Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Exploring Language Use Within A Parent-Mediated Intervention For Children Exhibiting Social Communication Difficulties, Emily Garza, Ashleigh Kellerman, Christi Masters, A.J. Schwichtenberg

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

For infants/toddlers experiencing social communication difficulties, parent-mediated interventions (PMI) are the current field standard to promote development within a natural context. Previous research highlights the importance for parents to scaffold language learning opportunities beyond clinical settings to maximize children’s potential. However, for infants/toddlers exhibiting social communication-based difficulties currently enrolled in a family routines-based PMI, less is known about the individual contributions of communication between child and parent in order to promote optimal language development.

The present study expands our understanding of children’s communication by examining whether (1)children exhibit language impairments at enrollment; (2)whether observed mother-child communication during play increases following …

How Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder, And Typical Language Learn To Produce Global And Local Semantic Features, Allison Gladfelter, Kacy L. Barron

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

A local processing bias, often considered a cognitive style unique to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may influence the types of semantic features acquired by children with ASD and could contribute to weaknesses in word learning. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) also struggle to learn semantic aspects of words, but this cognitive style has not been ascribed to children with DLD. The purpose of this study was to explore whether global–local processing di erences influence the type of semantic features children with ASD, DLD, and their neurotypical peers learn to produce when learning new words. Novel word definitions produced by …

Acoustic Changes During Passage Reading In Speakers With Parkinson's Disease, Kimberly C. Grubbs

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate speech changes in Parkinson’s disease (PD) while reading a passage, using both local (i.e., segment level) and global (i.e., utterance level) acoustic measures.

Methods: 20 speakers participated in the study (10 PD, 10 neurologically healthy controls). The speakers were asked to read The Caterpillar passage in a conversational mode. A total of five acoustic measures were included (local: vowel duration, Euclidean distance between corner vowels and schwa; global: articulation rate, F0/intensity range). These acoustic measures were compared between two sentences located in the two positions within the paragraph, initial and final. …

The Relationship Between The Development Of Communicative Functions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Isabelle Bankston

LSU Master's Theses

In regard to the assessment of language, it is difficult to determine exact communicative functions that are exhibited early in development that could indicate a prognostic value of verbal abilities and outcomes of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Verbal Behavioral Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP, Sundberg, 2008) is frequently used in Applied Behavior Analysis for standard assessment procedures to measure development over time. The current study was designed to use the VB-MAPP to determine a relationship between certain communicative functions (i.e., mand, tact, listener responding, echoic, and intraverbal) that may suggest a correlation in growth in each …

Aerodynamic Measurement Stability During Rabbit Versus Pig Benchtop Phonation, Megan Caroline Hoggan

Theses and Dissertations

Combination corticosteroid inhalers are the primary treatment option for long-term pulmonary disorders including asthma, persistent bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Common side effects of these medications are xerostomia in the mouth and throat, hoarseness, and soreness in the oropharynx. Research indicates that a large percentage of the inhaler particles are deposited onto laryngeal tissue, leaving an alteration of laryngeal mucosal properties. As the first stage in a long-term project, this thesis addresses the need for baseline phonatory data that will lay groundwork for quantifying inhaler-induced phonatory changes. Excised larynx research is a powerful tool for assessing aerodynamic alterations that …

Kinematic And Acoustic Adaptation To A Bite Block During Syllable Production, Allison Marie Barney

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to gain a better understanding of speech adaptation by examining kinematic and acoustic adaptation to bite block perturbation over time. Fifteen native American English speakers (7 female, 8 male) with no history of speech, language, or hearing deficits participated in the study. Custom bite blocks were created for speakers which created a 10mm interincisal gap when inserted. Speakers produced five repetitions of the sentence, I say ahraw /ərɑ/ (as part of a larger set) prior to bite block insertion, immediately following bite block insertion, 2-mintues post insertion, 4-minutes post insertion, 6-minutes post insertion, …

The Relationship Between Working Memory, Procedural Learning, And Declarative Memory In Children With Specific Language Impairment, Allison Grace Herring

LSU Master's Theses

Background: Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have recently been suggested to have subclinical deficits in executive function skills. The current study seeks to better understand these deficits by exploring the role of nonverbal working memory in word learning and statistical learning in this population. Method: Participants included typically developing children along with children with SLI ranging from ages 8-12 years old. Word learning was assessed using a fast-mapping task, statistical learning was measured using a word-segmentation task, and nonverbal working memory was measured using an N-back task. Results: A significant difference was found between children’s segmentation accuracy scores. …

Lessons Learned In Practice-Based Research: Studying Preschool Language Interventions In The Real World, Rachael E. Smyth, Julie Theurer, Lisa Md Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Abstract

