Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Interoceptive Awareness In Adults Who Stutter, Hazel Malcolm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stuttering is commonly described as a disorder of speech fluency characterized by primary speech behaviors that are judged by external observers to be typical of stuttering, including part-word repetitions, prolongations, and blocks (i.e., silent prolongations or postural fixations). Despite wide use in the field of speech-pathology, definitions focusing on these ‘primary’ behaviors have also been criticized as ‘surface’ or ‘perceptual’ definitions that favor the experience of a listener over that of the speaker. Recent qualitative evidence suggests that, when asked, adults who stutter (AWS) instead define stuttering as an internal feeling or awareness of being ‘stuck’ that is surrounded by …

Using Aac To Build Young Beginning Communicators’ Inclusion In Song Routines, Sydney Taylor Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on preschool-aged beginning communicators’ ability to participate linguistically during song social routines. The AAC used during the intervention phase were visual scene displays (VSDs). VSDs are color-realistic photos, often depicting real people, that are context-rich for the user. VSDs are less demanding and offer the user a way to communicate their thoughts, feelings, or emotions in a more contextualized way. The present study used a multiple-baseline across participants approach. The primary dependent measure was the linguistic participation of each participant using the VSD. The results indicated that each …

Talking About Aphasia: A Social Media Analysis Of What Individuals With Aphasia And Communication Partners Convey About Functional Discourse, Anna Elizabeth Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to blend what we know about aphasia and functional communication. Specifically, how individuals with aphasia are functionalizing communication on the social media platform of YouTube. Extensive clinically significant literature exists on functional communication within speech-language pathology that provides practical guidance for clinical applications. Moreover, an emerging theoretical framework on functional communication and aphasia has sparked fresh insights, particularly from the perspective of individuals with aphasia. This perspective holds promise for exploring how individuals and their families leverage social media for functional communication. This study aims to integrate established clinical research findings on functional communication with the evolving …

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 …

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 …

Examination Of The Colorful Semantic Approach Via Telepractice For Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Samadhi Pusuba Devayalage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Hearing loss, deafness or hard of hearing are considered to be the inabilityof perceiving sounds beyond 20 dB. Due to a direct impact of a hearing loss, a developing brain undergoes difficulties in acquiring age-appropriate syntax and speech sounds. As a result, children with hearing loss present language, speech, and literacy disabilities. The current study discusses the efficacy of the colorful semantics approach in order to see its impact on sentence structure development. Methodology: A single subject withdrawal experimental study conducted following ABAB model. Two participants (6 years and 10 years) were recruited to the study following an inclusion …

Effect Of Intervention Of Low-Tech Aac Access Through Triadic Gaze On Communication From School-Aged Children With Multiple Disabilities, Bailey Norton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of instruction in teaching triadic gaze to communicate by accessing low-tech AAC. The low-tech AAC was an Eye-Com board with two target words laterally fixed to the board via Velco backing. Three school-aged participants completed the study, each with multiple disabilities, severe motor restrictions, and limited speech. This study utilized a multiple baseline across participants design. Laminated color photos depicting individualized, motivating vocabulary for each participant were used as probe materials. All three participants demonstrated increased performance in accurately utilizing triadic gaze for selecting from a field of two from baseline to intervention …

Does Whispering Improve Children’S Memory? Comparing Auditory Vigilance And Salience Hypotheses, Christina M. Barnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oral communication is one of the primary tools children use to learn new information and speech registers can deliver additional meaning to the words someone uses. Cirillo’s (2004) vigilance hypothesis states “Whispering can affect the psychobiological state of recipients, and in particular raise their auditory vigilance” (Cirillo, 2004, p. 76). Building on this theory, the current study investigates the role of whispering and children’s memory by examining a whispering vigilance, whispering salience which focused on the changes between normal and whisper registers, and combined vigilance and salience hypotheses to determine if whispering contributes to the recall of information. Using video …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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

2021 Honors Symposium

• Interprofessional collaboration in the educational setting is vital to a holistic approach to addressing a child’s individual needs. Despite the benefits of interprofessional practices (IPP), collaboration in the educational setting can be challenging. Some challenges that impede IPP from occurring in the school setting include time constraints and awareness of roles; however, interprofessional practice can be an effective way to set a child up for success (Kerins, 2018). There is substantial evidence that supports the idea of collaboration within services for the well-being of the child (Choi & Pak, 2006; Ellis et al., 2005; Johnson, 2016). Counselors and speech-language …

