Speech and Language Disorders in Adults and Children

Cynthia Cress, an associate professor in communication disorders, specializes in language development and disorders, early intervention, and augmentative communication -- adding electronic, symbol, sign and/or gesture strategies to communicate. She teaches classes on language development, preschool language disorders, linguistic diversity in bilingual and bicultural learners, communication assessment and intervention for children birth to 3 years old and communication assessment intervention for persons with severe disabilities and autism. She also teaches an infant communication analysis seminar. (Updated December 2024.)

Angela Dietsch studies the sensory and motor aspects of neural control for speech, voice, and swallowing functions, across age groups, genders and health conditions. To better understand and treat speech, voice, and swallowing disorders, she has mapped the neural networks that underlie taste perception, speech and swallowing coordination, and tongue movements. She teaches classes in speech, voice, and swallowing disorders and directs the Sensorimotor Integration for Swallowing and Communication Laboratory. An associate professor and graduate chair for the Department of Special Education Disorders, Dietsch is among resident faculty at UNL’s Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior. (Updated June 2025)

Steven Barlow studies the neurobiology of the somatosensory and motor systems -- the parts of the nervous system that transmit sensations such as pain, pressure or warmth, and control voluntary and involuntary movement, such as speech and swallowing and movement of hands, fingers, feet and toes. Much of Barlow’s career has focused on facilitating brain development among infants born prematurely. In recent years, he has turned to brain plasticity among adult stroke patients, working with biological systems engineers to develop the pTACS Somatosensory Biomedical Device. The pTACS is a patented portable treatment that uses micro pulses of air to trigger nerve responses to reduce brain damage resulting from strokes. Barlow also invented the NTrainer System, which similarly uses pulsed skin stimulation to aid in developing feeding skills, brain development and behavior and learning outcomes for premature infants. The Corwin Moore Professor of Special Education and Communication Disorders, Barlow holds a courtesy appointment with Biological Systems Engineering and is among resident faculty at the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior. (Updated June 2025.)

Kristy Weissling is a state and national expert on communication disorders that affect people after brain injuries or illnesses like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), or Alzheimer’s. Her research focuses on finding better ways to help people who have lost the ability to speak due to these conditions. She specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)—a field that explores tools and techniques to help people communicate when they can’t rely on natural speech. This might include using picture boards, gestures, or high-tech devices that turn text into spoken words. Weissling studies how to match the right communication tools to each person’s needs and how speech-language pathologists make decisions in complex clinical situations. She has also worked on state and national efforts to improve stroke care and rehabilitation services, particularly in rural areas where access can be limited. In addition to her research, Weissling is deeply committed to teaching. She helps train future speech-language pathologists and teaches courses on topics like aphasia, dementia, and communication technology. Weissling currently serves as the speech-language pathology program director at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and is completing a term as interim department chair. She is an active member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSLHA), and the Nebraska Stroke Association. (Updated June 2025).