Dr Alison Purcell
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Qualifications: BAppSc (Speech Path) MAppSc (Speech Path) PhD Positions held:
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Biography
Dr Alison Purcell is speech pathologist whose area of research and teaching expertise is with children with communication impairments as a result of hearing loss or cleft palate. Alison’s research focuses on how to improve communication outcomes for these children. In order to understand the communication problems of children with hearing loss and cleft palate Alison has evaluated the best ways to measure their speech and language abilities and profiled the speech and language skills of these children compared to their typical peers.
As an investigator on the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH) Alison is currently profiling the hearing, speech and language abilities of urban Aboriginal children. SEARCH is a community-initiated study, responding to community priorities. It now includes 1700 urban Aboriginal children aged 0-17 years attending ACCHSs and is the largest cohort study of urban Aboriginal children ever conducted. Four ACCHSs located in urban and large regional centres in NSW are part of SEARCH: Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney (Mount Druitt); Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation (Campbelltown); Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation (Wagga Wagga; children in urban areas only), and Awabakal Newcastle Aboriginal Co-operative (children in urban areas only). At May 2011 over 600 Aboriginal children aged 1-7 years have completed the development, speech and language assessments.
In order to improve access for Aboriginal children to speech pathology intervention, Alison facilitated a new University of Sydney Student Speech Pathology clinic to be implemented in the Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney. This allows the SEARCH children who have been identified to have a speech or language delay, even of mild degree, to have access to timely and appropriate specialist intervention.
Teaching and Service Responsibilities
Alison teaches and supervises honours, masters and PHD students in her areas of expertise in hearing loss, cleft palate and Aboriginal issues. Alison is the clinic coordinator for her discipline and has responsibility for the speech pathology clinical curriculum and placements for both the undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Alison manages the Communication Disorders Treatment and Research Clinic located at Cumberland Campus.
Committee Memberships:
- Indigenous Issues Teaching Interest Group
- Clinical and Professional Fieldwork Subcommittee
Selected Publications
- Young, S.E., Ballard, K.J., Purcell, A.A. and Heard; R. (in press, accepted February 2011) Communication and cognition profiles in parents of children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology.
- Hogan, A., Shipley, M., Strazdins, L., Purcell, A., Baker, E. (in press, accepted April 2011) Risks to mental health among children with hearing loss – a preliminary study. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
- Young, S. E., Purcell, A, Ballard, K. (2010) Expressive language skills in Chinese Singaporean preschoolers with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinology. 74 (5), 456-464.
- McCabe, P., Purcell, A., Baker, E., Madill, C, & Trembath, D. (2009) Case based learning: One route to evidence based practice. Evidence-based Communication Assessment and Intervention. 3 (4) 208 – 219.
- Purcell, A. A. (2003) Cleft lip and palate: Looking at the big picture without the rose-coloured glasses. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing,5, 2, 95-98.
- Wright, M., Purcell, A. & Reed, V.A. (2002) Cochlear Implants and infants: Expectations and outcomes. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, Supplement 189, 111, 5, 131-137.
- Purcell, A. A. (2000) Communication breakdown as a consequence of craniofacical anomalies. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing, , 2, 43-45
- van Doorn, J. & Purcell, A. (1998) Nasalance levels in the Speech of Normal Australian Children. Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Journal, 35, 287-292.
Selected Grants
- Young, Ee-Li, S., Chasten, M., Lee, K., Yeow, V. & Purcell, A. (2011-2013) Exploring Language Skills in Children with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate. SingHealth Foundation Project Grant SG$ 49,997.
- Purcell, A., McCabe, T. & Kenny, B. (2009) Obtaining baseline measures of Health Science student knowledge of issues in indigenous health. University of Sydney Teaching Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme Grant $4,894.
- Young Ee-Li, S., Purcell, A., Ballard, K., Lai, A. & Yeow, V. (2008-2011) An Investigation into the Language and Cognitive Phenotype of Chinese Singaporean Preschoolers with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate. SingHealth Foundation Project Grant $49,983.00.
- Associate Investigator on Eades, S., McIntyre, P., Oates, K., Daniels, J., Woolfenden, S. (2008-2011) Ear health, hearing, speech and language development in urban Aboriginal children. NHMRC Project Grant (Project No. 512685) $430,750.