Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Swallowing Related Measures In Different Head And Neck Postures In Healthy Young And Older Adults, Mabell Vargas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated swallowing related measures (oral transit time and number of swallows, tongue force and lip force) and different head and neck postures in a group of healthy young adults and older adults. Participants consisted of 19 healthy young and 17 healthy old. They were asked to ingest 2 different liquid consistency to measure the time they take to swallow and the number of swallows. The maximum tongue and lip force was measured with the IOPI device for 3 seconds and repeated 3 times.

The results of the study showed that the number of swallows is not significant regardless …

Effect Of Flow Phonation Voice Exercises On Vocal And Aerodynamic Measures In Undergraduate Student Singers, Jorge A. Diaz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of Flow Phonation Voice Exercises on vocal measures in undergraduate student singers. Whereas these exercises have provided positive outcomes in individuals with vocal hyperfunction, the use of these exercises in potentially enhancing the singing voice has not been explored. A total of 10 participants were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 6), that received 5 sessions of the Flow Phonation Voice Exercises across 5 weeks, and a control group (n = 4) which did not receive the treatment. Changes in auditory-perceptual, acoustic, subjective respiratory, quality-of-life and fatigue related measures compared across two groups. …

Perceptions Of Speech-Language Pathologists On Childhood Bilingualism, Sherlie V. Paz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A total of 320 Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) completed a survey stating their perceptions on childhood bilingualism for typically developing children and children with disabilities. Based on the number of significant responses, 292 participants were analyzed utilizing a binary logistic regression to identify whether SLPs thought childhood bilingualism was advantageous or neutral, while incorporating the predictors of bilingual status and bilingual education received. Additionally, a content analysis was conducted on 173 participants who chose to respond to an open-ended question stating their additional perceptions on childhood bilingualism. Results revealed that bilingual status did not predict the probability of an advantageous perception …

The Effects Of Acidic Foods On Vocal Quality Of Vocally Healthy Individuals, Melissa Barbieri

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the consumption of acidic liquids on the vocal quality of vocally healthy individuals. Acidic foods and liquids are known to be possible causes of common voice disorders because of their putative effect on systemic hydration of the vocal folds impacting their viscoelastic properties and eventually affecting vocal quality, as they are found in over 50% of dysphonic patients (Karkos et al., 2007). This study investigated the effects of acidic foods on vocal quality in comparison to the effects of non-acidic/alkaline beverages in vocally healthy individuals.

One hundred participants …

“Perceptual Training Of Arabic Consonants In English-Speaking Quran Learners, Amanda A. Smith

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the American Muslim community, accurate perception of classical Arabic phonemes is of importance in order to understand and recite the Quran, which is read, studied, and recited in its original language. High variability phonemic training (HVPT) develops new phonemic categories by exposing learners to a variety of productions of new phonemes. In this study, HVPT therapy was used to train accurate perception of Arabic consonants that do not exist in English. Results indicated significant improvement in perception of Arabic consonants (pre-test mean = 58.5%, post-test mean = 64.8%, difference = 6.3%, p-value = .01). Improvement was seen for the …

Quality Of Language In Spanish-Speaking Parents Who Are Learning English: Conversations With Their Children, Amber A. Betances

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to analyze adult language in Spanish-speaking parents who are English second language learners, during conversations with their children in both Spanish-only and English-only play sessions. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine the difference in the parents’ Spanish and English skills across a variety of different variables such as mean length of utterance in words (MLU-w), number of total words (NTW), number of different words (NTD), type-token ratio (TTR), mazes, and complex sentences.

A total of 11 participants above the age of 18 years old with children between 12-46 months of age …

Stigma And The Hispanic Stuttering Experience: A Qualitative Study, Leslee Dean

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigmatization of stuttering has profound effects on the education, employment, and mental health of people who stutter. While there is a large body of research into the impact of stuttering stigma, few studies have considered the effects of cultural differences. The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth analysis of how Hispanic adults who stutter experience stigma. To do so, seven Hispanic/Latino adults who stutter were interviewed using ethnographic interviewing techniques. A thematic analysis of participants’ narrative responses gave rise to four major themes: Family, Stigma in Society, Stuttering Experiences in Cultural and Linguistic Contexts, and Stigma’s …

Spanish-Speaking Parents' Perceptions And Experiences Before And After English-Only And Spanish-Only Interactions With Their Children, Maria Morales

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of Spanish-speaking parents who are learning English, before and after English-only and Spanish-only interactions with their children to find what their interactions would look like if they followed the advice of speaking English only with their children, as opposed to speaking in their native language. Eleven primarily Spanish speaking parents of typically developing children 12-46 months of age were interviewed prior to completing play samples with their children and again afterwards. The interviews were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using thematic analysis procedures to identify salient themes. Four major …

