Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Retrospective Case–Control Study Of Communication And Motor Abilities In 143 Children With Suspected Childhood Apraxia Of Speech: Effect Of Concomitant Diagnosis, Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel, Amy Delaney, Ray D. Kent

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose:

This study sought to determine if children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) plus another major diagnosis (CAS+) are equivalent in communication and motor profiles to those with a primary diagnosis of CAS and no indication or report of any other diagnosis (CAS-Primary).

Method:

This retrospective case–control study included a chart review of 143 children who were suspected of having CAS at Children's Hospital-Wisconsin between 1998 and 2004. Participants were between 30 and 127 months old and included 107 males. Participants were assigned to the suspected CAS-Primary group (n = 114) if they had characteristics of CAS but …

Effects Of Positive And Negative Emotion On Picture Naming For People With Mild To Moderate Aphasia: A Preliminary Investigation, Tyson G. Harmon, Courtney Nielsen, Corinne Loveridge, Camille Williams

Faculty Publications

Purpose: To investigate how emotional arousal and valence affect confrontational naming accuracy and response time in people with mild to moderate aphasia compared with adults without aphasia. We hypothesized that negative and positive emotions would facilitate naming for people with aphasia but lead to slower responses for adults with no aphasia.

Method: Eight participants with mild to moderate aphasia, 15 older adults, and 17 young adults completed a confrontational naming task across three conditions (positive, negative, neutral) in an ABA case series design. Immediately following each naming condition, participants self-reported their perceived arousal and pleasure. Accuracy and response time were …

The Effect Of Voice Demand On The Perception Of Voice In Collegiate Athletic Coaches, Olivia Faith Metzgar

Student Theses and Dissertations

This investigation was conducted to investigate the effect of voice demand on the perception of voice in collegiate athletic coaches. This investigation also examined the prevalence of self-perceived voice disorders within collegiate athletic coaches. This study was conducted by distributing a survey to the Division I athletic coaches in the state of Arkansas. The survey consisted of demographic questions and a questionnaire that explored the self-perceived vocal symptoms that were experienced during the current season of coaching. The data collected revealed that there were vocal symptoms that were identified as an effect of occupational voice demand during the current season …

Counseling In Communication Disorders: How Are Universities Preparing Students?, Ashley Camp

Student Theses and Dissertations

This investigation sought to discover how universities are preparing students for the role of counseling involved when treating individuals with communication disorders. This study was performed using a survey distributed to university department chairs across the United States. The survey consisted of questions regarding the demographics of each university and the measures taken to prepare undergraduate and graduate speech-language pathology students for adequacy in counseling. The data collected revealed that universities were using a combination of coursework and clinical practicum to educate students in counseling, with a greater focus being concentrated at the graduate level of study. While counseling was …

Acute Neurogenic Stuttering As A Symptom Of Concussions In Collegiate Athletes, Kayleigh Hennemann

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if stuttering is a possible symptom of concussions in collegiate athletes. This study utilized a 10-question survey regarding the occurrence of concussions and possible stuttering symptoms that followed. The survey was distributed to the Arkansas State University rugby team. The results of the study revealed that greater than half of the players who experienced concussions also experienced co-occurring stuttering symptoms. Though this study utilized a small sample size, it revealed that further research is needed regarding stuttering as a symptom of concussions.

Teachers Knowledge/Use Of Morphological Awareness Instruction In The Classroom, Alexa Rae Grissom

Student Theses and Dissertations

Morphological awareness (MA) contributes to a student’s reading, reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and writing skills. At this time, minimal information is available about teachers’ understanding of MA or their frequency of instruction in the classroom. This study aimed to determine the frequency of MA instruction in curricula and what strategies teachers use to target MA. This study utilized a survey to probe educator’s knowledge of MA and discover the instructional strategies and frequency of MA instruction in the general education classroom. The results from this study indicated that while many teachers target MA in the classroom, strategies and frequency of …

Do Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students Practice Daily Vocal Hygiene Regimens?, Jennifer Giddings

