Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Factors Contributing To Executive Function In Young Adults, Lindy Janae Stevenson

McNair Scholars Research

Executive functions (EF) are skills used to complete desired behaviors and inhibit undesired ones. These skills are necessary for everyday life, and even more so in higher education and the workplace. This study examined the combined impact of sleep and exercise on five facets of EF in young adults enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses. It also examined how perceived effort and performance in college classes interact with EF. The first five hypotheses studying sleep and exercise were analyzed using a 2x2 between-groups ANOVA. The data divided participants into those averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep a night and …

Effect Of Head Coverings On Directional Microphone Performance In Modern Hearing Aids: A Kemar-Based Laboratory Evaluation, Zahra Fekri, Mariam Mohamad, Ayasakanta Rout

Faculty Scholarship

Background/Objectives: Directional microphones are an established hearing aid technology for improving speech understanding in background noise. Although researchers have examined the influence of hair, spectacles, and earmold venting on directional performance, no systematic work has addressed head coverings, which people wear worldwide for cultural, religious, occupational, and personal reasons. This study determined whether a cotton head covering alters the directivity index (DI) of highest-level receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids. Methods: A Knowles Electronics Manikin for Acoustic Research (KEMAR) was positioned in a double-walled, sound-treated booth, and DI was measured for omnidirectional and fixed directional microphone settings, with and without a two-layer …

Allergic And Adverse Reactions To Hearing Aid Materials: Clinical Cases And A Proposed Preventive Screening Questionnaire, Margaret Hanger

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Abstract (Case 1)

An adverse reaction of the external auditory canal for an adult hearing aid user

Introduction: Contact dermatitis, an allergic skin reaction triggered by exposure to irritants or allergens, has become more common with the widespread use of in-ear devices such as hearing aids. Prolonged contact may lead to redness, itching, pain, and skin breakdown, potentially impacting device use and user satisfaction.

Case Presentation: An adult male who wears a turban was fitted with binaural in-the-ear hearing aids. Shortly after initial use, he experienced bilateral ear discomfort. His hearing aids were remade to address presumed physical fit issues. …

Hidden Patterns: Revealing The Noise Exposure Habits Of College Musicians Throughout The Year, Maya Vallejo

Holster Scholar Projects

College musicians face elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to extensive rehearsal, headphone use, and performance activity, yet most objective sound-exposure studies rely on personal dosimeters that capture only brief windows (1–3 weeks) during the academic year, and overlook headphone-specific exposure. This study leveraged historical Apple Watch and AirPods sound data from participants in the ongoing AMI study (Skoe lab, University of Connecticut) to compare environmental and headphone noise exposure between academic-year and academic-break periods in college-age lifelong, former, and non-musicians. Sound levels (dBA) were calculated using duration-weighted, log-power averaging to account for the logarithmic nature of decibels. …

Caribbean Hearing Health Readiness: A Data-Guided Method For Doctor Of Audiology Study-Abroad And Service Learning, Chelsea Tynes, Antony Joseph

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Access to audiology care is essential, as unmanaged hearing loss carries significant communicative, social, and health consequences. Across many Caribbean nations, access to audiologic care remains limited, with substantial variation in workforce, diagnostic services, hearing-health infrastructure, and system readiness. The Caribbean Audiology Research Project (CARP), established by the Hearing Loss Prevention Laboratory, characterized hearing-health capacity across eight Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and The Bahamas. Publicly available data on the audiology workforce, healthcare infrastructure, diagnostic and rehabilitative services, public-health programs, demographic indicators, and logistical factors were …

Comparative Characteristics Of Mental Health Networks In Older Adults Across Care Models: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Community Home-Based And Institutional Care, Beibei Chen, Yufeng Wang, Jing Hu, Wenbin Feng, Mengxuan Wu, Jie Wu

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

Background: Care models significantly impact older adults' mental health, yet the dynamic interplay among symptoms remains unclear. This study compared the integrated sleep–psychological–social support networks between older adults in community home-based and institutional care. Methods: We included 973 adults aged ≥ 60 years (home-based: n = 727; institutional: n = 246). Mental health networks were estimated using Gaussian Graphical Models. We evaluated node centrality, bridge expected influence, and assessed between-group differences using the Network Comparison Test (NCT) and stability analyses. Results: The home-based network was denser (density = 0.576), featuring subjective sleep quality as the core node, with anxiety and …

