Education Commons^™

Task Specificity In Early Oral Motor Development, Erin M. Wilson, Jordan R. Green, Yana Y. Yunusova, Christopher A. Moore

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

This article addresses a long-standing clinical and theoretical debate regarding the potential relationship between speech and nonspeech behaviors in the developing system. The review is motivated by the high popularity of nonspeech oral motor exercises (NSOMEs), including alimentary behaviors such as chewing, in the treatment of speech disorders in young children. The similarities and differences in the behavioral characteristics, sensory requirements, and task goals for speech and nonspeech oromotor behaviors are compared. Integrated theoretical paradigms and empirical data on the development of early oromotor behaviors are discussed. Although the efficacy of NSOMEs remains empirically untested at this time, studies of …

Convergent Validity Of The Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale  , Annette Griffith, J. Ron Nelson, Michael Epstein, Bjorn Pederson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

This study examined the convergent validity of the parent and teacher versions of the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale (ECBPSS) with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), respectively. Data were collected on a sample of preschool and kindergarten students (n = 149) from two medium-sized cities in the Midwest. Analyses of both the parent and teacher versions of the ECBPSS were corre¬lated with the corresponding Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problem scale scores of the CBCL and the C-TRF. The present findings and future research directions and limitations are discussed.

Academic Processing Speed Mediates The Influence Of Both Externalizing Behavior And Language Skills On The Academic Skills Of Students With Emotional Disturbance, Gregory J. Benner, J. Ron Nelson, Jill H. Allor, Paul Mooney, Tao Dai

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The results from previous research suggest that there is a relatively small (albeit statistically significant) relationship between the externalizing behavior and academic skills of students with emotional disturbance (ED). Researchers have also found that the majority of these students have language deficits that hinder their academic performance. The purposes of this study were to investigate the mediating role of academic processing speed (i.e., academic fluency) on the relationship between: (a) The externalizing behavior and academic skills of K-12 students with ED; and (b) language skills and academic skills of students with ED. Results indicate that academic processing speed mediated the …

Academic Performance Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders Served In A Self-Contained Setting, Kathleen Lynne Lane, Sally M. Barton-Arwood, J. Ron Nelson, Joseph Wehby

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

This study describes the academic, social, and behavioral performance of elementary and secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) receiving services in a self-contained school for students with serious behavior problems, with an emphasis on how school adjustment and problem behavior patterns predict academic performance. Results revealed that elementary and secondary group scores were well below the 25th percentile on reading, math, and written expression measures. Further, a seven variable model representing academic, social, and behavioral domains was able to differentiate between age groups explaining 54% of the variance and correctly classifying 78.26% (n = 18) of the …

Babbling, Chewing, And Sucking: Oromandibular Coordination At 9 Months, Roger W. Steeve, Christopher A. Moore, Jordan R. Green, Kevin J. Reilly, Jacki Ruark Mcmurtrey

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The ontogeny of mandibular control is important for understanding the general neurophysiologic development for speech and alimentary behaviors. Prior investigations suggest that mandibular control is organized distinctively across speech and nonspeech tasks in 15-month-olds and adults and that, with development, these extant forms of motor control primarily undergo refinement and rescaling. The present investigation was designed to evaluate whether these coordinative infrastructures for alimentary behaviors and speech are evident during the earliest period of their co-occurrence.
Method: Electromyographic (EMG) signals were obtained from the mandibular muscle groups of 15 typically developing 9-month-old children during sucking, chewing, and speech.
Results: …

Migraine-Associated Vestibulopathy, Julie A. Honaker, Ravi N. Samy

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose of review: In the past few years, otologists have been seeing an increasing number of patients with vestibular disorders due to migraine- associated vestibulopathy. This article reviews some of the latest developments in the understanding of this disease process, specifically its incidence, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Recent findings: Migraine-associated vestibular symptoms may include episodic true vertigo, movement-provoked dysequilibrium, imbalance/unsteadiness, and complaints of lightheadedness. The pathophysiology of migraine-associated vestibulopathy is not completely understood; however, both peripheral and central deficits have been observed. Although the International Headache Society classification does not include migraine-associated vestibulopathy as a subclassification of migraine, there is …

