Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Maternal Pragmatic Language Difficulties In The Fmr1 Premutation And The Broad Autism Phenotype: Associations With Individual And Family Outcomes, Jessica Klusek, Angela John Thurman, Leonard Abbeduto

Faculty Publications

Broader phenotypes associated with genetic liability, including mild difficulties with pragmatic language skills, have been documented in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mothers of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). This study investigated the relationship between pragmatic difficulties and indicators of maternal well-being and family functioning. Pragmatic difficulty was associated with loneliness in mothers of children with ASD or FXS, and with depression, decreased life satisfaction, and poorer family relationship quality but only in mothers of children with FXS. Results suggest that subtle maternal pragmatic language difficulties are a risk factor that that may contribute to …

The Effects Of Singing Vs. Speech On Joint Engagement In A Young Child With Phelan-Mcdermid Syndrome, Marllys Banks, Hannah Kinney, Bridget Valla, Maura Jones Moyle

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare genetic disorder typically caused by loss or disruption of the distal long arm of chromosome 22. Children with PMS exhibit severe to profound communication deficits, and the majority meet the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To date, no language or communication intervention studies focused on children with PMS exist in the literature despite a steady increase in diagnosed cases. Anecdotally, it has been reported that music facilitates learning and engagement in children with PMS. The purpose of this clinical case study is to investigate the effects of singing vs. speaking on joint engagement, …

A Study Of Factors That Influence Symbol Selection On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, William Todd Dauterman

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) each year. Given the complexity of ASD and how it is manifested in individuals, the execution of proper interventions is difficult. One major area of concern is how individuals with ASD who have limited communication skills are taught to communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices (AAC). AACs are portable electronic devices that facilitate communication by using audibles, signs, gestures, and picture symbols. Traditionally, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are the primary facilitators of AAC devices and help establish the language individuals with …

Conversations With Health Care Providers And Parents Before Autism Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study, Norah L. Johnson, Wendy Krueger, Elizabeth Jilek, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to explore communication with health care providers from the perceptions of parents before their child's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and provide some examples of how communication may contribute to the autism diagnosis.

Method

This study used a qualitative descriptive design with multiple individual structured in-person interviews.

Results

Three themes captured parents’ (n = 8) descriptions of the phases of communication during their children's diagnoses including, (1) anguished questioning, (2) urgently seeking help, and (3) expecting a diagnosis. In addition, three themes characterized the communication style that parents needed, although not always …

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Emotional Intelligence And Emoji Identification Accuracy In College Students, Jessica O'Brian

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

The current study examined the use and interpretation of emojis by neurotypical college students through emotional recognition and social understanding and the implications for their use in supportive communication inside the classroom for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Emotional awareness and reciprocity are essential for establishing friendships and developing social skills. At this point, there remains limited research on the implications of emoji use for individuals with ASD and any boundaries that may be associated with emojis in social understanding and emotional awareness. The specific research questions that will be addressed in this study are as follows: (1) Is …

Behavioral Outcomes In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Cochlear Implants, Patricia K. Herz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this literature review was to establish what is currently known about behavioral outcomes of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and cochlear implants (CIs). Sixteen articles were included in this review. The areas investigated were behavioral changes postimplantation, as determined by subjective and objective measures, mode of communication used by children with ASD and CIs, and effects of additional comorbidities on these outcomes. Considerations for CI use for children with ASD include potential hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli, inability to complete performance measures, and markedly slower progress than their typically developing peers. Many of the studies included in …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Investigating Predictive Adaptive Behavior Skill Deficits In Young Children., Emma L. Feige

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that consists of difficulties with social communication and language, as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. These deficits tend to present in early childhood and usually lead to impairments in functioning across various settings. Moreover, these deficits have been shown to negatively impact adaptive behavior and functioning. Thus, early diagnosis and intervention is vital for future success within this population. The purpose of this study was to further examine the subscales that comprise the adaptive behavior section of the Bayley-III to determine which of the ten subscales are …

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 …

An Experimental Analysis Of Voice Volume For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Arturo Garcia