Relationships Between Psychosocial Aspects Of Stuttering And Self-Disclosure Of Stuttering In A Japanese Sample, Daichi Iimura, Saburo Takahashi, Mizuki Aoki, Kentaro Yoshizawa, Kota Yanai, Shoko Miyamoto, Michael P. Boyle

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose We aimed to psychometrically evaluate a Japanese version of the Disclosure of Stuttering Scale, from Boyle et al. (2018), and identify the psychosocial factors associated with level of stuttering self-disclosure among adults who stutter.

Methods: Adults who stutter were recruited via stuttering self-help groups in Japan and the authors’ contacts. Participants completed their demographics, the Disclosure of Stuttering Scale and other psychological scales assessing affective, cognitive, and social aspects of stuttering via an online survey. We analyzed 180 participants after those with unreliable or duplicate responses were excluded. The scale’s reliability and validity were confirmed, and multiple linear regression …

Relationships Between Psychosocial Aspects Of Stuttering And Self-Disclosure Of Stuttering In A Japanese Sample, D Iimura, S Takahashi, M Aoki, K Yoshizawa, K Yanai, S Miyamoto, Michael P Boyle

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: We aimed to psychometrically evaluate a Japanese version of the Disclosure of Stuttering Scale, from Boyle et al. (2018), and identify the psychosocial factors associated with level of stuttering self-disclosure among adults who stutter. Methods: Adults who stutter were recruited via stuttering self-help groups in Japan and the authors' contacts. Participants completed their demographics, the Disclosure of Stuttering Scale and other psychological scales assessing affective, cognitive, and social aspects of stuttering via an online survey. We analyzed 180 participants after those with unreliable or duplicate responses were excluded. The scale's reliability and validity were confirmed, and multiple linear regression …

Demographic Influences On Awareness Of Speech-Language Pathology Services In The U.S., Phil Weir-Mayta, Joshua Ayala

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Methods

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

Physical Inactivity In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Risk Factor, Early Symptom, Or Both, Jiawei Zhao, Xin Li, Mengxuan Wu, Zhanjun Zhang

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

Physical inactivity is a key modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, emerging evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship where inactivity also serves as an early manifestation of AD pathology. This perspective synthesizes recent findings from long-term epidemiological cohorts, brainstem neuropathology, and digital phenotyping to reconceptualize the role of inactivity in preclinical AD. Early tau accumulation in catecholaminergic nuclei (locus coeruleus and ventral tegmental area) disrupts circuits essential for reward valuation and effort calculation. We hypothesize that this neurobiological failure may manifest as prodromal apathy and declining physical activity years before cognitive impairment. Standard metrics like step counts fail to …

Domain-Specific Associations Between Physical Activity And Tinnitus In Nhanes 2015-2018, Mitra Britton, Peter A Hosick

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background/Objectives: Tinnitus is a prevalent auditory condition associated with significant psychological burden and limited treatment efficacy. While physical activity confers broad health benefits, its relationship with tinnitus remains understudied. This study examined associations between domain-specific physical activity and tinnitus in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Methods: Data from NHANES 2015-2018 were analyzed. The final analytic sample comprised 4301 adults aged 20 years and older. Tinnitus was assessed via the NHANES audiometry questionnaire. Physical activity was categorized as low, moderate, and high (MET-min/week) separately for work-related (WORK) and non-work-related (NW) domains. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for age, …

Narrative Discourse Predictors Of Response To Naming Intervention In Aphasia, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Laura Giglio, Sigfus Kristinsson, Leonardo Bonilha, Deena Schwen Blackett, Brielle C. Stark, Janina Wilmskoetter, Julius Fridriksson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose:

Method:

Influence Of Semantic Richness On Word Form Learning In Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Mckenzie Scoppa, Sara Benham, Allison Gladfelter, Amanda Steeb, Lisa Goffman

CISLL Publications

Purpose:

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) show a word form learning deficit, characterized by inaccurate and variable productions of novel words. We investigated whether, when a novel word form is introduced, incremental exposure to either a sparse visual referent or a relatively semantically rich story influences the phonetic accuracy and the phonological and articulatory variability of production in children with DLD and their typically developing (TD) peers.

