Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Step Tracking And Fall Detection In The Starkey Livio Artificial Intelligence Hearing Aids: A Pilot Study, Mohamed Rahme, Paula Folkeard, Susan Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and the effectiveness of Starkey Livio Artificial Intelligence hearing aids in tracking step count. A secondary purpose was to investigate the accuracy of the fall detection and alert system of Livio hearing aids in detecting fall maneuvers. Method: A participant wore Binaural Starkey Livio receiver-in-the-canal style hearing aids, a Sportline pedometer, and a Fitbit Charge 3 concurrently during both real-world and treadmill walking conditions. The real-world condition was conducted over a 5-day period. Step count for the treadmill protocol was assessed at six different treadmill speeds (2 mph, …

Strengths And Challenges Of The Cosmin Tools In The Appraisal Of Outcome Measures: A Case Example For Speech-Language Therapy, Elaine Kwok, Peter Rosenbaum, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Barbara Jane Cunningham

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Background: The Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) is an international initiative that offers standardized and validated tools to guide the appraisal of outcome measures in healthcare.

Aims: This study aimed to explore the use of a new set of tools from COSMIN to appraise studies on outcome measures available to speech and language therapists (SLTs).

Methods: We used the COSMIN tools to appraise seven studies and a user manual that reported the measurement properties of the Focus on the Outcomes of Children Under Six (FOCUS), a validated measure of preschoolers’ communicative participation that …

Investigating The Role Of Inattention And/Or Hyperactivity/Impulsivity In Language And Social Functioning Using A Dimensional Approach, Kaitlyn M.A. Parks, Janis E.Oram Cardy, Tiffany G. Woynaroski, Claudia G. Sehl, Ryan A. Stevenson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. The current study parsed out the distinct components of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology to examine differential relations with language and social ability. Using a research domain criteria (RDoC) framework, we administered standardized tests and previously developed and validated questionnaires to assess levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity symptomatology, language, social responsivity and social competency in 98 young adults. Those with higher inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity symptomatology had reduced language comprehension, social responsivity, and social competency. Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity both predicted language comprehension, but not language production. Interestingly, inattention uniquely contributed to social responsiveness and social competency, but hyperactivity/impulsivity …

Perceived Sound Quality Dimensions Influencing Frequency-Gain Shaping Preferences For Hearing Aid-Amplified Speech And Music, Jonathan M. Vaisberg, Steve Beaulac, Danielle Glista, Ewan A. Macpherson, Susan D. Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© The Author(s) 2021. Hearing aids are typically fitted using speech-based prescriptive formulae to make speech more intelligible. Individual preferences may vary from these prescriptions and may also vary with signal type. It is important to consider what motivates listener preferences and how those preferences can inform hearing aid processing so that assistive listening devices can best be tailored for hearing aid users. Therefore, this study explored preferred frequency-gain shaping relative to prescribed gain for speech and music samples. Preferred gain was determined for 22 listeners with mild sloping to moderately severe hearing loss relative to individually prescribed amplification while …

How Long Does It Take For A Voice To Become Familiar? Speech Intelligibility And Voice Recognition Are Differentially Sensitive To Voice Training, Emma Holmes, Grace To, Ingrid S. Johnsrude

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

When people listen to speech in noisy places, they can understand more words spoken by someone familiar, such as a friend or partner, than someone unfamiliar. Yet we know little about how voice familiarity develops over time. We exposed participants (N = 50) to three voices for different lengths of time (speaking 88, 166, or 478 sentences during familiarization and training). These previously heard voices were recognizable and more intelligible when presented with a competing talker than novel voices—even the voice previously heard for the shortest duration. However, recognition and intelligibility improved at different rates with longer exposures. Whereas recognition …

Implementing Evidence-Based Assessment Practices For The Monitoring Of Spoken Language Outcomes In Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing In A Large Community Program, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Janis Oram Cardy, Olivia Daub University Of Western Ontario

