Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Correlations Between Cognitive Pause Patterns And Listener Perceptions Of Communicative Effectiveness And Likeability For People With Aphasia, Heidi Raylene Mcconaghie

Theses and Dissertations

A prevalent feature of typical spontaneous speech are speech pauses. Longer speech pauses, known as cognitive pauses, occur in typical speech and are indicative of higher-level cognitive processes. Atypical cognitive pauses, however, are prevalent in the speech of people with aphasia consequent to their communication disorder. Research has shown that these atypical pauses may contribute to negative listener perceptions. This study aimed to determine the influence of atypical speech pause on listener perceptions of communicative effectiveness and speaker likeability. Specifically, this study evaluated the relationship between listener ratings of communicative effectiveness and likeability and acoustic measures of between-utterance pause duration, …

The Influence Of Pause On Listeners' Perceptions In Speech Of People With Aphasia, Emily Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how varying pause lengths in speech of people with aphasia (PWA) influences listeners' perceptions. The study specifically assesses listeners' perceptions of communicative effectiveness and speaker likability. Speech samples from six people with nonfluent or fluent aphasia were obtained from a previous study conducted by Harmon (2018). The speech samples were modified to create four sets of stimuli, including the original recordings, normalized within utterance pauses, normalized between utterance pauses, and normalized for both within and between utterance pauses. Forty listeners rated each of the speech samples based on the perceived communicative effectiveness …

Clinical Education Outcomes And Research Directions In Speech-Language Pathology: A Scoping Review, George W. Wolford, Schea Fissel Brannick, Sarah Strother, Laura Wolford

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Purpose: To describe what researchers are investigating and how they are measuring the constructs of their investigations within the speech-language pathology (SLP) clinical education literature.

Method: A scoping review methodology (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005) was employed to develop a picture of clinical education articles which reported a measured outcome. Articles that met criteria were categorized by the purpose of the investigation and the outcome measures reported.

Result: 124 articles met inclusion criteria. Analysis of study purposes revealed a wide breadth of foci that were grouped into four broad clusters: Outcome Measures, Student Perspectives, Educational Contexts, and Teaching Methods. Most of …

Interprofessional Education And Practice: Perspectives From Students In Speech-Language Pathology And Recreational Therapy, David Hajjar, Jan Elich-Monroe, Susan Durnford

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP) are important components for undergraduate and graduate students to experience during their programs of study in speech-language pathology and related health professions. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is a member organization of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) which promotes four core competencies required for effective practice: values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork. The purpose of this study was to gather the lived experiences from eight pre-professional students, four from speech-language pathology (SLP) and four from recreational therapy(RT), during focus groups and discussion forums conducted before, during, and after a 14-week IPE/IPP clinical …

Enhancing Intercultural Competence: Can It Be Done Without Studying Abroad?, Lata A. Krishnan, Lan Jin, Charles A. Calahan

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Participation in intensive, immersive, service-learning study abroad programs with intentional intercultural activities embedded in the course curriculum has been shown to enhance cultural competence as measured via the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) (Krishnan, Masters, Holgate, Wang & Calahan, 2017; Krishnan, Lin & Benson, 2020). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative impact of embedding intercultural learning activities on students’ intercultural competence when included in an on-campus course compared to a study abroad program. The intervention group consisted of 34 students enrolled in the on-campus course which incorporated intentional intercultural activities. Forty-one students who did not take the …

Perceptions Of Immediate Written Feedback Provided To Slp Graduate Clinicians During Tele-Therapy Sessions, Darya Hinman, Sarah Patten, Mahchid Namazi

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Given the status of clinical practice and the heavy reliance on technology due to COVID-19, it is important to investigate clinical supervision practices. The purpose of this study was to determine whether immediate feedback using technology was beneficial for a university clinical setting specifically where current supervision of students is undertaken via a virtual platform. The chat function via the Zoom teletherapy platform was used to deliver immediate written feedback to SLP graduate clinicians. Utilizing technology allowed supervisors to provide immediate, in-session written feedback to SLP graduate clinicians. The objective was to investigate the perceptions of immediate feedback for the …

A Pilot Investigation Of Critical Thinking In Undergraduate Students Of Communication Sciences And Disorders, David M. Rehfeld, Tracey N. Sulak, Deborah Rainer, Janice Stewart, Nadine Welch

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Speech-language pathologists use critical thinking on a daily basis to identify, evaluate, and implement evidence-based practices with their clients. Currently, however, there are minimal data describing the critical thinking of undergraduate students in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Without these data, it is unclear if and how students’ critical thinking differs at various points during their pre-service training. In the present study, we used the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z to describe the general critical thinking skills of 142 undergraduate students enrolled in two lower- (n = 95) and upper- (n = 47) level courses at …

