Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

A Discourse Analysis Of Clinician-Child Interactions Within A Meaning-Based Phonological Intervention, Brittany Appleby Long

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study analyzed interactions between clinicians and a male child, aged 5 years 9 months old, with significant phonological as well as language deficits within a meaning-based phonological intervention implemented over a nine-month period. Play-based intervention strategies were presented in activities that varied in communicative complexity. The clinician, along with graduate-student assistants, frequently modeled and elicited target word productions as they interacted with the child in routines and scripted play contexts. Transcriptions of interactions were analyzed using a conversational analysis that explored engagement and participation, turn taking, and linguistic complexity of utterances produced in adjacent turns. The analyses illustrated …

Articulatory Kinematic Compensation For A Bite Block During Diphthong Production, Michelle Olson Richins

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the effects of bite blocks on articulatory kinematics when producing diphthongs /ɑɪ/ and /É‘ÊŠ/ within a phrase. Participants consisted of 20 young adults (10 males, 10 females) with no speech, language or hearing disorders. Participants produced the diphthongs in the carrier phrase Im an owl that hoots. A Northern Digital Instruments Wave electromagnetic articulograph measured the articulatory movements while the speaker produced the stimuli in two conditions (pre bite block insertion and post bite block insertion). Bilateral bite blocks were made using Express dental putty, which is a silicone impression material, in order to create a …

The Ability Of Children With Developmental Language Disorder (Dld) To Infer Emotions From Pictures: Where's The Breakdown?, Mary Rebekah Forbes

Theses and Dissertations

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) often have difficulties with social and emotional learning, including emotion understanding and inferencing. Five children with DLD, ages 6;4 to 11;9, identified emotions depicted in pictured scenarios over a period of 10 weeks. Emotion categories included happy, sad, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. Each child's responses were analyzed and plotted on a confusion matrix. In a few cases, children did not interpret the scenario accurately. Even when they interpreted the scenario accurately, all of the children misapplied, overgeneralized, or confused emotion labels in some cases. These errors represented limitations in social and emotional learning …

The Accuracy Of A Spanish Dynamic Assessment Of Narrative Language In Identifying Language Disorder: A Cross Validation Study, Mariah Forbush Romero

Theses and Dissertations

This cross-validation study investigated the extent that a Spanish narrative language dynamic assessment accurately identified students with and without language disorder across three separate samples of bilingual and monolingual Spanish-speaking students from Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S. Students with language disorder and students with typically developing language were administered a narrative dynamic assessment in Spanish. A test-teach-retest format of dynamic assessment was followed and student modifiability, or learning ability, was rated directly following the teaching phase of the assessment. Results indicated that the most predictive dynamic assessment variables for the Guatemalan sample were posttest scores combined with two separate modifiability …

The Distinction Between Lingua-Palatal Contact Patterns Of English Light And Dark [Ɫ]: A Precursor To Using Electropalatography In Second Language Instruction, Kallie Lynne Chaves

Theses and Dissertations

Electropalatography (EPG) is a system designed to provide visual feedback of lingua-palatal contact via electrodes and computer software in real-time. Traditionally, EPG technology has been effective in the treatment of both developmental and acquired speech disorders. Little research, however, has been done to show the effectiveness of EPG feedback in second language instruction and foreign accent reduction. The present thesis is part of a larger project examining the utility of EPG technology as a potential tool for teaching English speakers learning German as a second language (L2). A common error that English speakers make in German pronunciation is the incorrect …

Phonological Processing In Children With Dyslexia: Analyzing Nonword Repetition Error Types, Camille Christine Stanley

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes quantitative and qualitative differences in errors made during a nonword repetition task between children with dyslexia (n = 75) and their typically developing (TD) peers (n = 75). Participants were auditorily presented with 16 nonwords based on a CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) pattern; nonwords varied from two to five syllables in length. Verbal responses were recorded, transcribed, and consonant phonemes were analyzed according to the following error types: substitutions, omissions, insertions, and transpositions. Analyses found that children with dyslexia perform more poorly on nonword repetition as compared to their TD peers. Specifically, during this nonword repetition task children with …

A Large-Scale Clustered Randomized Control Trial Examining The Effects Of A Multi-Tiered Oral Narrative Language Intervention On Kindergarten Oral And Written Narratives And Oral Expository Language, Mollie Paige Brough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a multi-tiered oral narrative language intervention on kindergarteners’ oral and written narrative and oral expository skills. The participants included 686 kindergarten students from four school districts in the upper Midwest. They were randomly assigned at the classroom level to a treatment or control condition. The treatment group received large group (tier-1) oral narrative language instruction led by classroom teachers and followed the Story Champs procedures. Students whose oral narrative retell skills did not improve after one month of large group instruction were placed in small groups and received …