Student Theses and Dissertations

This survey was designed to help determine if students training to become speech-language pathologists (SLP) in the Master of Communication Disorders program at Arkansas State University practice daily vocal hygiene regimens and understand the importance of maintaining a healthy voice. The items within the survey consisted of closed ended questions and rating scales. The questions were placed into categories which included water/caffeine intake, vocal exercises, and vocal use. The results indicated that most SLP graduate students implement routines to maintain good vocal health practices. This study revealed a need to further investigate vocal hygiene regimens in other professional voice users …

Pragmatic Abilities In Adolescents And Young Adults With Hearing Loss, Addison Marie Emberson

Student Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to examine pragmatic skills in adolescents and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. It was hypothesized that the participants with hearing loss will display delayed pragmatic skills compared to the participants with normal hearing. This study utilized a nonexperimental, group-comparison design. This study’s format was designed to assess individuals with hearing loss’ pragmatic abilities and compare them to individuals with normal hearing. Ten participants were recruited with ages ranging from 13 to 22 years. Participants engaged in two standardized language assessments and a 10-minute conversation portion. Results showed statistically significant differences …

Sudden Hearing Loss: Wrs Importance And Timing Of Medical Intervention, Irina Linkov Middleton, Alexandra Costlow, Molly Wolfson, Midori Wakabayashi, Tingting Zhan

Jefferson Health - Northeast Posters (formerly Aria Health Posters)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate recovery in hearing acuity of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) based on timing of onset to determine how late is too late to medically intervene.

Study Design: A retrospective chart review was conducted in patients previously treated for primary complaint of sudden hearing loss (HL). Participants meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed based on timing of onset to service date, age, gender, associated ear, associated symptoms as well as recovery in pure tone average (PTA) and recovery in word recognition scores (WRS).

Setting: All patients seeking treatment for SSNHL were seen …

Covid Anxiety And Stress In Higher Ed (Cash), Letitia Bergantz, Christopher E. Curtis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

College is a time of increased stress and anxiety. The current changes in attendance and methods of instruction due to COVID-19 have demonstrated even higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. Tailoring interventions to the specific needs of a campus community has been proposed as an appropriate means to the current crisis. This study identifies the mental health needs of students at a rural college as they pertain to the effects of the pandemic.

Questionnaires collected data from college students (N=33) at Athens State University, a rural university in …

The Flipped Classroom Model As Applied To An Augmentative And Alternative Communication Course, Eric J. Sanders, Louise C. Keegan, Mary Culshaw, Colin Tomes

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) is an andragogical approach where students complete content-related work outside of the class and engage in activities related to this content during the class period. This approach has garnered recent attention in the field of speech-language pathology, but its implementation has not been studied in an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) course and there is limited information on student perspectives of the experience. This study presents the results of a qualitative investigation designed to investigate the preferences and experiences of preservice speech-language pathology graduate students in an AAC course utilizing the FCM. Semi-structured interviews with …

The Effectiveness Of Near-Peer Mentoring And Clinical Laboratory Experiences In Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Career Preparedness And The Profession Of Audiology, Ashley G. Flagge, Julie M. Estis

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Students in undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs with an interest in audiology often report feeling unprepared to make career and graduate school decisions due to a lack of exposure to the field. The present study examines the impact of near-peer mentoring and hands-on lab experiences on undergraduate student perceptions of career preparedness and of the profession of audiology by examining pre- and post-course survey responses and lab wrapper responses of 41 undergraduate speech and hearing science majors enrolled in an introductory audiology course. Students were paired in groups with a first-year audiology graduate mentor to walk through a …

Using Ability Grouping To Examine The Effects Of Differentiated Instruction In An Undergraduate Course In Communication Sciences & Disorders, Katherine B. Green, Jacqueline Towson

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Differentiated instruction is a student-centered approach to instruction that considers the differing characteristics and aspects of the learner. With increasing diversity in higher education, differentiated instruction is one strategy that instructors may use to facilitate student success. However, there is limited empirical research examining the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in higher education. Using a quasi-experimental pretest posttest group design, the effects of differentiation of instruction, specifically differentiation of content and variable grouping, on student content knowledge were examined in an undergraduate course in a Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Students in the intervention group scored significantly higher on final course …