Fostering Clinical And Academic Faculty Collaborations To Improve Graduate Education, Nicole M. Etter, Aarthi Madhavan, Elise M. Lindquist, Amanda J. Byrd, Anne Marie Kubat

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Accredited graduate programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) work to integrate academic coursework, a breadth of clinical experiences, and an overarching capstone project (e.g. summative assessment). The best graduate programs focus on integrating these three elements through high quality collaborations between academic and clinical faculty. These collaborations are fostered when clinical and academic faculty attempt to provide students with experiences that intersect academic, research, and clinical areas of speech language pathology. The purpose of this paper describes the collaborative efforts undertaken by the CSD department at the Pennsylvania State University. We present a model for collaborations in graduate education …

Intercultural Competence Gains From Study Abroad In India, Lata A. Krishnan, Horane Diatta-Holgate, Charles A. Calahan

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Participation in a study abroad program to Zambia with intentional intercultural activities embedded in the course curriculum has been shown to enhance cultural competence as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) (Krishnan, Masters, Holgate, Wang & Calahan, 2017). The purpose of this study was to assess whether a new program to India, developed using a. similar model, was effective in increasing student intercultural competence and to compare student outcomes with the previous program to evaluate possible differences in outcomes related to the destination country. Participants included 21 students who participated in the SLHS in India study abroad program, and …

Lesion Loci Of Impaired Affective Prosody: A Systematic Review Of Evidence From Stroke, Alexandra Zezinka Durfee, Shannon M. Sheppard, Margaret L. Blake, Argye E. Hillis

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Affective prosody, or the changes in rate, rhythm, pitch, and loudness that convey emotion, has long been implicated as a function of the right hemisphere (RH), yet there is a dearth of literature identifying the specific neural regions associated with its processing. The current systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence on affective prosody localization in the RH. One hundred and ninety articles from 1970 to February 2020 investigating affective prosody comprehension and production in patients with focal brain damage were identified via database searches. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria, passed quality reviews, and were analyzed for affective prosody localization. …

Evaluating The Effects Of Physical Activity On The Cognitive Functions And Motor Skills Of The Special Needs Population And Testing A Different Teaching Style To Maximize The Efficiency Of Special Needs Programs, Oren Nedjar

BIO4960: Practicum in Biology I

This study aimed to analyze the effects of physical activities on the motor and cognitive functions of participants with special needs and compare these results with a similar program but organized online because of the health precautions that have been applied due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An intervention consisting of sending an educational brochure aiming to increase high school volunteers' health literacy was then tested and results showed that it improved participants' health outcomes and also could increase the program's effectiveness in the long term.

Adopting A Conceptual Validity Framework For Testing In Speech-Language Pathology, Olivia Daub, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Marlene P. Bagatto, Andrew M. Johnson, Elaine Y. Kwok, Rachael E. Smyth, Janis Oram Cardy

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Purpose Limited evidence-based guidelines for test selection continue to result in inconsistency in test use and interpretation in speech-language pathology. A major barrier is the lack of explicit and consistent adoption of a validity framework by our field. In this viewpoint, we argue that adopting the conceptual validity framework in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association et al., 2014) would support both the development of more meaningful and feasible clinical tests and more appropriate use and interpretation of tests in speech-language pathology. Method We describe and evaluate the (American Educational Research Association et al., 2014) …

Experience And Satisfaction With Hearing Aid Services Delivered Via Teleaudiology In Adult Populations: A Systematic Review, Shelby Platia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: The goal of this systematic review is to examine the current literature to look at patient experience and satisfaction with teleaudiology services. Specifically, teleaudiology services that occur at the fitting and/or post-fitting stage of the adult hearing aid patient journey.

Methods: A comprehensive search utilizing PubMed, MEDLINE and EBSCOhost databases were conducted to identify pertinent, peer-reviewed, articles related to the clinical usage or clinical applications of teleaudiology for hearing aid fittings and/or follow-up for adult individuals. Inclusion criteria were studies that are empirical, included quantitative results, articles published in English, peer-reviewed articles; and persons who are 18 …

Optimizing Communication In Palliative And Hospice Care: A Toolkit For Audiologists, Sherry E. Queen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, with age-related hearing loss (ARHL) being one of the most prevalent forms of sensory decline in older adults. Hearing loss is often overlooked in medical settings including palliative and hospice care. Screening for hearing loss in these settings is rare as is formal staff training on assessing and managing hearing loss in palliative and hospice care. An evidence-based toolkit for integrating audiologists into end-of-life care protocols is presented. This toolkit was developed to optimize communication in palliative and hospice care for patients, caregivers, audiologists, physicians, and other palliative care staff. Effective communication …

Alcohol And Its Long-Term Effects On Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review, Talia Sowalsky

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: To review the literature on potential permanent effects of long-term alcohol consumption on hearing status in adults 40 years of age and older.