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

The purpose of this quality improvement pilot was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online learning module for (a) changing speech-language pathologists’ perceptions about outcome monitoring and assessment protocols for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and (b) supporting speech-language pathologists’ understanding of evidence-based protocols to be implemented in their community-based program. Using principles of integrated knowledge translation and the Ottawa Model of Research Use, an online learning module was designed to support the implementation of evidence-based assessment protocols for these children in a large publicly funded program in Ontario, Canada. A pre–post study was then conducted with …

Developing A Spoken Language Outcome Monitoring Procedure For A Canadian Early Hearing Detection And Intervention Program: Process And Recommendations, Janis Oram Cardy, Olivia Daub University Of Western Ontario

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Abstract

Purpose: Routine spoken language outcome monitoring is one component of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for children who are hard of hearing and learning a spoken language. However, there is no peerreviewed research that documents how spoken language outcome monitoring may be achieved, or what processes EHDI programs can use to develop these procedures. The present article describes the process used by a Canadian EHDI program and the final recommendations that were developed from this process.

Methodology: Through consultation with the program’s stakeholders, consideration of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing’s recommendations, and drawing on our own …

Exploring Speech And Language Intervention For Preschoolers Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing: A Scoping Review, Janis Oram Cardy, Hillary Ganek

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose: The objective of this study was to summarize the extant literature on the effectiveness of speech and spoken language interventions for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) to determine which types of speechlanguage interventions might be most effective, for which hearing levels and types of hearing losses, and at which dosage.

Methods: Using a scoping review methodology, a database search identified 10,360 studies of which 16 met the requirements for inclusion. Data was extracted from each for analysis.

Results: Due to the limited number of studies available, high variability in the nature of the studies, …

Assessing Communicative Participation In Preschool Children With The Focus On The Outcomes Of Communication Under Six: A Scoping Review, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Aim: To describe uses of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS) in research since its publication in 2010. Method: Six databases were searched for the term ‘Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six’. With additional searches we ascertained 70 articles, of which 25 met inclusion criteria for full review and data extraction. Results: The FOCUS has been used in research across multiple countries, purposes, populations, contexts, and versions. Evaluative studies have described the development of children’s communicative participation skills and factors that impact development of communicative participation; the impact of specific interventions …

Perceptual Benefits Of Extended Bandwidth Hearing Aids With Children: A Within-Subject Design Using Clinically Available Hearing Aids, Maaike Van Eeckhoutte, Susan Scollie, Robin O’Hagan, Danielle Glista

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. All rights reserved. Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the achieved audibility with clinically available, modern, high-end, behind-the-ear hearing aids fitted using the Desired Sensation Level v5.0 child prescription for a clinical sample of children with hearing impairment and the effect of the extended bandwidth provided by the hearing aids on several outcome measures. Method: The achieved audibility was measured using the maximum audible output frequency method. Twenty-eight children (7–17 years old) with mild to severe hearing losses completed this study. Two hearing aid conditions were fitted for each participant: an extended bandwidth …

Relationship Of Head Circumference And Age In The Prediction Of The Real-Ear-To-Coupler Difference (Recd), Kelli M. Watts, Marlene Bagatto, Sandra Clark-Lewis, Samantha Henderson, Susan Scollie, Judith Blumsack

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Background Pediatric hearing instrument fitting is optimally performed with individually obtained real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) measurements. If these measurements cannot be obtained, predicted values based on age are used. Recent evidence obtained from children aged 3-11 years suggests that head circumference (HC) may be a viable alternative or addition to age for use in RECD prediction. Purpose The purpose of the present study was to determine if HC can be used to predict RECDs in infants, children, and adults. Research Design A correlational design was used. HC and RECD values were measured in all participants. Study Sample Participants were 278 North …

Lessons Learned In Practice-Based Research: Studying Preschool Language Interventions In The Real World, Rachael E. Smyth, Julie Theurer, Lisa Md Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Abstract

Background and aims: Practice-based research holds potential as a promising solution to closing the research-practice gap, because it addresses research questions based on problems that arise in clinical practice and tests whether systems and interventions are effective and sustainable in a clinical setting. One type of practice-based research involves capturing practice by collecting evidence within clinical settings to evaluate the effectiveness of current practices. Here, we describe our collaboration between researchers and clinicians that sought to answer clinician-driven questions about community-based language interventions for young children (Are our interventions effective? What predicts response to our interventions?) and to address …