Method:

Thirty-six preschoolers (18 DLD, 18 TD) aged 4;1–5;11 (years;months) were exposed to six novel words, two in each of three semantic cue conditions: no cues, sparse cues (visual referent), and rich …

Orthographic Representations In American Sign Language Fingerspelling, Zed Sehyr, Lauren Fillet, Kiana Billot-Vasquez, Emily Saunders, Karen Emmorey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined fingerspelling accuracy and error patterns in deaf American Sign Language (ASL) signers and written spelling in hearing English speakers to investigate how orthographic representations are shaped by phonological, visual, and motor encoding strategies. Deaf participants (n = 39) completed a fingerspelling repetition task, while hearing participants (n = 35) completed a written dictation task using the same word and pseudoword stimuli. While overall accuracy did not differ significantly between groups, deaf participants exhibited qualitatively distinct error patterns, including higher rates of deletions and transpositions, compared to hearing participants who made more substitution errors. Deaf participants also produced …

Selection Of Graphic Symbol Collections By Speech And Language Pathologists For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vasiliki Hadjicharalambous, Donald R. Fuller, Eliada Pampoulou

Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty Publications

Graphic symbol collections are often implemented in assessment and interventions with clients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The selection of the optimal collection is considered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) a challenging task. Since limited literature exists on the factors that guide this selection specifically for clients with ASD, this study aimed to explore those in detail, for which a qualitative design was followed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with SLPs who shared their views on the factors that affect this selection. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts took place. The outcomes showed that SLPs focus on multiple factors, grouped as …

Clinical Case Study: The Effects Of Task Dynamics And Saltatory Pneumotactile Stimulation On Cerebral Oxygenation, Cognitive Performance, And Sensorimotor Function In An Adult Following Left Ischemic Mca Stroke, Bridget Slagle

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

In the chronic stage of stroke recovery, neuroplasticity is thought to require external influence, and is often considered to be experience-dependent, or “Hebbian,” plasticity. Current studies have been investigating multiple ways to induce plasticity to enhance recovery, including investigating the role of sensory stimulation in cortical priming to enhance the effects of rehabilitation interventions.

This case study of an 80-year-old female with aphasia after L-MCA ischemic stroke included 18 neurotherapeutic sessions over 10 weeks. Each session included pneumotactile somatosensory stimulation to the glabrous hand and perioral face, delivered to both the left and right side via the GALILEO, as well …

Hidden Word Treasure Hunt: Design Of Dyslexia Game-Based Intervention, Olivia N. Epp

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For this creative project, a literacy intervention board game entitled Hidden Word Treasure Hunt was designed for elementary students with dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental learning disability which causes reading and writing difficulties. The goal of the intervention is to provide a fun and engaging way for students with dyslexia to practice skills like spelling, phonemic awareness, rhyming, and more. The game includes multiple choice question cards (treasure cards) and challenge spelling cards (key cards), and the student also has the opportunity to practice spelling the words with a whiteboard and marker. The student and SLP can play their …

Experiences Of Hispanic/Latine Graduate Students In Unco’S Audiology And Speech-Language Pathology Programs Within A Hispanic-Serving Institution Context: Qualitative Thematic Analysis From A Moderated Focus Group, Ashley Fuhrman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Existing literature has examined workforce diversity in healthcare as a factor that may shape patient rapport and the delivery of culturally responsive, patient-centered care. Given the increasing demand for audiologists (AuDs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with diverse and multilingual backgrounds, it is important to understand how graduate programs prepare students to serve linguistically and culturally diverse populations. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Hispanic/Latine graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), a recently designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The study explores students’ perceptions of training, support, and experiences in serving diverse populations. …

