Speech Pathology and Audiology Commons^™

Spectrographic Analysis Of The Lombard Effect, Julia Saxon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In my honors project I will study the feasibility of using spectrographic analysis to measure the Lombard effect. The Lombard effect is a well-known phenomenon in which talkers reflexively increase the intensity of their voices in the presence of background noise. We hypothesize that other measurable features of speech will also change with vocal intensity consistent with what is shown in literature. However, the current authors will discuss findings in terms of its potential value as a test of pseudohypoacusis, also known as nonorganic or functional hearing loss. The author and a licensed audiologist will examine the /i/ and /u/ …

Cochlear Implants And Executive Function In Children: A Current Review Of Literature, Jessica Bonezzi, Dr. Alex Meibos

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

We systematically reviewed existing research on cochlear implantation and executive function to determine if children with bilateral profound hearing loss with cochlear implantation have executive functioning levels similar to their normal hearing peers. Overall, we wanted to know if cochlear implantation resulted in executive functioning in deaf children. A systematic analysis of research was performed using the Preferred Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique. Research comparing unilaterally implanted children to bilaterally implanted children shows that bilaterally implanted children scored higher on verbal IQ tests. Research comparing predominately bilaterally implanted children to norms presents split results.

Similarities And Differences Of Equine Assisted Speech Therapy And Traditional Speech Therapy –A Retrospective Study, Anna Schulz, Kristy Weissling, Josie Zimmel

UCARE Research Products

Equine assisted speech therapy (EAST) utilizes horses for therapy while speech-language pathologists conduct the sessions (Thrall and Moser, 2015). Few studies show the effects EAST has on clients’ speech, communication, & language. This research study aims to identify strategies, progress, & objectives of EAST & traditional speech therapy (TST) to determine the similarities & differences of the therapies.

The Impact Of Active Learning In A Speech-Language Pathology Swallowing And Dysphagia Course, Rebecca H. Affoo, Justin L. Bruner, Angela M. Dietsch, Ciara Nellenbach, Theresa M. Jones, Mark E. Lehman

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The signature pedagogy in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) higher education programs has been criticized for its instructor-centric lecture format and emphasis on the lower tiers of Bloom’s taxonomy (simply memorizing knowledge) at the expense of helping students develop the clinical problem-solving skills required for a lifetime of practice and learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of a cohort of graduate speech-language pathology students to an active learning-oriented swallowing and dysphagia course design. A potential relationship between student perceptions of the active learning pedagogy and academic performance was also explored. The results suggest that active learning positively …

Inner Ear Disorders Associated With Hearing And Vestibular Loss: A Case Series, Kelly Retzlaff

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Introduction: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), a hearing loss of at least 30 dB at three or more consecutive frequencies within a 72-hour period, is typically idiopathic. Potential causes are thought to include viral, autoimmune, vascular, neurologic, neoplastic, or traumatic origins. Treatment consists of steroids. Poor patient follow up and compliance with rehabilitation negatively affect outcomes. Poor follow-up also results in the inadequate medical documentation of outcomes. Case Presentation: a 20-year old female presented with unilateral SSNHL with high-frequency tinnitus in the right ear. Her audiological history includes a known profound hearing loss in the left ear, as well as, …

Programmatic Desensitization Of The Cough Reflex In Patients With Refractory Chronic Cough, Emma Bozarth Dailey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aim: The purpose of this blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial was to determine the potential of treating refractory chronic cough (RCC) using a progressive desensitization model paired with behavioral cough suppression.

Methods: Twelve adults with chronic cough who had failed behavioral cough treatment enrolled in and completed the study. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (n=8) or placebo group (n=4). The study consisted of three phases. During Phase I, participants completed baseline testing, including cough sensitivity testing with capsaicin, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), urge-to-cough-testing, and 24-hour cough frequency testing. During Phase II, participants practiced behavioral cough suppression …

Assessing Classroom Readiness Post-Concussion In College Student-Athletes: Comparing The Impact To Standardized Cognitive Assessments, Isabel Hotop