An Adaptation Of An Auditory Perception Test, Daniel Gonzalez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Auditory Perception Test for the Hearing Impaired, 3^rd edition (APT/HI-3) was adapted into an auditory perception assessment tool for Spanish-speaking children called the Auditory Perception Test for the Hearing Impaired—Spanish (APT/HI-S). Test items from the APT/HI-S were then validated by three groups of Spanish-English bilinguals to determine if selected words were developmentally and linguistically appropriate for 3-year old children. Survey results revealed that 37 out of 62 words were considered developmentally and grammatically appropriate. The APT/HI-S was then administered to two 3-year old and two 5-year old children, two with typical hearing and two with hearing loss. Results …

Processing Of The English Verb Particle Construction In Persons With Aphasia, David Lopez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined comprehension of verb particle constructions in persons with aphasia (PWA) and young and older typical adults according to the semantic classes by Jackendoff (2002). The experimental task focused on the following three classes of verb particle constructions: idiomatic, directional, and aspectual verb particles. Movement of the object NP also was examined. The study involved a picture-matching task counterbalanced for each participant. The results revealed that PWAs showed slower than normal overall processing, slower processing of aspectual verb forms, and slower processing of syntactic form regardless of movement. Error analysis revealed a bias toward the meaning of the …

Memory, Processing Speed, And The Effects Of Cognitive Exercise On The Aging Brain, Alexis D. Yero

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate, and expain, the effects of an intervention known as “The Five Task Approach” (TFTA); a cognitive intervention hereby utilized within the realm of the geriatric population, as a means of taxing and strengthening cortical areas associated with memory, and visual processing. This study revealed that even short-term exposure to cognitive activities, and therapeutic cueing known to tax areas connected to visual perception, may have an effect on one’s global cognition, generalized memory, and the accuracy of one’s visual perception. It was demonstrated that even brief cognitive intervention geared at taxing cortical …

Help Me Chat: Eliciting Communicative Acts From Young Children Using Speech-Generating Devices, Rebecca A. Hernandez-Cartaya

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an evidence-based practice targeting the communication deficits of children with complex communication needs (CCN). While young children with communication disorders are attending preschool and using AAC, and specifically speech-generating devices (SGDs), with increasing frequency, best practices for implementation with this population are largely unexplored. In an effort to contribute to the knowledge base for teachers, the essential communication partners for children in the classroom setting, this research explored the interactions of four teacher-child dyads and analyzed the prompts and cues used to elicit communicative acts from the children.

Results of statistical and descriptive analyses …

A Qualitative Assessment Of What Comprises An Effective And Positive Supervisor-Student Clinician Relationship In Speech-Language Pathology, Jessica Atick Fencel

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors that constitute a positive and negative supervisor-supervisee relationship as perceived by speech-language pathology graduate students. Clinical practicum experiences were analyzed using qualitative methods via recorded in-depth participant interviews. After the data were collected and transcribed, the narratives were analyzed to draw useful inferences and discover underlying themes using a phenomenological methodology approach. Two overlaying themes, ASHA’s Task 1 of Supervision and Anderson’s Continuum Model of Supervision, were identified from the participants’ interviews and were used to categorize the data. Results indicate the most likely factors attributed …

Investigation Of Bilingualism Knowledge Of Speech-Language Pathologists And Speech-Language Pathology Students, Michelle Leon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to administer a survey to obtain information on practicing Speech-Language Pathologists’ (SLPs) knowledge of bilingual issues, while also considering whether any academic background on bilingualism guides SLP’s diagnostic and treatment options. This was done by comparing survey results of practicing SLPs with different academic backgrounds on bilingualism with current Master’s students registered at the Communication Sciences and Disorders Masters’ program at Florida International University (FIU). The survey consisted of 26 questions that examined participant’s history, and bilingual knowledge.

Data was collected from 89 surveys. Data analyses showed that students and SLPs with a strong …

Vocabulary Comprehension In Children With Autism, Melissa A. Pierro

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An open question in autism research is how to assess language abilities in this population. We investigated language development in monolingual and bilingual children with varying degrees of autism, ages 3 to 9, with the aim of better understanding vocabulary comprehension. Two different methodologies were used: the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT) and eye-tracker technique.

We examined whether the eye-tracker could help in the assessment of these children because it does not require the child to point during the test. Four typically developing control children, 14 monolingual English children with moderate/mild autism, and 4 children (2 monolingual English, 2 …

The Phonological Analysis Of Bilingual Creole/English Children Living In South Florida, Carolyn F. Beaubrun

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gather normative data regarding the phonological system of bilingual Creole-English children ages three and five and to compare performance to norms for English speaking children. The forty participants lived in Miami and represented low socio-economic groups.

Participants were assessed using the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-2 and a Haitian Creole Picture Naming Assessment. The results indicated that the percentage of correct phonemes in Creole (M=91.6) were not significantly different when compared to the correct production of the same phonemes in English (M=92.8). Further analysis revealed that the accuracy of all phonemes was higher for …