Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

How Music Is Used To Facilitate Communication In Speech-Language And Music Therapy For Children With A Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anna Mcgreevy

Honors College Theses

The goal of this research was to determine how music is being used in speech and music therapy sessions for children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, to discover the most common targets of these therapy sessions, and to examine the anatomical and physiological constructs that support the inclusion of music. This study was a review of literature, and included research from a variety of articles, several written in the past 25 years. Overall, results showed that music-based speech interventions such as Melodic Based Communication Therapy and Developmental Speech and Language Training, as well as music therapy interventions, are …

The Correlation Between Bilingual Children’S Self-Reported Language Proficiency And Their Scores On Dual-Language Standardized Assessments, Andrea Elise Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to evaluate the relation between bilingual Spanish-English speaking children’s self-reported language proficiencies and bilingual experiences and their scores on norm-referenced standardized dual-language assessments. Additionally, the relation between bilingual children’s self-reported language proficiencies and bilingual experiences and parent reports of children’s Spanish and English input and output was examined. The Houston Questionnaire, a novel tool designed to provide insight into bilingual children’s self-perceptions of language proficiencies and experiences, was administered to gather such information for this study. A sample of bilingual children local to Columbia, South Carolina completed a battery of dual-language standardized assessments in kindergarten, and then …

Why Speech Therapists Are Using Non-Words To Treat Speech Sound Disorders In Children, Hope Meyers

2023 SLP Posters

This poster aims to examine why speech therapists use non-words (NWs) to treat speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children. The science behind lexical and phonological learning can play a role in using non-words in therapy. Both real and non-words have been used to treat speech sound disorders. Using real words in treatment can help the child with sound generalizations, while using non-words, the child focuses exclusively on the words' articulation and phonological forms. Knowledge of what non-words, phonological, and lexical representations are willing better help understand the benefits of using non-words in therapy sessions.

The Intersectionality Of Stuttering And Aging, Mary Elizabeth Herring

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore relationships between stuttering and aging so that speech-language pathologists can be informed about the intersectionality of these identities.

Three adult men who stutter, all over the age of 65, were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed with in-vivo coding to find codes and themes between participants. From the interviews, 20 categories were identified. These categories were then funneled into four overarching themes: 1) Personal factors impacted by stuttering, 2) Stuttering perspectives across the lifespan, 3) Stuttering therapy experiences, and 4) Covert stuttering.

This study shows that attitudes, perspectives, and experiences …

Intensive, Interprofessional Therapy: A Case Approach, Emma C. Schrotenboer

Honors Theses

This research looks at the impacts of intensive, interprofessional therapy for children with disabilities. There is very little literature currently published on this topic, although what is available generally finds that more intense therapy is more beneficial. The child who was studied was a camper at Adam’s Camp therapy camp, a week-long program that involves six hours of therapy each day with therapists from five different fields. Her progress over the week, as well as her retention of skills several weeks later, were determined by pre- and post-camp surveys sent to the mother and the therapists’ notes from during the …

Colleges’ And Universities’ Referral Of Student Veterans With Acquired Brain Injury For Speech-Language Services, Morgan M. Rittenberger

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to identify whether public and private colleges or universities across the United States have procedures to assist student veterans who are facing academic challenges secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI). This study aimed to identify whether personnel in college and university veterans services offices, offices of disability services, academic success offices, tutoring centers, or other offices that support student veterans academically are aware of the role of speech-language pathologists in providing treatment to manage the effects of TBI/ABI on academic performance, along with the locations for speech-language pathology services …

Do Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd) Exhibit Vocal Fold Deficits Manifested In Physical Or Acoustical Abnormalities?, Emily L. Mingus

ETD Archive

GERD is an esophageal disease that has both esophageal and extra-esophageal symptoms. Due to the acidic nature of GERD, there appears to be a disruption in the function of the tissues surrounding the area of the vocal folds. This study investigated the influence of GERD as it relates to voice and swallowing. Data were previously collected on twelve individuals, six with a medical diagnosis of GERD and six with no medical diagnosis of GERD, and analyzed. This included descriptive analysis of data points from a Visi-Pitch, Videostroboscopy, and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of the Swallow (FFES). The objective measurements from the …

