Faculty/Staff/PhD

Academic Faculty

 

dietz aimee


Aimee Dietz, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, RYT-200

Associate Professor  

Phone: 813-974-0499 
Office: PCD 4024 
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Dr. Aimee Dietz is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for people with aphasia—first as a clinician, then as a clinical researcher. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University. During her clinical work, Dietz quickly learned that rehabilitation for people with aphasia is grossly limiting. 

She reports, “During inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation we work hard to restore lost language functions and when the person ‘plateaus’ in their recovery, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is provided to help them communicate — leaving them to feel as if therapists have given up on them and that recovery has ended.”

For these reasons, she completed her Ph.D. under the direction of Drs. David Beukelman and Karen Hux at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a focus on understanding the unique considerations involved in the development of AAC interface designs for people with aphasia. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Dietz has forged a line of research examining the role of AAC as a language recovery tool for people with chronic aphasia, using neuroimaging technologies to identify neurobiomarkers for AAC-induced language recovery. This work continues at the University of South Florida, with an added emphasis of understanding how AAC can be successfully administered to people with aphasia via teletherapy — and during the subacute stages of post-stroke recovery.

In recent years, she has cultivated a new line of research that seeks to understand how mind-body practices, including adapted yoga, might be harnessed to build resilience and coping for people with post-stroke aphasia and their co-survivors. In 2020, Dr. Dietz completed her 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher training to help advance this line of inquiry, and more recently earned her chair yoga certification. Dr. Dietz is the Founder & Director of the H2EALING Collective (Holistic Health and Engagement for people with Acquired Language Impairments and NeuroGenic conditions). The Collective was spearheaded together with Founding Partners & Associate Directors Dr. Lauren Bislick (University of Central Florida) and Dr. E. Susan Duncan (City University of New York Graduate Center); together they work alongside researcher, clinician, patient and caregiver partners to advance their mission to, “…promote well-being and quality of life for people touched by neurogenic conditions by cultivating acceptance, resilience, and coping through holistic health practices within a supportive community.” The Collective pursues their work in honor of Cincinnati stroke survivor Terri Kersey, who first helped launch the idea of integrating yoga into stroke rehabilitation before her unexpected death in 2019. 

Over the years, Dietz has mentored more than 60 students, including the advising of master’s student research projects (theses and capstone research), undergraduate volunteers, honors students, and summer students through various programs such as McNair, University Honors Program and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). She also enjoys mentoring Ph.D. students, post-doctoral fellows, as well as junior faculty. She actively pursues opportunities to enhance her mentoring skills through university-level programs, and through participation in programs via the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), such as Pathways, Mentoring Academic Research Career (MARC), and the Leadership Mentoring Program. 

Education
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2007
M.S. Florida State University 2001
B.S. Florida State University

1998
A.A. Central Florida Community College

1996

Teaching

SPA 6559 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication 

Recent Scholarly Activity

Journal Articles 

*student/trainee co-author 
 
Maloney, T.,*Dietz, A., Vannest, J., Wilkinson, K., Szaflarski, J.P., Stall, C.,* & Mamlekar, C.,* (2023). Functional magnetic resonance imaging activation during unscripted discourse in people with poststroke aphasia. Journal of Speech-Language, and Hearing Research, 66(12), 4838-4848. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00124

Bislick, L., Dietz, A., Duncan, E. S., Cornelius, K. (2023). The Feasibility and Benefits of a Virtual Yoga Practice for Stroke Survivors with Aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32, 1679-1688. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00269 

^Dietz, A., McKelvey, M., Mirenda, P. Light, J.C., Blackstone, S., Fager, S., Garrett, K., Golinker, L., Thiessen, A., Weissling, K., Williams, M., Yorkston, K. (2022). Lessons for the field: A tribute to Dr. David Beukelman. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 38(2), 77-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2022.2077831  
^Authors are listed alphabetically; each provided unique contributions to the work; Aimee Dietz served as the Team Lead.  
 
^Bislick, L., Dietz, A., Duncan, E.S., Garza, P., Gleason, R., Harley, D., Kersey, G., Kersey, T., Mamlekar, C.R.,* McCarthy, M.J., Noe, V., Rushlow, D., Rushlow, J. C., VanAllan, S. (2022). Finding “zen” in aphasia: Documenting resilience & coping following mind-body interventions. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Special Issue: Clinical Aphasiology Conference 50th Anniversary, 31, 133-147. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-20-00330
^Authors are listed alphabetically; each provided unique contributions to the work; Aimee Dietz served as the Team Lead.  
 
