Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Examining The Preliminary Validity Of A Dynamic Assessment Of Narrative Language In Mandarin Chinese, Lok Yee Sarah Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the preliminary validity of a newly developed dynamic assessment of narrative language in Mandarin Chinese. Two studies are reported in this thesis. Study 1 included 31 second grade participants and Study 2 included 43 first grade participants. All participants were enrolled in a Chinese immersion program in an elementary school in Utah. A dynamic assessment of narrative language was administered to each participant in Mandarin Chinese. A teacher rating was also included in Study 1. Results indicated that the dynamic assessment investigated in this thesis demonstrated some similar characteristics with other valid …

Implicit Learning In Preschool Children With And Without Developmental Language Disorder, Abigail E. Tolomei

University Honors Theses

The study below was designed to compare implicit learning in fifty-two preschool-aged children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) to test the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH). The PDH claims that procedural memory, the basis of implicit learning, is the main impairment in DLD. Using a computer-based program to conduct sound-meaning-mapping tasks, we asked children to select one of two images according to the corresponding sound they heard. After all the participants were tested, an additional cue was found in the experiment that impacted the data. Instead of the children attuning to the sounds to depict the correct answer, the …

Transitioning From Face-To-Face To Telehealth Speech And Language Services Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic: Perceptions Of Persons With Aphasia And Their Ehelpers, Emma Logan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the perceptions of the aphasia community, as well as their caregivers, that are provided speech and language services and how their services were affected due to transitions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recency and novelty of the pandemic warrants research of many areas related to health care, including that of speech language pathology.

An online survey was completed by nine persons with aphasia and three eHelpers. Participants were recruited through a university clinic and by informational fliers through social media. Participants with aphasia qualified by having experiences with speech and …

Implementing Service-Learning Projects For The First Time During The Pandemic: Two Instructors’ Inspiration, Motivation And Goals, Lesley Sylvan, Robyn Becker

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While much has been written about student experiences with service-learning and factors that sustain university instructors’ experiences in service-learning over time, less is understood about the contexts that prompt instructors to embark on their first experiences of incorporating service-learning into their teaching. The focus of this article is the experiences of two instructors, one tenure track faculty member and one adjunct faculty member, who incorporated service-learning projects into their classes for the first time during the 2020-2021 academic year. Both professors teach within a speech-language pathology graduate program. The timing and context of their first service-learning experiences are important because …

Clinical Feasibility, Utility, And Usability Of The Profile Of Preschool Communication: A Pilot Test In Community Settings, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Carly Cermak, Julianna Head, Janis Oram Cardy

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

This study aimed to pilot test, assess usability and utility of, and identify barriers to implementation for the Profile of Preschool Communication (PPC) - a new data collection tool designed to support outcome monitoring in preschool speech-language programs and practice-based research. Methods. This pilot study was conducted with three sites in the Ontario Preschool Speech and Language (PSL) program. Twenty-three speech-language pathologists used the PPC for all outcome monitoring assessments for 2-3-months and provided feedback about their experience using it in practice. Then, 18 of the 23 speech-language pathologists completed online surveys to rate usability and utility, and report …

The Effects Of Language Proficiency On Narrative Macrostructure In Spanish-English Bilinguals, Jenny Magallon

Dissertations and Theses

Bilingual children of the same age may have different narrative skills depending on the quantity and quality of their experiences in the two languages. Thus, children's storytelling skills can vary depending on children's oral proficiency in each language. The present study examined the effects of oral proficiency on story structure in forty 5- to 7-year-old Spanish-English speaking children using Spanish and English samples from story retelling tasks. Language proficiency was measured as continuum of performance using the Spanish-English Language Proficiency Scale (SELPS; Smyk et al., 2013). To estimate the effects of Spanish and English proficiency on story structure, linear regressions …

A Scoping Review Of Technology And Infrastructure Needs In The Delivery Of Virtual Hearing Aid Services, Danielle Difabio, Robin O'Hagan, Danielle Glista

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Purpose: The digital health revolution has brought forward integral technological advancements enabling virtual care as a readily accessible delivery model. Despite this forward momentum, the field of audiology still faces barriers that impede the uptake of virtual services into routine clinical practice. The aim of this study was to gather, synthesize, and summarize the literature around virtual hearing aid intervention studies and the related technology and infrastructure requirements.

