Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Explicit Teacher-Implemented Phoneme Awareness Instruction: Preschool Effects, Heather M. Osterhouse

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of explicit, concentrated, teacher-implemented phonological awareness instruction for ―at risk‖ 4- year-olds. Early childhood educators were trained to implement a 10-week program delivered for 20-minute sessions, four times a week, in their classrooms. The program focused on phonological awareness beginning at the level of letter-sound knowledge and advancing to blending and segmenting constituent phonemes in words. Pre- to post-treatment comparisons of phonological awareness and letter knowledge skills indicated that children in the experimental group made significant gains in comparison to the control group in phoneme blending and letter knowledge. …

A Preliminary Study Of The Articulatory And Acoustic Features Of Forward And Backward Tone Placement In Singing, Krista Wyllys

Masters Theses

A variety of terms exist for describing tone quality in singing, and voice scientists, voice therapists, teachers of singing, and students of singing use different terms to describe the same sound. One aspect of tone quality is tone placement. Teachers of singing often rely on imagery and imitation to elicit correct tone placement from students of singing. More concrete data about what produces forward and backward tone placement could supplement singing teachers’ current practice of using imagery and imitation to elicit a desirable tone quality. This study examined forward and backward tone placement to determine the articulatory gestures and acoustic …

Individual Articulator's Contribution To Phoneme Production, Jun Wang, Jordan R. Green, Ashok Samal

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Speech sounds are the result of coordinated movements of individual articulators. Understanding each articulator’s role in speech is fundamental not only for understanding how speech is produced, but also for optimizing speech assessments and treatments. In this paper, we studied the individual contributions of six articulators, tongue tip, tongue blade, tongue body front, tongue body back, upper lip, and lower lip to phoneme classification. A total of 3,838 vowel and consonant production samples were collected from eleven native English speakers. The results of speech movement classification using a support vector machine indicated that the tongue encoded significantly more information than …

The Effects Of Practice On The Concurrent Performance Of A Speech And Postural Task In Persons With Parkinson Disease And Healthy Controls, K. Bo Foreman, Stuart Sondrup, Christopher Dromey, Eon Jarvis, Shawn Nissen, Leland E. Dibble

Faculty Publications

Purpose. Persons with Parkinson disease (PD) demonstrate deficits in motor learning as well as bidirectional interference (the performance of one task concurrently interferes with the performance of another task) during dual-task performance. Few studies have examined the practice dosages necessary for behavioral change in rehabilitation relevant tasks. Therefore, to compare the effects of age and PD on motor learning during dual-task performance, this pilot study examined persons with PD as well as neurologically healthy participants during concurrent performance of postural and speaking tasks. Methods. Seven persons with PD and 7 healthy age-matched and 10 healthy young control subjects …

Relations Between Oral Pharyngeal Size And Kinematic Measures Of Tongue Related Swallowing Movements, Danielle Monast

Honors Theses

Background: Though the tongue plays a critical role during the oral phase of swallowing, studies have found that the size and shape of tongue movements during swallowing can vary greatly among individuals. One factor that may contribute to this movement variability is oral-pharyngeal cavity geometry. A cavity with a different size and shape may require different movements for efficient swallowing. While there are a number of studies that have attempted to relate the oral-pharyngeal anatomy with features of orofacial movement, these studies focused on speech movements and no studies have directly evaluated the relation between swallowing related tongue movements and …

Audiology Services At Remote Area Medical Expeditions In Southern Appalachia, Marc A. Fagelson

ETSU Faculty Works

This presentation summarizes the preparation for, and execution of, audiology series provided by East Tennessee State University's Audiology, Program at Remote Area Medical (RAM) expeditiors in the Southern Appalachian region. In 2010 and 2012, ETSU audiology faculty and students evaluatd 281 patients and subsequently fit 178 hearing aids.