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

2021 Honors Symposium

Background:
• Understanding how language develops in children who are learning two languages can provide a better understanding of language development in general.
• There is an abundant amount of research regarding language skills of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh); however, it is unclear if researchers are using a similar definition when describing the characteristics of bimodal/bilingualism.
• Bimodal bilingualism is the use of both an oral language and a sign language, which in the U.S. often includes the ability to perceive and produce both American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken and/or written English.

Purpose:
• …

The Diffusion Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication: A Qualitative Application Of Everett Rogers’S Theory Of Diffusion To Aac Refusal And Abandonment Literature, Foster Ellis

2021 Honors Symposium

INTRODUCTION
• Empirical evidence demonstrates benefits of AAC communication for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• However, trends of refusal and abandonment of AAC systems by these populations have been documented
• Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers introduces a framework conceptualizing why some innovations encounter uptake while others suffer abandonment or refusal
• The framework includes four factors that are cited as contributing to uptake: the innovation, communication channels, time, and the social system
• This study examines the characteristics important to the innovation factor in order to provide data specific to the innovation of AAC systems
• …

Aac Intervention In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: The Experts’ Perspective, Elizabeth Fulton

2021 Honors Symposium

INTRODUCTION
• There is a lack of research on augmentative and alternative communication in low- and middle income (LAMI) countries. Without research, people in LAMI countries with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are left without effective services.
• Currently, there are high levels of disparities in speech intervention for individuals with IDD in LAMI countries.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What do you see as the most pressing disparities limiting communication outcomes for individuals with IDD who require AAC in LAMI countries?
• What do you see as the largest barriers precluding LAMI countries from addressing those disparities?
• What do you …

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

2021 Honors Symposium

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. The results of this study may provide insight for enhancing the use of music as a therapeutic tool that bridges identity and quality of life. Findings are discussed in relation to claims that awareness of personal identity in speech-language interventions can contribute to patient centered discussions about quality of life. Thisstudy explored identity and music in the lives of five well-known vocal music professionals …

The Effect Of Screen Time/Technology On Children With Hearing Loss, Alexa Goodwin

2021 Honors Symposium

Introduction
The use of technology is often promoted as an impactful educational tool, but research often fails to link to these positive outcomes. Negative impacts of “screen addiction” on children whose brains are still developing is an oftenexpressed concern. This is due to excessive screen exposure correlating with increases in disorders such as depression, ADHD, anxiety, and aggression. However, some consider technology use to be valuable for social skills and connection. This study explores the correlation of screen exposure on the executive functioning and social skills of children with hearing loss between the ages 8-12. Executive functioning includes mental skills …

Prevailing Theories Of Over-Imitation, Christa Griffith

2021 Honors Symposium

Imitation is a naturally occurring process of human development where individuals can learn different skills and behaviors by mimicking those around them. Imitation plays a vital role in the development of cognitive and social communication behaviors such as language and joint attention. Although imitation appears to have a clear positive utilization there are instances where its utility is reduced. Over-imitation is the process of an individual imitating actions even when those actions are not causally relevant to the objective to the task. Whiten et al. (2016) said that “the occurrence of overimitation in the real world, maximizes the power of …

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

2021 Honors Symposium

Musicians, marching band students in particular, are at risk for Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NlHL) as they are frequently exposed to sound levels ranging from 85-114dB (Dinakaran, & Rejoythadathil, 20 I 8; Jansen et al., 2008; Libbin, 2008). It is recolillilended that those exposed to loud sounds wear ear protection regularly (Audiological Services for Musicians and Music Industry Personell, 2019.; Loud Noise Dangers, n.d.). Musicians are often reluctant to wear hearing protection for various reasons (Jin et al., 2013). Standard earplugs are typically offered to marching band members.

