Richard J. Welland

Biography

Dr. Welland is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist. He completed the M.H.Sc. degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto in 1980. He later obtained his Ph.D. degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences at The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. His doctoral research investigated whether conventionalized gestures (Amer-Ind) might facilitate spoken language comprehension in adults with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT).

Research Interest

Dr. Welland’s research currently has two distinct foci. The first research focus involves age-related changes to cognitive-linguistic abilities, framed specifically within an environmental/social participation approach to communication. More specifically, Dr. Welland is interested in the following research topics: Discourse comprehension and executive function skills of adults with and without a variety of neurologically-based language and cognitive-linguistic disorders (e.g., aphasia, Alzheimer disease, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson disease); Comprehension of Amer-Ind Gestural Code and other gestures by adults with aphasia and older adults with Alzheimer disease; The influence of speech-accompanying gestures on cognitive-linguistic skills among adults with Alzheimer disease and other dementias; The efficacy of social participation approaches to aphasia rehabilitation; Speech and gestural accommodations when addressing older adults with perceived cognitive impairment. Dr. Welland’s second research focus involves the development of professionalism and professional practice among Speech-Language Pathologists. A current project employs qualitative research methods to investigate the experiences and perceptions of novice Speech-Language Pathologists, as they transition from graduate students to practicing clinicians.