Study Design: Systematic review of prospective and retrospective studies; meta-analysis of case-controlled studies.

Methods: One researcher independently reviewed MEDLINE (January 1, 2000-May 1, 2019), CINAHL (January 1, 2000-May 1, 2019), PubMed (January 1, 2000-May 1, 2019), and Web of Science (January 1, 2000-May 1, 2019). A manual reference search was additionally conducted. Randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, consecutive/non-consecutive case series, and retrospective reviews in which a clear definition of hearing loss was stated were included …

Systematic Review: The Effect Of Hearing Aids On Balance And Falls, Natalia Beatriz Pagan-Guadalupe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: The population of individuals 65 years old is increasing and falls are one of the most prevalent causes of disabilities among this population. Recent studies have found association between neural hearing losses and increased risk of falls, suggesting that hearing is an important input that assist visual, proprioceptive and vestibular inputs in maintaining balance. Hearing aids are known to be beneficial to improve access to sound; however, it is very limited the research regarding the effects of amplification on balance and risk of falls.

Objectives: This systematic review intends to gather and analyze all the research available regarding the …

Infant Behavioral Speech Discrimination Procedures: A Systematic Review, Allison L. Mazzella

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: The purpose of this capstone project was to conduct a systematic review of literature relating to two behavioral infant speech discrimination procedures to evaluate their potential clinical utility. The two procedures examined were the Observer-based Psychoacoustic Procedure (OPP) and the Visual Reinforcement of Infant Speech Discrimination (VRISD) method. The methodology utilized and the results obtained are examined for normal hearing infants and infants with hearing loss. The procedures are compared and contrasted in terms of potential clinical feasibility and modifications for potential clinical use are considered.

Methods: A comprehensive search was performed using Pubmed and EBSCO Academic Search Complete …

Examining The Effect Of Longstanding Deafness On Health Literacy: A Systematic Review, Sara S. Payami

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate whether deafness has a significant effect on one’s health literacy skills, and, if there is a difference between health literacy of a normal hearing individual compared to that of a Deaf individual. Disparities in health literacy unique to the Deaf experience are identified.

Methods: A comprehensive search the utilizing various peer-reviewed databases was conducted via the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Graduate Center Library to identify relevant studies published after 2009. Inclusion criteria incorporated quantified studies which commented on the health literacy of d/Deaf communities in the U.S. published from 2009 to …

Daily Benefits Of Leader Dogs In Addition To Medical Treatment For Individuals With Usher Syndrome: A Case Study, Samantha H. Zwolan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Adults with Usher syndrome seeking audiologic rehabilitation and treatment often experience everyday difficulties that are not fully resolved using typical medical treatments. This case study examines the difficulties faced by individuals diagnosed with Usher syndrome in their everyday life, including quality of life, safety, and social issues. Additionally, the non-medical benefits that leader dogs can provide such individuals is also presented.

Method: A thorough literature review was performed to provide background information regarding Usher syndrome and the impact it has on the hearing and vision of affected individuals. A related literature review was performed to examine the role …

The Power Of A Sound Mind: Exploring Meditation And Sound Therapies For Treating The Emotional Impact Of Tinnitus, Sabeena A. Ramnanan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Tinnitus is described as a sound perceived by an individual that has no external source. Some individuals with tinnitus can habituate to this phantom sound, while others become emotionally disturbed by it. There are several theories which attempt to rationalize the cause of tinnitus, and various treatments which aim to eliminate, mask, or facilitate habituation to one’s tinnitus. Current common treatments include sound therapies and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), either in isolation or in combination with one another. However, not all these treatments aim to address the emotional impact of tinnitus. Novel treatments are emerging, with some attempting to reduce the …

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 …

Vestibular Case Studies: A Case Of Cva And Vestibular Paroxysmia, Jennifer Banovic B.S., Nicholas Stanley Ph.D. Au.D.