Thesis Projects

Inappropriate prosodic production is an often observed, but rarely treated, communication skill deficit for individuals with autism. Expanding on previous literature, we conducted a functional analysis on the voice volume responses (VVR) of two children with ASD utilizing similar procedures to those from Edgerton and Wine (2017). Further, we evaluated the efficacy of using visual feedback from an app and a function-based treatment to decrease inappropriate VVR and increase appropriate VVR. Results of the functional analysis indicated loud VVR was maintained by social negative reinforcement (escape from demands) for one participant and by both social negative and automatic reinforcement for …

Comparison Of Knowledge And Diagnostic Practices Relating To Autism Spectrum Disorder Between The United States And Mexico, Maria F. Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined and compared the knowledge, screening, and diagnostic practices of health care practitioners from Mexico and the United States of America (U.S.) as they relate to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participants included 56 healthcare professionals from U.S. and 16 healthcare professionals from Mexico. Data was collected via an online survey. Overall, participants achieved a mean knowledge accuracy of 0.58 (SD = 0.13). The mean accuracy of knowledge in Mexico was 0.52 (SD = 0.13) and the mean accuracy of knowledge in the U.S. was 0.60 (SD = 0.13). Location, years of experience, patient contact, and comfort …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Motor Planning With Core Vocabulary: A Behavior Analytic Account, Alison Judith Karnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increases, it is important for practitioners to continue to improve evidence-based practices (EBP) for the treatment of ASD symptoms (i.e., impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It is estimated that 30-50% of individuals with autism do not acquire functional speech (Wodka, Mathy, & Kalb, 2013). These individuals would make appropriate candidates for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC; Mirenda, 2003). One form of AAC is the speech-generating device (SGD). Over the last ten years, tablet-based technologies including iPad minisⓇ have been emphasized in the …

Visual And Verbal Semantic Productions In Children With Asd, Dld, And Typical Language, Allison Gladfelter, Barron Kacy, Erik Johnson

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Purpose

Associations between visual and verbal input allow children to form, augment, and refine their semantic representations within their mental lexicons. However, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and with developmental language disorder (DLD; also known as specific language impairment) process visual and verbal information differently than their typically developing peers, which may impact how they incorporate visual and verbal features into their semantic representations. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how children with ASD and DLD use visually and verbally presented input to produce semantic representations of newly learned words.

Method

Semantic features produced by 36 …

Eeg-Based Processing And Classification Methodologies For Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review, Gunavaran Brihadiswaran, Dilantha Haputhanthri, Sahan Gunathilaka, Dulani Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition which affects social interaction, communication and behaviour of an individual. The symptoms are diverse with different levels of severity. Recent studies have revealed that early intervention is highly effective for improving the condition. However, current ASD diagnostic criteria are subjective which makes early diagnosis challenging, due to the unavailability of well-defined medical tests to diagnose ASD. Over the years, several objective measures utilizing abnormalities found in EEG signals and statistical analysis have been proposed. Machine learning based approaches provide more flexibility and have produced better results in ASD classification. This paper presents …

Language Of Disability, Language Of Disorder: An Investigation Of Lived Experiences And Perspectives Of Individuals On The Autism Spectrum With Respect To Communicative Interventions, Rebekah Burkhart

Senior Independent Study Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences and first-person perspectives of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with respect to interventions for communicative differences and/or deficits characteristic of autism. This study extends limited research into autistic experiences of interventions in the domain of communication. Furthermore, by extending prior research into neurodiverse values among speech-language pathologists (SLPs), this research contributes to the body of professional literature through exploration of autistic voices as in-group sources of expertise on ASD. The researcher recruited participants online, utilizing mixed methods in the form of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to …

Scaffolded Play As A Predictor Of Change In Language And Play In Children With Autism, Cara Tyson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A child’s play is facilitative of language development, creating a situation where words are needed to speak to and for toy characters, socially engage with peers, and develop play narratives. Children with language disorders, in particular autism spectrum disorder, often fail to engage in play activities at levels of their typically developing peers. However, under highly structured conditions, or scaffolded conditions, children with autism have demonstrated the ability to engage in play at similar levels as their typically developing peers. It remains unclear whether direct teaching of play under scaffolded conditions will predict language skills over time for this population. …

