Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

How Speech-Language Pathologists Account For Self-Determination Across The Progression Of Dementia, Emilee Mcgahee

Master's Theses

Dementia diagnoses are continuing to increase, with the number of diagnoses expected to reach 231 million globally by 2050 (World Alzheimer’s Report, 2019). With this comes a greater need for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) who are able to best treat those who are diagnosed. Providing person-centered and strengths-based treatment approaches for people with dementia (PWD) has been proven to increase positive engagement responses while decreasing negative engagement responses (Skrainer et al., 2007). The primary objective of this research study was to assess treatment approaches used by SLPs in dementia care setting, along with how SLPs provide person-centered dementia treatment throughout the …

The Role Of The Speech-Language Pathologist With Survivors Of Traumatic Brain Injury From Intimate Partner Violence And Providers’ Knowledge Of This Role, Nicolle Mcadams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence occurs globally at alarming rates. Many experience adverse health impacts such as traumatic brain injury. Healthcare providers do not know the role of the speech-language pathologist, or the rehabilitation needs of survivors.

Aims: This scoping review aims to identify speech-language pathology services for survivors of intimate partner violence with a resulting traumatic brain injury, and knowledge of healthcare providers on the rehabilitation needs of this population. A search was completed in May to October 2023, resulting in a total of 13 articles reviewed.

Main contributions: Speech-language pathologists lack knowledge to provide services to intimate partner violence survivors …

Dementia Of The Alzheimer’S Type In Adults With Down Syndrome: Knowledge Among Graduate Students In Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, And Speech-Language Pathology., Abigail Regan Donaway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental study utilized a convenience sample (N = 322) to investigate graduate students in physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech-language pathology’ s (SLP) knowledge of the connection between Down syndrome and dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). Ninety-two-point-five percent of participants were female, and 79.80% were white. All participants completed a survey comprised of items relating to information about general knowledge (i.e. facts) of the association between DS and DAT, the signs/symptoms that occur in each stage of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type for people with Down syndrome, and familiarity regarding the diagnosis and care. Descriptive and …

The Implementation Of Music Within Communication Intervention And Its Effect On Communication Development, Rebecca Dunn

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how and under what circumstances licensed speech-language pathologists incorporate music within communication intervention and to better understand perceptions towards the incorporation of music within speech or language therapy. A survey was developed based on the review of related literature and then entered on the Qualtrics^ã server for data collection and analysis. Once IRB approval was secured, the survey was then disseminated via a Facebook group for licensed speech-language pathologists. The author used Qualtrics^ã to collect and analyze the data, which was then used to determine when and how music was …

Dyslexia Training: The Impact On The Perceptions And Knowledge-Base Of Pre-Professionals Preparing To Work In K-12 Educational Settings, Colby Fowler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the perceptions and understanding of dyslexia among first-year graduate students in speech-language pathology. Employing survey methodology, specifically a pre- and post-survey approach, this research investigates the attitudes and knowledge that the participants have in understanding and addressing dyslexia at the beginning of their graduate training. The study seeks to uncover the existing awareness, potential misconceptions, and the overall preparedness of these emerging professionals in dealing with individuals affected by dyslexia. Through a comprehensive survey analysis, the research aims to contribute valuable insights that can inform the development of targeted educational strategies and interventions within speech-language pathology programs, …

Using Aac To Build Young Beginning Communicators’ Inclusion In Song Routines, Sydney Taylor Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on preschool-aged beginning communicators’ ability to participate linguistically during song social routines. The AAC used during the intervention phase were visual scene displays (VSDs). VSDs are color-realistic photos, often depicting real people, that are context-rich for the user. VSDs are less demanding and offer the user a way to communicate their thoughts, feelings, or emotions in a more contextualized way. The present study used a multiple-baseline across participants approach. The primary dependent measure was the linguistic participation of each participant using the VSD. The results indicated that each …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Individuals With Aphasia: Effects On Quality Of Life And Communication, Kaci L. Gammon

Honors College Theses

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help people with aphasia (PWA) manage their communication symptoms and become more independent by supporting them linguistically and emotionally. During COVID-19, speech and language services were not as readily available to PWA due to quarantine restrictions resulting in isolation within this population. Individuals with aphasia had to redirect and find a new way to function daily. This study explored factors that affected quality of communication and quality of life for PWA during the pandemic, including technology, living situation, timing of stroke, and speech-language pathology services. Through an online survey, PWA from across the country expressed how their …

