Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

How Engaged Are Infants And Toddlers While Picture Book Reading?, Zoe Lawless

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Literacy is a very important skill that begins to be acquired at birth. Most children start to develop pre-literacy skills by being read to by their parents or other adults around them. Being read aloud to can occur at many different ages and can start as early as infancy. As children grow, they interact and engage with books in different ways. This thesis aims to investigate the read-aloud behaviors of two different groups of young children, to reveal differences in engagement interactions among infants and young toddlers when being read picture books by their teacher.

Methods: The …

The Relationship Between Communicative Confidence And Identity In Everyday Life For People With Aphasia, Karina Escobar

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aphasia is primarily a neurological language disorder, which can also affect cognition, attention, and executive functioning skills. In recent years, researcher has taken an interest in understanding quality of life for people with aphasia, specifically communicative confidence, social relationships, and identity. The aim of this study was to determine how communicative confidence and social relationships affect a person’s identity, as well as the importance of therapy groups. We designed and used confidence and independence survey scales pre-aphasia, post-aphasia but before attending aphasia therapy groups, and post-aphasia and after having attended aphasia therapy groups. We also asked clarifying questions based on …

The Effects Of Sound-Based Intervention On The Daily Performance Of College-Aged Students, Claire Pribble

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

A mixed-methods summary examining the effects of The Listening Program (TLP) on the daily performance of a graduate student is presented. This is a pilot study that will observe the impacts of this program and the possible improvements in focus, visual perception, time management, behavior, and emotional and social regulation. Improvements in self-control/belief and overall stress management were noted.

This case study focuses on one college-aged individual who is successfully and independently managing her graduate experience, receives no accommodations for disability, and has no previous experience with The Listening Program. Self-reports indicated high levels of intermittent stress and anxiety which …

Measuring Awareness Of Spd And Interprofessional Collaboration And Practices Among Professionals In An Elementary Public School Setting, Kyra Resende

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to sensory information, which can lead to sensory dysregulation (Rodden, 2023). Because everyone constantly receives sensory input, having SPD can impact a child’s life in numerous ways, such as academic and social success. Research indicates that 5% to 16% of students may have this neurological condition (Bunim, 2013), which is significant enough to expect that school professionals have appropriate awareness about SPD. Additionally, there is usually an overlap of professionals who serve students experiencing SPD, resulting in a need for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) …

An Examination Of The Spelling Patterns Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Elementary School Students, Emma Villanueva

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Learning how to spell and applying knowledge from the five domains of language to spelling (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) is an essential component of academic success. In order to excel in school, all students need to learn how to spell. Students who are D/deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) often struggle with spelling due to most methods of spelling education involving connecting spoken/heard sounds to letters, syllables, and words. There is limited research available regarding the methods deaf and hard-of-hearing students use to spell as well as error patterns typically made by this population.

The purpose of this research …

Assessment And Treatment Of Childhood Apraxia Of Speech: The Perspective Of Current Speech-Language Pathologists, Sabrina White

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a neurological childhood (pediatric) speech sound disorder in which the precision and consistency of movements underlying speech are impaired in the absence of neuromuscular deficits (e.g. abnormal reflexes, abnormal tone)” (ASHA, 2007b, Definitions of CAS section, para. 1). The role of speech-language pathology in conjunction with childhood apraxia of speech is the treatment of whichever speech sound disorders exist. The variable nature of CAS creates challenges for SLPs. Presently, “there are no validated diagnostic features that differentiate CAS from other childhood speech sound disorders.” (ASHA, 2007b, Signs and Symptoms, para 1). Due to this …

The Presence Of The Halo Effect In Individuals Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Neurotypical Individuals, Margo Mainord

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty perceiving subtle social cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, and physical boundaries. These difficulties are well-established in the literature and lead to the social communication challenges characteristic of the disorder. Although the detection of subtle social cues is critical to all human interaction, there are other processes at play as humans relate and interact on a day-to-day basis. One such principle that has been firmly established but seldom considered is a cognitive bias known as the Halo Effect (HE), which is the tendency to assign numerous traits to …

Speech-Language Pathologists' Academic Preparation For Transition Services, Kathleen Bridgforth

