Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Audiological Management Of Children With Down Syndrome: A Toolkit For Caregivers, Natalie Lisiewicz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Children with Down syndrome may have multiple medical co-morbidities. This can result in an overwhelming number of medical appointments and information for caregivers to keep track of. Middle ear dysfunction, among other otologic abnormalities, is common in the Down syndrome population, and the presence of these conditions will result in referrals to an audiologist to monitor hearing sensitivity. While hearing may not be the most pressing concern as compared to a possible life-threatening condition such as a heart defect, it is still a crucial factor in a child’s overall development.

This toolkit is designed with the intention of educating caregivers …

Parents' Perception Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Secondary Transition, Madelyn Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Speech-Language Pathologists provide services to youth with Down syndrome. The purpose of this study was to (a) determine if parents are aware that speech-language pathologists can provide services to prepare their children for secondary transition; (b) identify the parents’ perceptions of the services provided by speech-language pathologists; and (c) determine if in the parents’ opinion, the speech-language pathologist provided a vital role in preparing their child for transition. Using nonprobability snowball sampling, this cross-sectional mixed-method survey study included 85 parents of youth (ages 14-22) with Down syndrome across the United States. Parents rated their experiences and described their beliefs and …

Receptive And Expressive Prosodic Abilities In Adults With Down Syndrome, Logan A. Kingry

Honors Theses

Individuals with Down syndrome, a population that often struggles with communication, present a unique linguistic profile of strengths and weaknesses. Almost no research has examined prosody in adults with DS, despite the important role it plays in effective communication. The present study investigated the prosodic profile of seven adults with Down syndrome (18;07-34;11 years) using the Profiling Elements of Prosody for Speech and Communication (PEPS-C), and compared the group’s expressive and receptive prosodic abilities to a group of seven adults with mixed-etiology intellectual and developmental disability (29;02-37;07 years) matched on nonverbal ability. Data analyses showed that the group with Down …

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 …

Qualitative Case Review Of A Male With Down Syndrome, Mary Josephine Hoyer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition in the United States. In the United States, about one of every 700 babies is diagnosed with Down syndrome. The purpose of this study was to assess pre-existing data on a 13-year-old male with a diagnosis of Down syndrome to contribute to research on this chromosomal abnormality. The individual received speech and language related services at Western Kentucky University beginning in 2007. Through analysis of previously collected data, the researcher created a qualitative case review that identified the progress of an individual with Down syndrome and emphasized what attributed to his progress. …

Differentiated Social Skills Curriculum For Individuals With Cognitive Impairments, Morgan Bails, Tricia Larkin, Ann Beck

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

While communication may seem simple and inherent to many individuals while interacting with family, friends, or co-workers, communication may be more challenging for individuals with cognitive impairments. Whether the difficulty is related to expressive language, receptive language, semantics, pragmatics, etc., any deficits in these areas can create difficulty for individuals while socializing with others in their environment. Social skills intervention for individuals with cognitive impairments is imperative so that these individuals are able to communicate as effectively as possible in numerous settings with various communication partners. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have difficulty with social skills in particular …

Vowel Production In Down Syndrome: An Ultrasound Study, Micalle Carl

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present study investigated the articulatory and acoustic characteristics of vowel production in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Speech production deficits and reduced intelligibility are consistently noted in this population, attributed to any combination of phonological, structural, and/or motor control deficits. Speakers with DS have demonstrated impaired vowel production, as indicated by perceptual, acoustic, and articulatory data, with emerging evidence of vowel centralization. Participants in the study included eight young adults with DS, as well as eight age- and gender-matched controls. Ultrasound imaging was utilized to obtain midsagittal tongue contours during single-word productions, specifically targeting the corner vowels /ɑ/, /æ/, …

Dysarthria: A Study Of Effects On Communication, Casey Johnsen

Senior Honors Projects

Dysarthria is an impairment characterized by slow, weak, and imprecise muscle movements that affect one’s speech and communication. The specific characteristics of dysarthria vary depending on the site and extent of the lesion. Some general examples include articulatory-resonatory incompetence, imprecise consonants, distorted vowels, hypernasality, low pitch, harshness, strained-strangled voice and prosodic disturbances including slow rate. Dysarthria can be found in both children and adults, and is caused by neurologic disorders such as stroke, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, or muscular dystrophy. Dysarthria can negatively impact one’s social participation. The extra effort it takes to speak and the frustration of …

Parent/Caregiver Knowledge And Satisfaction Of Information And Referrals Related To Speech-Language Pathology Services For Children With Down Syndrome, Erin K. Salmons

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, is the most commonly occurring chromosomal abnormality present at birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are approximately 6,000 diagnoses of Down syndrome per year in the United States, further indicating that 1/700 infants are born with Down syndrome. A diagnosis of Down syndrome can be made either prenatally or postnatally. Early intervention services will be warranted to address underlying deficits associated with the syndrome, (i.e., speech-language/feeding/swallowing). Communicative disorders are among the most prominent concomitant deficits associated with Down syndrome. Therefore, it is critical that parents/caregivers of children with …

Phonological Accuracy And Intelligibility In Connected Speech Of Boys With Fragile X Syndrome Or Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Barnes, Joanne Roberts, Steven Long, Gary E. Martin, Mary C. Berni, Kerry C. Mandulak, John Sideris

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To compare the phonological accuracy and speech intelligibility of boys with fragile X syndrome with autism spectrum disorder (FXS-ASD), fragile X syndrome only (FXS-O), Down syndrome (DS), and typically developing (TD) boys.

Method: Participants were 32 boys with FXS-O (3–14 years), 31 with FXS-ASD (5–15 years), 34 with DS (4–16 years), and 45 TD boys of similar nonverbal mental age. We used connected speech samples to compute measures of phonological accuracy, phonological process occurrence, and intelligibility.

Results: The boys with FXS, regardless of autism status, did not differ from TD boys on phonological accuracy and phonological …

The Development Of A Universal Tangible Symbol System, Ellen Trief, Susan M. Bruce, Paul W. Cascella, Sarah Ivy

Paul Cascella

Tangible symbols are objects or partial objects with qualities, such as shape, texture, and consistency, that can be used to represent a person, place, object, activity, or concept. They can be handled and share a perceptual relationship with what they represent, known as the referent. This article presents a study on the development of a universal tangible symbol system. The purpose of this study was to identify a set of standardized tangible symbols from which educational teams could select the most appropriate symbols for the children they serve.