Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Validation Of The Preschool Speech And Language Screening Test, Susan Jane Packouz

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to validate the Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test. The PSLST was designed to quickly identify those preschool children who appear to be in need of speech and/or language evaluation or intervention. Specifically, the present investigation sought to determine the proportion of children with speech and/or language problems not detected by the screening test and the proportion of children without speech and language problems who failed the PSLST.

Performance Of Adolescent Autistic Males On The Michigan Picture Language Inventory, Marcia Sharril Kline

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the expressive and comprehensive language structure skills of a selected sample of normal males and adolescent autistic males, using the Michigan Picture Language Inventory (MPLI) as the investigating instrument in order to determine if a statistically significant difference existed between the two groups. The autistic and normal subjects were matched for mental age scores within plus or minus two months as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Form B.

Seven autistic male and seven normal male subjects were selected from the greater Portland metropolitan area to be included in this …

Verbal Models Provided For Mentally Retarded Children By Parents, Lance Tsugawa

Dissertations and Theses

Recent investigation has focused on the nature of adult-child verbal interactions. The research has examined the language of mothers and other adults when assembled with both normal and retarded children. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that mothers of children with Down's Syndrome and mothers of normal children would present different language characteristics to a Down's Syndrome child versus a normal child. Type-token ratio, a measure of the subject's language diversification, was used as the behavioral measure.

The findings indicated that all mothers presented smaller type token ratios to the Down's Syndrome child than those addressed to …

A Comparison And Item Analysis Of Responses Between Black Children And Language Delayed White Children On The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Kevin N. Cole

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare PPVT scores of Black children and language delayed White children in order to determine whether the patterning of errors can be differentiated between the two groups. The study involved twenty Black children and twenty language delayed White children between the ages of six years, six months, and seven years, six months. The subjects were from families of lower socioeconomic status. The White subjects were given the Utah Test of Language Development to establish degree of language delay.

The study was designed to determine whether either the language delayed White subjects or the …

An Investigation Of Tympanometric Measurements On An Older Adult Population, Marguerite Ann Fine

Dissertations and Theses

Prior to this investigation, there appeared to be no published research data available on tympanometric configurations obtained from an older adult population. This study was designed to examine tympanograms obtained from an otologically normal, elderly population. Forty individuals, ranging in age from 59 to 83 years, participated in this study. All had a negative history of middle ear pathology and had normal tympanic membranes as determined by otologic examination. From the eighty ears tested, fifty were used in this survey. Conductance and susceptance at 220 and 660 Hz were obtained at each ear and ranges for admittance were computed from …

Lingual Discrimination Of Two Normal-Speaking Populations, Janice Ellen Gould Nesbitt

Dissertations and Theses

The present investigation was undertaken to collect normative data on a teenage population and a young adult population in order to assess tongue sensitivity regarding the identification of various geometric shapes. The research, was conducted to answer the following questions:

1. Is there a significant difference between a teenage group and a young adult group regarding lingual discrimination?

2. What is the range and variability between and within the two groups?

3. Is the teenage group significantly better than the elementary school age group previously tested by Weiss (1973b)?

There were 50 normal-speaking subjects in the teenage group ranging in …

An Investigation Of The Development Of The Phonemes /T/ And /K/ In The Speech Of Preschool Children, Glenn Douglas Weybright

Dissertations and Theses

Research regarding children's instrumental articulation development has provided the speech clinician with schedules of speech sound development. These developmental tables list ages when specific phonemes are mastered by normal children. Such schedules tend to give the impression that certain sounds must be developed before others can occur. Menyuk (1972) has expressed a similar point of view regarding phonemes /t/ and /k/. She has hypothesized:

1. that phoneme /t/ must develop before phoneme /k/; and
2. that sound element initial /t/ is mastered at an earlier age than initial /k/. The present investigation was designed to operationally test the validity of Menyuk's observations. …

The Frequency Of Retroflex /R/ Production In Elementary School Children, Vicki Barna Wood

Dissertations and Theses

In articulation treatment and diagnosis, it is essential to possess a thorough knowledge of what is "normal" as well as what is "defective" articulation. The /r/ phoneme is one of the most frequently occurring and most commonly defective sounds. There are two different tongue positions for the /r/ phoneme described in the literature (retroflex and central hump), with many assumptions about which tongue position is "normal" or "most common." None of these assumptions, however, are based on empirical data.