The Correlation Between Bilingual Children’S Self-Reported Language Proficiency And Their Scores On Dual-Language Standardized Assessments, Andrea Elise Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to evaluate the relation between bilingual Spanish-English speaking children’s self-reported language proficiencies and bilingual experiences and their scores on norm-referenced standardized dual-language assessments. Additionally, the relation between bilingual children’s self-reported language proficiencies and bilingual experiences and parent reports of children’s Spanish and English input and output was examined. The Houston Questionnaire, a novel tool designed to provide insight into bilingual children’s self-perceptions of language proficiencies and experiences, was administered to gather such information for this study. A sample of bilingual children local to Columbia, South Carolina completed a battery of dual-language standardized assessments in kindergarten, and then …

Engaging Clinicians To Develop A Meaningful Digital Outcome Measurement Tool To Improve Implementation Of The Focus On The Outcomes Of Communication Under Six (Focus), Boshra Bahrami

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study engaged speech-language pathologists who were familiar with an existing participation-focused paper-based outcome measure called the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS-34) to understand their current experiences using the tool and identify their recommendations for how a digital solution could improve their ability to use its data clinically. SLPs were actively involved in the early stages of the digital FOCUS-34 development to ensure its clinical utility and support its future implementation in clinical practice. Twenty-three speech-language pathologists participated in virtual focus groups that were run in groups of four or five. Focus groups lasted 60 minutes, …

Telepractice-Based Language Intervention Training For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Bryan

Honors Theses

This study closely examined the progression and fidelity of strategy implementation of parents undergoing an ASD language intervention training program. This instructional, interactive program was designed for parents of children with autism, thus catering to the needs of participants involved. This study assessed the use of parent comments and redirects, two kinds of parent strategies, during each parent-child interaction to provide more information about the impact of training sessions. The researchers hypothesized that by the end of training, parent participants would increase their fidelity of strategy implementation, increase their use of comments rather than redirects, and employ more open-ended questions …

Multilingualism And Augmentative Alternative Communication: A Review Of The Literature, Hannah N. Lamarca, Natalie R. Andzik

Honors Capstones

Purpose: Individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) are often offered English-only AAC systems that do not meet their language needs. Devices that host multiple languages often only offer one at a time.

Method: The authors reviewed the literature by searching relevant databases using a variety of search strings. Following our inclusionary and exclusionary criteria, 15 articles were yielded for analysis.

Results: Authors found that more than half of the included articles were discussion-based papers on AAC delivery, barriers to AAC and multilingualism, and codeswitching using AAC. The included interview studies aimed to …

Examining Perception And Understanding Of Stroke And Its Risk Factors In A Rural Population, Mackenzie King, Gabrielle Scarpa, Mary Gardiner

Theses & Honors Papers

Stroke, also sometimes referred to as a brain attack, occurs when there is a blockage in blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel bursts within the brain (CDC, 2022). Rural populations have a higher incidence of stroke and higher stroke mortality in the United States (Howard et al., 2017). Although there is a higher incidence rate of stroke in rural populations, researchers have also found that these populations appear to have limited knowledge on stroke and its risk factors. The current study employed a non-experimental descriptive design that explored stroke knowledge in adults residing in rural populations …

Graduate-Level Leadership Training For Speech-Language Pathologists: Perceptions, Attitudes, And Potential Effect On Career, Sandra Kemper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study is to determine how a perceived lack of leadership training at the graduate level contributes to inadequate preparedness for the clinical, professional, and supervisory leadership roles professionals hold within the field of speech-language pathology (Kummer, 2017). More specifically, this study will seek to identify current leadership concerns of practicing SLPs, exploring whether and/or how lack of leadership training has affected their professional growth or career. The information can serve to guide the development of leadership training opportunities in speech-language pathology graduate programs. This descriptive, non-experimental study utilized purposive sampling of speech-language pathologists licensed in the …

Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices Surrounding Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Assessment Practices For Dual Language Learners, Rebecca Lynne Jarzynski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Early intervention (EI) speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are required to provide culturally and linguistically responsive assessments for dual language learners (DLLs) within an increasingly diverse population. Previous research has documented gaps between SLPs’ beliefs related to assessments for DLLs and their implementation of best practices within school-based and pediatric outpatient settings. The purpose of this present research study was to better understand the current knowledge, beliefs, and practices of EI SLPs in relation to the use of culturally and linguistically responsive assessment practices within the context of EI programs. A total of 134 EI SLPs completed a nationwide survey in which …

Critical Thinking Or Critical Creativity: Applying De Bono's Six Thinking Hats To Speech-Language Pathology Education And Practice., Samantha Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making is a fundamental skill that health care professionals use daily which involves the interaction of many cognitive systems. Critical and lateral thinking are two approaches to decision-making often cited in literature. Critical thinking emphasizes reasoning and systematic analyzation, while lateral thinking encompasses imagination and creativity. Speech-language pathology (SLP) is a prime example of a profession that amalgamates creative processes with organized methodologies. Edward de Bono described six styles of lateral thinking – each style is equated to a colored “hat”. This study sought to determine if an association exists between a given SLP student’s level of clinical experience and …