The Effect Of The Movie Time Social Learning Method On The Emotional Inferencing Skills In An Adult With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jenna Reade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty finding employment and maintaining social relationships. Professional and personal interactions require individuals to make inferences, or read between the lines. Inferencing is a challenge for individuals with ASD because it requires complex information processing. More specifically, it involves the integration of cognitive and linguistic information. There is a lack of research using complex stimuli to treat inferencing. An A-B-A-B design with one adult with ASD was used to examine the effectiveness of a movie-based method, Movie Time Social Learning(Vagin, 2012), on improving the emotional inferencing skills of one young adult with …

Differential Diagnosis Of Auditory Processing Disorder In Children: A Literature Review, Jessica Glennon, Benjamin Kirby

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Although there is no consensus on the definition of auditory processing disorder (APD), it is typically characterized by listening difficulties resulting from deficits in auditory perceptual processing of sounds in the central auditory nervous system. APD often co-occurs with other disabilities such as ADHD, dyslexia, and specific language impairment. Presenting symptoms can be very similar to these other disorder, complicating diagnosis. Due to the overlap of symptoms between APD and various other deficits, there are concerns that professionals in different fields are providing children with different labels for the same group of symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this literature review …

Autism Spectrum Disorder : Investigating Predictive Diagnostic Relationships In Children Three Years-Of-Age And Younger., Kaitlin Juergensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder whose symptoms may involve deficits across three domains: communication, socialization, and atypical behaviors or interests. With a high prevalence across populations and a tendency to impact males more so than females, early and accurate diagnosis appears critical. The most current literature on ASD provides a myriad of difficulties associated with diagnosis under the age of three years. The purpose of this study was to determine if a predictive relationship exists between a child’s individual developmental domain standard deviation (SD) subscale scores (motor, language, cognitive, social-emotional, and adaptive skills) on the Bayley …

Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Understanding And Coping With Complex Social Emotional Issues, Kaitlyn P. Ahlers, Terisa P. Gabrielsen, Danielle Lewis, Anna M. Brady, April Litchford

Faculty Publications

Core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) center around social communication and behavior. For those with ASD, these deficits complicate the task of learning how to cope with and manage complex social emotional issues. Although individuals with ASD may receive sufficient academic and basic behavioral support in school settings, supports for dealing with complex social emotional issues are more difficult to access, even though these issues significantly impact student learning. When addressing these challenging social- and emotional-based issues, school and professional personnel need more specific instructional skill sets and resources to effectively and compassionately support students with ASD. In this …

Impact Of A Pre-Professional Clinical Education Experience With Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preparation Of Future Speech-Language Pathologists, Kaitlyn P. Wilson Ph.D., Ccc-Slp, Gregory S. Chasson Ph.D., Amanda C. Jozkowski Ph.D., Otr/L, Meghan V. Mulhern Ed.M.

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate the impact of a clinical experience with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) students’ knowledge about ASD, and (2) explore the nature of the clinical experience and its impact on students’ preparation to work with adults with ASD. This study used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative methods were used to identify statistically significant changes in student knowledge about ASD following participation in a clinical experience with adults with ASD. Qualitative methods were used to explore student narratives to uncover details of the clinical experience and its impact. …

Sources And Content Of Popular Online Videos About Autism Spectrum Disorders, Betty Kollia, Margaret T. Kamowski-Shakibai, Corey H. Basch, Ashley Clark

Communication Sciences and Disorders: Faculty Publications

Background: Our study aimed to determine source of upload and content portrayed in the 100 most-viewed videos on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) on the video sharing public forum, YouTube. ASDs have become highly prevalent in the last decade, arousing a significant response from the media and psycho-educational health professions. Utilization of and reliance on social media for information on health matters has also proliferated. Some suggest that online videos could promote early detection (and intervention) of ASD by prompting caregivers to seek guidance. However, the usefulness of the available videos is unclear. Methods: The 100 most popular YouTube videos were …