An Examination Of Clinical Uptake Factors For Remote Hearing Aid Support: A Concept Mapping Study With Audiologists, Danielle Glista, Robin O’Hagan, Sheila Moodie, Susan Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society. Objective: To develop a conceptual framework around the factors that influence audiologists in the clinical uptake of remote follow-up hearing aid support services. Design: A purposive sample of 42 audiologists, stratified according to client-focus of either paediatric or adult, were recruited from professional associations in Ontario, Canada, as members of the six-step, participatory-based concept mapping process. Analyses included multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Six main themes emerged from …

Evaluation Of Hearing Aid Manufacturers' Software-Derived Fittings To Dsl V5.0 Pediatric Targets, Paula Folkeard, Marlene Bagatto, Susan Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Background Hearing aid prescriptive methods are a commonly recommended component of evidence-based preferred practice guidelines and are often implemented in the hearing aid programming software. Previous studies evaluating hearing aid manufacturers' software-derived fittings to prescriptions have shown significant deviations from targets. However, few such studies examined the accuracy of softwarederived fittings for the Desired Sensation Level (DSL) v5.0 prescription. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of software-derived fittings to the DSL v5.0 prescription, across a range of hearing aid brands, audiograms, and test levels. Research Design This study is a prospective chart review with simulated …

Validity Evidence For The Littlears Early Speech Production Questionnaire: An English-Speaking, Canadian Sample, Olivia Daub, Janis Oram Cardy, Andrew M. Johnson, Marlene P. Bagatto

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Purpose: This study reports validity evidence for an English translation of the LittlEARS Early Speech Production Questionnaire (LEESPQ). The LEESPQ was designed to support early spoken language outcome monitoring in young children who are deaf/hard of hearing. Methods: Data from 90 children with normal hearing, ages 0–18 months, are reported. Parents completed the LEESPQ in addition to a concurrent measure of spoken language development, the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Test–Third Edition. Normal hearing status and development were confirmed. Results: Traditional scale analyses, in addition to item parameters, are reported. The LEESPQ was highly correlated with the …

Using Implementation Science To Engage Stakeholders And Improve Outcome Measurement In A Preschool Speech-Language Service System, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

This tutorial presents one example of collaborative implementation research in a preschool speech-language service system - Ontario Canada’s Preschool Speech and Language Program. Working collaboratively with stakeholders including policy makers, managers, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), four webinar modules were developed to support implementation of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS), a new participation-focused outcome measurement tool in pediatric speech-language pathology. The webinar modules were pilot tested at two community sites to determine whether they were effective at increasing SLPs’ knowledge, perceptions, and intentions for practice. The Knowledge-to-Action framework was used to inform all phases of this …

The Speech-Language Pathologist's Role In Supporting The Development Of Self-Regulation: A Review And Tutorial, Amanda Binns, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose

Children’s engagement in self-regulation is a strong and positive predictor of their social and academic success, making self-regulation an important focus for caregivers and clinicians. The aims of this article are to provide a framework for understanding self-regulation and to identify strategies speech-language pathologists can use to integrate self-regulation work into their clinical practice.

Method

Empirically supported considerations describing the developmental progression from co-regulation to self-regulation are outlined, and the effects of stress on self-regulation are discussed. A clinical framework is provided to guide speech-language pathologists in considering stress and self-regulation in their clinical work. Strategies are provided to …

Sound Quality Effects Of An Adaptive Nonlinear Frequency Compression Processor With Normal-Hearing And Hearing-Impaired Listeners, Danielle Glista, Marianne Hawkins, Jonathan M. Vaisberg, Nazanin Pourmand, Vijay Parsa, Susan Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© 2019 American Academy of Audiology. All rights reserved. Background: Frequency lowering (FL) technology offers a means of improving audibility of high-frequency sounds. For some listeners, the benefit of such technology can be accompanied by a perceived degradation in sound quality, depending on the strength of the FL setting. Purpose: The studies presented in this article investigate the effect of a new type of FL signal processing for hearing aids, adaptive nonlinear frequency compression (ANFC), on subjective speech quality. Research Design: Listener ratings of sound quality were collected for speech stimuli processed with systematically varied fitting parameters. Study Sample: Study …

