Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Empowering Women: Understanding Neurological Changes In The Aging Brain, Joy Mckenzie

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Women tend to have more neurological changes than men as they age starting in their mid-30s (Mosconi, 2024). While aging is a natural process, the neurological changes can impact a woman’s personal and professional quality of life (Faubion et al., 2023; Gravini, 2023). For years, women’s neurological symptoms have been ignored by being told that their experiences are normal and just a part of life (Haver, 2025). That narrative is starting to shift with the increased awareness of changes specific to women. There are resources to assess cognitive changes such as memory, processing speed, and word finding and strategies to …

Students’ And Faculty’S Experiences With An Objective Structured Clinical Examination: A Pilot Study, Carrie A. Axt, Jessica M. Smith, Kathie M. Stillwell

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This study examined the implementation of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) as a competency-based assessment in a graduate speech-language pathology program. Although OSCEs are widely used in health professions education, they remain less common in speech-language pathology. OSCEs provide opportunities to assess clinical skills beyond traditional knowledge-based measures through simulated patient encounters across multiple stations. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore student and faculty perceptions of OSCE participation, identify factors contributing to effective competency assessment, and gather feedback for future use. Fifteen first-year graduate students and four faculty members completed surveys, station rating scales, and interviews. …

Perceived Professional Identity Formation And Influencing Characteristics Among Speech Pathology Students, Abigail Lewis, Denise Jackson, Dawn Bennett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While professional identity formation (PIF) is an important facet of employability and becoming a health professional, there has been little research on PIF among speech pathology (SP) students. This single group, cross-sectional study explored perceived PIF among SP students at a large, urban, Australian university selected via stratified sampling from a four-year undergraduate program. Using an established online self-assessment tool to measure perceived employability, the study reports on seven related constructs relevant to PIF. The self-assessment has previously been found to have strong validity and reliability and the subset used in this study likewise had strong validity and reliability. There …

Exploring Hispanic Immigrant Parents Literacy Needs In Navigating Life With Children In The United States, Michelle Lowry

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The responsibility of raising a child is demanding on all parents, but immigrant parents with limited literacy skills in English may find parenting even more demanding than native born parents. Hispanic immigrant parents are rarely consulted about their literacy needs. Furthermore, they are often overlooked as experts on their own needs. Using two of the most widely accepted models of literacy, The Simple View of Writing and The Simple View of Reading, this study explored Hispanic immigrant parents' literacy needs in the United States. The current study was conducted on N=30 Hispanic Immigrant parents, ages early 30s to mid 70s. …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Speech-Language Pathology (Slp) Services, Hope A. Lemmons

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences with and perceptions of racially and socioeconomically diverse people in accessing early intervention day treatment (EIDT) facilities. Participants completed a questionnaire which included questions regarding the parents’ age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, education level, income level, along with other questions. Participants were recruited from the KidSPOT facility, an EIDT center in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Participants had to have a child enrolled in speech therapy and enrolled in EIDT services at KidSPOT. A total of 10 participants completed the questionnaire: six females and four males. When asked the participants’ race, only …

Speech Pathology Student Perspectives On Virtual Reality To Learn A Clinical Skill, Bridget Kelly, Joanne Walters, Rachael Unicomb

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Evidence supports the use of simulation in educating speech pathology (SP) students, however most of the research has centered on low fidelity techniques as opposed to high fidelity and immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR). Whilst there has been research on the use of VR to teach clinical skills to students in other health disciplines (e.g., dentistry, nursing), use of VR in SP has focused mainly on its use in client intervention. There is an opportunity to use VR to teach clinical skills to SP students, particularly in response to barriers to clinical placement opportunities like the COVID 19 pandemic. …

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 …

Speaking Of Online Learning: Alternative Practice-Based Learning Experiences For Speech Pathologists In Australia, Ghana And Hong Kong, Jemma Skeat, Josephine Ohenewa Bampoe, Susan Booth, Emily Brogan, Maya Conway, Rachel Davenport, Simone Howells, Peggy Kan, Michelle Krahe, Sally Hewat, Abigail Lewis, Alex Little, Joanne Walters, Gwendalyn Webb, Nikki Worthington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Speech Pathology programs usually send students to workplaces to learn clinical skills necessary for practice. During COVID-19, programs needed to respond quickly to ensure that students continued to gain the necessary experiences and skills required to progress through their program and graduate as clinicians, while simultaneously complying with COVID-19 requirements. Case studies from seven different universities in Australia, Ghana and Hong Kong described the diverse ways in which placements were adapted to be COVID-safe, taking into account local needs. Some practices which had been included in placement education prior to the pandemic, such as telepractice and simulation-based learning, were extended …