Method: A scoping review was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Nursing and Allied Health, and Web of Science databases. Objectives, inclusion criteria, and scoping review methods were specified in advance and documented …

The Effect Of Aac-Modeling Intervention (Aac-Mod) Within Dialogic Reading On Vocabulary Learning In Children With Down Syndrome, Emily A. Mchugh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of aided Alternative and Augmentative Communication-Modeling (AAC-MOD) intervention on the communication skills of preschool-age children with Down syndrome (DS) during dialogic book reading. The study investigated to what extent AAC-MOD is effective in increasing the acquisition of target vocabulary and expressive communication acts by children with DS who use few words functionally. Two children aged 3;10 and 5;4, with repertoires of less than 75 intelligible words were selected. A repeated acquisition experimental design was used to examine the effects of instruction on target vocabulary word learning and symbolic communication. …

Intercampus Health Care Simulation Model For Development Of Students’ Interprofessional Socialization And Competency, Cody Marie Busch, Lynn Gilbertson, Colleen Gullickson, Elizabeth Laessig

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Clinical education standards for speech-language pathology and nursing programs indicate the need for students to gain experience with interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP). However, colleges not affiliated with hospitals struggle to offer experiences between healthcare disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study as a model for interprofessional healthcare simulation that can be applied to schools that have limited access to a variety of professional programs and few complimentary medical specialties at their home institution. The partnership of a masters in speech-language pathology (MS-SLP) program at a public state sponsored institution and a bachelors of science in …

Perceptions And Effects Of Online Clinical Preparation Modules For First-Semester Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Elizabeth M. Leatherman, Kris Pedersen

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Students begin graduate school with varying backgrounds and experiences from their undergraduate program, which can result in different degrees of competence as they begin clinical work. This study investigated the effects of a series of seven online modules designed to review foundational clinical skills and enhance students’ clinical success. A cohort of 39 incoming graduate students at a midwestern university participated in the study and completed the modules during program orientation. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the effects and perceptions of the modules, including surveying students and the clinical faculty, comparing students’ clinical evaluations to those of previous students …

The Blended And Online Learning Design Fellows Program: Developing Teacher-Researchers In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Laurel Teller, Jena Mcdaniel, C. Melanie Schuele, Cynthia J. Brame

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Developing skills in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) represents an important gap in doctoral training in Communication Sciences and Disorders. This study describes the Blended and Online Learning Design Fellows Program (BOLD) as a model for infusing SoTL into doctoral studies and for teaching graduate students how to develop online instructional modules. We first describe the structure of the yearlong BOLD Program. We then provide a case example of the development and SoTL evaluation of an online instructional module on the topic of intentional communication. We conclude with a discussion regarding how our study results inform future instructional …

The Use Of Interprofessional Education (Ipe) To Address Collaboration For Individualized Education Plans (Ieps): A Retrospective Study Of Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, And Special Education Students’ Perceptions, Kristina Curro, Lisa Shooman, Sue Foo

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The purpose of this project is to measure the effects of interprofessional education (IPE) on the perceptions of preservice professionals’ development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The preservice professionals (PSPs) participants included master’s students from speech language pathology (SLP), occupational therapy (OT) and special education (SPED) programs (N = 78). The primary project goals were to examine the perceptions of the participants’ roles and knowledge on a multidisciplinary education team, their perceptions of the collaborative process, and their familiarity with the IEP development process. A mixed-methods, retrospective, cross-sectional investigation was used to obtain quantitative and qualitative outcomes. A …

A Proposed Framework For Peer Reviews, Sarah M. Ginsberg, Colleen F. Visconti

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Journal manuscripts are peer reviewed with the hopes that the peer review will facilitate an editor's decision regarding the disposition of the article and that the feedback will be helpful to the authors in improving their manuscript. However peer reviews may not achieve these goals if they lack sufficient analysis and feedback. This article presents a domains of language for peer review (DoLPR) framework to improve depth and quality of peer reviews conducted on journal manuscripts. The framework was developed in hopes of improving the quality of peer reviews.

Innovative Changes To Study Abroad: Virtual Intercultural Learning During The Pandemic, Lata A. Krishnan, Lan Jin, Aletha Stahl, Sita Sreekumar, Saumya Sundaram, Manju Subrahmanian, Praveena Davis

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Intercultural competence (ICC) is increasingly important for healthcare professionals, and study abroad (SA) programs have been one mechanism to increase students’ ICC. With SA programs being cancelled due to the pandemic, and qualitative literature supporting virtual intercultural learning (ICL), the purpose of this paper is to describe a novel approach towards “study abroad” without traveling abroad and evaluate participant gains in ICC with a virtual international ICL experience embedded into a graduate level pediatric audiology course. Nine U.S students and ten students at a partner institution in India were enrolled in the course. Comparison of pre- and post-IDI® scores showed …

Verbal Inhibition Declines Among Older Women With High Fmr1 Premutation Expansions: A Prospective Study, Nell Maltman, Leann Dawalt, Jinkuk Hong, Audra Sterling, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, Jessica Klusek, Marsha R. Mailick

