Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

A Comparison Of Developmental Sentence Scores And Ratings Of Intelligibility, Julie O'Harrow Karnstein

Dissertations and Theses

Speech intelligibility is the term used to describe the degree to which an individual speaker is understood by both familiar and unfamiliar listeners. There are many factors that influence an individual's intelligibility, including (but not limited to) variations in phonology, grammar, rate of speech, and vocal features. Most research has focused on the articulation and phonological influences that impact speech intelligibility. Perhaps for this reason, treatment methods for improving speech intelligibility generally have targeted an individual's phonological production skills. Additional research is necessary to understand more about each of the areas of language production that may be influencing intelligibility. This …

Contingencies Governing The Production Of Fricatives, Affricates, And Liquids In Babbling, Christina E. Gildersleeve-Neumann, Barbara L. Davis, Peter F. Macneilage

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies of early-developing consonants (stops, nasals, and glides) in babbling have shown that most of the variance in consonants and their associated vowels, both within and between syllables, is due to a "frame" produced by mandibular oscillation, with very little active contribution from intrasyllabic or intersyllabic tongue movements. In a study of four babbling infants, the prediction that this apparently basic "frame dominance" would also apply to late-developing consonants (fricatives, affricates, and liquids) was tested. With minor exceptions, confirming evidence for both the predicted intrasyllabic and intersyllabic patterns was obtained. Results provide further evidence for the frame dominance conception, but …

Communications Connection - Vol.5, No. 7 - Spring 2000, Nova Southeastern University

Communications Connection

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Using Averaged Versus Custom Real-Ear To Coupler Difference Values In The Desired Sensation Level Approach To Prescribing Hearing Instrument Gain, John Aaron Coverstone

Dissertations and Theses

Because there are many variables and much missing information when fitting young children with hearing instruments, it is necessary to rely on prescriptive procedures such as the Desired Sensation Level (DSL) Method to create target 2cc gain values for ordering and fitting hearing instruments. Inherent in creating 2cc targets is a conversion process known as a real-ear to coupler difference (RECD) measurement. The DSL algorithms make allowances for averaged data to be used in lieu of this measurement.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of using averaged real-ear to coupler difference values included in the DSL …

An Evaluation Of Earobics I In Improving Phonological Awareness In 6- And 7-Year-Old Boys Who Are At-Risk For Reading Disabilities, Wendy Goughnour Gunter

Dissertations and Theses

Earobics Pro PLUS Step I (Earobics I) is a software program designed to increase the auditory processing and phonological awareness skills of children when used in conjunction with traditional intervention. Phonological awareness is the ability to manipulate the sounds of a language and has been shown in previous studies to have a strong relationship with reading ability. Phonological awareness can be taught, and studies have been conducted in an effort to determine effective methods for teaching phonological awareness. No studies have been published on Earobics I to this date.

In this study, the effectiveness of Earobics I was analyzed with …

Effects Of Three Training Components In An Aac Intervention For An Adult With Severe Broca’S Aphasia, Bradley Josef Hendershott

Dissertations and Theses

Individuals with severe nonfluent aphasia may lose functional verbal communication. With the loss of fluent speech, one may also lose the capacity to share in the casual conversation that enriches our lives. A rehabilitative course that seeks to stimulate restoration of verbal abilities can be lengthy with uncertain outcomes. Fortunately, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) interventions have shown promise in treating aphasia by providing non-verbal means of communicating. Communication aids designed around specific topics and comprised of words and pictures have been used by persons with aphasia to participate in conversations. Such aids have shown promise in facilitating successful conversation …

Graduate Bulletin, 2000-2002 (2000), Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of An Accent Reduction Program On Foreign Speaker’S Oral English Proficiency And Understandability, Kara Elizabeth Sewell

Dissertations and Theses

Accent reduction is a program to assist foreign speakers in developing a level of oral English proficiency that is more similar to native English speakers. This study examined whether an accent reduction program, focusing on intonation and articulation, would improve the oral English proficiency and understandability of 2 Vietnamese speakers.