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

When individuals with disabilities reach their senior year of high school, they undergo a transition period. Speech-language pathologists are often tasked with working on an interdisciplinary team to assist individuals undergoing transition. While research has been done on how professionals as a group can help with transition, there has been little to no research done on how SLPs can be better prepared to assist during this process. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preparedness of SLPs in high schools to assist individuals undergoing the transition period. The requirements for the participants include being a practicing or past …

Examination Of Spelling Skills Of Elementary Students Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Lacey Simpson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Spelling is a crucial skill that children must learn to read, write, and communicate effectively, but this comes with challenges for students with hearing loss. Linguistic processes, such as phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness, semantic awareness, and mental graphemic representations are building blocks to understanding how to spell words accurately but are more difficult to grasp and apply with hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spelling skills of deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) students to identify which linguistic processes need to be corrected and strengthened. By identifying which linguistic processes need remediation, educators …

Phonological Processing Abilities And Reading Skills In Young Adults, Sarah Thompson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

This case study examined the relationship between phonological processing abilities and reading skills of three young adults who had a history and formal diagnosis of a reading, writing, and/or auditory processing impairment. In addition to a standardized reading assessment, the participants were asked to complete a series of assessments that measured a specific aspect of auditory or visual phonological processing abilities including phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid automatic naming skills. These assessments included the Decoding Subtest of the Phonological Awareness Test (PAT-2), the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-5), and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2). Processing of degraded …

Language Abilities Of Children Who Qualify For Both Speech And Language Therapy And Play Therapy, Rylee Atkins

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Play is an essential role in the development of children’s language and social-emotional well-being. Intervention methods with the use of play are used by both registered play therapist and speech-language pathologists. This study aims to explore if students who have met the eligibility requirements for speech-language therapy services are also eligible for child-centered play therapy services, as well as examine if students who qualify for both services have common characteristics. Findings demonstrated that students who qualified for CCPT and had individualized education plans (IEPs) for speech-language services had significantly lower poor peer social skills, as determined by teacher’s rating scores, …

Bimodal And Bilingual: Language Characteristics Of Asl And English Users, Caitlin Bumpass

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bimodal bilingualism is the use of both an oral and a sign language, which in the United States often includes the ability to perceive and produce both American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English (Emmory, Borinstein, Thompson, & Gollan, 2008). The primary focus of this research is to examine the operational definition of bilingualism, specifically when English and ASL are the two languages used, within the scholarly journals in the related field of deaf education. There is an abundant amount of research regarding language of children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh); however, it is unclear …

Noise Exposure And Hearing Protection In Marching Band Students, Emily Myers

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research project was to investigate collegiate marching band members’ use of hearing protection during rehearsals and performances. A second purpose was to identify the concerns of marching band members about the use of hearing protection. Finally, the third purpose was to determine if the type of protection used, standard or custom, impacted wearing time. Hearing threshold sensitivity, tympanometry, and use of hearing protection were measured prior to the fitting of the custom earmolds and again at the end of the marching season.

Pre-season results indicated that the majority of band members reported they did not wear …

Perspectives Of Caregivers On Early Onset Dementia: An Investigation Of The Role Of Attachment And Shifts In Identity, Claire Wood

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Early onset dementia (EOD) alters the lives of person with dementia (PWD) and caregivers as it broadens from helping with the instrumental activities of daily living to full time assistance with essential activities of daily living. Research literature reports that pre-morbid attachment style continues to be emotionally and behaviorally expressed over the course of dementia; individual and shared narratives contribute to maintenance of personhood and identity; and that maintenance of self and other contributes to quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in caregiver perceptions of themselves and their quality of life in the caregiving …

How Music Shapes Our Identities And Why It Matters: Case Studies Of Professional Musicians, Annabelle C. Linker

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Brain research has demonstrated that music uniquely contributes to neural functioning, but little is known about how losing the ability to produce music, which may be inherent to personal identity for professional singers, impacts quality of life. This study explored identity and music in the lives of five well-known vocal music professionals selected because they have publicly talked about the role of music in their lives via books, televised interviews, and documentaries. The careers of three of the individuals were disrupted by neurogenic disease; one lost the ability to sing after treatment for vocal nodules; and the fifth individual remains …