Effect Of Intervention Of Low-Tech Aac Access Through Triadic Gaze On Communication From School-Aged Children With Multiple Disabilities, Bailey Norton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of instruction in teaching triadic gaze to communicate by accessing low-tech AAC. The low-tech AAC was an Eye-Com board with two target words laterally fixed to the board via Velco backing. Three school-aged participants completed the study, each with multiple disabilities, severe motor restrictions, and limited speech. This study utilized a multiple baseline across participants design. Laminated color photos depicting individualized, motivating vocabulary for each participant were used as probe materials. All three participants demonstrated increased performance in accurately utilizing triadic gaze for selecting from a field of two from baseline to intervention …

The Nature Of Word Errors And Response Time In Individuals With Aphasia, Alexandra M. Georges

ETD Archive

Anomia is a relevant language deficit secondary to aphasia that is treated in the speech-language pathologist profession. Most aphasia diagnoses utilize aspects of confrontational naming tasks during speech therapy or testing. This study investigated the nature of word errors and the response time (RT) in persons with aphasia (PWA). Six individuals, three with nonfluent and three with fluent aphasia were asked to name objects in four common categories (occupational tools, everyday objects, food, and clothing) presented under two conditions (1) picture objects on a computer screen and (2) real physical objects. To measure RT and word error, participants were instructed …

Differential Effects Of Speech And Language Therapy And Rtms In Chronic Versus Subacute Post-Stroke Aphasia: Results Of The Northstar-Ca Trial, Anna Zumbansen, Heike Kneifel, Latifa Lazzouni, Anja Ophey, Sandra E. Black, Joyce L. Chen, Dylan Edwards, Thomas Funck, Alexander Erich Hartmann, Wolf Dieter Heiss, Franziska Hildesheim, Sylvain Lanthier, Paul Lespérance, George Mochizuki, Caroline Paquette, Elizabet Rochon, Ilona Rubi-Fessen, Jennie Valles, Susan Wortman-Jutt, Alexander Thiel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background & objective: Contralesional 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right pars triangularis combined with speech-language therapy (SLT) has shown positive results on the recovery of naming in subacute (5–45 days) post-stroke aphasia. NORTHSTAR-CA is an extension of the previously reported NORTHSTAR trial to chronic aphasia (>6 months post-stroke) designed to compare the effectiveness of the same rTMS protocol in both phases. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with left middle cerebral artery infarcts (28 chronic, 39 subacute) were recruited (01-2014 to 07-2019) and randomized to receive rTMS (N = 34) or sham stimulation (N = 33) with SLT for …

Mental Health Professionals' Beliefs About, Reactions Toward, And Overall Impression Of Stuttering, Elise Anne Nasser

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study is to better understand mental health professionals' beliefs, reactions, overall impression, and familiarity with stuttering to gain insight into areas where they may need more support. Some people who stutter develop increased levels of anxiety because of negative evaluation from the public (Iverach & Rapee, 2014). It is likely that a sub-group of people who stutter may benefit from mental health services; however, misinformation about stuttering may serve as a barrier in effective service provision for those who work with people who stutter (Ginsberg & Wexler, 2000). Quantitative survey data (Public Opinion Survey of …

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 …

Promoting A Walk/Run Event To Expand Services For Individuals With Disabilities, Mckenzie Rodgers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex (CEC) at WKU provides services to many individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and other developmental delays and disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, the clinic relies heavily on donations and fundraisers as sources of income. One of the CEC’s primary fundraisers is the annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism. This event is held each April during autism awareness month, at the Bowling Green Ballpark, providing an opportunity for the community to support the clinic in an enjoyable way.