The purpose of this study was to determine how many band members …

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

2021 Honors Symposium

Prelinguistic communication is defined as that which comes before linguistic development and consists of nonverbal means of communication, such as gestures, eye gaze, vocalizations, and expressions (Franco, Davis, & Davis, 2013). In typical development, prelinguistic communication is evident in infants during the beginning stages of communication, before language emerges. However, some individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with communication limitations continue to use prelinguistic communication as a primary mode of communication later in life. The goal of completing this research is to explore the potential promise of the novel approach of applying physiological measures to AAC intervention for prelinguistic …

Defining Bimodal Bilingualism Within The Field Of Speech-Language Pathology, Jaycie Strunk

2021 Honors Symposium

BACKGROUND
• Speech-language pathologists work with a variety of individuals that each uniquely have their own journey in learning and using language for communication. Many times, professionals are working with those with hearing loss, who are diverse in their use of communication.
• 14.9% of children in between the ages of 6-19 years suffer from hearing loss (Niskar, 1998). This is a large group of individuals that speech-language pathologists serve, each with different goals and needs.
• According to the CDC, around 90% of children born with a congenital hearing loss are born to parents who are not deaf, which …

Facilitating Transition: Moving Beyond High School As A Member Of The Autism Spectrum Community, Cameron Sturgeon, Anna Krizman, Brittany Tran

2021 Honors Symposium

This research seeks to investigate the transition process of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from high school to post graduation life from the perspective of the transitioning youths’ caregivers. Data has been collected through an online survey, providing qualitative research, of parents’ perception of their children’s transition processes. This research is an important insight on how to better help individuals with ASD gradually navigate new school and lifestyle changes. On this poster you will find an introduction, list of material, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, direction of future research, references, and acknowledgements.

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 …

Development Of The Caregiver-Child Auditory Skills Tracking (Cast) Scale: A Pilot Study On Caregiver Implementation Via International Telepractice, Elizabeth Ocampo-Roman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parent engagement is a key component during early language development for all children, but particularly for a child with hearing loss. Through the application of technology-based models of service delivery such as telehealth, researchers have found an increase in parent-child engagement during auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) sessions due to the physical absence of the provider and parents becoming the primary language facilitators. However, current measures of parent-child interactions do not have a coding system to monitor facilitation of auditory skills. This present study will discuss the development of the Caregiver-Child Auditory Skills Tracking (CAST) Scale to track progress of caregiver implementation …

Working Memory And Executive Function In Young Adults: Hearing, What Is It Good For?, Addison Lentz

2020 Honors Symposium

Little is understood about how hearing loss impacts cognition in young adults. This presentation discusses the results of an experimental study that examined these constructs in young adults with a simulated hearing loss.

Hearing Loss And Working Memory In Young Adults, Ashton Robbins

2020 Honors Symposium

This study examined the relationship between hearing loss and working memory in young adults with normal hearing (ages 18-35) through the analysis of two NIH toolbox assessments completed by participants when exposed to moderate hearing loss using an atraumatic methodology. This study is relevant for a variety of health professions.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Motor Planning With Core Vocabulary: A Behavior Analytic Account, Alison Judith Karnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increases, it is important for practitioners to continue to improve evidence-based practices (EBP) for the treatment of ASD symptoms (i.e., impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It is estimated that 30-50% of individuals with autism do not acquire functional speech (Wodka, Mathy, & Kalb, 2013). These individuals would make appropriate candidates for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC; Mirenda, 2003). One form of AAC is the speech-generating device (SGD). Over the last ten years, tablet-based technologies including iPad minisⓇ have been emphasized in the …

Effect Of Consistent Singing On Maintenance Of Speech Intelligibility Following Lsvt®: A Retrospective Longitudinal Case Study, Rachel Ricca Beck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting one’s ability to hone and refine volitional movement. Many with Parkinson’s report significant effects on voice and communication. Speech-language pathologists have long targeted the achievement of increased vocal volume through intensive voice therapy, with the most common program being Lee Silverman Voice Treatment® (LSVT®) (Ramig et al., 1994). While LSVT® is the most prominent type of voice therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s, other researchers have begun investigating therapeutic singing because of the similar functions it employs (e.g., increased breath support, utilization of entire vocal range).

The current project is a retrospective, longitudinal …

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 …