Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

March 4, 2015, Communication Disorders & Sciences

Faculty Meeting Minutes & Agendas

Meeting minutes of the March 4, 2015 Faculty Committee meeting.

External Validity Of Grammatical Word Category Classification Using An Adaptation And Selection Model, Michelle Chatterton

Theses and Dissertations

The process of acquiring language requires children to learn grammatical categories and apply these categories to new words. Researchers have proposed various explanations of this process in the form of algorithms and computational modeling. Recently, adaptation and selection models have been tested and applied as a possible explanation to the process of acquiring grammatical categories. These studies have proven promising, however, the external validity of this approach has not been examined by grammatically coding samples outside the training corpus. The current thesis applies an adaptation and selection model, which pauses the evolution of dictionaries after every thousand cycles to allow …

Brain Mapping Of The Latency Epochs In A Mcgurk Effect Paradigm In Music Performance And Visual Arts Majors, Lauren Donelle Nordstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The McGurk effect is an illusion that occurs when an auditory /ba/ is combined with a visual /ga/. The two stimuli fuse together which leads to the perception of /da/, a sound in between /ba/ and /ga/. The purpose of this study was to determine whether music performance and visual arts majors process mismatched auditory and visual stimuli, like the McGurk effect, differently. Nine syllable pairs were presented to 10 native English speakers (5 music performance majors and 5 visual arts majors between the ages of 18 and 28 years) in a four-forced-choice response paradigm. Data from event-related potentials were …

Modeling Children's Acquisition Of Grammatical Word Categories From Adult Input Using An Adaptation And Selection Algorithm, Nicole Adele Stenquist

Theses and Dissertations

It is understood that children learn the use of grammatical categories in their native language, and previous models have only been partially successful in describing this acquisition. The present study uses an adaptation selection algorithm to continue the work in addressing this question. The input for the computer model is child-directed speech towards three children, ages ranging from 1;1 to 5;1 during the course of sampling. The output of the model consists of the input words labeled with a grammatical category. This output data was evaluated at regular intervals through its ability to correctly identify the grammatical categories of language …

Monophthongal Vowel Production In Females With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Following A Hydration Treatment Of Nebulized Saline, Kara Rytting

Theses and Dissertations

Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that causes extreme dryness, or sicca,of the eyes and mouth, as well as other potential drying of the throat and intestines. Speech, voice, and swallowing problems are common in individuals with SS. Therefore, this study examined the possible changes in acoustic characteristics of monophthongs (/i, æ, α, u, ʌ/) in eight females with SS following laryngeal hydration treatments. An ABAB experimental design was implemented. Treatment consisted of nebulized isotonic saline immediately following completion of audio-recordings. Using acoustic analysis software the duration, formant frequencies, and vowel space area (VSA) was calculated for the participant's …

Reliance On Auditory Feedback In Children With Childhood Apraxia Of Speech, Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel, Tiffany P. Hogan, Anthony J. Guarino, Jordan R. Green

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) have been hypothesized to continuously monitor their speech through auditory feedback to minimize speech errors. We used an auditory masking paradigm to determine the effect of attenuating auditory feedback on speech in 30 children: 9 with CAS, 10 with speech delay, and 11 with typical development. The masking only affected the speech of children with CAS as measured by voice onset time and vowel space area. These findings provide preliminary support for greater reliance on auditory feedback among children with CAS.

Learning outcomes: Readers of this article should be able to (i) …

Stakeholder Perspectives Of The Effectiveness Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication Techniques In Children With Autism, Daria Constantinescu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to utilize focus groups and individual interviews to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of augmentative and alternative (AAC) techniques in facilitating language in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as expressed by the opinions and attitudes of stakeholders involved in the process. ASD is a disorder that affects an individual's social and communication skills that usually surfaces within a child's first three years of life. There have been numerous studies conducted comparing different types of AAC intervention systems, but there is little information on stakeholders' opinions. The current study utilized one focus group interview …

February 4, 2015, Communication Disorders & Sciences

Faculty Meeting Minutes & Agendas

Meeting agenda of the February 4, 2015 Faculty Meeting.

Effectiveness And Parent Acceptability Of 'Youth Engagement Through Intervention' Social Skills Group For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Zachary Shindorf, Anisa Goforth, Jennifer K. Schoffer Closson, Erin Yosai, Phillip A. Thomas, Miki J. Anderson

Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences Faculty Publications

This poster was presented at the Annual National Association of School Psychologists Conference in Orlando, Florida.