For an honors capstone experience, the author promoted the 15th annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism …

Aac Camp As A Pre- And Post- Service Training Model, Joanne Kim

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of participation in an AAC-based day camp as a pre-service training opportunity for students of speech-language pathology and a post-training opportunity for practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Following the conclusion for the most recent iteration of the AAC Academy hosted by the Diagnostic Center of Central California, students and SLPs who volunteered within the past ten years were recruited via email to participate in semi-structured interviews. Upon thematic analysis of the interview transcripts, the following themes were conceptualized: (1) Many volunteers had some interest, if not experience, with AAC prior to …

Current Approaches To The Treatment Of Post-Stroke Aphasia, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Argye Elizabeth Hillis

Faculty Publications

Aphasia, impairment of language after stroke or other neurological insult, is a common and often devastating condition that affects nearly every social activity and interaction. Behavioral speech and language therapy is the mainstay of treatment, although other interventions have been introduced to augment the effects of the behavioral therapy. In this narrative review, we discuss advances in aphasia therapy in the last 5 years and focus primarily on properly powered, randomized, controlled trials of both behavioral therapies and interventions to augment therapy for post-stroke aphasia. These trials include evaluation of behavioral therapies and computer-delivered language therapies. We also discuss outcome …

A Case For Early Intervention Speech Therapy For All Children In The Foster Care System, Moriah Manchack

Honors Theses

A look into the need for Early Intervention speech therapy services for children in the foster care system, as well as the laws and provisions for these services.

Importance Of The Social Model Of Disability In The Field Of Speech/Language Pathology, Sidney Salyers

Honors Theses

The social model of disability seeks to differentiate between an individual's impairment and the ways in which society is disabling to them. In this thesis, I explore how the social model of disability can be implemented in the field of speech/language pathology, specifically highlighting appropriate language use and stigma.

Benefits Of Music Therapy When Used Collaboratively With Language Therapy, Rebekah Grace Oliver

Honors Theses

Music is a large aspect of every culture. Music can calm a child in distress, create friendships, give people a way to express themselves, and even define the differences between generations and cultures. Famous Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen once said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” Researchers have studied how music can influence a person’s ability to absorb knowledge, as well as induce fluent speech for a stutterer. However, the effects of music therapy in combination with language therapy for children with language delays have not been studied to their fullest extent. For the past year and a half, I …

Perspectives Of Individuals With Acquired Neurogenic Communication Disorders And Co-Survivors On Person-Centered Care Within Speech-Language Therapy, Logan Macrae Ellis

Online Theses and Dissertations

Main Argument: Acquired brain injury impacts 2.8 million individuals each year in the United States (Taylor et al., 2017). Stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor, infection, and other conditions cause life-altering changes to the way humans interact with each other. Social interaction and communication are important in many aspects of life, including but not limited to work, community, relationships, and mental health, etc. Damage to the brain often changes the ability to communicate drastically, which can impact all of the aforementioned aspects of life (Ardila & Rubilo, 2018). Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) address the acquired neurogenic communication disorders associated with brain injury …

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

CCE 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 …

Diagnosing And Managing Post-Stroke Aphasia, Shannon M. Sheppard, Rajani Sebastian

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Aphasia is a debilitating language disorder and even mild forms of aphasia can negatively affect functional outcomes, mood, quality of life, social participation, and the ability to return to work. Language deficits after post-stroke aphasia are heterogeneous.

Areas covered: The first part of this manuscript reviews the traditional syndrome-based classification approach as well as recent advances in aphasia classification that incorporate automatic speech recognition for aphasia classification. The second part of this manuscript reviews the behavioral approaches to aphasia treatment and recent advances such as noninvasive brain stimulation techniques and pharmacotherapy options to augment the effectiveness of …

Using Speech Screening Process For Preschool-Age Children: Do Results Lead To Action?, Autumn Rhoads

Undergraduate Research Journal

In this paper, we will discuss the concerns of a microstrip two patch antenna system. Coupling of the two-port system can be miniaturized using Electromagnetic Bandgap Structures (EBG) or Defected Ground Structures (DGS) centered between the two patch antennas half a wavelength in size. Different miniaturization methods were used in the design of the antenna system to change the properties of the signal. Changing via locations that are not found on EBG strips themselves, rather found on interleaved ledges between EBG strips allowed for further change in shifting the signals frequency.