The research questions this study sought to answer were: (a) Does a foreign speaker's oral English proficiency as measured by the Proficiency of Oral English Communication (POEC) subtest scores improve immediately after completion of an accent reduction program?, (b) Does a foreign speaker's POEC subtest scores 4 weeks after termination …

Subcortical Lesions And Language: A Conversational Discourse Analysis, Catherine A. Off

Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences Faculty Publications

The present study investigated the nature of conversational discourse data at the point of breakdown in specific neurologically compromised patients. Data were obtained during the observation and video recording of informal conversational situations (i.e., clinical settings or the patient’s natural environment). Three adult patients who had suffered neurological damage, at the site of the basal ganglia were assessed. Due to the inappropriateness of two of the patients, a case study was conducted on the remaining patient. In lieu of formal assessment via standardized instruments and test batteries, conversational discourse, in natural, non-artificial settings, were descriptively analyzed at the point of …

Nsu Programs In Communication, Sciences And Disorders 1999, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Nsu Programs In Communication Sciences And Disorders Fgsehs Catalog 1999-2001, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Nsu Programs In Communication Sciences And Disorders 1999, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

The Contribution Of Interaural Intensity Differences To The Horizontal Auditory Localization Of Narrow Bands Of Noise, Matthew H. Bakke

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Brief bursts of third-octave bands of noise (center frequencies at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kHz) and band pass noises with different degrees of low-frequency content (0.5 to 4.0 kHz, 1.0 to 4.0 kHz and 2.0 to 4.0 kHz) were recorded binaurally from 17 different horizontal locations (90 degrees on the left to 90 degrees on the right in 11.25 degree steps) one meter from the ears of an anthropomorphic mannequin (KEMAR) in an anechoic room and a reverberant room. The recorded sounds were processed by attenuating or removing interaural intensity differences and presented to five normally hearing subjects through …

Variability Analysis Of Discrete Cosine Transform Coefficient (Dctc) Features For Speech Processing, Bingjun Dai

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this research, the variability of Discrete Cosine Transform Coefficient (DCTC) features was investigated. Additionally, a new pitch-synchronous processing method was explored to increase the stability of features and to reduce window effects when compared to the regular method. The noise sources that lead to feature variability were analyzed, and different smoothing methods were tested. It was found that longer frames, frequency warping, time smoothing of the log spectrum, and DCS level time smoothing, all help reduce DCTC variability and increase classification performance. The pitch­ synchronous method was implemented with Matlab. Important processing methods, including pitch period estimation, time­ domain …

Nsu Programs In Communication Sciences And Disorders The Cooper Fluency Workshop September 19, 1998, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Nsu Programs In Communication Sciences And Disorders The Cooper Fluency Workshop September 19, 1998, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Attention Effects On Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions With Contralateral Speech Stimuli, Genaya Kae Timpe

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of attending to a speech stimulus on the amplitude of the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE). The distortion product otoacoustic emission is a measurement of the activity of the inner ear, specifically the outer hair cells in the ear. The activity of the outer hair cells depends upon the auditory nervous system; when it is stimulated, the outer hair cell activity is modified. Normal outer hair cells will create a large DPOAE amplitude. When a stimulus is presented to the opposite ear, the auditory nervous system acts upon the …

Nsu Programs In Communication, Sciences And Disorders M.S., Slp.D., Au.D. Student Handbook 1998–1999, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Nsu Programs In Communication Sciences And Disorders Catalog 1998–1999 (Includes Application And Admission Forms), Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Hypermedia Training Vs. Traditional Classroom Instruction In Stuttering, Micheal Dean Baran

Dissertations and Theses

A study by Henri (1994) showed that fluency is one of two areas where speech-language pathology clinicians feel least prepared and Sommers and Caruso (1995) advocated improved training in fluency. The use of computer technology to train students in the field of stuttering has been proven effective in previous studies (Strang, Meyers & Hall, 1989; Tetnowski & Martin, 1996).

The purpose of this study was to further develop a hypermedia training module for stuttering identification and to determine whether this hypermedia training module was as effective as traditional classroom teaching methods.

Subjects in this study were undergraduate students in speech …

The Effect Of Diastema Closure On The Remediation Of Lateral /S/: A Case Study, Reta Price

Dissertations and Theses

An important morphological-marker and one of the most frequently occurring speech sounds in English, the /s/ phoneme is also one of the sounds most often in need of remediation. Often, air emission during /s/ production, a particularly stubborn, often residual production error, is not remediated through traditional treatment methods, and yet the negative effect /s/ distortions have on listeners has been well-documented.

The subject of this investigation was a forty-eightyear-old male who received treatment for a lateralized /s/ during grade-school. It was hypothesized that his exerting high anterior pressure to prevent air from escaping from a diastema between his two …

Speech Production Patterns Following Management Of Velopharyngeal Inadequacy, Debra Lynn Childs

Dissertations and Theses

This descriptive study investigated the pattern of speech sound production before and after surgical management of velopharyngeal inadequacy in two subjects. The research questions asked were: (a) What type of speech patterns do subjects referred for surgical management of velopharyngeal incompetence demonstrate presurgically? (b) What changes in the speech patterns of the subjects are observed in the immediate month following surgery for velopharyngeal incompetence? (c) Do these changes settle into a stabilized pattern of speech production by 4 months postsurgery?