The purpose of this study was to provide some normative data regarding which of the two tongue positions is most common …

An Investigation Of The Influence Of Dialectal Interferences On The Nsst Scores Obtained By Portland Black Children, Margaret Jeanne Callahan

Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if dialectal interference as described by Walter Wolfram was exhibited by black children in Portland, Oregon when given the NSST by Laura Lee. This author was concerned with syntactical interferences on the expressive portion of this test.

A secondary purpose of this investigation was to provide suggested norms for differentiating children with language deficits from children with language differences.

Seventy black children with normal speech and language were selected from two public schools, a Head Start Center and a day care center. These children were between the ages of 3-0 to …

A Comparison Of Two Systems Used In The Electro-Acoustic Evaluation Of Hearing Aids, Sallie Ann Frye

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to compare the Fonix Type 5000 Hearing Aid Test Set to the B&K system by testing the same hearing aids with both systems in order to determine whether there are any important differences between the measurements obtained using the two systems. Frequency response has been chosen as the measure on which the comparisons will be made.

A Beginning Investigation Into The Language Development Of The Deaf Child Compared To That Of The Hearing Child: Some Problems And Solutions In Data Collection, Sallie Ann Frye

Dissertations and Theses

This paper will attempt to present what factual material is available comparing language development in the deaf with normal language development. It will discuss problems which have become apparent in the search for this data and some solutions to the problems. Preschool language development will be taken up first, followed by a consideration of school age written and oral language, and concluding with a discussion of associations as they affect the verbal behavior of the deaf child.

Age, Intelligence, And Socioeconomic Status Variance In Preposition Acquisition By Children, Georgie Hustead

Dissertations and Theses

Numerous linguistic studies have been done to substantiate the importance of prepositions in the English language. However, no normative studies have been done on the acquisition of expressing prepositions.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there were demonstrable trends which would indicate a need for normative data on the acquisition of twenty-six prepositions tested on the Expressive Preposition Test (EPT). The study set out to determine at what age levels a given percentage of the prepositions were expressively acquired and if the socioeconomic status (SES) of the child’s family would be a determiner as to the age …

Masking Patterns Of High Frequency Pure Tones, Judith Eide Widen

Dissertations and Theses

Previous investigations of masking have established that the action of the masking tone spreads upward in frequency, creating significantly more masking (threshold shift) above the masker frequency than below. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the masking pattern produced by high frequency pure tones, heretofore uninvestigated.

Masking patterns were obtained for nine normal hearing young adults utilizing the method of adjustment. The masking produced by an 11000 Hz pure tone of 40 dB sensation level was measured at three frequencies above and three frequencies below the masker frequency. Analysis of the data revealed a downward spread of …

Intelligibility Of Speech Compared Through Two Limiter Compression Circuits, Lee M. Odell

Dissertations and Theses

Hearing aid manufacturers commonly engineer automatic gain control (AGC) circuits which are aimed at reducing sound tolerance problems and improving speech intelligibility among wearers. The most common type of AGC engineered is one utilizing a fast attack time. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of both fast and slow attack times on the intelligibility of speech. Twenty-four normal hearing subjects listened to sixty pre-recorded sentences through two types of hearing aid circuits. Thirty sentences were modified by a fast attack AGC circuit, and thirty sentences were modified by a slow attack AGC. The subjects marked one of …

Validation Of The Oregon School Entrance Speech Screening Test, Patricia Ann Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to validate a speech screening device entitled the Oregon School Entrance Speech Screening Test. The OSESST was developed to identify quickly those children entering first grade who are in need of speech and language intervention. The present study sought to determine what proportion of children with speech and language disorders was not detected by the screening test and what proportion of children without speech and language disorders failed the OSESSI. In addition, this study undertook to determine whether results of this investigation are consistent with those obtained on the OSESST in areas of articulation, syntax, language …

Teaching Hearing-Impaired Children Language Through The Use Of Musical Rhythm, Naomi Anne Banducci

Dissertations and Theses

While several authors have indicated specific methods for teaching rhythm, there is no single, comprehensive source available which could serve as a teaching guide in this important area of aural rehabilitation. The current paper represents an initial attempt to fulfill this need. The purpose ot this paper is to provide a survey of the different methods and avenues for teaching the rhythm of language to hearing impaired children.