Implementing Interprofessional Education: Challenges For Csd Graduate Programs, Claire M. Edwards, Jason M. Newell

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The focus on interprofessional education (IPE) for professional training programs in allied health professions, such as speech-language pathology, has recently increased. There is currently limited pedagogical literature regarding both the instruction and application of IPE in any given discipline. This paper will outline challenges CSD graduate programs may face when implementing IPE content within the existing curricula and explore possible solutions. Delineation of preparation and integration process of an IPE course taught at a small liberal arts university where it was cross-listed in two undergraduate pre-professional programs in speech-language pathology and social work will be provided. Elements of the course, …

A Practice-Based Interprofessional Emergent Writing Intervention: Impacts On Graduate Students And Preschoolers, Danika Pfeiffer, Stacey Pavelko, Dannette Allen-Bronaugh, Carol C. Dudding, Geralyn Timler

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Despite the importance of collaboration in schools, few studies have examined interprofessional education (IPE) interventions for graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) students designed to prepare them with the skills necessary to effectively work on school-based teams. The current pilot study implemented a five-week practice-based IPE intervention with six SLP graduate students and three occupational therapy (OT) graduate students. Three SLP students were randomly assigned to the ‘unpaired’ condition and delivered emergent writing activities independently to a small group of preschoolers (n = 10). The other three SLPs were each randomly assigned an OT student to collaborate with in a ‘paired’ …

Developmental Changes In Graduate Student Supervisory Needs And Expectations: A Longitudinal Investigation, David M. Rehfeld, R. Noah Padgett, Deborah Rainer

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Supervision of graduate students in the field of speech-language pathology during their pre-service training is critical to their professional development. The present study followed a cohort of graduate students (N=31) over the course of their clinical training to track changes in their self-reported needs and expectations regarding clinical supervision practices. Over the course of one year, graduate students’ self-reported supervisory needs and expectations decreased significantly with the exception of those variables associated with supervisor-controlled behaviors such as serving as a teacher rather than a colleague. Implications for incorporating supervisee perceptions into effective supervision practices and directions for future …

Pharmacological Treatment For Bipolar Mania: A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis Of Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials, Taro Kishi, Toshikazu Ikuta, Yuki Matsuda, Kenji Sakuma, Makoto Okuya, Ikuo Nomura, Masakazu Hatano, Nakao Iwata

Faculty and Student Publications

A systematic review and random-effects model network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy, acceptability, tolerability, and safety of pharmacological interventions for adults with acute bipolar mania. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases for eligible studies published before March 14, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oral medication monotherapy lasting ≥10 days in adults with mania were included, and studies that allowed the use of antipsychotics as a rescue medication during a trial were excluded. The primary outcomes were response to treatment (efficacy) and all-cause discontinuation (acceptability). The secondary outcomes were the improvement of mania symptoms and …

Objective Detection Of The Speech Frequency Following Response (Sffr): A Comparison Of Two Methods, Fan-Yin Cheng, Spencer Smith

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Speech frequency following responses (sFFRs) are increasingly used in translational auditory research. Statistically-based automated sFFR detection could aid response identification and provide a basis for stopping rules when recording responses in clinical and/or research applications. In this brief report, sFFRs were measured from 18 normal hearing adult listeners in quiet and speech-shaped noise. Two statistically-based automated response detection methods, the F-test and Hotelling’s T2 (HT2) test, were compared based on detection accuracy and test time. Similar detection accuracy across statistical tests and conditions was observed, although the HT2 test time was less variable. These findings suggest that automated sFFR detection …

The Process Of Telepractice Implementation During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Inquiry Of Preschool Speech-Language Pathologists And Assistants From One Center In Canada, Elaine Yl Kwok, Jessica Chiu, Peter Rosenbaum, Barbara Jane Cunningham

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Background: Many professional services were pressed to adopt telepractice in response to the global coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. The need to adopt a new service delivery approach quickly created different implementation challenges. This study explored the lived experiences of frontline clinicians who successfully transitioned their in-person speech-language therapy services to telepractice through an implementation science lens.