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Case 1:

Introduction: One of the leading causes of centrally based vestibular impairment is a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Patients typically present with limb or facial weakness, dizziness and imbalance, impaired vision, and speech or language dysfunction, however, these symptoms can vary depending on the site of lesion. Case presentation: An 85-year-old female presented with dizziness, bilateral tinnitus, aural fullness, and aphasia, occurring after she suffered a CVA. Three months after the CVA, she was seen by a balance clinic for a videonystagmography (VNG) and audiologic evaluation. Discussion: CVAs can alter the blood supply to the inner ear and its nerve …

Characterizing Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge In Minimally Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Allison Menting

LSU Master's Theses

Background: Delayed or impaired language skills are common characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently, there is little research examining the receptive language profile in children with ASD, and even less is known about children with ASD who are minimally verbal. The current study aimed to characterize the receptive vocabulary profile of minimally verbal children with ASD and to examine whether this profile differs from their typically developing peers. Methods: Participants included 31 minimally verbal children with ASD, aged 60-118 months, who were reported to produce between 0-10 words, 124 typical developing toddlers, aged 9-14 months, who were …

Addressing Adolescents’ Syntactic Complexity And Overall Writing Skills Through An Online Writing Workshop: A Pilot Study With The Homeschool Population, Shelby Ann Hinrichs

Communication Disorders Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Writing development is an area of concern in adolescents across education platforms, including parents who homeschool their children. The current study evaluated the effect of providing an online writing workshop for adolescents who are homeschooled. The participants of the study were students who were homeschooled and their parent(s) who were recruited via social media. After receiving child assent and parental consent, nine adolescents (5 females; 4 males), ages ten to twelve years old, participated in a five-week online writing workshop. The workshop consisted of one pre-test week, three weeks of treatment, and one post-test week. At pre- and post-test, the …

Language As The Medium: A Literature Review. Harnessing The Prolific Power Of Dramatic Language As A Therapeutic Tool In Drama Therapy, Edward Freeman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Language in and of the theatre, with its palate of variegated writing styles and playwrights from throughout time, has the potential to be harnessed, focused, and systematized for use as a therapeutic tool within drama therapy – the field’s artistic medium. Drama therapy could benefit from having a specific medium germane to its artform which has the potential to provide practitioners with a common resource and means of communication, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as align the field with other creative arts therapies. Language encompasses all forms of human communication – speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, expressing facially – …

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

An Investigation On Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces: Emotiv Epoc+ Neuroheadset And Its Effectiveness, Md Jobair Hossain Faruk

Symposium of Student Scholars

Neurotechnology describes as one of the focal points of today’s research around the domain of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). The primary attempts of BCI research are to decoding human speech from brain signals and controlling neuro-psychological patterns that would benefit people suffering from neurological disorders. In this study, we illustrate the progress of BCI research and present scores of unveiled contemporary approaches. First, we explore a decoding natural speech approach that is designed to decode human speech directly from the human brain onto a digital screen introduced by Facebook Reality Laband University of California San Francisco. Then, we study a recently …

Explicit Training To Improve Affective Prosody Recognition In Adults With Acute Right Hemisphere Stroke, Alexandra Zezinka Durfee, Shannon M. Sheppard, Erin L. Meier, Lisa Bunker, Erjia Cui, Ciprian Crainiceanu, Argye E. Hillis

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Difficulty recognizing affective prosody (receptive aprosodia) can occur following right hemisphere damage (RHD). Not all individuals spontaneously recover their ability to recognize affective prosody, warranting behavioral intervention. However, there is a dearth of evidence-based receptive aprosodia treatment research in this clinical population. The purpose of the current study was to investigate an explicit training protocol targeting affective prosody recognition in adults with RHD and receptive aprosodia. Eighteen adults with receptive aprosodia due to acute RHD completed affective prosody recognition before and after a short training session that targeted proposed underlying perceptual and conceptual processes. Behavioral impairment and lesion characteristics were …

A Multi-Study Examination Of The Role Of Repeated Spaced Retrieval In The Word Learning Of Children With Developmental Language Disorder, Laurence B. Leonard, Sharon L. Christ, Patricia Deevy, Jeffrey D. Karpicke, Christine Weber, Eileen Haebig, Justin B. Kueser, Sofía Souto, Windi Krok

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

Background

Many children with developmental language disorders (DLD) have well-documented weaknesses in vocabulary. In recent years, investigators have explored the nature of these weaknesses through the use of novel word learning paradigms. These studies have begun to uncover specific areas of difficulty and have provided hints about possible intervention strategies that might help these children learn words more accurately and efficiently. Among the studies of this type are those that incorporate repeated spaced retrieval activities in the learning procedures.

Methods

In this study, we examined the data from four of these studies that employed the same types of participants (4- …

Strategies Utilized By Speech-Language Pathologists When Treating Speech-Language Disorders In Children Who Are Bilingual, Julianne L. Monceaux-Visser

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In the state of Minnesota, more children who use a language other than English were reported to speak English less than “very well” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). There was neither a “gold standard” (Verdon, McLeod, & Wong, 2013), nor Preferred Practices (ASHA, 2020) for the treatment of speech-language disorders for children who were bilingual. The current study investigated the practices for treating speech-language disorders in this population by SLPs employed in schools in a region of west-central MN and eastern ND. Using an interpreter, and explicit instruction on targeted language skills were the most common clinical approaches utilized. The child’s …