The subjects' speech productions were audio recorded for analysis using the Broen CVC Probe to obtain imitated single word elicitations …

Career Orientation Levels In Adolescents : A Comparison Of Cleft And Noncleft Subgroups, Tara Darice Gaddis

Dissertations and Theses

The current research studied career orientation levels during adolescence utilizing previously collected cross-sectional data on 80 subjects. The subjects had participated in a study focusing on the ways in which clefting, gender, self-concept, mental ability, and socioeconomic status impact career development. Preliminary analysis of the data found that self-concept, mental ability, self-ratings of facial appearance, and desired level of future educational status were the factors most predictive of level of career development. In the initial analysis of the data, subjects, cleft and noncleft, who demonstrated high self-esteem, high mental ability, reported a more advanced level of desired higher education, and …

Graduate Bulletin, 1998-2000 (1998), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Concurrent Validity Of Mental Ability Screening Tools : A Comparison Of Normal Students’ Performance On The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test And The Shipley Institute Of Living Scale-Revised, D. Melanie Peters

Dissertations and Theses

This study compared the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), a verbal and nonverbal mental ability screening tool, to the Shipley Institute Living Scale (SILS), a nonverbal screening tool of mental ability, as part of a larger, ongoing study which is examining the effects of orofacial clefts on early career maturity. In terms of general intellectual ability, the K-BIT and the SILS provide descriptive categories, percentile ranks, raw scores, standard error of measurement, standard scores, standardization and norms, subtest scores, and total scores. The K-BIT provides normative curve equivalents and stanines, which the SILS does not. The SILS provides abstract and …

Examination Of Benefits Of Binaural Auditory Stimulation For Children With A Cochlear Implant And A Hearing Aid In The Contralateral Ear, Evonne Nicol Altesleben

Dissertations and Theses

Congenital or acquired hearing impairments put children at risk of delayed language development. Today the cochlear implant (Cl) is a viable amplification option for some children with profound hearing losses. Audiologists often recommend that children with hearing impairments be fitted with binaural hearing aids in the hope that maximum stimulation will occur and that auditory deprivation will be lessened. An area lacking investigation is whether binaural stimulation will be beneficial to the cochlear implant recipient.Controversy also exists regarding the use of a hearing aid in the non-implanted ear.

The focus of this study was to compare binaural auditory stimulation benefits …

First Language And Gesture Acquisition In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Ann Christine Friel

Dissertations and Theses

Many children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) will receive speech and language intervention throughout their lives. However, there is a lack of descriptive data for language and gesture development of children with CP. When assessing the skills of children with CP, standardized tests and clinical observations have several inherent faults due to time constraints, normative data, and physical constraints. An alternative method used to gather data in the area of language and gesture development is parent questionnaire. The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory: Words & Gestures was chosen for this study because it has been shown to be an efficient, valid, and …

A Comparison Of Listener And Speaker Perception Of Stuttering Events, Anne Jocelyn Schagen

Dissertations and Theses

Stuttering identification, measurement, research, and treatment have for many years had their basis in listener judgment of stuttering, but the covert aspects of stuttering are not behaviorally observable, and inter-rater reliability has repeatedly been shown to be low. Perkins (1990) has emphasized the importance of consulting the speaker for the most reliable perspective on stuttering identification. The question raised in this study is whether there is a significant correlation between stuttering identification based upon internal perception by a speaker who stutters, and identification based upon external perception of listeners, with points of inter-rater disagreement removed. Six adult males, aged 18 …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Career Maturity Patterns Of Individuals With Clefts, Joyce Johnson Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

This longitudinal study sought to examine career maturity, and the variables thought to influence career maturity, in a sample of individuals with the congenital craniofacial anomaly of clefting by following them from adolescence (ages 14 to 18) into young adulthood (ages 22 to 26).

Sixteen subjects (6 males, 10 females) during adolescence and in young adulthood completed (a) a biographical questionnaire which provided educational and occupational information, (b) the Career Development Inventory, (c) the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, (d) the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, and (e) self-ratings of speech and facial appearance acceptability to provide information concerning career maturity, mental …

Communications Connection - Vol.4, No. 6 - Fall 1997, Nova Southeastern University

Communications Connection

No abstract provided.