Pacifier Stiffness Alters The Dynamics Of The Suck Central Pattern Generator, Emily Zimmerman, Steven M. Barlow

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Variation in pacifier stiffness on non-nutritive suck (NNS) dynamics was examined among infants born prematurely with a history of respiratory distress syndrome. Three types of silicone pacifiers used in the NICU were tested for stiffness, revealing the Super Soothie™ nipple is 7 times stiffer than the Wee™ or Soothie™ pacifiers even though shape and displaced volume are identical. Suck dynamics among 20 preterm infants were subsequently sampled using the Soothie™ and Super Soothie™ pacifiers during follow-up at approximately 3 months of age. ANOVA revealed significant differences in NNS cycles/min, NNS amplitude, NNS cycles/burst, and NNS cycle periods as a function …

Respiratory Distress Syndrome Degrades The Fine Structure Of The Non-Nutritive Suck In Preterm Infants, Susan Stumm, Steven M. Barlow, Meredith Estep, Jaehoon Lee, Susan Cannon, Joy Carlson, Donald Finan

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Aims and Objectives—Suck development is a challenging hurdle for preterm infants who endure an extensive oxygen history due to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The fine structure of the non-nutritive suck (NNS) was studied in preterm infants according to RDS severity.

Design and Methods—Recordings of NNS were completed cribside in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in 55 preterm infants distributed among one healthy control group and two RDS infant groups. NNS pressure amplitude (cmH₂0) and within-burst suck cycle period (ms) were the dependent measures extracted from digitized records of pacifier nipple compression pressure.

Results and Conclusions—RDS preterm infants …

Respiratory Treatment History Predicts Suck Pattern Stability In Preterm Infants, Meredith Poore, Steven M. Barlow, Jingyan Wang, Mereditch Estep, Jaehoon Lee

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Sensory deprivation and motor restriction associated with extensive oxygen therapy may lead to poor oromotor control in preterm infants. Non-nutritive suck is one of the first complex oromotor behaviors infants perform. This study determined the spatiotemporal variability of non-nutritive suck (NNS) pressure trajectories in three preterm groups with differing oxygen histories—one control group with minimal or no O₂ therapy, and two Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) groups with either a mild/moderate (RDS1) or moderate/severe (RDS2) O₂ history. The Non-nutritive Suck Spatiotemporal Index (NNS STI) quantifies spatial and temporal variability across kinematic trajectories, and was calculated from digital representations of …

Regional Volumetric Change Of The Tongue During Mastication In Pigs, Z. J. Liu, B. Yamamura, V. Shcherbatyy, Jordan R. Green

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Structure and movement of the tongue have been studied extensively, but little study has been carried on its 3D deformation and ensuing volumetric changes during various functions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the volumetric changes of a regional section of the tongue during feeding. Four 12-week-old Yucatan miniature pigs were used. During natural mastication and water drinking, the width, length, thickness and volumetric changes were measured using six implanted ultrasonic crystals, which circumscribed a wedge-shaped volume in the region of the tongue body. Jaw movements were videotaped and digitized. Signals from these two sources were synchronized to …

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameter In Preterm Infants With Rds, Meredith Estep, Steven M. Barlow, Rajesh Vantipalli, Donald Finan, Jaehoon Lee

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Objective—To characterize the integrity of non-nutritive suck (NNS) parameters among three groups of preterm infants ranging from normal to those with progressive degrees of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Study Design—NNS compression waveforms were sampled from 55 infants in the neonatal intensive care unit using a silicone pacifier electronically instrumented for intraluminal pressure. Seven select NNS parameters were measured at two different sessions, and statistically analyzed using a General Linear Model Analysis of Covariance.

Results and Conclusions—Preterm infants with a more extensive history of RDS and oxygen therapy manifest significantly (p≤0.001) degraded performance on six of the seven NNS measures. This …