Methods: The study was conducted in partnership with one publicly funded program in Ontario, Canada that offers services to preschoolers with speech, language and communication disorders. Sixteen frontline speech-language pathologists and assistants at this organization shared their lived experience transitioning to telepractice during the …

Family History Of Fxtas Is Associated With Age-Related Cognitive-Linguistic Decline Among Mothers With The Fmr1 Premutation, Jessica Klusek, Amanda Fairchild, Carly Moser, Marsha R. Mailick, Angela John Thurman, Leonard Abbeduto

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Women who carry a premutation allele of the FMR1 gene are at increased vulnerability to an array of age-related symptoms and disorders, including age-related decline in select cognitive skills. However, the risk factors for age-related decline are poorly understood, including the potential role of family history and genetic factors. In other forms of pathological aging, early decline in syntactic complexity is observed and predicts the later onset of neurodegenerative disease. To shed light on the earliest signs of degeneration, the present study characterized longitudinal changes in the syntactic complexity of women with the FMR1 premutation across midlife, and associations …

Coordinated Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, And Pharmaceutical Care Telehealth For People With Parkinson Disease In Rural Communities: An Exploratory, 8-Week Cohort Study For Feasibility, Safety, And Signal Of Efficacy, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Merrill R. Landers, Annalisa Piccorelli, Erin Bush, Reshmi Singh

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications

Introduction: The potential for coordinated, multidisciplinary telehealth to help connect people with Parkinson disease (PD) in rural areas to PD specialists is crucial in optimizing care. Therefore, this study aimed to test the feasibility, safety, and signal of efficacy of a coordinated telehealth program, consisting of speech therapy, physiotherapy, and pharmaceutical care, for people with PD living in some rural US communities.

Methods: Fifteen individuals with PD living in rural Wyoming and Nevada, USA, participated in this single-cohort, 8-week pilot study. Participants were assessed before and after 8 weeks of coordinated, one-on-one telehealth using the following outcomes: (1) …

The Company Prosodic Deficits Keep Following Right Hemisphere Stroke: A Systematic Review, Shannon M. Sheppard, Melissa D. Stockbridge, Lynsey M. Keator, Laura L. Murray, Margaret Lehman Blake

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives:

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the presence and nature of relationships between specific forms of aprosodia (i.e., expressive and receptive emotional and linguistic prosodic deficits) and other cognitive-communication deficits and disorders in individuals with right hemisphere damage (RHD) due to stroke.

Methods:

One hundred and ninety articles from 1970 to February 2020 investigating receptive and expressive prosody in patients with relatively focal right hemisphere brain damage were identified via database searches.

Results:

Fourteen articles were identified that met inclusion criteria, passed quality reviews, and included sufficient information about prosody and potential co-occurring …

Cardiac Startle Response And Clinical Outcomes In Preschool Children With Fragile X Syndrome And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jordan Ezell, Abigail L. Hogan Phd, Elizabeth A. Will Ph.D., Bcba, Kayla Smith, Jane E. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Objective: Poor physiological regulation in response to threat is linked to multiple negative developmental outcomes including anxiety, which is highly prevalent and impairing in young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities like fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study contrasted cardiac startle response in pre-school-aged children with FXS, with and without ASD, to children with non-syndromic ASD (nsASD) and neurotypical controls (NT). The relationship of cardiac startle to non-verbal mental age (NVMA), ASD severity, and parent-reported anxiety was also examined.

Method: Four age-matched groups of pre-school children participated including those with FXS without ASD (FXS-Only, n = …

Adhd In Romantic Relationships: Exploring Relational Dialectics In Mixed-Neurotype Couples, Katherine Dotten

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to understand the way romantic relationship tensions are communicated between partners in couples affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Extant research asserts that the presence of ADHD in one relational partner of romantic relationships is associated with relational dissatisfaction, poor relational communication practices, and a higher risk for dissolution of the relationship (Bruner et al., 2015; Eakin et al., 2004; Robin & Payson, 2002). Little effort has been made to understand what can be done to mitigate these risks. The present study focused on the communication practices at work in four cohabiting, romantic …