Effects Of Semantic Associational Strength And Verbal Sequence Length On The Auditory Comprehension Of Aphasic Adults, Laurel J. Brown

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of semantic associational strength (SAS) upon adult aphasics' auditory comprehension abilities. Twenty-eight adult aphasics (25 males and 3 females) and 12 normal control subjects were presented three experimental tasks, each containing 45 items. Experimental task 1 contained single word picture sets of high SAS, moderate SAS, and low SAS words. Experimental task 2 contained two word picture sets of high, moderate, and low SAS words, and experimental task 3 contained three word picture sets of high, moderate, and low SAS words. Subjects heard one, two, and three word verbal sequences …

An Investigation Of Handedness And Its Relationship To The Site Of Contact Ulcers, Colleen S. Colleary

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation attempted to determine the relationship of the site of contact ulcers and subject’s handedness. Literature concerned with contact ulcers has indicated that cerebral dominance tends to determine the site of the lesion. Four research questions were posed, two questions were presented in the form of the null hypothesis. The questions were: (1) Is the proportion of right-handed subjects with left-sided ulcers equal to the proportion of left-handed subjects with left-sided ulcers? (2) Is the proportion of right-handed subjects with right-sided ulcers equal to the proportion of left-handed subjects with right-sided ulcers? (3) Will the site of contact ulcers …

Effects Of Speaker-Sex-Difference On Listeners' Perception Of Vocal Roughness In Normal Vowel Productions, Patsy J. Phillips

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of speaker-sex-difference on listeners' perception of vocal roughness in the vowel [ӕ] produced by normal male and female speakers. In a previous investigation by Wendahl (1963) it was found that when listening to two synthesized vowels, of equal aperiodicity, judges tended to rate the lower pitched vowel as being more vocally rough. If this is true for listeners' perception of human vowel productions as well then it might be advantageous for voice clinicians, when making vocal roughness assessments, to regard male and female speakers as two separate populations in view …

An Investigation Of Vocational Rehabilitation Among Northwest Laryngectomees, Susan L. Leonti

Dissertations and Theses

Rehabilitation for patients recovering from surgical removal of the larynx should include vocational considerations with accompanying economic modifications. The literature pertaining to rehabilitative management of laryngectomees revealed numerous investigations concerned with physical restoration, remedial speech training and psycho-social adjustment, while few studies have been conducted concentrating upon vocational consequences of a laryngectomy.

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the pre- and post-operative vocational status of laryngectomized patients residing in the Northwestern section of the United States.

Verbal Sequencing Ability As A Predictor Of Reading Disability, Paul Elmer Quin

Dissertations and Theses

Early identification of children with reading and learning problems seems imperative. By using early identification predictors, a high risk group of children with possible reading problems could be located. This would facilitate placement and appropriate educational strategies for this group of children. By proper placement and planning, educators then would be able to set up remedial and/or preventive programs for these children before the pattern of unsuccessful attempts and improper training becomes irreversible. This study was designed to determine if verbal sequencing ability was a valid predictor of reading ability for a group of 31 preschool children. Secondarily, the investigation …

An Investigation Of Between-Ear Tympanometry Measures In Normal-Hearing Young Adults, Barry Lynn Kimmel

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, tympanometry has been used to provide objective and definitive information regarding the status of middle ear conditions and functions. The present standard for tympanometric normalcy is based upon between-subject measures. This standard, however, does not allow precise differentiation between normal and pathological tympanometry curves. A within-subject comparison of right and left ear tympanometry curves of normal-hearing subjects could provide a narrow standard of tympanometric normalcy which would be more useful in differentiating between pathologic and non-pathologic middle ear function. The within-subject relationship between tympanometry curves for right and left ears was investigated by comparing the individual right …

Effects Of Certain Linguistic Parameters Upon The Responses Of Preschool Subjects To Specific Dichotic Listening Tasks, Peggy J. Weber

Dissertations and Theses

Listening, as a communication skill, is an essential factor in the normal language development of the' child. Until recently, however, there has been very little research conducted concerning the linguistic parameters that influence the ability to listen. Thus, this investigation was designed to study the effects of two linguistic parameters, construction and semantic constraints on the verbal responses of preschool children in a dichotic listening task.