Modeling Subglottic Stenosis Effects On Phonation Threshold Pressure In The Porcine Larynx, Jessica Maryn Murphey

Theses and Dissertations

Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is a narrowing of the airway below the vocal folds and above the trachea. This narrowing may be idiopathic or caused by scarring in the airway due to prolonged endotracheal intubation, radiation therapy, trauma, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. People who present with SGS often experience respiratory difficulty both at rest and during exertion. Breathing difficulty increases with stenosis severity. SGS is also associated with voice problems. Research has identified relationships among stenosis severity, voice function and certain types of surgical management; however, many aspects of these relationships are not fully understood due to the complexities of studying …

A Social Communication Intervention To Facilitate Emotion Word Learning In School-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorders, Sara Elise Avila

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, social communication approaches to intervention for children with developmental language disorders (DLD) have been limited. However, several recent studies have shown that these interventions can produce positive changes in children with DLD. One weakness that children with DLD demonstrate is the production of words to express emotion. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of a story-based social communication intervention to increase the production of emotion words in three elementary school-age children diagnosed with DLD. Data were collected and analyzed in pre-treatment baseline sessions, throughout the intervention, and in post-treatment follow-up data for the seven target emotion word categories of happiness, …

Developmental Language Disorders And Reticence In Childhood, Aimee Diehl

Theses and Dissertations

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) struggle in a variety of social contexts. These children display different forms of social withdrawal, the most prevalent being shyness which is behaviorally manifested as reticence. The goal of the current study was to further explore the relationship between DLD and reticence in children using a revised set of items from the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS). A total of 220 children participated in the study. A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were significant differences related to group, age, and gender on reticence. Findings revealed a significant difference …

Modeling Subglottic Stenosis Effects On Phonation Threshold Flow In The Porcine Larynx, Robin Michelle Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is an abnormal narrowing of the airway at the level of the cricoid cartilage, above the first tracheal ring and immediately beneath the vocal folds. Individuals with SGS experience a reduction in their ability to breathe as well as adverse effects on voice function. SGS can result from a variety of causes with the type of treatment depending on stenosis severity. Surgical techniques such as laryngotracheal and cricotracheal reconstruction are beneficial for airway maintenance; however, these procedures have resulted in negative effects on voice production. On the other hand, there are patients with SGS who do not …

Behavioral And Neurophysiological Correlates Of Sensorimotor Impairment In Aphasia, Lorelei Phillip Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Developing a clearer understanding of the basic impairments which underlie the behavioral characteristics of aphasia is essential for informing the development of targeted and effective treatment techniques. Impairments in sensorimotor integration have already been implicated in the repetition deficits common to individuals with aphasia, but much less is known about the extent to which these integrative deficits occur outside of conduction aphasia and how this manifests behaviorally in areas other than speech repetition. The goal of the present study was to examine these issues further by addressing the following aims: 1) To examine the behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of sensorimotor …

Improving Narrative And Expository Language: A Comparison Of Narrative Intervention To Shared Storybook Reading, Karee Douglas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of oral narrative intervention delivered in a multi-tiered system of support format on proximal narrative retell outcomes, and more distal personal story generation and expository language outcomes of preschool and kindergarten students. Participants included 241 preschool and kindergarten students. Students were divided into 3 different groups (treatment, alternate treatment, and no-treatment control). The treatment group received Story Champs Tier 1 oral narrative language intervention from their classroom teacher twice a week for 15-20 minutes over 14 weeks. A sub-sample of students from the Story Champs group who did not meet …

Effects Of A Sensory Diet On Attention And Participation In Children With Autism, Leighanne Smith-Mrkaja

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide initial knowledge regarding sensory diets and sensory-based interventions. The need for classroom-based sensory interventions are not always considered, especially with the high number of students diagnosed with ASD at the researcher’s school. Often sensory intervention may not be considered educationally relevant, especially in the prekindergarten level. With the proper training and materials, as well as the guidance of the school-based occupational therapist, teachers, other therapists, classroom assistants, parents, and school-based staff might be able to utilize sensory-based activities like sensory diets to increase participation, positive behaviors, and attention. The following applied research study …

Examining The Learning Of Students Participating In An Interactive Simulated Patient Experience, Mary Smyers

Theses and Dissertations

Simulated patients are becoming increasingly used in the educational program of future speech-language pathologists. The use of standardized patients provides the opportunity to teach students clinical skills in a controlled environment (Bradley, 2006; Zraick, 2012). Simucase, a speech-language pathology software program, allows clinicians to practice their assessment and treatment skills on virtual patients and is a valid method when teaching clinical skills. Thus, this project examined five undergraduate senior clinicians’ performance and reflection about the Simucase program and their own clinical knowledge. The undergraduate student clinicians engaged in controlled simulation experiences that shared similar characteristics to their current clients, and …