January 14, 2015, Communication Disorders & Sciences

Faculty Meeting Minutes & Agendas

Meeting agenda of the January 14, 2015 Faculty Meeting.

Tell Me A Story: The Relationship Between Identity And Life Stories Following Brain Injury, Sara Henson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Following brain injury, people can demonstrate cognitive-linguistic deficits as well as a shift in their identities. Clinicians use assessment and treatment methods that focus on cognitive-linguistic deficits with this population; however, they rarely (if ever) consider identity as a viable and necessary target for intervention efforts. For individuals with brain injury, life narratives can be used to assess and treat the cognitive-linguistic skills and discourse at a macro-systemic level, build relationships through the use of a client-centered approach, develop a strong sense of self-identity that aids in goal setting, establish life purpose that motivates greater participation and effort in rehabilitation, …

Using Visual Scene Displays As Communication Support Options For People With Chronic, Severe Aphasia: A Summary Of Aac Research And Future Research Directions, David R. Beukelman, Karen Hux, Aimee R. Dietz, Miechelle L. Mckelvey, Kristy S.E. Weissling

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Research about the effectiveness of communicative supports and advances in photographic technology has prompted changes in the way speech-language pathologists design and implement interventions for people with aphasia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of photographic images as a basis for developing communication supports for people with chronic aphasia secondary to sudden-onset events due to cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). Topics include the evolution of AAC-based supports as they relate to people with aphasia, the development and key features of visual scene displays (VSDs), and future directions concerning the incorporation of photographs into communication supports for people with …

Interpreter-Assisted Speech-Language Intervention In Poland: Needs, Possibilities And Prospects (Współpraca Polskiego Logopedy Z Tłumaczem – Potrzeby, Możliwości I Perspektywy), Katarzyna Gaweł, Henriette Langdon, Katarzyna Węsierska

Faculty Publications

Due to the constantly evolving global demographic situation, speech-language therapists (SLTs, also: speech-language pathologists – SLPs) have to deal with an increasing workload of bilingual/multilingual clients. This article presents results of a survey conducted among Polish SLTs aimed at investigating their views with regards to the possibility of collaboration with an interpreter during therapeutic intervention. The original version of the questionnaire (Gaweł & Węsierska, 2014) used in this survey was filled out by 206 respondents from different areas across Poland. The following issues were addressed in the study: the SLTs’ views on the incidence of bilingualism in Poland, their self-evaluation …

Evidence-Based Practice In Stuttering: Views From American And Polish Clinical Perspectives, Henriette W. Langdon, Pei-Tzu Tsai, Katarzyna Węsierska

Faculty Publications

In this paper the authors present the underpinnings of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) with application to stuttering. The application of intervention practices using EBP are discussed from two different countries, the United States and Poland. Advantages, Challenges and Future Directions as well as Solutions are presented. In sum, the authors conclude that both perspectives are relatively similar and going generally in the same direction.

In A Right State Of Mind: An Analysis Of Cognitive And Linguistic Function Following A Rare Case Of Atypical Language Dominance In Aphasia, Emily Manton

Undergraduate Review

As the foundation for effective communication, the power of the human brain to create and execute language derives from the ability of its structural components to remain intact. Extensive research has found that in 97% of people worldwide, language is typically carried out by the left hemisphere of the brain. Research for lesions in this area therefore, have been well documented. For the 3% of individuals who fall in the category of "atypical cerebral dominance" however, there is little in the available literature. Therefore, this empirical prospective case study sought to document the cognitive and linguistic functions of a 59 …

Noise Induced Hearing Loss: The Impact Of Acoustic Trauma On The Ear, Aviva Levihaiem

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a pervasive disability that affects millions of people across the world. It is characterized by a decrease in hearing sensitivity to sounds that fall between 3000–6000 Hz(known as the “notch”). NIHL is caused by either a sudden acoustic trauma or long-term exposure to noise levels above 85 dB. The noise exposure induces overproduction of free radicals within the cells of the cochlea, overpowering of the ear’s antioxidant defense systems. The free radicals then destroy cell membranes and hair cell nuclei, causing necrosis and apoptosis, leading to hair cell death. This upsets the mechanical structure and …

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2015], Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders

Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders Programs

The Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders provides continuing education activities in speech- language pathology that are acceptable to the State of Iowa and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Areas of emphasis include adults and pediatrics.