Outcome Measures And Demographic Representation Of Voice Studies Of Transgender People: A Scoping Review, Rachel Anthony

Honors Projects

The LGBTQ+ population, specifically transgender individuals, tend to be overlooked in many healthcare services. One significant healthcare service is gender-affirming voice services, which is performed by a Speech-Language Pathologist. The purpose of this study is to perform a scoping review of voice production studies in transgender individuals with a focus on outcome measures and demographic characteristics. Search terms were identified and then applied across three different databases. The results of these databases were cross-checked for duplicates. A criterion was established, and studies were screened by reading the title, and abstract. Relevant articles were uploaded to RefWorks and lastly scanned by …

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge And Implementation Of Thyroid Hormone Diseases And Allergies On Voice, Kirsten Combs

Student Theses and Dissertations

There is little research that shows speech-language pathologists’ (SLP’s) knowledge of the impact of allergies or thyroid diseases related to voice disorders, or if they use this information during assessment and treatment. A survey was distributed to every licensed SLPs in the state of Arkansas, and 284 SLPs completed it. Only 20 participants asked clients if they have thyroid hormone diseases, whereas 256 asked about allergies. While treating, 236 participants reported that they consider allergies, but only 94 considered thyroid hormone diseases. On knowledge-based questions, the participants had an overall average of 84% for thyroid hormone diseases and 78% for …

Survey Of Current Therapy Methods For Treatment Of Reading Fluency And Comprehension, Brooke Elizabeth Darnell

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the current types of interventions SLPs are using when treating children with reading difficulties. This study utilized a survey to investigate not only the types of interventions, but also the SLPs’ opinions regarding the efficacy of these interventions. This study provided evidence to support the use of these methods as well as provided insight into the treatment of children with reading difficulties.

The Ongoing Disparity Between Early Intervention Services And Those Who Need Them, Addison Goerl

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Although early intervention (EI) services have been shown to be highly effective and beneficial for young children, only 12% of those who qualify at 24 months receive services (Feinberg et al., 2011). There is a myriad of barriers that impedes access to EI services for those who need them. These barriers include myths about development and intervention, parent’s concerns being ignored, social inequalities limited access to early intervention, systemic barriers within the professional world, unperceived benefits of intervention, and limited communication flow to parents. However, there are some supports that help more families access EI services including doctors, early interventionists, …

Demonstrable Effect Of Vocal Changes On Singing Voices Of Post-Menopausal Women, Haley K. Griffith

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

There is little research concerning the impacts of menopause on the female singing voice, and few research studies examine any treatment methods or exercises to help sustain vocal quality throughout and after menopause. To determine areas in which more detailed studies could be completed, I completed a thorough literature review of current research studies that investigate relationships between menopause and the voice. Many studies examined vocal symptoms of menopause, such as a lowered fundamental frequency (F0) and decreased vocal quality. However, there exists no formally researched or published vocal exercises that help to mitigate these menopausal voice symptoms.

In response, …

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist Collaborative Practice: A Literature Review, Kaija R. Elenko

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Background: School-based speech language pathologists (SLPs) are increasing collaborative engagement with educators and other professionals in school settings. Collaborative practice in the general education classroom increased student’s awareness of literacy concepts. The push-in model of service delivery reached students with varied levels of literacy understanding. There is insufficient empirical evidence regarding school-based interprofessional practice (IPP) available to clinicians. Systemic reviews provide a model for educators and SLPs to follow; many professionals hesitate to engage in IPP because there is a deficiency in evidence of success.

Aims: Investigation of the necessary components for successful IPP and the impacts of collaboration on …

Deaf Education: The Past, Present, And Future, Diana Burke

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Back in the 1800's, sign language was banned from schools because of the prevailing view that sign language inhibited children who are deaf from interacting with the hearing society. Today, due to the growth of technology, children who are deaf can communicate using sign language and spoken language. These children can attend mainstream schools or schools for the Deaf. This paper will focus on the history of schools for the Deaf and my observations as a student observer at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB). VSDB is a residential school providing students who are deaf and blind …

Selecting An Acoustic Correlate For Automated Measurement Of American English Rhotic Production In Children, Heather Campbell, Daphna Harel, Elaine Hitchcock, Tara Mcallister Byun