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

The ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test) is a commonly used computerized neurocognitive test for concussion management in college student-athletes (Lovell, 2020). This assessment is heavily relied upon by athletic trainers to make decisions regarding timing of return-to-play and return-to-classroom for college student-athletes. Predicting when students are ready to return-to-learn is imperative for their success in the classroom. However, the current evidence shows that the validity and reliability of the ImPACT may be lacking. As of ten years ago, a single study had yet to demonstrate the validity of the ImPACT by comparing the scores to traditional neurocognitive testing …

Hearing Care And Management Priority Among Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome: A Grounded Theory, John J. Whicker, Karen F. Muñoz, Nicole J. Pearson, Trenton J. Landon, Lauri H. Nelson, Karl R. White, Michael P. Twohig

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Faculty Publications

Objective: This study qualitatively explored the factors that influence how parents of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome prioritize hearing care and management and developed an associated theory to explain that priority.

Design: Grounded theory was used for the purposes of this qualitative study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews which were analyzed using a three-tiered qualitative coding process.

Study Sample: Eighteen mothers of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome participated in this study.

Results: The higher the extent of engaged professional support, perception of benefit for child, parent activation, and family engagement, the …

Impact Of Nicu Design On Feeding-Related Outcomes In Preterm Infants, Emma Kate Calvert

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Many NICUs around the country are moving away from traditional open-bay designs in favor of single-family rooms (SFRs) as more is understood about the impact of the sensory environment on neurodevelopment in preterm infants. SFRs house one infant and their family for the length of the infant’s stay and are associated with improvements in numerous outcomes, including increased milk intake and weight gain and earlier transition to enteral feeding. Oral feeding remains a critical requirement for NICU discharge; however, the impact of NICU design on feeding outcomes remains unknown.

The purpose of this study was to compare feeding outcomes between …

Experiences Of Adolescents In The General Education Setting Interacting With Peers With Intellectual Disability, Katie Goldey

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Social interaction is critical to health, quality of life, and linguistic and cognitive development. However, young people with intellectual disabilities are unlikely to have equitable opportunities for social interaction. This may be particularly true of adolescents. This study used qualitative phenomenological methods to examine the lived experiences of students in the general education setting interacting with their peers with intellectual disability. Twenty participants engaged in one on one interviews with the author. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for overarching themes. Four main themes emerged from the data including: (1) Teens just don’t have many opportunities to interact with …

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist Collaborative Practice: A Literature Review, Kaija R. Elenko

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Background: School-based speech language pathologists (SLPs) are increasing collaborative engagement with educators and other professionals in school settings. Collaborative practice in the general education classroom increased student’s awareness of literacy concepts. The push-in model of service delivery reached students with varied levels of literacy understanding. There is insufficient empirical evidence regarding school-based interprofessional practice (IPP) available to clinicians. Systemic reviews provide a model for educators and SLPs to follow; many professionals hesitate to engage in IPP because there is a deficiency in evidence of success.

Aims: Investigation of the necessary components for successful IPP and the impacts of collaboration on …

Objective Estimation Of Tracheoesophageal Speech Quality, Yousef S Ettomi Ali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Speech quality estimation for pathological voices is becoming an increasingly important research topic. The assessment of the quality and the degree of severity of a disordered speech is important to the clinical treatment and rehabilitation of patients. In particular, patients who have undergone total laryngectomy (larynx removal) produce Tracheoesophageal (TE) speech. In this thesis, we study the problem of TE speech quality estimation using advanced signal processing approaches. Since it is not possible to have a reference (clean) signal corresponding to a given TE speech (disordered) signal, we investigate in particular the non-intrusive techniques (also called single-ended or blind approaches) …

A Comparative Study Of Esl Children's Improvement In Reading, Writing, Listening, And Speaking Using The Grapeseed Program, Morgan Mainess

Honors Theses

GrapeSEED is a program currently administered in the Berrien Springs Public School System that is specifically designed to improve literacy (reading and writing), listening, and speaking skills for English as a Second Language (ESL) chi ldren. This study analyzed whether the GrapeSEED program would significantly improve participants' development when compared to their pre-tests. Empirical observational data was additionally collected at Mars Elementary during the 2018-2019 academic year. A statistical analysis indicated significant advancement in listening and literacy with increased improvement for younger participants in the GrapeSEED program.