Motor Practice Effects And Sensorimotor Integration In Adults Who Stutter: Evidence From Visuomotor Tracking Performance., Victoria Tumanova, Patricia M. Zebrowski, Shawn S. Goodman, Richard M. Arenas

Communication Sciences and Disorders - All Scholarship

Purpose—The purpose of this study was to utilize a visuomotor tracking task, with both the jaw and hand, to add to the literature regarding non-speech motor practice and sensorimotor integration (outside of auditory-motor integration domain) in adults who do (PWS) and do not (PWNS) stutter.

Method—Participants were 15 PWS (14 males, mean age = 27.0) and 15 PWNS (14 males, mean age = 27.2). Participants tracked both predictable and unpredictable moving targets separately with their jaw and their dominant hand, and accuracy was assessed by calculating phase and amplitude difference between the participant and the target. Motor practice effect was …

The Use Of Theatre To Develop Social And Communication Behaviors For Students With Autism, Suzanne Reading, James Reading, Robert J. Padgett, Samantha Reading, Pete Pryor

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

Social and communication behaviors are often a focus of instruction for individuals with autism. A theatre rehearsal and production process is challenging and joyful work that nurtures the development of social and language skills. This study evaluated and described social and language behaviors for students with autism both before and after a 10-week theatre experience. The results indicated that, when compared with a control group, the students with theatre experiences had significant and positive changes in the development of social and language skills. Most particularly, these students had significant improvement in social responsiveness, acknowledgement of the perspective of others, and …

Children With Sli Exhibit Delays Resolving Ambiguous Reference, Julie M. Estis, Brenda L. Beverly

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Fast mapping weaknesses in children with specific language impairment (SLI) may be explained by differences in disambiguation, mapping an unknown word to an unnamed object. The impact of language ability and linguistic stimulus on disambiguation was investigated. Sixteen children with SLI (8 preschool, 8 school-age) and sixteen typically developing age-matched children selected referents given familiar and unfamiliar object pairs in three ambiguous conditions: phonologically distinct word (PD), phonologically similar word (PS), no word (NW). Preschoolers with SLI did not disambiguate, unlike typically developing age-matched participants, who consistently selected unfamiliar objects given PD. School-age children with SLI disambiguated given PD. Delays …

Proud To Be Autistic: Metaphorical Construction And Salience Of Cultural And Personal Identity In #Stopcombatingme, Jessica Benham

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Like many other autistic individuals, I struggle to find language to appropriately describe my experiences. Furthermore, within the Autistic community, debates over appropriate language use are frequent, including discussions on person-first language versus identity-first language, functioning language, and medical terminology. Through this research, I examine how rhetorical constructions of Autism gain power, focused on the role of language choice with regard to personal identity and self-advocacy and conduct a discourse analysis of the #StopCombatingMe movement on Twitter. Spearheaded by ASAN, a grassroots organization which seeks to challenge public dialogue on Autism, #StopCombatingMe sought to argue against the reauthorization of the …

Speech-Language Pathologists On Multicultural Counseling Competency, Denise Moore Revel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite reports of speech-language pathology graduate-level programs focusing on multicultural competence, the literature suggests speech-language pathologists are not adequately educated and trained to be culturally competent. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of public school-based speech-language pathologists' graduate-level academic instruction and the clinical practicum experiences in multicultural competence, specifically in the area of multicultural counseling. Guided by the theory of multicultural counseling and therapy, this study used a phenomenological approach, employing semistructured, in-person interviews with 7 participants. The inclusion criteria used for selecting study participants included: having a master's degree in speech-language pathology, graduation from an …

Examining Barriers With Implementing Augmentative And Alternative Communication In A Midwest School, Ashley Renee Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a Midwest urban public school system have experienced barriers that prohibit the effective use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The result has left some students with speech language impairments (SLI) without the communication skills for meaningful relationships and success in and out of school. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to determine the perceived barriers of 8 local school SLPs regarding the successful implementation of AAC and their suggestions for addressing the problem. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the SLPs. Data collection and analysis were grounded by Ely's conditions of …