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions Regarding Augmentative And Alternative Communication Implementation And Assessment In The Adult Population, Emilee Mcgahee

Honors Theses

The goal of this research project is to bring awareness to a part of the population that is severely lacking in both representation and research in regard to the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), bringing attention to the scarcity of studies centered around AAC use in adults. This study hopes to increase the number of SLPs who are comfortable in assessing and implemeneting AAC systems with adults. The survey included questions pertaining to how long SLPs had been practicing, what populations they are most familiar with, their comfort levels regarding both AAC implementation and assessment, and memorable experiences …

The Nature Of Word Errors And Response Time In Individuals With Aphasia, Alexandra M. Georges

ETD Archive

Anomia is a relevant language deficit secondary to aphasia that is treated in the speech-language pathologist profession. Most aphasia diagnoses utilize aspects of confrontational naming tasks during speech therapy or testing. This study investigated the nature of word errors and the response time (RT) in persons with aphasia (PWA). Six individuals, three with nonfluent and three with fluent aphasia were asked to name objects in four common categories (occupational tools, everyday objects, food, and clothing) presented under two conditions (1) picture objects on a computer screen and (2) real physical objects. To measure RT and word error, participants were instructed …

Practice-Based Research In Speech-Language Pathology, Meghan Vollebregt

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Practice-based research is an active and collaborative approach to clinical research that minimizes the research-practice gap. Practice-based research involves collecting data in practice to answer questions that arise from clinical practice. The findings from this research then inform future practices. Though over the past two decades there has been a significant increase in knowledge translation activities, especially the use of collaborative partnerships, the integration of these practices in speech-language pathology is in its infancy. In this thesis, I investigate the role of practice-based research in speech-language pathology. In Chapter 2, I first examine the current role of practice-based research in …

Implicit Bias In Speech-Language Pathology Students, Skyller Castello

LSU Master's Theses

Implicit racial biases have been documented across a variety of allied health professions. A systematic review conducted by FitzGerald and Hurst (2017) of implicit bias in healthcare professionals found that 20 out of 25 studies examined displayed bias against BIPOC in diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and other aspects of the medical care they received. A literature review completed by Hall et al. (2015) found similar results, stating that 9 of the 15 studies examined identified bias against Black clients. One allied healthcare profession, speech-language pathology, interacts with a diverse clientele in a clinical environment and yet have been excluded from much …

Communication-Related Quality Of Life: Perspectives Of People With Aphasia And Speech-Language Pathology Students, Ethan Kristek

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

Physiological and psychosocial communication components impact communication-related quality of life for people with aphasia. This study aimed to understand how these components were addressed in a university clinic speech-language pathology program. Mixed-methods with inductive coding of interviews and documentation data were used to develop a description of communication-related quality of life, including perspectives of people with aphasia and graduate student participants. Qualitative findings revealed three trends: therapy which aids the ability to communicate, connections with additional people with aphasia, and supportive environments emerged from people with aphasia data. Three trends emerged: communicating effectively, a naturalistic environment, and individualization were shown …

Investigating The Role Of Phonological Awareness In The Training Of Phonetic Transcription With Slp Students, Jennifer Kay Binkley

Dissertations and Theses

A dissertation study was developed and completed to further explore the relationship between phonological awareness (PA) and phonetic transcription skills in undergraduate speech-language pathology students. A review of the literature provides gaps in knowledge which the proposal seeks to address. Based upon this literature review, the researcher compared PA skills of undergraduate students of various majors, to determine if there was a change in PA by taking a traditional phonetics course, and to explore phonetic transcription outcomes as the result of direct PA intervention with undergraduate SLP students. Quantitative analysis was used to answer three research questions, which were organized …

Formal Ethics Education In Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Jennifer N. Gaylord

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Ethical service provision is an essential foundational skill for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and is fundamental for maintaining the integrity of the profession of speech-language pathology. While practicing speech-language pathologists are required to complete formal ethics training during each certification maintenance interval, there are no guidelines set forth as to the amount and type of training for graduate students in speech-language pathology. This quasi-experimental investigation compared the effect of ethics training embedded within a curriculum to formal ethics training on the ethics knowledge and self-reported comfort levels of first-year graduate students in speech-language pathology. Two equal, non-randomized groups of participants completed …

Knowledge And Training In Language Sample Analysis Of Us Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Allegra Cornaglia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an integral role in identification and treatment of developmental language disorders (DLD). Best practices include the use of language sample analysis (LSA) as part of a comprehensive evaluation. However, LSA requires a specific set of foundational morphological and syntactic knowledge. Previous studies have shown a knowledge gap for both SLPs and SLP graduate students for other areas of morphosyntax and phonology. This study examined the language analysis skills of current SLP graduate students on a test of Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) analysis and Clausal Density (CD) and whether there were possible factors associated with …

Pragmatic Deficits In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Paige Kessler

Honors Theses

Background: Most studies have found pragmatic language skills to be poorer in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) populations, but there is no conclusive evidence.