Fifteen children, between the ages of 5-3 to 6-8, were presented with four dichotic listening tasks consisting of 80 stimuli, (40 sentences and 40 pseudo-sentences). The children were asked to report the message delivered …

An Investigation Of Temporary Threshold Shift Among Helmeted Motorcycle Riders, Alamander Hicks

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present study involved the investigation of the significance of wind noise as a contributing factor toward temporary threshold shifts among a select sample of motorcycle riders. Five normal-hearing, helmeted, female subjects were administered pure-tone air-conduction hearing tests immediately before and within 2 minutes after exposure to three noise-related aspects of motorcycle riding. The amount of hearing loss present at 3k, 4k and 6k Hz after each 20 minute exposure condition was recorded as the TTS for that subject. The three conditions consisted of motorcycle noise only, wind noise only and motorcycle and wind noise combined. A …

Comparison Of Amounts Of Verbal Response Elicited By A Speech Pathologist And A Mother In The Clinic, Sherry Lee Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

One of the primary responsibilities of a speech pathologist is the assessment of a child's language. Many studies have been done in the area of language development. The results of these studies have varied causing concern among researchers over the validity of the data gathered. Many factors that could affect the results of previous research have been investigated. Until recently, however, there has been relatively little research about the effects of examiner differences on the results of language assessments.

Research in the area of examiner differences has resulted in the discovery of factors which could affect the results of language …

The Rhetoric Of Garner Ted Armstrong, Stephen George Dick

Dissertations and Theses

Garner Ted Armstrong is fast becoming a well known religious and political commentator. The purpose of this thesis was to describe and discuss the techniques and characteristics of Mr. Armstrong's rhetoric. The question to be answered was "What are the characteristics of a successful religious broadcaster?" The method used-in the selection of the speeches to be used in this study consisted of selection a number of speeches (56), then breaking them down into theme categories. After analysis, there were eleven categories. One speech was selected from each category, and these eleven speeches were the speeches that were used in the …

Implications Of An Oral-Gestural Training Program In The Acquisition Of Speechreading Skills, Mary Lu Wood

Dissertations and Theses

In order for the hearing handicapped child to derive maximum benefit of language acquisition through maturation, a method of receptive communication is essential at the earliest age possible. It is felt that speechreading is this method. The need for a method of training speechreading cues to prelingual, aurally handicapped children is based on the fact that most visual speechreading methods require the use of language. If speechreading can be regarded as a learning process involving the discrimination of visual cues that maybe disassociated from language expression then training the child to discriminate various facial expressions may actually enhance speech-reading ability. …

The Effect Of Labeling Disfluencies As 'Stuttering' And Contingent And Yoked "Wrong" On The Disfluencies Of Normal Speakers, Dennis Ray Staines

Dissertations and Theses

A labeling variable suggested by Wendell Johnson's "diagnosogenic" theory of the onset of stuttering was included in this study of the disfluencies of normal speaking college students in order to explore further the hypothetical relationship between normal disfluency and the onset of stuttering. A total of 60 Ss were randomly assigned to the following groups, each containing 10 Ss: I. Labeling Chastisement plus Contingent "wrong;" II. Labeling Chastisement plus Yoked (non-contingent) "wrong;" III. Labeling Chastisement - No "wrong;" IV. No Labeling Chastisement Contingent "wrong;" V. No Labeling Chastisement - Yoked "wrong;" VI. No Labeling Chastisement - No "wrong" …

A Behavioristic Approach To The Design Of A Digital Model Of Human Communication, George Eugene Whitley

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether individual communication behavior can be simulated by a digital model.

The Structuring Of Procedures Utilized In An Adult Stuttering Treatment Program, Sarah Jane Prichard

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, operant conditioning techniques have been effectively used to modify a variety of behaviors. For the most part, the modification of stuttering behavior has relied solely on the use of punishment. The shaping of "fluency” through differential reinforcement has been reported as a behavioral approach for the treatment of stuttering; however, the effectiveness of this technique in combination with other "teaching" tools, such as, modeling, instruction, and explanation has not been reported in the literature.

The purpose of this study was to construct behavioral definitions of terminology utilized in a stuttering treatment program at Portland State University to …