The Effects Of Intervention Involving A Robot On Compliance Of Four Children With Autism To Requests Produced By Their Mothers, Holly Jeanne Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The current study presents the use of a humanoid robot to facilitate compliant behaviors to two types of directives in four children with autism. The children participated in a three-month intervention program that incorporated core components of the SCERTS model in order to facilitate social communication (Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin, & Laurent, 2003). Treatment sessions were comprised of 40 minutes of traditional treatment and 10 minutes of interaction with a humanoid robot. Pre- and post-intervention assessment were conducted, each involving a 5 minute interaction with the child's mother, in which they were presented with directives in the form of physical manipulation …

The Effects Of Various Modes Of Feedback On Preferred Ipod Listening Levels, Justine A. Mcdermott

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The current study was conducted in an effort to promote safe listening habits of personal media player device users. Devices such as the iPod are known to have high output capacities well within the range of potentially hazardous sound levels, thus there is a concern that personal listening may pose a risk to hearing. Intuitive and real-time feedback representing the risk of hearing damage based on selected Preferred Listening Levels (PLLs) was provided to subjects they listened to an iPod. Objective: To provide listeners with tools to judge ‘what is too loud’ (and potentially damaging to hearing) so that they …

The Effect Of Early Hearing Loss On Bobwhites’ Responses To Pure Tones: A Possible Animal Model Of Prelingual Deafness, Bethany Leanne Magee

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This study aimed to look at the behavioral responses of Bobwhite quail to pure tone stimuli by measuring peep suppression. We also considered if a duration of early hearing loss would affect Bobwhite’s responsiveness to the tones. Bobwhites were tested individually at all different ages post hatch day. The pure tones were presented at several different intensity levels and peep suppression was calculated as a measure of responsiveness to the stimuli. Mock trials were conducted as a measure of control to determine the birds’ typical peep rate. Some of the Bobwhite quail were injected with gentamicin 0-1 post-hatch day in …

The Acute Effects Of Gentamycin Ototoxicity On Bobwhite Quail Basilar Papilla And Auditory Brainstem Responses, Kristie Wilson

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a single dose of gentamycin in elevating Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) thresholds and causing inner ear hair cell loss or damage. A total of twenty-two Bobwhite quail were used (n=7 control, n=15 experimental); experimental group quail were injected with a 200 mg/kg dose of gentamycin within 24 hours of hatch (P0). Three to four days post-hatch or injection the quail underwent ABR testing. Thresholds were measured using a 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, and 4,000 Hz tone pip and a click beginning at 90 dB nominalSPL. Resulting waveforms were analyzed using MATLAB …

Ultrasonic Vocalizations In Eph/Ephrin Mutant Mice, Bryna Rickenbach-Cline

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Purpose: Murine mammals, more commonly known as mice, emit ultrasonic vocalizations or “yelps” to communicate. It has been found that adult mice use these vocalizations to communicate with each other, and infant mice utilize ultrasonic vocalizations to communicate with their mother. It is known that a relationship exists between hearing ability and vocalization (Bass-Ringdahl, 2010). This study aims to record yelps/ vocalizations of four strains of mouse pups to determine how the development of hearing relates to the vocalizations that are emitted. It is thought that mice with compromised genes that encode for signaling proteins that are essential to the …

The Effects Of Musical Training On Perception And Neural Representation Of Temporal Fine Structure, Verleyne Andrews-Rodgers

Dissertations, 2014-2019

One of the most common complaints of persons with sensorineural hearing loss is difficulty hearing in background noise. Temporal fine structure (TFS) is one of the factors that contributes to understanding speech in the presence of background noise. TFS refers to the periodic information in speech which helps us to identify which speech sound we are listening to. TFS is also negatively affected by hearing loss, as well as age. In a quest to discover how TFS processing and thus speech-in-noise understanding can be improved, this study examined the effects of musical training on behavioral and physiological measures of temporal …

Quantifying Head Acceleration During Vestibular Rehabilitation, Anne Hogan

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Dizziness can often be a serious and confounding condition that ranges in severity from annoying to debilitating and affects many people. The most common and effective treatment for persistent dizziness is vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which falls into three categories: adaptation, sensory substitution, and habituation. While more is known about adaptation and sensory substitution, questions remain regarding the exact mechanisms of recovery for habituation. Precisely, the optimal stimulation to the vestibular system, as measured in intensity of head accelerations, is unknown for habituation treatment. In this dissertation are drafts of two manuscripts. The first explores the average intensity of linear and …

The Effects Of Auditory And Visual Distracters On The Toleration Of Background Noise In Normal Hearing Listeners, Lauren Shastany