Pitt, K.,* & Dietz, A. (2022). Applying Implementation Science to Support Active Collaboration in Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface Development and Translation For AAC. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31, 515-526. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00152

Harrington, R.M.* & Dietz, A. (2021). Systematic review draws limited conclusions regarding the effectiveness of reading comprehension interventions for people with aphasia but offers guidance for future research and practicing clinicians. Evidence Based Communication Assessment and Intervention,15(4), 207-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/17489539.2021.2008657

Szaflarski, J.P., Nenert, R., Allendorfer, J.B., Martin, A.M., Dietz, A., Vannest, J. et al (2021). Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) for the treatment of chronic post-stroke aphasia: Results of a pilot randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial. Medical Science Monitor, 27, e931468. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.931468  
 
McKelvey, M., Weissling, K., Lund, S., Quach, W., & Dietz, A., (2021). Assessment of adults in adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 43(3), 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1177/15257401211017143

Langland-Hassan, P., Faries, F.R.,* Gatya, M.*, Dietz, A., Richardson, M.J. (2021). Assessing abstract thought and its relation to language with a new nonverbal paradigm: Evidence from aphasia. Cognition, 211, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104622

Dietz, A., Mamlekar, C.,* Bakas, K.,* McCarthy, M.J., Harley, D., &  Bakas, T. (2020). A scoping review of the Photo Voice methodology: Implications for use in aphasia research. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749357.2020.1806435

Dietz, A., Duncan, E.S., Bislick, L., Stegman, S.,* Collins, J.,* Mamlekar, C.,* Gleason, R., McCarthy, M.J. (2020). Yoga as therapy for people with aphasia. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Group 2 Neurogenic Communication Disorders, 5, 853-860. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_PERSP-20-00028

Dietz, A., Wallace, S.E., & Weissling, K. (2020). Revisiting the role of augmentative and alternative communication in aphasia rehabilitation. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29. 909-913. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-00041

Dietz, A., Vannest, J., Maloney, T.,* Altaye, M., Holland, S., & Szaflarski, J.P. (2018). The feasibility of improving discourse through AAC: Clinical and fMRI correlates. Aphasiology, 32(6), 693-719. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2018.1447641

Knollman-Porter, K.,* & Dietz, A., Dahlem, K. (2018).  Intensive auditory comprehension treatment for severe aphasia: A Feasibility Study, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. [Advance online publication], 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0117

Dietz, A., & Boyle, M. (2018). Discourse measurement in Aphasia: Consensus and Caveats. Aphasiology, 32(4), 487-492. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2017.1398814

Dietz, A., & Boyle, M. (2018). Discourse measurement in aphasia: Have we reached the tipping point? Aphasiology, 32(4),  459-464. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2017.1398803 

Book Chapters 

Dietz, A., McKelvey, M., Schmerbach, M., Weissling, K., & Hux, K. (2025). Compensation for severe, chronic aphasia using augmentative and alternative communication. In S. S. Chabon, E. Cohn, D. Lee-Wilkerson (Eds.). The Communication Disorders Casebook: Learning by Example (2nd ed., pp. 364-363). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Merrill. ISBN13: 978-1-63550-409-5 
 
Kryc, M.* & Dietz, A. (2023). Augmentative and alternative communication for people with aphasia. In M. M. Smith (Ed.) Clinical Cases in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Taylor & Francis. Abingdon, UK. doi 10.4324/9781003106739-9   
 
Mamlekar, C.,* Dietz, A., Wendt, O., & Lloyd, L. (2023). History and Evolution of AAC In 
D. Fuller & L. Lloyd (Eds.). Principles and Practices in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  Thorofare, NJ: Slack Inc. ISBN 10:163091584X ISBN 13: 9781630915841 

Dietz, A. (2018). Language. In J. S. Kreutzer, J. DeLuca, & B. Caplan (Eds.). Encyclopedia of clinical neuropsychology. (2nd Ed.).  New York, NY: Springer.

Honors and Awards 

Changemaker Session
ASHA Convention, November 2023

Research Excellence
College of Allied Health Sciences, December 2018

Mid-Career Research Award
University of Cincinnati, April 2017

Innovative Use of Technology in Teaching
University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences, August 2016

eLearning Champion
University of Cincinnati, July 2016

Gallery of Excellence
UC Health & University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center Research Week, 2013

Excellence in Research Award
University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences, August 2013

AAC Institute/ASHA Student Scientific Paper Award
American Speech-Language & Hearing Association National Convention, November 2005 

Outstanding Contribution Award
Lakeland Health & Healing, September 2003 

Recent Grants

R15: National Institute of Health: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R15DC017280) 
Award Period:  09/01/2018-08/31/2022 
NCE: 9/1/2022-8/31/2023 
“A Preliminary Study of the Neurobiology of AAC-Induced Language Recovery in Post-Stroke Aphasia” ($546,002) 
Role:  PI