Background and aims: Practice-based research holds potential as a promising solution to closing the research-practice gap, because it addresses research questions based on problems that arise in clinical practice and tests whether systems and interventions are effective and sustainable in a clinical setting. One type of practice-based research involves capturing practice by collecting evidence within clinical settings to evaluate the effectiveness of current practices. Here, we describe our collaboration between researchers and clinicians that sought to answer clinician-driven questions about community-based language interventions for young children (Are our interventions effective? What predicts response to our interventions?) and to address …

A Comparison Of Phonation Threshold Pressure And Phonation Threshold Flow Between Pig And Rabbit Benchtop-Mounted Larynges, Amber Christeen Prigmore

Theses and Dissertations

Animal models are used extensively in voice research to study aspects of phonation, including physiology, kinematics, structure, and histology. Animals such as dog, cow, pig, sheep, deer, monkey, ferret, and rabbit have been used in voice research, with pig being one of the most common models. It is thought that the pig larynx is highly similar to the human larynx and one of the best models used in animal translational research. As with any model, however, the pig larynx does have some limitations. Perhaps a limitation most important to the rationale of this investigation is that pigs are difficult animals …

Effects Of A Large Group Combined Narrative And Expository Language Intervention On Oral Language In Third Graders, Kylie Lynn Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a combined narrative and expository language intervention on third graders' oral language. The participants included 96 third-grade students from two schools in the Mountain West region of the United States. In a quasi-experimental design, all third-grade students in one school (n = 46) were assigned to a treatment condition and all third-grade students in another school in the same school district (n = 50) were assigned to a control condition. Both treatment and control groups received large group oral narrative language intervention led by classroom teachers. The treatment group …

Developing Speech-Language Pathology Students’ Grammatical Identification Skills Through Gamification, Emerson Lopez Odango, Anne M. P. Michalek, Corrin Richels, Jane Roitsch

College of Education & Professional Studies (Darden) Posters

Background: Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are communication experts required to analyze and interpret a variety of language components (Schuele, 2010). Language sampling is a form of communication analysis and is used with adult and pediatric populations. SLPs collect and analyze language samples in an effort to make evidence-based diagnostic and intervention decisions. When analyzing a language sample, sentences must be deconstructed along a variety of parameters. At Old Dominion University (ODU), the undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders program requires students to identify broad and specific grammatical categories during language sample analysis in preparation for clinical experiences.

This research involves the design …

Reported Barriers To Aac Service Delivery & Post-Professional Learning Preferences Among Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Laverdure, Rachel K. Johnson

College of Health Sciences Posters

This mixed methods experimental study used a survey to identify speech-language pathologists’ perceptions, including preparedness to provide augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) services to individuals with complex communication needs and learning preferences for post-professional training. Following certification standard changes in 2005 and 2014, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) now requires instruction and clinical experiences during graduate studies across nine major content areas, including the use of AAC modalities. Prior to this change, the number of preservice programs reported to offer at least one AAC course increased from 62% (Ratcliff & Beukelman, 1995) to 72% (Ratcliff, Koul, & Lloyd, 2008). Since the certification …

Reliability And Validity Of An Assessment Of Engagement In Nursing Home Residents During Bingocize®, Elizabeth Batson Apelt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research suggests nursing home residents are often socially isolated and physically inactive despite overwhelming evidence that both social engagement and physical activity are crucial for healthy aging (Jones, Sung, & Moyle, 2018; Yen & Lin, 2018; Ice, 2002; Jansson et al., 2017). Bingocize® is a program that combines exercise and the game of Bingo to improve the quality of life, physical health, and social engagement of certified nursing facility (CNF) residents. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of social engagement displayed by CNF residents during Bingocize® using the Fun and Social Engagement Evaluation (FUSE). Reliability and …

Brain Activation For Cochlear Implant Users: A Pilot Fnirs Study, Makayla Gill, Ceceli Bonitto, Bailey Heaton, Yingying Wang

UCARE: Research Products

Cochlear implants (CIs) have become a widespread device for individuals with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) to regain hearing ability and improve quality of life. However, the brain needs to adapt to this bionic device and relearn the function of hearing, especially for speech sounds. Because the auditory inputs through a CI are not the same as those heard by individuals with typical hearing, aural rehabilitation takes time. The goal of this study is to examine neural bases of speech perception in adult CI users using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Two adults with bilateral SNHL and CI(s) were fitted with …

From Isolation To Communication: Connecting Adults Who Have Hearing Loss With Their Communication Partners, Stephen D. Roberts, Nancy A. Delich