The Use Of Smartphone Apps As A Supplement To Transgender Voice And Communication Therapy, Maura Philippone

Honors College

This university IRB-approved thesis follows a case study research design and investigates the effectiveness of the app “Voice Analyst” as a supplement to transgender voice and communication therapy. It is hypothesized that the use of “Voice Analyst” outside the clinic will enable participants to make greater progress and to increase their ability to retain their progress. The participants are four transgender women who want to raise the pitch of their speaking voices. The participants are asked to record themselves reading “The Rainbow Passage,” and their data are tracked in a spreadsheet. “The Rainbow Passage” is the standardized passage used for …

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 …

Research To Practice- Implementing Sign-Infused Intervention As A Novice Clinician, Loren Stoller

LSU Master's Theses

Speech-Language Pathologists often infuse manual signs into oral language interventions for children with various communication disorders. The current study was designed to learn more about sign-infused language intervention by examining one novice clinician’s use of signs during oral language intervention with a child diagnosed as a late talker. The researcher was the clinician, and while a novice interventionist, she was proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) and had five years of experience using ASL with others. The child was 26 months of age at the start of the study, and data collection included three pre-intervention sessions, 12 intervention sessions, and …

Telemedicine In Pediatric Speech Therapy: Characteristics Of Child, Mother, And Speech-Language Pathologist Vocal Interaction., Abigail L Betts

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Telemedicine is a potential solution to provide distant or underserved clients with access to their clinician. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the use of telemedicine affects the vocal characteristics of children who received cochlear implants (CI), their mother, and a speech-language pathologist (SLP) as they engage in a speech-language therapy intervention. The children (n = 5), her caregiver, and the SLP engaged in one 30 minute in person session and one 30 minute telemedicine session in a counterbalanced order. The frequency of vocalizations, vocal turns, and between-speaker pause (BSP) duration in both sessions were examined. The …

The Effects Of Gesture On Early Language Production, Gabrielle Zeyl

Senior Honors Projects

Over the last decade, baby sign language (adapted signs for simple words like milk or mom) has become a trending parenting fad. Although significant research is still lacking on the subject, there is evidence suggesting that the use of early gestures is beneficial in promoting spoken language in typically developing children. Given developmental support for early gesture, this project aims to investigate the use of manual gestures to support speech sound production for a young child with speech and language delay. This project is two-fold. Part one included an extensive literature review of existing research on baby sign, gesture and …

Effect Of Consistent Singing On Maintenance Of Speech Intelligibility Following Lsvt®: A Retrospective Longitudinal Case Study, Rachel Ricca Beck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting one’s ability to hone and refine volitional movement. Many with Parkinson’s report significant effects on voice and communication. Speech-language pathologists have long targeted the achievement of increased vocal volume through intensive voice therapy, with the most common program being Lee Silverman Voice Treatment® (LSVT®) (Ramig et al., 1994). While LSVT® is the most prominent type of voice therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s, other researchers have begun investigating therapeutic singing because of the similar functions it employs (e.g., increased breath support, utilization of entire vocal range).

The current project is a retrospective, longitudinal …

Voice Feminization: Voice Therapy Vs. Surgical Intervention: A Systematic Review, Carson Leon-Gambetta, Ruth Huttner, Amanda Matyas

Communication Sciences and Disorders: Systematic Review Publications

Abstract

Purpose: Transgender individuals often seek to alter their vocal characteristics. For Male to Female (MtF) transgender individuals, attaining a feminine voice may be particularly challenging. The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether MtF transgender individuals who receive voice feminization therapy alone or Wendler’s Glottoplasty (WG) surgical intervention with subsequent voice therapy yield greater outcomes in frequency and self-perception.

Method: A systematic review of the literature was conducted by using PubMed and Ovid to search terms pertaining to voice feminization. The articles were reviewed and appraised by the authors for inclusionary criteria, exclusionary criteria, and quality. Inclusionary …

The Speech-Language Pathologist's Role In Supporting The Development Of Self-Regulation: A Review And Tutorial, Amanda Binns, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Purpose

Children’s engagement in self-regulation is a strong and positive predictor of their social and academic success, making self-regulation an important focus for caregivers and clinicians. The aims of this article are to provide a framework for understanding self-regulation and to identify strategies speech-language pathologists can use to integrate self-regulation work into their clinical practice.

Method

Empirically supported considerations describing the developmental progression from co-regulation to self-regulation are outlined, and the effects of stress on self-regulation are discussed. A clinical framework is provided to guide speech-language pathologists in considering stress and self-regulation in their clinical work. Strategies are provided to …