Faculty Publications

The FMR1 premutation has been associated with difficulties in executive functioning, including verbal inhibition. However, little is known about the longitudinal profiles of verbal inhibition among FMR1 premutation carriers, particularly in women, and how individual factors such as aging and CGG repeat length may contribute to changes in verbal inhibition over time. The present study examined verbal inhibition performance (i.e., inhibition errors) on the Hayling Sentence Completion Task in a cohort of 92 women with the FMR1 premutation across two timepoints approximately three years apart. We examined the effects of age, CGG repeat length, and their interactions on verbal inhibition …

Perceptual Flexibility For Speech: What Are The Pros And Cons?, F. Sayako Earle, Carolyn M. Quam

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

How listeners handle acoustic-phonetic variability during spoken language processing is a fundamental question in the field of speech perception. A robust behavioral literature describes ways in which humans adapt their perception to accommodate idiosyncratic, or foreign-accented, speech -- or how we learn to attend to new phonetic cues, as may be important for learning a different language. And yet, we are still in the early stages of understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie group-level or individual differences in perceptual flexibility. This special issue focuses on how contextual information and acoustic-phonetic input interacts with neurocognitive factors that shape the boundaries of …

Intervention Approaches For Childhood Apraxia Of Speech: An Overview Of Prevailing Treatment Methods, Toni Lewis

University Honors Theses

This paper aims to describe the theory and methods of select intervention approaches for childhood apraxia of speech so readers may better understand current treatment techniques. Covered in this paper are Rapid Syllable Transitions (ReST), Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT), as well as supplemental techniques such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and ultrasound biofeedback. Also covered briefly are instances of CAS treatment in languages other than English.

Cochlear Implant Evaluations Of Spanish-Speaking Adults, Mariana Mejia Turnbull

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background. As the Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to increase, audiologists need valid and reliable speech perception materials in Spanish to be able to offer evidence-based, high quality hearing health care to this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate current trends in CI evaluations of Spanish-speaking adults in clinics around the country, with a specific focus on sentence perception tests (Part 1). An additional goal was to analyze and compare the linguistical content of the Spanish sentence perception tests found to be the most commonly used among clinicians (Part 2).

Methods. A questionnaire was created and …

Cvemp Frequency Tuning In Adults Aged 60 And Above: A Systematic Review, Kiersten P. Dudman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate if there is a significant difference in the frequency specificity of cVEMP amplitude responses in the older adult population, and if so how clinical protocols should reflect age related changes in the vestibular system to properly assess for vestibular pathology.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted using various databases through the Mina Rees Library of the City University of New York’s Graduate Center. This search identified articles relevant to this systematic review. Inclusion criteria encompassed quantified studies that utilized various frequency tone bursts to elicit VEMP responses among several age groups.

Results: Three …

A Diagnostic Pocket Guide For Audiologists: Outer, Middle, And Inner Ear Disorders And Chronic Diseases, Ashley Andino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Given the Scope of Practice for Audiologists as outlined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the diverse occupational settings audiologists belong to, and the varied multidisciplinary collaboration necessary, audiologists are tasked with needing, at minimum, a baseline understanding of a wide range of disorders. This includes not only otological diseases, but multisystem disorders that affect the auditory system. While an abundance of diagnostic audiological information on various disorders and their impacts are available, there exists a gap in the availability of condensed and accessible diagnostic information for everyday use. The goal of the resulting diagnostic pocket guide is to provide …

Monolingual Versus Bilingual Use Of Context To Facilitate Speech Recognition In Background Noise: A Systematic Review, Rachel Abucasis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Introduction: Previous literature has shown that bilingual listeners face more challenges than monolinguals during speech recognition in adverse listening conditions. As noisy environments degrade the acoustic stimuli and leave the listener with a partial or ambiguous signal to pair to a lexical representation, it is not possible to do so with the acoustic and phonological features alone. Bilinguals consistently use a significant amount of their cognitive resources during the early stages of speech processing, partially due to their need to navigate between the two languages. With exhaustion of most of their cognitive resources, there is limited capacity available to use …

Audiologists' Perspectives On Noise Induced Hearing Loss, Rachael L. Cleary

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Excessive noise has long been established in the literature as a prevalent workplace hazard. The high prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has led to high economic costs and has produced many physical and mental health effects on workers exposed to occupational noise. Standards set by OSHA are implemented in the workplace in order to protect employees. Despite these regulations set by OSHA, millions of workers in the United States are still exposed to excessive occupational noise, with limited use of hearing protection. The high prevalence of occupational NIHL and low use of hearing protective devices (HPDs) brings into …

Augmentative And Alternative Communication Use, Service Delivery Experiences, And Communicative Participation For People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Betts Peters

