McKay Sohlberg
Biography
Professor Sohlberg is known internationally for her pioneering work in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of interventions to manage cognitive impairments following acquired brain injury. She is interested in the development of treatments that mitigate cognitive effects for individuals with brain injury who are reintegrating into their communities. She has also focused on treatment for individuals with persistent cognitive effects following concussive injuries, and individuals who are attempting to pursue postsecondary education following brain trauma. Professor Sohlberg has published numerous articles and book chapters as well as coauthored three leading textbooks in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. She has been supported by a number of federal grants focusing on the development and evaluation of assistive technology for cognition, and the facilitation of client-centered goal setting.
Professor Sohlberg has been teaching and conducting research at the University of Oregon since 1994. Professor Sohlberg teaches graduate courses related to cognitive rehabilitation and evidence-based practice and co-directs the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic (BrICC) in the College of Education HEDCO clinic.
Professor Sohlberg is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She holds the HEDCO Endowed Professorship. She has been a leader in writing national practice guidelines on the TBI Committee of the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences.
Education
1990 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Educational Psychology, University of Washington Seattle, WA
1984 Master of Science (M.S.) Speech Language Hearing Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, WA
1982 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Human Biology, Stanford University Stanford, CA
Honors and Awards
Professor Sohlberg is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She holds the HEDCO Endowed Professorship and has received a number of honors for her teaching and research. Professor Sohlberg serves on several committees charged with the development of evidence-based practice guidelines for the treatment of traumatic brain injury within the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders & Sciences, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense.
Awards –
2020 Mitchell Rosenthal Award for Scientific and Clinical Achievement
2018 Veteran’s Administration Champion for 2018
2018 University of Washington Speech & Hearing Sciences Distinguished Alumni
2013 Visiting International Fellow, Exeter University, United Kingdom
2013 Oregon Pioneer Award for Outstanding Clinical Research on Behalf of Individuals with Brain Injury
2010 HEDCO Endowed Professor
2009 Fellow of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association
2008 Senior Distinguished Teaching Award College of Education University of Oregon
2008 Honors of the Association: Awarded by the Oregon Speech-Language & Hearing Association
2008- University of Oregon Fund for Faculty Excellence
Publications
BOOKS
Sohlberg, M.M. & Turkstra, L. (2011). Optimizing Cognitive Rehabilitation: Effective Instructional Methods. New York: Guilford Press.
Sohlberg, M.M., & Mateer, C. (2001). Cognitive Rehabilitation: An Integrated Neuropsychological Approach. New York: Guilford Publication.
Sohlberg, M.M., & Mateer, C. (1989). Introduction to Cognitive Rehabilitation: Theory and Practice. New York: Guilford Press.
SELECT SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
Kucheria, P*. Sohlberg, M.M., Machalicek, W., Seeley, J., DeGarmo, D. (in press). A single case investigation of collaborative goal setting practices in hospital-based speech language pathologists when provided supports to use motivational interviewing and goal attainment scaling, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.
Byom, L. O’Neil-Pirozzi, T., Lemoncello, R., MacDonald, S., Ness, B, Sohlberg, M.M. (2020) Social communication following traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of theoretical models. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00020
Spencer, K., Paul, J.*, Brown, K*., Taylor, E* & Sohlberg, M. (2020). Cognitive rehabilitation for individuals with Parkinson’s disease: Development and piloting an external aids treatment program. American Journal Speech Language Hearing. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-0078
Wright, J., Sohlberg, M.M., Watson-Stites, R., McCart, M., (2020). Identification of Key therapy ingredients for slps serving on multidisciplinary teams facilitating return to learn for students with prolonged cognitive effects after concussion. Topics in Language Disorders, 40(1), 6-35.
Sohlberg, M.M., MacDonald, S., Iwashita, H., Lemoncello, R., Meulenbroek, P., Ness, B., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T., (2019) Assessment of Social Communication: A State of the Art Review. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 21(2), 115-127
Kucheria, P.* & Sohlberg, M.M. Read, Understand, Learn, & Excel (RULE): Development and Testing of an Automated Reading Strategy Detection Algorithm for Postsecondary Students (2019) American Journal of Speech Language Pathology. DOI: 10.1044/2019_AJSLP-18-0181
Iwashita, H.* & Sohlberg, M.M. (2019). Measuring Conversations after Acquired Brain Injury in 30 minutes or less: A Comparison of Two Pragmatic Rating Scales. Brain Injury. DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2019.1631487
Kucheria, P.*, Sohlberg, M.M., Yoon, H.*, Fickas, S., Prideaux, J. (2018). Read, Understand, Learn & Excel (RULE): Development and feasibility of a reading comprehension Measure for postsecondary learners. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology DOI: https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0221
Lee, J.*, Sohlberg, M.M., Harn, B., Horner, R., & Cherney, L. (2018) Attention Process Training-3 to improve reading comprehension in mild aphasia: a single case experimental design, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2018.1477683
Ledbetter, A.*, Sohlberg, M.M., Fickas, S., Horney, M., McIntosh. (2017). Evaluation of a computer-based prompting intervention to improve essay writing in undergraduates with cognitive impairment after acquired brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2017.1383272
Krasny-Pacini, A., Evans, J., Sohlberg, M.M. & Chevignard, M. (2016). Proposed criteria for appraising goal attainment scales used as outcome measures in rehabilitation research. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 97, 157-70.
Sohlberg, M.M., Harn, B., MacPherson, H.*, & Wade, S.L. (2014). A pilot study evaluating attention and strategy training following pediatric traumatic brain injury. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 2(3), 263.
Sohlberg, M.M., Griffiths,* G.G., & Fickas, S. (2014). An evaluation of reading comprehension of expository text in adults with traumatic brain injury. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 23(2), 160-175.
Sohlberg, M.M., Harn, B., MacPherson, H.*, & Wade, S.L. (2014). A pilot study evaluating attention and strategy training following pediatric traumatic brain injury. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 2(3), 263.
Kennedy, M., Coelho, C., Turkstra, L., Ylvisaker, M., Sohlberg, M.M., Yorkston, K., Chou, H., & Kan P.F. (2008). Intervention for executive functions after traumatic brain injury: A systematic review, meta-analysis and clinical recommendations. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.18(3), 257-299.
Sohlberg, M.M., McLaughlin, K.*, Pavese, A., Heidrich, A., & Posner, M. (2000). Evaluation of attention process training in persons with acquired brain injury. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. 22(5), 656-676.
*indicates student author
Research
Dr. Sohlberg’s research has focused on designing and evaluating assistive technology tools to support adolescents and adults with acquired brain injury function optimally in their communities. With her collaborators in computer science, special education, and rehabilitation sciences. she honed an iterative design process that is embedded in principles of participatory action research to develop and evaluate assistive technology tools such as adapted email interfaces for people with severe memory impairments, and electronic delivery of reading comprehension and writing strategies. Her most recent focus has been on facilitation and evaluation of patient-centered goal setting in neurorehabilitation. Perhaps her most significant contribution to the field of cognitive rehabilitation has been assisting with the generation of evidence-based practice guidelines. She has co-authored national practice guidelines in the use of direct attention training, external aids to manage memory impairments, standardized assessment in traumatic brain injury, behavioral interventions, executive function interventions, instructional methods, internal memory strategies and facilitation of social communication after brain injury.