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: A current need in the field of speech–language pathology is the development of reliable and efficient techniques to evaluate accuracy of speech targets over the course of treatment. As acoustic measurement techniques improve, it should become possible to use automated scoring in lieu of ratings from a trained clinician in some contexts. This study asks which acoustic measures correspond most closely with expert ratings of children’s productions of American English /ɹ/ in an effort to develop an automated scoring algorithm for use in treatment targeting rhotics. Method: A series of ordinal mixed-effects regression models were fit over a large …

Speech-Language Pathology Student Participation In Verbal Reflective Practice Groups: Perceptions Of Development, Value And Group Condition Differences., Gina D. Tillard, Kate Cook, Daniel Gerhard, Lydia Keast, Megan Mcauliffe

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The aim of this study was to determine whether significant differences in perceptions of reflective practice were present across two groups of students engaged in standard practice and experimental group conditions. Twenty-seven undergraduate speech-language pathology students participated in the study. A two-condition, non-randomised, pre-test post-test design was employed with two groups (a standard practice condition and an experimental practice condition, utilizing structured activities and prompts). Participants took part in weekly reflective practice groups over a six week period, in which discussion centered on students’ clinical experiences. Pre and post intervention, the students completed a questionnaire designed to examine perceptions of …

Maladaptive Behavior And Communication Disorders Following Tbi: Survivor, Caregiver And Speech-Language Pathologists' Perspectives, Marena S. Jones

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), individuals often face neurobehavioral challenges (e.g., aggression) that hinder treatment. Research on the relationship between communication disorders and maladaptive behaviors is limited. Participants from a convenience sample of two survivors of TBI, a caregiver, and a speech-language pathologist were interviewed about their experiences and perspectives. The interviews reflected focused questions that were congruent across participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Each coder coded the transcriptions individually, they were then compared using consensus coding for reliability, and finally analyzed for emergent themes. The two most referenced themes were “Communication challenges” and “Changes through rehab”. “Communication …

Bilingualism And The American Family, Caitlin M. Nickerson

Senior Honors Projects

Bilingualism is the ability to speak more than one language fluently. People of all ages may aspire to learn a second or third language in order to fulfill both personal goals and communicate with a variety of people in different contexts. Irrespective of one’s walk of life or socioeconomic status, being bilingual is a valuable skill. Although English is the language of power in the United States, there are hundreds of other languages spoken in this country.

There are a number of different ways in which children can become bilingual. For example, they may enter the school system speaking the …

The Relationship Between Conversational Pause Duration And Vocabulary Acquisition In Infants With Cochlear Implants, Kelsey De La Croix

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Previous research has shown that maternal speech to normal hearing (NH) infants and speech to cochlear implant (CI) infants is characterized by similarly high pitch, increased intonation range and reduced rate of speech (Bergeson, Miller, & McCune, 2006). These findings suggest that mothers demonstrate sensitivity to the infants’ hearing experience and tailor their speech to their infants’ auditory skill levels. Pause duration in infant-directed (ID) speech has also been shown to be influenced by age and hearing experience, but its relationship to language development is unknown. It has also been found that children with hearing loss tend to be exposed …

Listener Perceptions Of Simulated Fluent Speech In Nonfluent Aphasia, Tyson G. Harmon, Adam Jacks, Katarina L. Haley, Richard A. Faldowski

Faculty Publications

Background: People with aphasia (PWA) are frequently perceived less favorably by listeners than their peers. These perceptions include incorrect assumptions that can prevent successful social interactions. While communication partner training has been shown to improve social outcomes related to the listener (see e.g., Kagan, Black, Duchan, Simmons-Mackie, & Square, 2001), changing the verbal output of PWA may also yield more favorable listener perceptions about the speech, speaker, and their own affective response. We investigated the effects of artificially altered fluency (i.e., simulated fluency) on listeners’ subjective impressions.

Aims: The purpose of the study was to (1) confirm that listeners perceive …

Stuttering And Tourette's: A Comparative Study, Mary Kate Prokopius

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Stuttering and Tourette’s: A Comparative Study

The purpose of this research study was to provide pilot data regarding the similarities and differences between stuttering and Tourette’s, specifically the physical, emotional and psychosocial aspects and the effects the behaviors had on the clients’ thoughts related to their disorder.

Recently published articles pertaining to stuttering and Tourette’s Syndrome were collected, analyzed and summarized in the paper. Once the literature review was completed, similarities and differences were deduced and explained in later chapters.

