Susan Balandin
Susan holds the Deakin Chair in Disability and Inclusion and is a Professor in the School of Health and Social Development in Deakin University’s Faculty of Health.
Susan’s research interests centre on adults with lifelong disability with a particular focus on participation of those with little or no functional speech who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and those who are ageing.
Susan has conducted research into: health interactions for adults who need AAC, including interactions between this group of adults and staff in hospitals; the impact of dysphagia on those who are ageing with cerebral palsy; a range of issues around friendships and loneliness for both adults and children who use AAC; transition to retirement for adults with lifelong disability; how Norwegian seniors viewed the inclusion of adults with intellectual disability in their senior centres; the affordances of Virtual Worlds for fostering friendships and new leisure experiences for adults with disability; and how such virtual environments can be utilised for teaching students about disability.
She is currently a CI on an ARC Discovery project exploring the causes, consequences and public health advocacy responses to the normalisation of gambling.
Project Highlights
- 3D food printing and its application to adults with dysphagia.
- Normalisation of gambling and its impact on older people and adults with intellectual disability.
- Using Google home to develop interactive stories for adults with lifelong disability.
- Impact of social media use training on the social networks of adults with intellectual disabilities living in supported accommodation.