Oliver Wendt

Assistant Professor
Special Education, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Program
Department of Educational Studies, and Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Education

Ph.D.	Purdue University, 2006, Special Education/Transdisciplinary AAC Program
M.S.	University of Cologne, Germany, 2000, Special Education/Developmental Disabilities
M.A.	University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1998, Special Education/AAC
B.S.	University of Cologne, Germany, 1996, Education and Psychology

Courses Taught

EDPS 261	Early Field Experience in Special Education
EDPS 310	Characteristics of Students with Severe Disabilities (undergraduate)
EDPS 363	Psychoeducational, Medical, and Physical Aspects of Students with Disabilities

EDPS 364	Practicum in Special Education Assessment
EDPS 571	Lafayette, West University, Purdue Assistant,>Advanced Assistive Technology
EDPS 591C	Characteristics of Students with Severe Disabilities (graduate)

Professional Experience

2006- present	Assistant Professor of Special Education, and Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2005-2006	Instructor in Special Education, Department of Educational Studies, College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2004-2005	Doctoral Research Fellow, Transdisciplinary AAC Program, College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2000-2004	Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1996	Rehabilitation Counselor, Workshop for People with Disabilities, Calden, Germany
1995	Direct Care Worker, Christophorus Home for People with Multiple and Profound Disabilities, Gottingen, Germany
1993-1994	Teacher's Aid, Preschool for Children with Developmental and Multiple Disabilities - German Red Cross, Hannoversch Munden, Germany

Research

My main research interests concentrate on children with developmental disabilities and significant communication disorders. Within this population, I am particularly interested in interventions based on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT). My current research investigates the efficacy of AAC and AT through systematic reviews and intervention studies using single-subject research designs. The knowledge gained from these efficacy studies is used to promote evidence-based practice (EBP) in communication disorders and special education. Another strand of my research is concerned with multicultural and cross-linguistic aspects of AAC, especially those related to symbol acquisition in culturally and linguistically-diverse learners.

Selected Publications

• Wendt, O., Quist, R.W., & Lloyd, L.L. (Eds.)(in press).  Assistive Technology.  Principles and Applications for Communication Disorders and Special Education.  San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
  
  
• Wendt, O. (2006, September). Searching for and finding evidence in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 15(3), 19-21.
  
  
• Wendt, O. (2006, September). Critically Appraised Topics: An approach to critical appraisal of evidence. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 15(3), 24-26.
  
  
• Schlosser, R.W., Wendt, O., Bhavnani, S., & Nail-Chiwetalu, B. (2006). Use of information-seeking strategies for developing systematic reviews and engaging in evidence-based practice: the application of traditional and comprehensive pearl growing. A review. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41(5), 567-582.
  
  
• Schlosser, R.W., Wendt, O., Angermeier, K.L., & Shetty, M. (2005). Searching for evidence in augmentative and alternative communication: Navigating a scattered literature. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 21(4), 233-255.
  
  
• Wendt, O. (2005). Unterstutzte Kommunikation bei Amyotropher Lateralsklerose (ALS) [Augmentative and alternative communication for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. In International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication - German (Ed.), Handbuch der Unterstutzten Kommunikation [Handbook of augmentative and alternative communication]. Karlsruhe, Germany: von Loeper.