Dissertations and Theses

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) often experience changes to their speech, and may use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and techniques to maintain the ability to communicate. The use of AAC may facilitate the participation of people with ALS in various life situations involving communication. There is limited data in the literature about the AAC approaches currently used by people with ALS, the professional services they receive to support communication, or the effects of AAC on their communicative participation. This dissertation involved a nationwide online survey of people with ALS, and comprises three papers intended to add to …

Predictors Of Therapy Response In Chronic Aphasia: Building A Foundation For Personalized Aphasia Therapy, Sigfus Kristinsson, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Chris Rorden, Roger Newman-Norlund, Jean Neils-Strunjas, Julius Fridriksson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Chronic aphasia, a devastating impairment of language, affects up to a third of stroke survivors. Speech and language therapy has consistently been shown to improve language function in prior clinical trials, but few clinicially applicable predictors of individual therapy response have been identified to date. Consequently, clinicians struggle substantially with prognostication in the clinical management of aphasia. A rising prevalence of aphasia, in particular in younger populations, has emphasized the increasing demand for a personalized approach to aphasia therapy, that is, therapy aimed at maximizing language recovery of each individual with reference to evidence-based clinical recommendations. In this narrative review, …

Effects Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Communication, Agitation And General Health In Individuals With Dementia Living In Long-Term Care Facilities And The Secondary Effects On Their Caregivers., Jenilee K. Woltman

Communication Disorders Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The use of animals for therapeutic purposes has existed for centuries. However, it was not until recently that people realized the human-animal interaction has potential effects on our overall health. Human-animal interaction positively impacts humans' social, emotional, and cognitive functions (Woods et al., 2005). This research encompasses two studies. Both studies examined the therapeutic effects of an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) dog presence on communication abilities and agitation of individuals with mild to severe dementia residing in a long-term care facility. Study 1 examined agitated behaviors, communications, and social interactions of older adults with dementia living in a long-term care facility …

Comparing Relative And Absolute Reliability Of Short Versus Long Narrative Retells, Jenna Hollis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine and compare relative and absolute reliability estimates between brief, linguistically compact narrative retells and longer, more linguistically diffuse narrative retells. The participants included 190 school-age children in firstsixth grade from Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Participants completed two brief narrative retells using the Narrative Language Measures (NLM) Listening subtest of the CUBED assessment and one longer narrative retell using the wordless picture book Frog, Where Are You? (FWAY). These language samples were then analyzed for language productivity, complexity, and story grammar elements using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts software program and …

Dynamic Measures Of Referential Communication Reveal Hidden Pragmatic Strengths For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariana Schreuders

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently while maintaining mutual understanding is a fundamental aspect of human-to-human interaction. Studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges in areas of social communication skills, such as aspects of referential communication; or the ability to refer to things in such a way that a listener will know what the speaker is describing. The current study used data from a preexisting Barrier study to compare the referential communication abilities of school-aged children with ASD to those of neurotypical children (NT). Referential communication was observed during a barrier task, where participants …

Pre-Pulse Inhibition In Mutated Mice: Studying Compromised Microglial Cells To Discover New Genetic Connections To Autism, Bailey R. Kramarik

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Microglial cells “play a pivotal role in refining neural networks during early critical periods” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 1). A disturbance in the functioning of these microglial cells contribute to specific characteristics of some neurodevelopmental disorders- including autism spectrum disorder. In this study, we used a mouse model to study disruptions in cell activity, as understanding the biological and genetic background of autism spectrum disorder could help us provide better treatment and therapy options to those diagnosed.

The mutated mice in this experiment have microglial cells with “compromised fractalkine signaling” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 4-5). We studied multimodal …

The Impact Of Distance Education On Therapy Services For Students With Asd: An Slp Perspective, Andrea Spragg

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused an abrupt change in the day-to-day lives of individuals across the world as adults were forced to work from home and children were forced into virtual school environments. For all students, this disruption in schedule and daily routine been hard, but especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Mumbardo-Adam et al., 2021). For many students with ASD, school is a place in which they receive many essential services and social interactions, such as speech therapy, that they may not receive other places. The purpose of this survey research was to understand the …

The Relationship Between Quality Of Life Outcomes And Social Hearing For Cochlear Implant Recipients Using The Nciq And Pipsl, Bonnie A. Purtill

Dissertations, 2020-current

Unmanaged hearing loss can have profound cognitive, social, and emotional impacts on a person’s life. Cochlear implants improve functional skills such as auditory detection and speech discrimination, and have also been shown to improve quality of life. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) measures are a great tool to assess mental, physical, and social changes after cochlear implantation. While previous research has established improvement in HRQoL after cochlear implantation, there remains a lack of research evaluating long-term effects of cochlear implants for post-lingually and bilaterally deafened adults. Using a disease specific HRQoL questionnaire—Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) and a social …