JADARA

As Baby Boomers enter the late adulthood stage of life, hearing loss continues to be one of the most prevalent, chronic, and isolating conditions facing older adults today. Research has focused on the negative consequences of hearing loss on the health and the person’s well-being, but it is equally important to recognize that hearing loss also leads to communication loss. The resulting social isolation and the collateral effects of hearing loss on the communication partner are the focus of this mixed-method study that explored the hearing loss-related quality of life for both parties. Five overarching themes emerged from the analysis, …

Auditory Perception And Neural Encoding Of Spectral Modulation, Sittiprapa Isarangura

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most natural acoustic sounds consist of multiple frequencies. An important auditory perceptual ability to resolve such acoustic properties is referred to as spectral processing and includes frequency resolution, frequency selectivity and spectral envelope perception. Frequency resolution, as demonstrated by masking techniques, indicates that our auditory system functions as an auditory filter bank with overlapping bandpass filters. These filters allow for the effective separation of sounds into different frequency bands or channels. Acoustic components that fall within a given filter or passband are considered to be processed “within channel” and are perceptually resolved using “local” spectral cues, whereas components in different …

Articulation And Phonological Disorders: Resource List, Amy M. Glaspey

Open Educational Resources (OER) at University of Montana

List of open and free resources used in a course on articulation and phonological disorders. This class covers theoretical perspectives on phonological and articulation disorders with an emphasis on application to clinical management including evaluation, assessment techniques, and intervention strategies.

A PDF and an EPUB version are available using the Download links above.

A Literature Review Examining The Effects Of Bilingualism In Individuals Who Stutter, Cheyenne Hofmann

Honors College Theses

This thesis will analyze the current research involving the impact of bilingualism in individuals who stutter through a literature review. There is currently no known etiology of stuttering, however, there are multiple theories regarding the onset of stutter. This thesis will explore the Cerebral Dominance theory of stuttering and its applicability to neuroimaging and bilingualism. Furthermore, this thesis will determine the presence and extent of the impact of bilingualism on people who stutter. The cultural, gender, language and neurological influences on stuttering for those who are bilingual will also be examined. Through this analysis, the positive and negative impact of …

Dementia: Types, What They Are And How They Differ, Jessica N. Schnetzer

Honors Thesis

Dementia: types, what they are and how they differ centers on the known and unknown complexities of dementia. Dementia is a very complex cognitive disease that consumes the brain, an organ of which we know very little about. Even so, this common disorder is actively being researched and is the topic of special interest of this thesis research. Described are Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s dementia, and Vascular dementia, focusing on what they are, their specific risks, diagnosis, treatment, and their differing progressions. Guidance of this study provided by thesis director …

Comparison Of Motor-Enhanced And Visual-Enhanced Interventions For Grammar In Young Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Alisha P. Springle

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Up to 7.6% of children demonstrate a developmental language disorder (DLD), which can persist through adulthood, causing difficulty with academic achievement, social relationships, and financial stability. Grammar development, as a hallmark of DLD, is an important area of need for these children. Existing grammar interventions do not clearly distinguish the sensory input techniques that meet these children’s neurobiological instructional needs. This adapted alternating treatment design study implemented intervention using systematic paired visual and verbal and systematic paired motor, i.e. standardized gestures, and verbal sensory input techniques. A moderate-strong functional relation between intervention techniques using motor supports on grammatical outcomes in …

Startle Response In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation And Risk For Anxiety Disorders, Azalfa Lateef

Senior Theses

Background: The FMR1 premutation, which occurs when there is an expansion of 55 -200 repeats of the CGG trinucleotide on the FMR1 gene, is associated with an increased risk for anxiety disorders. Indices of autonomic regulation may prove to be useful biomarkers for psychopathological risk, including stress and anxiety. In the general population, diminished habituation to a startle response is linked to a variety of psychological disorders, including anxiety, yet little is known about this relationship in those with the FMR1 premutation. Given the increased risk for anxiety in those with the FMR1 premutation, the present study aims to examine …

Phonological Awareness In Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Children, Cindy Stetler

Honors Projects

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in America may learn American Sign Language (ASL) or English as their first language and may early-on or eventually be bilingual in ASL and English. In school, however, they will need to learn how to read English since ASL does not have a written system. An aspect of reading that can be particularly difficult for children who are DHH is phonological awareness (PA). Something that seems to be missing from the literature is looking at the relation between sign PA, spoken PA, and reading literacy in ASL and English. This will …

Sound Exposure Characterization For Faculty Musicians: A Hearing Loss Prevention Initiative, Hannah Mahon, Antony Joseph