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of auditory and visual cognitive loads on the preferred background noise levels in normal-hearing listeners. This study investigated the preferable background noise levels (primary task) when normal hearing listeners were presented with auditory and/or visual cognitive distractions (secondary task). It was hypothesized that normal hearing listeners’ preferable background noise level would decrease in the presence of either distracter and that the synergistic effect of the two distracters would result in even lower preferable background noise level. Preferable background noise levels were measured on 24 normal-hearing listeners under four conditions. …

Effects Of Noise On Cognitive Function During Dual Tasks Across Normally Aging Adults, Jennine Harvey

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

This study expands upon methods used to investigate cognition and speech perception which have been limited by lack of (a) pre-screening of cognitive function in participants, (b) reporting visual or auditory accuracy and reaction time measures across experimental conditions that examine reaction times, and (c) comprehensive test battery that includes performance across multiple levels of dual task paradigms (DTPs). This study aims to examine group performance on dual tasks (DT) increasing in cognitive (task difficulty) and perceptual load (noise) with age. Participants were divided into two groups based upon age. Group 1 consisted of 14 listeners (Female=11) who were 40-59 …

Treatment Of Stuttering In Children: Clinician Perceptions Of Therapy Approaches, Kolbee Gilmore

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the range of therapy approaches used to treat children who stutter in order to determine if there was a trend for clinicians to use technological devices rather than verbal methods. The questions of the study included the frequency at which each approach was used, whether or not the results differed based on the approach used, whether developmental age group was a factor regarding results, and the clients’ opinions on each approach. A brief survey was electronically distributed to 100 speech-language pathologists who have conducted therapy using either of the two approaches. The …

Self-Reported Symptoms Of Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Devon Beebe

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion, has emerged as a major public health concern in the United States and worldwide. Of the estimated 1.7 million head injuries that occur nationally each year, about 75% are mTBI. Despite the “mild” label, a significant percentage of these individuals continue to experience a wide array of life-altering physical, emotional, and cognitive post-concussion symptoms for months and years following injury. The central auditory nervous system is vulnerable to several injury mechanisms in TBI and, as a result, auditory problems can be among these long term problems.

Although evidence of auditory processing …

Aerodynamic And Acoustic Features Of Vocal Effort, Allison Rosenthal

Speech-Language Pathology - Theses

Many voice disorders are associated with an effortful voice; however, there have been very few studies that have examined the physiological changes that contribute to this sense of effort. Determining the factors that contribute to change in vocal effort may help clinicians to effectively target these variables when working with people with voice disorders so that voice improvement is accompanied by decreased vocal effort after treatment. Prior research has shown that alterations in aerodynamic and acoustic variables are often associated with voice disorders involving increased muscular effort, and change in these variables is correlated with abnormal voice qualities. The current …

Gait Analysis Of Teenagers And Young Adults Diagnosed With Autism & Severe Verbal Communication Disorders, Michael J. Weiss, Matthew F. Moran, Mary E. Parker, John T. Foley

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Both movement differences and disorders are common within autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These differences have wide and heterogeneous variability among different ages and sub-groups all diagnosed with ASD. Gait was studied in a more homogeneously identified group of nine teenagers and young adults who scored as “severe” in both measures of verbal communication and overall rating of Autism on the Childhood Autism Rating Scales (CARS). The ASD individuals were compared to a group of typically developing university undergraduates of similar ages. All participants walked a distance of 6-meters across a GAITRite (GR) electronic walkway for six trials. The ASD and …

Voice As A Parameter Of Emotional And Physical Health, Ahmed Abdelal

Bridgewater Review

This article provides basic information about voice and laryngeal health to fellow educators and professional voice users with the hope that it can make a difference in their lives. I tackle voice from a multi-dimensional approach integrating research and clinical practice. What follows is based on extensive research that I have reviewed over the years, on coursework that I have taught in related areas (including anatomy and physiology of speech, language and hearing; phonetics, linguistics, and neurological bases of speech, language and hearing) and on my own experience as a licensed speech language pathologist who has diagnosed and treated patients …

April 24, 2013, Communication Disorders & Sciences

Faculty Meeting Minutes & Agendas

Meeting minutes of the April 24, 2013 Faculty Committee meeting.