The overall results of this study showed that the two behavioral disorders have little overlap in terms of physiological and …

Disordered Speech Disrupts Conversational Entrainment: A Study Of Acoustic-Prosodic Entrainment And Communicative Success In Populations With Communication Challenges, Stephanie A. Borrie, Nichola Lubold, Heather Pon-Barry

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Faculty Publications

Conversational entrainment, a pervasive communication phenomenon in which dialogue partners adapt their behaviors to align more closely with one another, is considered essential for successful spoken interaction. While well-established in other disciplines, this phenomenon has received limited attention in the field of speech pathology and the study of communication breakdowns in clinical populations. The current study examined acoustic-prosodic entrainment, as well as a measure of communicative success, in three distinctly different dialogue groups: (i) healthy native vs. healthy native speakers (Control), (ii) healthy native vs. foreign-accented speakers (Accented), and (iii) healthy native vs. dysarthric speakers (Disordered). Dialogue group comparisons revealed …

A Comparative Acoustic Examination Of Infant Cries: Children At High Risk Versus Low Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder Development, Ildiko Eva Bruz

Theses : Honours

Background: Early interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have shown positive gains in children who enter therapy at a young age. However, commencement of early intervention is often hindered by challenges with diagnosis. Due to the complex nature of ASD, the age of detection can range from 2 years old into adulthood. This highlights the need for methods of early detection. Previous research has found infants at risk for ASD to present atypical cry characteristics, possibly as a result from damage to the brainstem. In particular, measures of fundamental frequency appear to be the most sensitive to …

Early Intervention Of Parent-Infant Interactions In Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review, Stacey Osborne

Theses : Honours

Every year approximately 15 million babies are born preterm. These infants are at an increased risk of language, and other developmental delays due to their immature brain development and higher incidence of brain abnormalities. They also have poorer health outcomes in the early stages of life which may go on to hinder successful parent-infant interactions. Successful parent-infant interactions are important for infant developmental outcomes such as language, cognition and behaviour. While interventions targeting the promotion of positive interactions have been found to have positive effects in a number of populations to date, interactions involving preterm infants have not been explored. …

Indirect Approaches: A Systematic Review Of Paediatric Dysphagia Interventions, Bianca Piano

Theses : Honours

Background and purpose: Dysphagia can be described as difficulty within the oral, pharyngeal and/or oesophageal phases of deglutition and occurs in approximately 80% of children with developmental disabilities, according to the American Speech and Hearing Association (2015). It occurs when there is impairment to the motor and/or sensory aspects of swallowing, due to a range of disorders affecting the voluntary and reflexive components of deglutition. The ability to swallow safely is essential in preventing medical complications, sustaining life and maintaining social participation. Paediatric interventions can be categorized into three broad approaches; direct, indirect and mixed. At present, two systematic reviews …

Speech And Swallowing Rehabilitation In The Home: A Comparison Of Two Service Delivery Models For Stroke Survivors, Katy J. E. Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background and Aims

Speech and swallowing difficulties are common sequelae for people who have suffered a stroke. Recently, there has been an increase in early discharge, community rehabilitation and the use of therapy assistants to support health professionals in stroke rehabilitation. However, the impact of these factors on communication and swallowing outcomes remains under researched. This research explored Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) Speech Pathology (SP) services for stroke survivors with dysarthria and dysphagia. More specifically, this research investigated whether traditional speech pathology interventions, supplemented with a home practice program are effective, as well as compare usual treatment to that …

Women Who Stutter : Experiences Of Developing Self-Management And Quality Of Life, Katherine Milton

Theses : Honours

Background and Purpose: Research suggests that stuttering can impact an individual’s quality of life and how they perceive themselves in interactions with others. As a larger proportion of adults who stutter are men, limited research is available regarding the specific experiences of women who stutter (WWS). Existent literature regarding WWS was mainly published in the 1970s -1980s and may no longer represent current issues. This study aimed to explore the current influences on quality of life, perception of stuttering, self-management strategies, and gender issues experienced by WWS.

Methods and Procedures: This grounded theory study used a convenience sample of eight …

Communications Connection - Fall 2012, Nova Southeastern University

Communications Connection

No abstract provided.

Newborns With Feeding Issues: Parental Perceptions Of The Hospital Discharge, Transition Home And The Role Of Speech Pathology, Katie Louise Ilich

Theses : Honours

This study explored the perceptions of discharge from hospital and the transition home for mothers of newborns with feeding issues. To gain an understanding of their experiences, mothers were interviewed twice, once at discharge and once up to a month later. Participants had a strong desire for their babies to be discharged from hospital, but felt anxious and underprepared. Once home, more questions typically arose. Mothers found this a highly stressful and emotional experience, especially for those without consistent speech pathology involvement. Mothers valued being involved in the decision-making process, and found this an effective coping mechanism. The value of …