ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (May 2, 2023) — Representative Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced $361,276 for Augustana College to conduct a study to expand therapy for those with disorders related to language and communication.
"Northwestern Illinois once again shows itself to be a leader in the area of expanding access to care for those who need it most," said Rep Sorensen. "I applaud Augustana College and their cutting-edge team of researchers for securing this critical funding to support care for those living with communicative disorders."
“Augustana's Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic is one of the oldest college or university clinics in the nation, and it has been a resource to people in our community for more than 75 years. The support of the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders allows Augustana faculty and students to expand their reach, doing remote counseling and sound therapy for sixty participants from across the nation,” said Augustana College President Andrea Talentino. “Dr Perreau’s project is a perfect example of how Augustana seeks to connect education to important needs in society.”
The funding will be used to conduct a novel research study on expanding care for those living with Hyperacusis, a condition characterized by increased sensitivity to sound.
The grant is an Academic Research Enhancement Award being disbursed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly twenty years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