Memory Processes In Older Adults With Hearling, Camryn L. Kirkham

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Emerging research has shown links between hearing loss in older adults and memory declines; however, findings remain mixed. The present study examined differences in memory performance between older adults with hearing loss and normal-hearing peers, as well as associations between hearing ability and memory. An exploratory analysis of associations between high-frequency hearing ability and memory performance was also conducted. Participants included 38 older adults with hearing loss (n=20) and normal hearing (n=18) who completed audiologic testing and memory tasks assessing working, semantic, and episodic memory. Contrary to expectations, no significant group differences in memory performance were observed between the hearing …

Planning For The Transition To Adulthood: Parent Perspectives On The Planning Process And Experiences Of Young Adults With Fragile X Syndrome, Leonard Abbeduto, Jessica Klusek Ph.D., Ccc-Slp, Julie Lounds Taylor, Angela John Thurman

Faculty Publications

Objectives

Relatively few young adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) meet the normative expectations of adulthood, although there is heterogeneity in this regard. The present study examined the preparation for the transition to adulthood experienced by young adults with FXS and their parents.

Methods

Thirty-nine young adults with FXS and their primary caregiving parents participated. Those with FXS were in their last year of, or had recently left, high school or a formal transition program. Parents completed surveys about the formal transition planning process. We examined the role of the young adults’ adaptive behavior skills in transition planning.

Results

Among …

Planning For The Transition To Adulthood: Parent Perspectives On The Planning Process And Experiences Of Young Adults With Fragile X Syndrome, Leonard Abbeduto, Jessica Klusek, Julie Lounds Taylor, Angela John Thurman

Faculty Publications

Objectives Relatively few young adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) meet the normative expectations of adulthood, although there is heterogeneity in this regard. The present study examined the preparation for the transition to adulthood experienced by young adults with FXS and their parents.

Methods Thirty-nine young adults with FXS and their primary caregiving parents participated. Those with FXS were in their last year of, or had recently left, high school or a formal transition program. Parents completed surveys about the formal transition planning process. We examined the role of the young adults’ adaptive behavior skills in transition planning.

Results Among …

Interprofessional Collaboration: A Functional Vestibular Screening Framework For Children With Hearing Loss, Corinne Marascio

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Introduction: The vestibular system is comprised of five organs located in the inner ear that support balance, coordination, and spatial awareness (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Due to the proximity of the hearing and vestibular organs, children with hearing loss are at an increased risk for vestibular dysfunction (Cushing & Papsin, 2018; Kelly et al., 2021). Early recognition and treatment of vestibular disorders via vestibular rehabilitation therapy can support healthy development throughout childhood (Monshizadeh et al., 2022; Wrobel et al., 2020). While vestibular assessment falls within the audiological scope of practice, barriers preclude routine screening of vestibular deficits in pediatric patients with …

The Effect Of Cerebral Somatosensory Network Priming On Language Function In Chronic L-Mca Ischemic Stroke: A Companion Case Study, Mandelin E. Wollesen

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

Chronic aphasia following a left middle cerebral artery (L-MCA) stroke is often associated with limited recovery beyond the acute phase, necessitating interventions that target neuroplastic mechanisms. This study examined the effects of somatosensory pneumotactile stimulation paired with cognitive-linguistic tasks on functional language performance in an individual with chronic aphasia. Using a single-subject pre-post design, the participant completed a 10-week intervention protocol involving repeated pneumotactile stimulation via the GALILEO system combined with language and motor tasks. Outcomes were assessed using standardized measures, discourse-based language samples, oral reading, repetition, and phonemic verbal fluency. Discourse was analyzed using Correct Information Units (CIUs), words …

The Effect Of Articulatory Cues On Phonemic Segmentation, Word Reading, Nonword Reading, And Nonword Spelling: A Clinical Trial, Robyn Becker, Grace T. Clark, Iyad Ghanim, Kaitlyn Verney, Alexis Gallagher

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: Although some studies suggest articulatory cues may help enhance early literacy outcomes, research has yet to isolate their specific contribution to the gains. Framed by the motor theory of speech perception (Liberman & Mattingly, 1985), this study seeks to fill this gap by providing phonemic segmentation training using articulatory cues and comparing reading/spelling outcomes to two different comparison groups to attempt to control for the motivation and attention the articulatory cues may provide.