A Comparison Of Caregiver And Speech-Language Pathologist's Ratings Of Speech Outcome In Oral Cleft Clinic, Emily Swain

Honors Theses

Background: Cleft lip and/or palate is one of the most common congenital anomalies. The goal of treatment of cleft palate is normal speech, but a proportion of children with clefts exhibit speech disorders. Various outcome measures are used, but relatively few have focused on self-assessment or caregiver perception of outcome. The studies that have been done focus on comparing parents' and speech-language pathologists' ratings of speech outcome. These studies can be used to determine the degree to which caregivers are satisfied with speech outcome over time.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between speech ratings …

The Tilar Project: Analyzing Unregulated And Non- Engagement Behaviors During Intervention In Children With Low Functioning Autism, Taylor Whitmer, Dr. Bonnie Brinton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Therapist in the Loop: Assistive Robotics (TiLAR) project is a broad-based research study that seeks to improve joint attention in children with low-functioning autism by using a humanoid robot in concert with traditional intervention. The goal of this project was to monitor the frequency of tantrum and non-engagement behaviors and determine if the interaction with the robot decreased in occurrence over time.

Supporting Identity In Aphasia: A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists, Katie Strong

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

No abstract provided.

Let's Talk Speech! Volume 6 Issue 2, Barbara T. Schmidt Ph.D.

Communication Sciences and Disorders Newsletter

The spring 2013 semester has indeed been a memorable one. This newsletter keeps you informed of the activities that have transpired this semester. As you read, I think you will get a sense of how our department has grown and how many things we have to celebrate. And celebrate we do! First, this semester marks the graduation of our first class of master’s degree students in Speech-Language Pathology. The class of 7 students completed their 56 credit degree in 2 years. The clinical educators, faculty and staff all watched them eagerly, struggled with them and rejoiced in their success. I …

The Measurement Of Auditory Interhemispheric Transfer Time (Ihtt) In Children With Normal Auditory Processing Abilities, Brittany Suzanne Keahey

Doctoral Dissertations

Interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) is the time it takes for information to be transmitted from one hemisphere to the other. The goal of this study was to determine if differences existed in the IHTT of children 6 to 9 years of age with normal auditory processing abilities by the use of an objective measure (auditory late evoked potentials [ALEPs]), specifically waves P1, N1 and P2. It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in IHTT between the groups due to the age range of participants being tested. The 16 participants were divided into two groups based on age and …

Asymmetrical Speech In Noise Assessment For Children With (Central) Auditory Processing Disorders, Jessica Vaughn

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine if children with (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder have better word recognition abilities for monosyllabic words under monaural speech-in-noise conditions than binaural speech-in-noise conditions. Fifteen participants, five females and ten males, ages 8-10 years, were included in this study. There were 7 children placed in the experimental group with a diagnosis of (C) APD identified from the Louisiana Tech University Speech and Hearing Center. There were 8 typically developing children placed in the control group. Each participant had pure-tone thresholds of 0-20 dB HL for 250-8000 Hz bilaterally. The SCAN-3 for children, …

Effects Of Untrained Earmold Impression Taking On Custom Hearing Protector Device Performance, Kelly R. Pack

Doctoral Dissertations

Today's consumer is increasingly turning to the internet for both healthcare information as well as the purchase of custom hearing protection devices (HPDs). These HPDs are often cast from do-it-yourself home ear impression kits that include a syringe and silicone earmold impression material to be injected into the ear canal. Although not required by law, earmold impressions have typically been taken by medical professionals and other individuals formally trained in the procedures and safety measures of effective earmold impression taking. The main purpose of this study was to determine if do-it-yourself earmold impressions produce HPD's with lower attenuation levels than …

Preschoolers With Speech And Language Impairment: Case Studies From A Teacher-Delivered Phonological Awareness Program, Katherine J. Wickham

Masters Theses

Past and present research demonstrates early reading success related to phonological awareness (PA) instruction conducted individually or in small groups outside of the preschool classroom. This study investigated the effects of an explicit, intensive and teacher-delivered PA instruction for children with speech sound disorder and language impairment as part of the preschool curriculum. The investigator examined the performance of individual cases in both groups, those who received instruction and the control. Two participants in each of the experimental (E1 and E2) and control (C1 and C2) groups had standardized scores indicating deficits in speech and/or language. These children who received …

Slps And Auds Go Global: A Research-Based Cross-Linguistic Consortium, A. Lynn Williams, Brenda Louw

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.