abstract
- Mark Ylvisaker inspired many people to believe they had the skills to help children and adults with brain injury live a meaningful life. He was thoroughly multidisciplinary in his approach, but also felt strongly that communication was the cornerstone of effective behavior management and that speech-language pathologists could make a unique contribution in the everyday lives of individuals with cognitive-communication disorders. This article recognizes his profound influence on the author's research, teaching, and clinical practice and was written in the spirit of paying forward the knowledge he shared.