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

The primary aim of this project was to characterize the sound exposure of faculty musicians at a university music department, specifically for hearing loss prevention purposes. Sound measurements were obtained as a major portion of the project to calculate the risk for over-exposure to hazardous sound intensities. Excessive sound exposure can cause permanent injury to the human auditory system. This type of injury is diagnostically classified as noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. To verify risk-exposure status, dosimeters were used to sample a variety of accessible musician training environments. Sound samples obtained from personal noise dosimetry instrumentation were used to obtain …

Speech Exemplar And Evaluation Database (Seed) For Clinical Training In Articulatory Phonetics And Speech Science, Marisha Speights Atkins, Dallin J. Bailey, Suzanne E. Boyce

Faculty Publications

One challenge faced by teachers of phonetics, speech science, and clinical speech disorders courses is providing meaningful instruction that closes the theory to practice gap. One barrier to providing this type of deep learning experience is the lack of publicly available examples of speech recordings that illustrate comparisons between typical and disordered speech production across a broad range of disorder populations. Data of this type exist, but are typically collected for specific research projects under narrowly written IRB protocols that do not allow for release of even de-identified speech recordings to other investigators or teachers. As a partial corrective to …

A Literature-Based Approach To Morphological Awareness Intervention, Morgan Stone

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a literature-based approach to a morphological awareness intervention on the literacy and language skills of a fourth-grade child with a language impairment. One child, diagnosed with a language impairment, participated in this study. The intervention focused on increasing her knowledge of suffixes in morphologically complex words and teaching her to use this information to improve her vocabulary knowledge, reading, and reading comprehension. Clinically relevant gains were made in the areas of reading and reading comprehension. The results suggest that a literature-based approach in morphological awareness intervention is beneficial for improving the …

Gender Differences In The Knowledge-Base Of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kayla Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that the earlier a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed, the better their chances for improved functioning. Previous studies have shown the importance of early intervention and parents’ roles in recognizing ASD in their children. Prior studies have not, however, examined which parent recognized the early warning signs. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to discover which gender had a better understanding of the early indicators of ASD. The primary investigator administered an online true/false and multiple-choice questionnaire regarding the developmental milestones associated with ASD to 110 students at Arkansas State University. The female …

Health Literacy Related To Modified Barium Swallow Studies, Katherine Johnson

Student Theses and Dissertations

Health literacy is an important factor in client outcomes. Inadequate health literacy can cause individuals to misunderstand health information, seek inappropriate medical treatment, avoid medical treatment, or result in problematic outcomes such as a decrease in health. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients who underwent a modified barium swallow study understood the information (purpose, process, results, and recommendations) regarding the study. There were 15 participants, which included 9 males and 6 females. The Short Assessment of Health Literacy-English (SAHL-E) was used to determine health literacy levels. Out of the 15 participants, 7 males and 5 females …

Student Knowledge Of Preterm Infant Feeding And Swallowing Therapy Protocols, Hailey Ashlyn Hickerson

Student Theses and Dissertations

Given that SLPs have such a wide scope of practice, graduate programs have a large amount of curriculum to cover: language, cognition, articulation, swallowing, pragmatics, and other areas. As a result, graduate students may feel inadequately prepared to work in infant feeding and swallowing settings. If graduate programs adequately educate their students on infant feeding and swallowing, more SLP students may decide to pursue employment and specialize in infant feeding and swallowing intervention to aid in therapy services for vulnerable infants with feeding and swallowing difficulties. The purpose of this study was to examine whether graduate school students feel adequately …

High School Students' Knowledge Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kaitlyn Danielle Wiles

Student Theses and Dissertations

There is a major gap and disparity in the age in which children are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has shown that several factors can contribute to some children being diagnosed at later ages compared to others. Parental age and education are two factors that have been linked to a later diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine high school students’ knowledge of the characteristics and diagnosis of ASD. The primary investigator also examined the differences in knowledge between individuals enrolled in rural and urban area high schools. The study revealed some minor …

Exposure, Knowledge, And Experience Of Graduate Students In Communication Disorders On Treating Speech/Language Issues In Adults With Neurological Disorders Using Singing-Based Therapy, Tassie Lee Murphree

Student Theses and Dissertations

There are speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who use singing while in therapy to treat a variety of disorders for adults with neurological disorders. This study was conducted to investigate graduate student exposure to, knowledge of, and experience with utilizing singing in therapy with this population. Specifically, this survey was distributed to first- and second-year graduate students in communication disorders. The survey consisted of both general and specific questions to more effectively analyze the students’ familiarity levels with the topic, overall. The results indicated that the majority of students demonstrated limited knowledge of and exposure to singing in therapy. The students’ comfort …