Identifying Speech-Language Pathologists' Current Perceptions And Practice Patterns, Mary Margaret Griffith

Online Theses and Dissertations

A web-based survey was collected and analyzed from 39 speech-language pathologists (SLP) contacted through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) Special Interest Groups #2 and #4 as well as members of the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders (ABFFD) via email regarding their current perceptions and clinical practice patterns with individuals with neurogenic and psychogenic stuttering. Participants reported using a battery of assessments and a variety of treatment approaches to diagnose neurogenic and psychogenic stuttering in addition to traditional fluency assessments and fluency enhancing techniques. Participants rated themselves as having more knowledge and experience with neurogenic stuttering than psychogenic stuttering. …

The Role Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Swallowing Treatment Of Individuals With Hiv/Aids, Sarah Lynn Warner

Online Theses and Dissertations

The role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the assessment and treatment of dysphagia in individuals living with HIV/AIDS is relatively absent from the literature. Dysphagia is described as difficulty swallowing that can be caused by oral indicators, structural dysfunction, and neurological disease (Bladon & Ross, 2007; Bobba et al., 2007; Nkuize et al., 2010). Dysphagia is a prevalent symptom secondary to the HIV/AIDS virus, yet dysphagia in the HIV/AIDS population often goes untreated (Bladon & Ross, 2007). One way to improve assessment and treatment of dysphagia is to ensure medical professionals are knowledgeable of the communication and swallowing disorders that …

A Clinical Case Study Exploring The Impact Of Bilingual Support In Speech-Language Intervention For A Child With Autism, Zaynab Taei

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Managing language choice in speech-language intervention is increasingly an issue for speech-pathologists treating bilingual children. Frequently L2 approaches only are implemented, resulting in negative effects on L1 acquisition, familial ties, and cultural transmission. This study examined the impact of a bilingual intervention on a school-aged child and her family. Providing intervention and therapy activities in the L1 resulted in increased parental engagement, increased L1 use by the child, and increased awareness of strategies for treating bilingual children among SLPs at the study site.

Script Training: The Role Of Written Cues, Hallie Cohen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Script training is a technique that allows persons with acquired speech and language disorders, such as nonfluent aphasia, to have islands of fluent speech during which they can speak about a topic without pausing or having word-finding errors. Scripts relevant to specific functional situations are written and practiced until memorized. Script training delivered verbally has been effective with clients with aphasia but the role of written cues in the training has not been explored. Therefore the purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of script training taught verbally, or verbally with a written script, in persons with aphasia. …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Lexical Diversity Indices: Assessing Length Effects, Gerasimos Fergadiotis, Heather Harris Wright, Samuel B. Green

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose—Several novel techniques have been developed recently to assess the breadth of speaker’s vocabulary exhibited in a language sample. The specific aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the validity of the scores generated by different lexical diversity (LD) estimation techniques. Four techniques were explored: D, Maas, Measure of Textual Lexical Diversity (MTLD), and the Moving Average Type Token Ratio (MATTR).

Method—Four LD indices were estimated for language samples on four discourse tasks (procedures, eventcasts, story retell, and recounts) from 442 neurologically intact adults. The resulting data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results—The scores on the …

Hesitation Rate As A Speaker-Specific Cue In Bilingual Individuals, Jamie Lynn Armbrecht

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hesitation use is common among all speakers, regardless of whether they are engaged in their dominant or non-dominant language (Fehringer & Fry, 2007; Reed, 2000). The question is whether a bilingual speaker will engage in the same types of hesitations in both languages. If hesitation patterns can be identified consistently across speakers regardless of language, their use as an acoustic cue for speaker identification may be possible. This study examines differences in hesitation use across languages and speaking contexts (reading vs. conversation) in bilingual speakers.

Twenty Spanish-English bilinguals (ages 19 -31 years) were tested as part of a larger speaker …

Validity Testing Of A Preschool Reading Screening Device For Pediatricians, Erika Elaine Blue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to improve access to early literacy intervention in the United States, there are still children entering kindergarten that are not adequately prepared for school and are unlikely to catch up to their peers (National Education Association, 2014). Preschool programs are actively involved in screening their students for potential literacy difficulties; however, there are children who do not attend preschool and may not have their literacy development assessed. One solution to this problem is to involve other individuals who routinely see preschool age children. Pediatricians are one such group as children come to them for their wellness visits and …