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the improvement in participant's development in the …

Access To Pediatric Audiological Evaluation Facilities For Infants And Young Children In The United States: Results From The Ehdi-Pals System, Naveen K. Nagaraj, Emilee Mertens, Beula Magimairaj, Randi Winston Gerson, John Whicker, Karl R. White

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention - Pediatric Audiology Links to Services (EHDI-PALS) is a web-based national directory of pediatric audiology facilities in the United States, created by an expert committee and launched in October 2012. In this study, data from 1,232 audiology facilities were analyzed to identify the number of registered facilities, types of diagnostic hearing tests offered, and the number of children under 5 years of age who were diagnosed with hearing loss. Some states had almost 15 times as many registered facilities as other states, suggesting that access to quality diagnostic hearing testing for infants and young children …

Engaging Parents Of Children With Mild Bilateral Or Unilateral Hearing Loss: Counseling Considerations, Karen F. Munoz, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

A notable percentage of children identified with hearing loss through newborn hearing screening have mild bilateral or unilateral hearing loss (MB/UHL). Caregivers’ appropriately strong emotions, fears, and personal struggles may inadvertently interfere with their engagement with audiologists and other professionals, as well as adherence to jointly determined intervention protocols. Researchers have shown variable outcomes for children with MB/UHL, counseling that includes addressing emotional and cognitive factors is essential for effectively engaging parents. The aim of this article is to describe counseling attributes and strategies that providers can incorporate when working with parents of children with MB/UHL to improve parent engagement …

Differentiated Social Skills Curriculum For Aac Users, Braden Mccarty, Ann Beck, Tricia Larkin

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Communication is a basic human right. Every day, people express their ideas, emotions, wants, and needs with various conversational partners. Once young children learn to talk, social communication instruction usually does not take place in a formal setting. Children often learn appropriate means of conducting themselves in a social situation through daily interactions, a skill that continues to develop as a person ages. For individuals that require an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to express themselves, social communication can become a difficult task. AAC users are often individuals that have difficulty with expressive language, but there are some circumstances …

Vocal Health Preservation For Teachers Of Music: A Literature Review, Lyndsay Byers, Lisa Vinney Phd Ccc-Slp, Kimberly Adelman Ms Ccc-Slp

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

This literature review explores research findings regarding risk factors of voice disorders for teachers of music. It summarizes current research regarding personal, environmental, and occupational practices teachers of music can implement to help preserve their voices. This document also reviews literature findings regarding when, where, and how music teachers can seek assistance for voice symptoms.

Assessing Bilingual Children With A Language Disorder, Ana Franco, Tricia Larkin, Ann Beck

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

The population in the United States is rapidly diversifying, and it is estimated that 4.9 million English-Language Learning (ELL) students are currently in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). ELL students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds and have varying proficiencies in English and their native language. The linguistic and cultural differences bilingual ELL students present when they attend public schools have created challenges for the current assessment and treatment services available for those bilingual children with communication disorders. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are required to assess bilingual children suspected of having a language disorder, one of the most …

Long-Term Effects Of A Short-Term Study Abroad On Mindset, Madasyn Hofstedt, Heidi Harbers, Amy Yacucci

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

This literature review will examine 10 studies. The first section will discuss one study regarding common personality traits that practicing SLPs and SLP graduate students possess. The next section will review four studies about studying abroad. The final section will summarize four studies about the impact of mindset on life experiences and one study on how a growth mindset may potentially affect a study abroad experience.

Development Of Group Treatment Tasks For Adults With Neurological Disorders, Melody R. Groben

Senior Honors Projects

Gateway Café and Wellness Center is a support program offered at the University of Rhode Island for individuals with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI), such as Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Stroke. Individuals affected by ABI’s most commonly have difficulties with their cognitive, linguistic, and independence skills. Services provided to people living with ABI’s are very scarce in our community today, so allowing people to interact during Gateway Café allows these adults to receive treatment. This is achieved as URI students plan, organize, and execute activities that require the utilization of cognitive linguistic skills by the Gateway Café members. Furthermore, Gateway …