Realizing Expressive Knowledge in Everyone with Communication Impairments

Welcome from our director

This is an image of Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken, a smiling woman in her 60's with short dark hair and a red jacket.

The REKNEW research group addresses the complex communication needs of children and adult groups with developmental, acquired and/or neurodegenerative disabilities. We work on many different REKNEW projects, targeting different childhood and adult groups and communication supports. Our approach is based on a philosophy of Participatory Action Research: we believe that individuals with complex communication needs should be part of our research endeavors, from the initial questions posed in a study to the dissemination of research results.

We invite you to explore our website and examine our different clinical research projects. We would be happy to discuss our work with you, whether you are interested in participating in a study, supporting us, learning about our recent publications or knowledge translation activities, or just finding out more about communication supports for adults and children.

~Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken

Who funds our work

Who we work with

REKNEW Projects are conducted in collaboration with various community partners as well as the following organizations:

REKNEW projects have reached out to several populations, including adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), Locked-In Syndrome (LIS) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We have also looked at the outcomes of training caregivers in Alzheimer’s Care Units to use communication systems with their residents.

Our technologies

Brain-computer interface systems

Our research seeks to develop an efficient and effective brain computer interface (BCI) system that will serve as a communication access method for individuals with locked-in syndrome. We strive to improve the accuracy and speed of the technology, as well as user satisfaction, for a system that can be used for functional written and spoken expression.

View more information about our BCI systems and how you can get involved in our studies

Smart Predict App for AAC Conversation

Our research seeks to develop a unique and practical Smart Prediction AAC system that exploits the physical skills, language skills, and shared world knowledge of a nondisabled co-constructor to support the AAC user. By examining message generation from a co-construction perspective, we are reimagining the concept of AAC conversation and the turn-taking paradigms that are standard in this rehabilitation field, and may offer the field of AAC an innovative and unique way to improve communication effectiveness in complex communication dyads.

View more information on our Smart Predict system

Upcoming events

None currently.

Latest news

Congratulations to Betts Peters PhD CCC-SLP for her recent election to the BCI Society Board.

Betts Peters, Ph.D., CCC-SLP and Dan Klee, B.S. presenting their posters related to brain-computer interface (BCI) on behalf of the Consortium for Accessible Multimodal Brain-Body Interfaces (CAMBI) team at the International BCI Society meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium in June 2023.

A woman and man stand smiling in front of research poster at the International BCI Meeting in Brussels.

A group of people enjoying a dinner at an outdoor table at a restaurant in Brussels.

CAMBI team members, Betts Peters, Ph.D., CCC-SLP and Dan Klee, B.S. present posters at the OHSU Research Week in May, 2023.

A man and woman having a conversation while standing in front of a research poster.

A woman wearing a PPE face mask discusses her research poster with a colleague.

Melanie Fried-Oken, PhD presenting at the July 2023 International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) conference in Cancun, Mexico. Her co-presenters were Dr. Keith Vertanen (Michigan Tech University) and Will Wade (ACE Center, UK).

Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken presenting at the ISAAC Conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken holding an award she was given at the ISAAC Conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Congratulations to Melanie Fried-Oken, PhD who was named a fellow of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) at the 2023 conference in Cancun, Mexico this past July!

Richard Rosenbaum, MD, tries out a brain-computer interface system with Betts Peters, PhD, CCC-SLP after joining the Consortium for Accessible Multimodal Brain-Body Interfaces (CAMBI) in July 2023.