Effects Of Teacher-Delivered Ecoaching On Paraeducators And Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Annemarie L. Horn, Marcia L. Rock, Karen H. Douglas, Kimberly M. Bean, Selena J. Layden, Jane Roitsch

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Paraeducators often support students with the most intensive academic, life, and behavioral needs, which includes students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD; e.g., autism spectrum disorder; ASD), yet they typically enter the classroom with inadequate preparation to perform their roles effectively. Using a multiple-baseline research design replicated across participants, we evaluated the effects of job-embedded bug-in-ear (BIE) coaching delivered by the teacher on paraeducators’ use of behavior specific praise (BSP) while teaching transition-age students with ASD. Findings confirmed each of the three paraeducators immediately increased the percentage of occurrence and rate per minute in which they offered BSP. They …

A Pilot Study: An Evaluation Of Accessibility Of Resources For Parents Of D/Deaf/Hoh Children In Ky/Tn, Amara Danturthi

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Most parents of d/Deaf/Hoh children are not Deaf, making it imperative for easy access to diverse strategies to ensure smooth communication between them and their child. Parents make the paramount decision of what their child’s first language should be, therefore, access to current information on communication strategies is crucial in this journey. Many families fall on resources sometimes from sources in different formats to understand what may work best for them. The accessibility and availability of these resources are a crucial component in the parent’s decision-making process. Due to the unique dynamics between hearing parents and d/Deaf/Hoh children, this pilot …

What Do Speech-Language Pathologists Want To Know When Assessing Vocal Development In Children Who Are Deaf/Hard-Of-Hearing?, Olivia Daub, Marlene P. Bagatto, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Abstract

Purpose: Delays in vocal development are an early predictor of ongoing language difficulty for children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing (CDHH). Despite the importance of monitoring early vocal development in clinical practice, there are few suitable tools. This study aimed to identify the clinical decisions that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) most want to make when assessing vocal development and their current barriers to doing so.

Method: 58 SLPs who provide services to CDHH younger than 22 months completed a survey. The first section measured potential barriers to vocal development assessment. The second section asked SLPs to rate the importance of 15 clinical …

Current Practices, Supports, And Challenges In Speech-Language Pathology Service Provision For Autistic Preschoolers, Amanda V. Binns, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Allison Andres, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Background: Speech-language pathology services are among the most frequently accessed services for young autistic children. Therefore, understanding the nature of these services, what challenges these clinicians face, and what supports they value is critical for developing appropriate policies and practices that can maximize positive outcomes for children and families. This study had two primary aims. The first was to examine the self-reported assessment and intervention practices of community-based Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) and communicative disorders assistants (CDAs; who provide services under the supervision of a SLP) in supporting preschool children with suspected and diagnosed autism. The second aim was to …

Exploring Practice-Based Clinical–Research Partnerships In Speech-Language Pathology: A Scoping Review, Meghan Vollebregt, Lisa Archibald, Julie Theurer, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Collaborative partnerships between speech-language pathologists and researchers present an opportunity for practice-based research. For practice-based research to become more widely used in speech-language pathology, a crucial step is outlining the potential purposes and outcomes of these partnership projects. The current article is two-fold. First, we describe a model for practice-based partnerships between researchers and speech-language pathologists. The practice-based research cocreation model developed for this project includes three distinct partnership outcomes: (a) creating practice, (b) capturing current practice, and (c) changing practice. Then, informed by our model, we completed a scoping review to explore the extent and type of practice-based research …

Developmental Language Disorder: A Literature Review, Laura M. Gaudette

The Graduate Review

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a life-long language condition characterized by difficulty using, learning, and understanding language across modalities (speaking, writing, reading) despite average cognitive and intellectual skills. There is no single cause of DLD, though research suggests a genetic component and environmental factors act as possible predictors. Although there is an incidence rate of around 2-3 students in each class of 30, DLD has very little awareness and is significantly under-researched. There are many factors contributing to this. Most notably, DLD is considered a hidden disability as many people learn to mask their symptoms pretty early in life through …