Tami Altschuler is a Clinical Specialist in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center. As part of the Rusk Rehabilitation team, her focus is on patient-provider communication. Her work was recognized in February 2016 in the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She also has presented nationally and internationally on this topic. Tami has authored a grant proposal and was awarded funding to establish an inpatient augmentative and alternative communication program in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at Long Island University – CW Post. In this interview, Tami discusses augmentative and alternative communication with patients, why such a unit was established in the pediatric intensive care unit, the kinds of patients who benefit from this form of intervention, factors that can impede communication between clinicians and patients, and the importance of the environment in which communication occurs.