P300 Event-Related Potentials To A Phoneme Discrimination Task Requiring A Motor Response, Kaitlyn Chelsea Turner

Theses and Dissertations

Speech perception typically takes place within the auditory cortex as evidenced by data collected using quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). The purpose of this study was to determine if motor responses influence speech perception. We examined P300 event-related potentials during oddball stimulus recognition tasks that either required or did not require a motor response. Based on a review of the literature, it was hypothesized that similar areas of the brain would be activated in both the motor response task and the same task without a motor response immediately following the button-push condition. Two syllables, /ba/ and /ga/, were presented to 20 native …

Acoustic Correlates Of Aging And Familial Relationship, Samantha Michelle Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential differences in selected acoustic measures of speech as a function of age, across sexes, and between families. The data used in this study were previously collected for a larger project on voice production at the University of Utah. Participants included 169 individuals, 79 men and 90 women, from 18 Utah families, ranging in age from 17 to 87 years. All participants had no history of articulation disorders, stroke or active neurologic disease, or severe-profound hearing loss. Participants were recorded reading two passages aloud in a sound booth. These two passages …

Comparison Of Early Literacy Ipad Apps: Evaluation Of Teachers' Perceptions, Julie Mcintyre Evans

Theses and Dissertations

A recent dramatic increase in the availability of early literacy applications (apps) for mobile devices has led teachers to incorporate them into their educational programs. This study explored teachers' perceptions and opinions regarding three early literacy apps: Endless Reader, Preschool Matching Game: Rhyming Words, and Hideout: Early Reading. The study consisted of 15 preschool teachers who interacted with each app and answered questions regarding their opinions about the apps and the use of digital devices in the classroom in general. Teacher responses were analyzed and categorized based on common topics that emerged from the data set. The …

The Effect Of A Social Communication Intervention On The Correct Production Of Emotion Words In Children With Language Impairment, Annelise Luddington

Theses and Dissertations

Children diagnosed with Language Impairment (LI) often have difficulty with aspects of social communication. This thesis evaluates the effects of a social communication intervention focused on facilitating the correct production of emotion words in four elementary school-aged children with LI. Researchers monitored changes from pretreatment baseline data, through the intervention, and ended with posttreatment follow-up data for the emotions happiness, surprise, fear, anger, sadness, and disgust. Based on baseline measures, emotion categories in which the child showed limited proficiency were targeted for the 20 intervention sessions. The emotions targeted were different for each child. Each intervention session contained a combination …

Articulatory Kinematic Differences During Adaptation To A Bite Block, Madison Ann Mchaley

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the effects of bite blocks on articulatory kinematics when producing /r/ within a phrase. Participants consisted of 20 young adults (10 males, 10 females) with no speech, language or hearing disorders. Participants produced the carrier phrase, I say __ with the nonsense words /əri/ (high front vowel), /əræ/ (low front vowel), /əru/ (high back vowel), /ərɑ/ (low back vowel). A Northern Digital Instruments Wave electromagnetic articulograph measured the articulatory movements while the speaker produced the stimuli in two conditions (Pre bite block and post bite block). Bilateral bite blocks were made using Express dental putty, which …

The Effects Of Social Communication Intervention On Emotion Inferencing In Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Capri Annissa Seaberg

Theses and Dissertations

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) often face problems in areas of social communication including negotiating with peers, entering ongoing interactions, and engaging in conflict resolution. A potential cause of these social communication difficulties is the decreased ability to make emotional inferences. This thesis investigates the effects of a social communication intervention on the ability of school-aged children with DLD to make inferences about emotions. Five children with DLD between the ages of 6;10 and 12;4 participated in a social communication intervention that highlighted principles of emotion understanding (recognizing emotions in facial expressions, inferring emotions with contextual information, and discussing …

The Effect Of The Slope Of The Psychometric Function On The Measurement Of Speech Recognition Threshold Using A Male Talker, Nujod Ali Bakhsh

Theses and Dissertations

Speech audiometry is the aspect of audiology that provides critical information on how individuals hear one of the most important sounds of daily life: speech. The speech recognition threshold (SRT) is a measure of speech audiometry that is widely used to provide information on an individual's capacity to hear speech. Over time, researchers and clinicians have worked to improve the SRT by developing and modifying a variety of word lists to be used during testing. Eventually, spondaic words were selected as the best stimuli for the SRT. The spondaic words had to meet four criteria: familiarity, phonetic dissimilarity, normal sampling …