Aim: Our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis of pragmatic language abilities in ADHD populations to more definitively demonstrate the extent of pragmatic language deficits in these populations as compared to typically developing (TD) populations.

Methods and procedures: Journal articles were identified using the search terms ((attention deficit) OR (adhd)) AND (pragmatics). Identified studies were screened and reviewed for inclusion criteria, descriptive information, and outcome variables. A meta-analysis was conducted, and individual effect sizes and overall effect size …

Language As The Medium: A Literature Review. Harnessing The Prolific Power Of Dramatic Language As A Therapeutic Tool In Drama Therapy, Edward Freeman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Language in and of the theatre, with its palate of variegated writing styles and playwrights from throughout time, has the potential to be harnessed, focused, and systematized for use as a therapeutic tool within drama therapy – the field’s artistic medium. Drama therapy could benefit from having a specific medium germane to its artform which has the potential to provide practitioners with a common resource and means of communication, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as align the field with other creative arts therapies. Language encompasses all forms of human communication – speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, expressing facially – …

The Influence Of Side-Lying Position On Oropharyngeal Swallow Function In At-Risk Infants: An Exploratory Study, Julian White

Dissertations, 2020-current

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) are the primary healthcare providers responsible for the evaluation and treatment of infant feeding and swallowing disorders. At-risk infants, such as those born prematurely or with certain medical conditions, are more prone to swallowing impairments (i.e., dysphagia). Dysphagia in at-risk infants can have severe consequences such as chronic respiratory symptoms, pneumonia, progressive lung disease, undernutrition, and death. Therefore, it is important to have methods of examining an infant’s swallow functioning that are both safe and accurate. A leading method of evaluating infant swallowing is the Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBS). The works contained within this dissertation document …

The Effects Of Canine-Assisted Therapy In Speech Therapy, Malak Dawoud

Honors Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine how speech-language pathologists utilize canine-assisted treatment in their practices and the speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of the effectiveness of using canine-assistance in speech therapy. A nine-question survey was sent via email to the licensed members of the Mississippi Speech-Language -Hearing Association (MSHA). The author used the source, SurveyMonkey, to acquire and analyze the data. The data was used to determine the prevalence of canine-assisted therapy in speech therapy and to discover if the speech-language pathologists believed this kind of therapy was effective. Additionally, when canine-assisted therapy was used, was there a particular …

Exploring The Impact Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Children’S Literacy Skills In Speech-Language Interventions, Samantha Wingate

Honors College Theses

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a therapeutic approach that uses therapy dogs to improve the clinical goals of individuals who need rehabilitative support. While AAT research within the health professions is developing, there is support showing that this type of milieu therapy has potential benefits when working with children with literacy concerns. Within the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD), AAT can be used by speech-language pathologists to establish goal-directed therapy sessions to improve children’s literacy skills. This paper will highlight current literature that explores the use of AAT within literacy interventions, the use of evidence-based measures, and the feasibility …

Phonological Variation Among Young Spanish-English Dual Language Learners On An English Sentence Repetition Task, Sarah Kate Coleman

Senior Theses

Purpose - There is a need for research informing best practices for assessing the language abilities of bilingual children, as well as research regarding typical phonological development of bilingual children. The purpose of the present paper is to contribute broadly to informing bilingual phonological assessment practice by examining phonological variation in Spanish-English speaking children’s English sentence repetition responses and the relation between these phonological variations and performance on the English sentence repetition task.

Method - 20 Spanish-English speaking kindergarteners completed the English sentence repetition task of the Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment (BESA; Peña et al., 2014). The phonological variations present in …

Effects Of A Telerehabilitation Group On Continuing Language Treatment After Participation In An Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (Icap), Alexis Missel

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder encompassing oral and/or written language expression and comprehension affecting an estimated two- to two to four million people in the United States, (Simmons-Mackie, 2018; National Aphasia Association, 2016). The primary aim of the current study was to investigate an option for targeted intervention as a follow-up to an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program (ICAP). There is little research assessing maintenance of communication profile gains following conclusion of the ICAPs, and there are few options that exist as tailored ICAP follow-up programs or continued intervention guided by the ICAP principle features. To address this, a …