Auditory Brainstem Responses In Children With Auditory Processing Disorder, Sangamanatha Ankmnal-Veeranna, Chris Allan, Prudence Allen

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Background: The ASHA recommends including electrophysiological measures in an auditory processing disorder (APD) assessment battery, but few audiologists do so, potentially because of limited published evidence for its utility. Purpose: This study compared the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) of children with APD with age-matched children and adults. Study Sample: This study retrospectively examined the records of 108 children suspected of APD (sAPD) who had click-evoked ABRs recorded as part of their clinical assessment. Twenty adults and 22 typically developing (TD) children were recruited as controls. Data collection and Analysis: Click-evoked ABRs were recorded at slow (13.3 clicks/sec) and faster (57.7 …

The Medial Olivocochlear Reflex Is Unlikely To Play A Role In Listening Difficulties In Children, Sriram Boothalingam, Chris Allan, Prudence Allen, David W. Purcell

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

The medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) has been implicated in several auditory processes. The putative role of the MOCR in improving speech perception in noise is particularly relevant for children who complain of listening difficulties (LiD). The hypothesis that the MOCR may be impaired in individuals with LiD or auditory processing disorder has led to several investigations but without consensus. In two related studies, we compared the MOCR functioning of children with LiD and typically developing (TD) children in the same age range (7–17 years). In Study 1, we investigated ipsilateral, contralateral, and bilateral MOCR using forward-masked click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs; …

Assessment Of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (Aitcs): Further Testing And Instrument Revision., Carole Orchard, Linda L Pederson, Emily Read, Cornelia Mahler, Heather Laschinger

Nursing Publications

INTRODUCTION: The need to be able to assess collaborative practice in health care teams has been recognized in response to the direction for team-based care in a number of policy documents. The purpose of this study is to report on further refinement of such a measurement instrument, the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS) first published in 2012. To support this refinement, two objectives were set: Objective 1: to determine whether the items from the data collected in 2016 load on the same factors as found for the 2012 version of the 37-item AITCS. Objective 2: to determine whether …

Immature Auditory Evoked Potentials In Children With Moderate-Severe Developmental Language Disorder., Elaine Yuen Ling Kwok, Marc F Joanisse, Lisa Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Publications

Purpose: Immature auditory processing has been proposed to underlie language impairments in children with developmental language disorder (DLD; also known as specific language impairment). Using newly available normative auditory evoked potential (AEP) waveforms, we estimated AEP maturity in individual children with DLD and explored whether this maturational index was related to their language abilities.

Method: AEPs were elicited by 225 trials of a 490-Hz pure tone. Using intraclass correlation and our previously established normative AEP waveforms of 7- to 10-year-old children with typical development, we estimated the age equivalent of the AEPs (AEP-age) from 21 children with DLD. The relation …

Semantic Context Improves Speech Intelligibility And Reduces Listening Effort For Listeners With Hearing Impairment, Emma Holmes, Paula Folkeard, Ingrid S. Johnsrude, Susan Scollie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Objective: We investigated whether speech intelligibility and listening effort for hearing-aid users is affected by semantic context and hearing-aid setting. Design: Participants heard target sentences spoken in a reverberant background of cafeteria noise and competing speech. Participants reported each sentence verbally. Eight participants also rated listening effort after each sentence. Sentence topic was either the same as, or different from, the previous target sentence. Study sample: Twenty participants with sensorineural hearing loss were fit binaurally with Signia receiver-in-the-canal hearing aids. Participants performed the task twice: once using the hearing aid’s omnidirectional setting and once using the “Reverberant Room” setting, designed …

Factors Contributing To Preschoolers' Communicative Participation Outcomes: Findings From A Population-Based Longitudinal Cohort Study In Ontario, Canada, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Steven E. Hanna, Peter Rosenbaum, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Bruce Oddson

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose. To identify predictors of communicative participation outcomes for a large cohort of preschoolers with communication disorders.