The Effect Of The Slope Of The Psychometric Function On The Measurement Of Speech Recognition Threshold Using A Female Talker, Jessica Lee Reese

Theses and Dissertations

Speech audiometry has long been a component of a thorough audiological examination. The speech recognition threshold (SRT) measurement is perhaps the most widely used measurement in speech audiometry. For decades, researchers and clinicians have worked to create and fine-tune word lists that for use in SRT testing; their aim being to improve the accuracy for classifying a client's ability to hear and comprehend speech. Experts in the field have agreed to follow four tenets of speech audiometry when selecting word sets. This study examined whether improvement to stimulus lists for SRT measurement could be made in regards to the tenet …

Increasing Awareness Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Law Enforcement In Hispanic Communities, Annette M. Cano

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the present study was to study autism awareness amongst law enforcement officers (LEO) and first responders (FR) serving the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). A 17-question survey was conducted to collect demographic data, knowledge, and level of training that officers and responders have when serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Transitioning Adults From A Tube-Feeding To An Oral Feeding In Long-Term Care Facilities, Patricia D. Mejorado

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this investigation is to gain information regarding the transition of adults from a tube feeding to an oral feeding in long-term care facilities. Twelve surveys were administered to the speech language pathologist population from the UTRGV and UTPA communication sciences and disorders alumni via email invitation. The survey consisted of questions regarding: years practiced in long-term care facilities, interdisciplinary collaboration, protocol and/or algorithms for transitioning patients from a tube feeding to an oral feeding, documentation programs, access to meal intakes, the SLP’s role in the transition to oral feedings, and areas of concerns regarding the transition from …

Speech-Language Pathologist's Perspectives On The Efficacy Of Bilingual Education Programs In South Texas Public Schools For English As A Second Language Learners, Alexandra Rosas

Theses and Dissertations

Current research in regard to the assessment and treatment of ESLs is limited. Other problems found within the school setting, is that fact that SLPs have very limited resources and large caseloads. Hence, the fact that previous studies have found that SLPS working the school setting do not feel competent in serving ESL students.

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of bilingual programs and explore the factors that impact English as a second language learners (ESLs), in public schools across the Rio Grande Valley. School based speech-language pathologists were surveyed for information concerning their perceptions and …

The Effects Of Dance Therapy On Voice In Patients With Parkinson's Disease In A Multicultural Population, Ivon N. Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

Current literature suggests that dance therapy in individuals with Parkinson’s disease shows noticeable improvement in motor functions, for example gait and balance improvement. Additionally, patients with Parkinson’s disease who participate in dance therapy may perceive positive benefits on their quality of life. Therefore, it is believed that increases in core support and improvements in posture, as a result of dance therapy, will have effects on the voice in patients with PD.

This thesis pulls from literature supporting treatment approaches in the field of speech-language pathology for voice patients with Parkinson’s disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the …

Using Video Self-Modeling To Improve Reading Fluency In School Aged Children With Specific Learning Disabilities, Chelsea Nicole Ollar

Theses and Dissertations

Effective reading interventions for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) are needed. A multiprobe multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the effects of a video self-modeling intervention (VSM) on reading fluency skills. The VSM interventions effects on self-efficacy were also measured. Four male middle school students with SLD watched a pre-recorded video of themselves reading a passage fluently and were then asked to read another passage. Words correct per minute (WCPM) and accuracy data were taken. Results showed that students read significantly more words correct when they watched themselves read the same passage they were about to …

The Nature Of Child Engagement And Teacher-Child Interactions Within Stem-Based Instruction In Preschool Classrooms, Hayley Ann Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

While educators and speech-language pathologists have been found to utilize informational texts far less than fictional texts when working with young children, informational texts can support young children's academic and language development. This study qualitatively analyzed how children engaged in informationally-based activities and how instructors interacted with children to support their engagement and learning. Fifty-three children from 4 Head Start classrooms participated in small and large group STEM-based instructional activities for 2 days each across 2 weeks. The instructional unit related to how plants grow and how they are used for food. The researchers reviewed and transcribed video recordings and …

Measuring The Reliability Of The Early Expository Comprehension Assessment, Revised 3rd Edition, Garrett Frane Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations

During the past several years, the Common Core State Standards has created a greater demand for students in public schools to comprehend and analyze expository text. In order to prepare students for work with expository text, beginning with kindergarten, more emphasis and standards have become prevalent in preschool classrooms as well. The Early Expository Comprehension Assessment, Revised 3rd Edition (EECA R-3) was developed to aid preschool teachers in determining what aspects of expository text a student understands, including recognition of different structure types. This study with the EECA R-3 extends previous studies using earlier iterations of the assessment. One hundred …