Loss And Attainment Of Identity For Individuals Experiencing Early Onset Dementia, Benjamin Wright

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Qualitative research over the last decade suggests that connection with others and continued engagement in everyday life contribute to quality of life for those with EOD. This study aimed to map how personal and socially attributed identity shifted as everyday life changed over the dementia continuum. The goal was to determine if common narrative and life story themes marked key indicators of perceptions about and maintenance of self, others, and everyday life roles. The materials of the study were eleven open-source video, audio, and written documents submitted by individuals experiencing EOD and their family members for public use. The selected …

A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring The Application Of Physiological Measures In Prelinguistic Aac Intervention, Chloe Putnam

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The goal of completing this research was to explore the potential promise of the novel approach of applying physiological measures to AAC intervention for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are prelinguistic communicators. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to investigate the primary forms of prelinguistic communication and aided AAC used by a family with an individual with IDD and how taking physiological measurements might improve AAC intervention. Methodology: One family with an individual diagnosed with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) who primarily utilized prelinguistic communication and frequently uses aided, linguistic augmentative and alternative communication …

Social Conformity And The Line Judgement Task For Adolescents With Asd, Jamie Mcclendon

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary intent of this study is to add to the growing research regarding social functioning and theory of mind (ToM) of young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study takes into account the Solomon Asch line judgement tasks effect on peer pressure and social conformity. Previous research has shown that there is a discrepancy in the conformity exhibited by typically developing individuals (TD) and ASD individuals. This study seeks to address the degree to which ASD individuals are affected by social influence and how likely they will be to conform. Conformity rates will be compared to that of …

The Relationship Between Human Trafficking And An Occupational Therapy Career, Lexie France

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Occupational therapy crosses physical-mental health boundaries. It has been stated that occupational therapists have an innate duty to work with not only individuals, but society as a whole when individuals experience social and occupational injustices. An example of a social/occupational injustice that an individual may experience is human trafficking. Human trafficking not only affects the individual physically and emotionally, but it also has a pervasive impact on the individual’s ability to function as an occupational being. These experiences have the potential to affect the individual in varied contexts and environments, and over the lifespan. Due to an occupational therapist's proficiency …

Family Dynamics And Auditory Verbal Therapy, Casey Baldwin

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is an intervention approach that is structured around caregiver involvement. While this model emphasizes the need for interventions to occur throughout the week within activities of daily living, many families have different dynamics and are drifting away from the “standard” two-parent structure. This study aims to explore the different family structures and dynamics of children who are receiving AVT services. Findings demonstrated that AVT does not seem to interfere with participation in extracurricular activities, it may be beneficial for families to have different people in the family taking the child to therapy and facilitating therapy at …

Musical Ear Syndrome: What Do We Know?, Cara D. Pestel

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to review the existing literature regarding Musical Ear Syndrome and other related auditory hallucinations. While the existence of auditory hallucinations is evident, their cause is unclear and widely understudied. There was a need for existing information to be compiled for use in the healthcare field. This review of existing literature will aid speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, psychologists, and physicians in understanding this condition and what differentiates it from other various disorders. This will allow these professionals to better understand the experiences and needs of those with Musical Ear Syndrome.

The Impact Of Technology On Individuals With Down Syndrome And Their Families, Morgan N. Fritz

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the role technology plays in the everyday lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Data was collected via an online questionnaire for parents of adolescents with Down syndrome and took place in two phases: the pilot phase and the large-scale data collection phase. The pilot phase consisted of constructing, giving, and modifying the questionnaire. The large-scale data collection phase included disseminating the questionnaire through social media and resulted in 107 responses. These revealed that technology is widely used by individuals with Down syndrome. As a main outcome, technology provided these …

Need For Speech-Language Pathologists In Juvenile Detention Centers In Arkansas, Jessica R. Stephenson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young offenders in juvenile detention centers (JDCs) have a higher than average incidence of communication difficulties. There is limited published research on incidence of communication disorders and intervention techniques on this population in Arkansas. Speechlanguage pathologists (SLP) have been implemented in the JDC setting in other countries to determine if having speech-language therapy services will benefit juvenile offenders with their legal experiences and their lives post release. The limited research that is available identifies the need for a full range of speech-language therapy services to lower recidivism rates and provide offenders with the necessary tools for functional communication. The first …