Method. A secondary analysis of longitudinal program evaluation data from Ontario Canada’s Preschool Speech and Language Program (PSLP). Data available for 46,872 children 18-67 months of age (M = 41.76 mo, SD = 11.92, 68% male) were previously used to predict children’s communicative participation skill development in five levels of function. Demographic and intervention-based variables were added to the models to identify new predictors of growth.

Results. Three demographic and three intervention-based variables were statistically significant predictors of children’s communicative participation …

Language Outcomes In Children Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing: The Role Of Language Ability Before Hearing Aid Intervention, Olivia Daub, Marlene P. Bagatto, Andrew M. Johnson, Janis Oram Cardy

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

© 2017 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Purpose: Early auditory experiences are fundamental in infant language acquisition. Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of early intervention (i.e., hearing aids) to language outcomes in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The nature of these benefits and their relation with prefitting development are, however, not well understood. Method: This study examined Ontario Infant Hearing Program birth cohorts to explore predictors of performance on the Preschool Language Scale–Fourth Edition at the time of (N = 47) and after (N = 19) initial hearing aid intervention. Results: Regression analyses revealed that, before the hearing aid …

A Population-Based Study Of Communicative Participation In Preschool Children With Speech-Language Impairments, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Steven E. Hanna, Bruce Oddson, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Aim. To develop statistical models of preschoolers’ communicative participation development and explore variations by level of function.

Methods. This was a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal study of preschoolers with speech and language delays (N = 46,872, M age = 41.76, SD age = 11.92; 67% male) accessing publicly-funded services in Ontario Canada. Two measures were used: Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS), measuring changes in communicative participation skills, and the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), classifying communication function into one of five levels. We used mixed effects modeling to fit growth curves for …

Validity Of The Communication Function Classification System For Use With Preschool Children With Communication Disorders, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Bruce Oddson, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Aim: To evaluate construct validity of the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for use with preschoolers with a range of speech and language disorders. Method: Seventy-seven preschoolers with speech and language disorders (M = 2.7 years, SD = 1.02 years) (50 males) participated in this cohort study. Preschoolers had speech and language, language-only, or speech-only disorders. Together with parent input, SLPs completed the CFCS at Time 1. Parents and SLPs then independently completed a validated change-detecting functional communication outcome measure, the Focus on Communication Outcomes Under Six (FOCUS©) three times – at assessment (Time 1), at the start of treatment …

Current Methods Of Evaluating Speech-Language Outcomes For Preschoolers With Communication Disorders: A Scoping Review Using The Icf-Cy, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Karla N. Washington, Amanda Binns, Katelyn Rolfe, Bernadette Robertson, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify current measures used to evaluate speech-language outcomes for preschoolers with communication disorders within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Children and Youth (ICF-CY) (World Health Organization, 2007). Method: The review included five phases outlined by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and further developed by Levac et al. 2010: (a) articulating the research question, (b) identifying relevant studies, (c) study selection, (d) charting the data, and (e) collating, summarizing and reporting the results. The WHO ICF-CY was used to frame the measures included. Results: A total …

Working Memory And Language Learning: A Review, Lisa Archibald, Lisa Archibald

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) form a highly heterogeneous group including those with an unexplained delay in language development known as specific language impairment (SLI). There is growing recognition that multiple mechanisms underlie the range of profiles observed in these children. Broadly speaking, both the domain-general executive attentional system known as working memory and domain-specific linguistic processing have been implicated in children with SLI. It has been challenging to tease apart these influences, however, due to the symbiotic relationship between working memory and language learning. For example, working memory limits might constrain the linguistic detail encoded whereas …

Promoting Consistent Use Of The Communication Function Classification System (Cfcs), Barbara Jane Cunningham, Mary Jo Hidecker, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose: We developed a Knowledge Translation (KT) intervention to standardize the way speech-language pathologists working in Ontario Canada’s Preschool Speech and Language Program (PSLP) used the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). This tool was being used as part of a provincial program evaluation and standardizing its use was critical for establishing reliability and validity within the provincial dataset.

Method: Two theoretical foundations – Diffusion of Innovations and the Communication Persuasion Matrix – were used to develop and disseminate the intervention to standardize use of the CFCS among a cohort speech-language pathologists. A descriptive pre-test/post-test study was used to evaluate the …