Structural Covariance Of Sensory Networks, The Cerebellum, And Amygdala In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Garrett Cardon, Susan Hepburn, Donald C. Rojas

Faculty Publications

Sensory dysfunction is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and abnormalities with sensory responsivity and processing can be extremely debilitating to ASD patients and their families. However, relatively little is known about the underlying neuroanatomical and neurophysiological factors that lead to sensory abnormalities in ASD. Investigation into these aspects of ASD could lead to significant advancements in our general knowledge about ASD, as well as provide targets for treatment and inform diagnostic procedures. Thus, the current study aimed to measure the covariation of volumes of brain structures (i.e., structural magnetic resonance imaging) that may be involved in abnormal …

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.

Longitudinal Predictors Of Functioning In Children With Asd, Alli Smith, Megan Lyons, Katherine Tsatsanis, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine whether maternal education and number of intervention hours are correlated and/or predictive of a range of developmental outcomes in a longitudinal cohort of children diagnosed with ASD.

Assessing Pragmatic Language In Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Yale In Vivo Pragmatic Protocol, Elizabeth Schoen Simmons, Rhea Paul, Fred Volkmar

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study compared pragmatic language in youths (9–17 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those with typical development (TD) on the Yale in vivo Pragmatic Protocol (YiPP), a semistructured, dynamic conversational assessment. Method: Participants (n = 118) were divided into groups based on age and diagnosis. Each completed the YiPP, which included 4 pragmatic domains (discourse management, communicative functions, conversational repair, presupposition). The participant’s response to each probe was scored correct or incorrect; incorrect scores elicited cues from the examiner, and level of cue required for a correction was also scored. Results: The YiPP showed high reliability and …

The Use Of Mobile Technology In The Treatment Of Prosodic Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Elizabeth Schoen Simmons, Rhea Paul, Frederick Shic

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and preliminary utility of an application, SpeechPrompts, for iOS devices in the treatment of prosodic disorders in school-age children with ASD.

Adaptive Behaviors In Toddlers Under Two With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Rhea Paul, Rebecca Loomis, Katarzyna Chawarska

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale was administered to 54 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before age 2, and a matching group of 18 toddlers with developmental delay (DD). The group with ASD was more impaired on all scales of the Vineland than DD peers. When 18 ASD/DD pairs very closely matched on age, verbal and nonverbal development were selected, differences were found only on Vineland Receptive Communication and Daily Living. Correlation analyses to explore connection of these areas of difference with cognition and autistic symptoms suggested that Vineland Daily Living scores were significantly correlated with nonverbal ability and …

A Comparison Of Group Versus Individual Therapy On The Output Of Appropriate Utterances In A Six-Year-Old Girl With Autism: A Case Study, Mckinzie Craig Sheridan

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Children with autism spectrum disorders typically experience language deficits in multiple areas, including form, content, and use. These children often receive speech therapy with individual sessions (one child and clinician), group sessions (several children), or a combination of both. Although research has deemed individual therapy successful, there is still debate regarding the success of group therapy, and there is virtually no literature examining a comparison between individual and group therapy. The current case-study investigated the relative effectiveness of individual versus group therapy for one six-year-old female with moderate autism spectrum disorder. The child underwent ten alternating therapy sessions of similar …

Autistic Spectrum Disorders In Velo-Cardio Facial Syndrome (22q11.2 Deletion), Kevin M. Antshel, Alka Aneja, Leslie A. Strunge, Jena Peebles, Wanda Fremont, Kimberly Stallone, Nuria Abdulsabur, Anne Marie Higgins, Robert J. Shprintzen, Wendy R. Kates

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The extent to which the phenotype of children comorbid for velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) differs from that of VCFS-only has not been studied. The sample consisted of 41 children (20 females) with VCFS, ranging in age from 6.5 years to 15.8 years. Eight children with VCFS met formal DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for autism based upon the ADI-R. These eight plus an additional nine participants met diagnostic criteria for an autistic spectrum disorder (VCFS + ASD). Ninety-four percent of the children with VCFS + ASD had a co-occurring psychiatric disorder while 60% of children with VCFS had …