An Internationally Adopted Child's Transition: A Family Story, Holly C. Heckmann

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to contribute to the literature on international adoption by conducting a case study with one adoptive family. Data was collected using a semi-structured, in-depth interview that was audio recorded and transcribed word-for-word. The interview questions asked about family configuration, language background and use, adoptive family decisions about cultural inclusiveness, and the transition from home to school. The analysis was member-checked following coding for the themes that emerged. Results indicated that lingering differences from reduced exposure to language in the first year of life took the form of subtle language differences that continued through the …

Perceptions Of The Effects Of Vocal Fry On Aspirational Careers In Prospective Job Markets, Darby B. Kunnemann

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the job market becoming increasingly difficult to enter, coupled by a growing public distaste for vocal fry, the question of the study is to determine if participants of the study in the general public can detect vocal fry, and if so, if it has an effect on which voice a participant would choose to hire for a position. The participants included 64 people residing in the United States, ranging from the ages 20-70 with varying backgrounds. Data was collected using an online questionnaire that included recorded voice samples. The study found that male students more accurately identifying vocal fry …

Adopting Children With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Study Of Family Experiences, Emily L. Richter

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively investigate and compare the family beliefs, values, and perceptions of parenting of families who have adopted children with Down syndrome (DS) to parents who have biological children with DS. Participants in the study included 27 parents of biological children with DS and six parents of adopted children with DS. Participants were interviewed through a digital survey that was distributed through Qualtrics Online Survey Software. Quantitative analysis placed the participants into groups and qualitative analysis was used to identify beliefs, values, and perceptions. Results showed that while both adoptive and biological parents indicated …

A Qualitative Study Of The Effects Of The University Of Arkansas Autism Support Program, Jessica Post

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Individuals who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often united by the following characteristics: difficulty communicating and interacting with others, inhibited ability to function socially, difficulty functioning academically or at work, and trouble transitioning to independent lifestyles (Lord, 2013). The purpose of this study was to determine how undergraduate students with Autism Spectrum Disorder perceive the helpfulness of the University of Arkansas Autism Support Program in the following areas: reducing college- related stress, facilitating academic success, facilitating social success, and preparing individuals for independent adult roles. In short, the study sought to determine the effects of the …

Detecting Cognitive Load During Working Memory Tasks Utilizing A Digitizer Tablet, Cassandra K. Ward, Pradyumn Srivastava

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this line of research is to determine whether the ‘Digitizer’ is a reliable and valid way to measure cognitive load during dual working memory-drawing tasks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the University of Arkansas in a research laboratory, and participants included seven right-handed healthy adults with normal or corrected vision and no reading difficulty. The participants were selected on a volunteer basis. The study required participants to draw circles while continuously performing in three conditions – one baseline and two working memory experimental tasks, administered in counterbalanced order. The baseline task was to read an 8 …

Learning To Be Fit: Social Change For Individuals With Cognitive Differences Through Organized Team Based Sports, Kayla T. Waters

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

This project investigated the importance and impact of physical activity on the lives of individuals with special needs. Two three-person focus groups, one composed of individuals involved in the Special Olympics and one of individuals not involved in the Special Olympics, participated in the study. Data was collected by videotaping each group’s process during a 20-minute self-directed session that included assigning roles and responsibilities in order to answer 10 semi-structured interview questions. Approach to assigning roles, organization of the process, and answers to the interview questions were analyzed and member checked. This study found that individuals involved in the …

American English Speakers' Perception Of Non-Native Phonotactic Constraints: The Influence Of Training In Phonology, Bailey R. Pearson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences between perceptions of non-native phonotactic rules and constraints by monolingual English-speaking undergraduate students in a program of communication disorders who had taken and passed a course in the study of phonology and by undergraduate students in communication disorders who had not yet taken a course in phonology. Participants listened to audio recordings of words from Hindi, Hmong, Kurdish, Russian, and Swedish recorded by speakers fluent in those languages. Each of the words contained at least one phonotactic constraint that is not permitted in American English phonology. Participants were instructed …