech sound disorders in children.
"Our lab conducts clinical trials to generate generalizable knowledge about treating children's speech disorders,” Preston says. “We explore innovative technologies like ultrasound, acoustic biofeedback, teletherapy and AI to augment speech therapy, with students and staff collaboratively developing creative solutions."
A quick glance at the statistics underscores the significance of Preston’s research. One in 12 children between 3 and 17 years old in the United States experiences a voice, speech, language or swallowing disorder. Unfortunately, nearly half of these children have not received intervention services within the past year, according to ASHA statistics.
Preston's honor follows a recent National Institutes of Health grant awarded to him and a team of researchers at Syracuse University, New York University and Montclair State University for a project exploring biofeedback technologies that provide children with real-time visual representations of their speech patterns—information they typically cannot perceive on their own. That research will compare the effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches using these technologies while also evaluating AI-based tools that could enable home practice with human oversight.
About ASHA
ASHA serves as the national professional, scientific and credentialing organization for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language and hearing scientists. With 234,000 members, certificate holders and affiliates, the organization works to make effective communication possible for all people.