Method: Twenty-seven typically developing four and five year-olds were seen individually for seven weekly sessions during a typical day in a preschool classroom (NCT06504264). The participants …

Forget-Them-Nots: Ageism, Autonomy, And Dementia In Speech-Language Pathology, Grace Bailey

Graduate Publications

The following qualitative single-case design study investigates the manner in which autonomy is negotiated and supported in dementia care with particular emphasis on communication. Observational data and semi-structured interviews provided raw data that was coded, themed, and interpreted to better understand how decisions were made among the patient with dementia, the caregiver, and her healthcare team. Results fell into two themes where autonomy was limited or autonomy was active, illustrating the continuous negotiation process. Findings indicate that autonomy is relational, directly affected by the individual, their care team, and their corresponding prejudices. Findings also indicate that the removal of autonomy …

Effects Of Ndbi With Just-In-Time Programming Of Vsds On Communication Of Children With Asd, Jenna M. Rogers

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

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prominent neurological and developmental disability that often requires communication support, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Visual Scene Displays (VSDs) are an AAC support that directly immerses in the user’s life, using images from real environments the user has or may experience. Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) is an evidence-based approach to early intervention that targets social communication during naturalistic routines, including those who rely on AAC support to communicate. Despite recent research indicating that combining NDBI and AAC is a promising approach (Pope et al., 2024), no studies to date have examined …

Parents Engaging In Early Literacy (Peel): Outcomes From A Shared Reading Program Implemented Via Text Messaging, Victoria Henbest, Brenda L. Beverly, Gina M. Mejia

Victoria S. Henbest Publications

Purpose: Investigators delivered an asynchronous parent education for improving early literacy skills of typically developing preschoolers. The home-based shared-book reading program, PEEL, consisted of strategies modeled via videos and sent as text messages.

Method: Twenty parent-child dyads were randomly assigned to one of two 8-week programs targeting evidence-based early literacy strategies. One parent group was taught strategies to support print-related knowledge for learning to read, and the other learned skills to promote vocabulary and story knowledge underlying comprehension.

Results: The asynchronous parent education resulted in more frequent parental use of taught strategies compared to non-taught strategies during …

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation As An Adjuvant For Nonfluent Aphasia: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Lynsey M. Keator, Lisa Johnson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Kyler Spell, Samaneh Nemati, Leigh Ann Spell, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Christopher Rorden, Julius Fridriksson

Department of Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Papers

Effective rehabilitation tools are essential for improving language outcomes in chronic aphasia. Speech entrainment is a behavioral treatment that has shown promise in enhancing speech output in nonfluent aphasia, potentially by acting as an external mechanism to synchronize anterior and posterior language regions in the left hemisphere. Transcranial alternating current stimulation has been hypothesized to enhance functional connectivity between brain regions by amplifying endogenous oscillations. This proof-of-concept study explored whether high-definition tACS (HD-tACS) could improve speech fluency in nonfluent aphasia when paired with speech entrainment. In a double-blind, pseudorandomized study, 1 mA of HD-tACS at 7 Hz was applied to …

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation As An Adjuvant For Nonfluent Aphasia: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Lynsey M. Keator, Lisa Johnson, Roger Newman-Norlund, Kyler Spell, Samaneh Nemati, Leigh Ann Spell, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Christopher Rorden, Julius Fridriksson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Effective rehabilitation tools are essential for improving language outcomes in chronic aphasia. Speech entrainment is a behavioral treatment that has shown promise in enhancing speech output in nonfluent aphasia, potentially by acting as an external mechanism to synchronize anterior and posterior language regions in the left hemisphere. Transcranial alternating current stimulation has been hypothesized to enhance functional connectivity between brain regions by amplifying endogenous oscillations. This proof-of-concept study explored whether high-definition tACS (HD-tACS) could improve speech fluency in nonfluent aphasia when paired with speech entrainment. In a double-blind, pseudorandomized study, 1 mA of HD-tACS at 7 Hz was applied to …