Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Amplification Vs The Natural Ear: A Test On The Effectiveness Of The Natural Ear On Adults Ability To Match Pitch In Song, Celeste Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Singing is a natural enjoyment of life; however, individuals tend to isolate themselves from this enjoyment due to their inability to match pitch accurately. A new technology, the Natural Ear provides altered auditory feedback to the user while singing. It is hypothesized that this feedback may aid in the userâ??s ability to match pitch.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of the Natural Ear to amplification and no amplification conditions on pitch matching accuracy in song.

Study Design: This study used a complex counterbalance within-subjects design.

Methods: 50 adults from the El Paso Metropolitan …

The Role That Language Proficiency Variables Play On Grammaticality, Morphosyntax, And Semanitc Skills In Bilingual Children, Stephanie Escobar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: A number of experiential factors contribute to bilingual development. Factors such as opportunities to hear and use language, age of first exposure, context of learning, social value of a language, education and others have been discussed in other studies. (Bedore et al 2016; Bedore et al 2012). Language questionnaires and self-reports have been used to quantify language variables and current usage of a language. The current study was part of a larger project examining diagnostic accuracy of various assessment tools for Spanish English bilingual children living in a US/Mexico border city (Curtis, Summers, Stubbemann, & Smith, 2017). The purpose …

Visual Feedback In Voice Therapy For Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Rachel Brooke Convey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson ’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects one’s movement. As the disease develops, individuals begin to present with symptoms that include but are not limited to bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, and hypokinetic dysarthria. These symptoms affect a person’s entire body, including his/her voice. The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) program for treating individuals with PD is supported by over twenty-five years of research. It is considered a safe, non-invasive method to improve vocal loudness and speech clarity in individuals with PD. However, simply because LSVT is effective in its current state, it does not mean that the …

Perseveration Or Perseverance: Investigating Interpretations Of Echolalia, Self-Stimulatory Behaviors, And Intervention Approaches For Children Who Have Autism, Ashlynn Rae Kufleitner

Senior Independent Study Theses

The broad purpose of this study was to examine professionals’ perceptions of self-stimulatory behaviors in school-age children who have autism and the relation of these behaviors to communication. More specifically, I investigated whether and how speech-language pathologists and applied behavior analysis therapists address these behaviors during therapy by analyzing what factors may influence the selection of intervention methods and how these methods may be used to shape restrictive behaviors into functional communication. Through pursuing this topic, I hoped to increase research concerning the ways that echolalia and self-stimulatory behaviors are perceived by clinicians who work with clients on the autism …

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

Senior Independent Study Theses

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

Considerations For Implementing A Telerehabilitation Treatment Program For Individuals With Chronic Aphasia, Elena Pivek, Jennine Harvey-Northrop Phd Ccc-Slp, Kimberly Adelman Ms Ccc-Slp

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

The purpose of this research project is to identify the considerations that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) need to review before beginning to use telerehabilitation services to treat patients with chronic aphasia. This research will specifically target therapy treatments for patients with chronic aphasia and the technology adaptations and adjustments necessary for this population. This research project includes a systematic literature review as well as an in-service presentation. As telerehabilitation will continue to develop and grow, practicing SLPs need to have a foundational understanding of what teletherapy is, the patients suitable for services, and the benefits it has the potential to provide. …

A Resource Manual For Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students On Culturally Relevant Therapy Materials, Anna Yates, Heidi M. Harbers, Ciera M. Lorio

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

This literature review will discuss the effects of shared book reading interventions on the language outcomes of young children from mainstream and diverse backgrounds. The first three studies will identify parent-child shared book reading interventions with children from the dominant culture. The next three studies will discuss the effects of providing shared book reading interventions to children who are bilingual. The final four studies will examine the use of culturally relevant materials in bilingual shared book reading interventions.

Differentiated Social Skills Curriculum For Individuals With Cognitive Impairments, Morgan Bails, Tricia Larkin, Ann Beck

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

While communication may seem simple and inherent to many individuals while interacting with family, friends, or co-workers, communication may be more challenging for individuals with cognitive impairments. Whether the difficulty is related to expressive language, receptive language, semantics, pragmatics, etc., any deficits in these areas can create difficulty for individuals while socializing with others in their environment. Social skills intervention for individuals with cognitive impairments is imperative so that these individuals are able to communicate as effectively as possible in numerous settings with various communication partners. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have difficulty with social skills in particular …

Strategies To Address Challenging Behaviors In Children With Down Syndrome, Emily Sproat, Ciera M. Lorio, Kimberly Adelman Ms Ccc-Slp

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

As a future speech-language pathologist, it is imperative to develop knowledge and skills regarding how to provide therapy while managing challenging behaviors. Challenging behaviors could have long and short-term effects on the individual themselves and multiple entities in the child’s environment including caregivers, teachers, peers and other professionals. The presence of challenging behaviors can significantly impact learning as well as impede social interaction with peers. The purpose of this literature review is to inform speech-language pathologists about behavioral aspects of individuals with Down syndrome, with a focus on challenging behavior, and the best application of strategies and interventions for success. …

Case-Based Perspective-Taking As A Mechanism To Improve Metacognition And Higher-Level Thinking In Undergraduate Speech-Language Pathology Students, Lisa Vinney, Jennifer C. Friberg, Mary Smyers

Faculty Publications – Communication Sciences and Disorders

This case study addressed the authors’ efforts to design an 8-week small-group independent study (IS) experience that facilitated undergraduate speech-language pathology students’ (n=19) higher-level thinking and overall metacognitive awareness. We hoped to encourage both in order to improve students’ overall cognitive growth while enhancing their reflection about and knowledge of professional perspectives regarding the assessment and treatment of laryngeal cancer. To take on this challenge, we combined case-based learning (CBL) and perspective-taking (PT) pedagogies across the IS. Students completed the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) pre- and post-IS, and written reflections after each of eight weekly discussion meetings. The MAI was …

An Investigation Of Therapeutic Rapport Through Prosody In Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Carolina De Pasquale, Charlie Cullen, Brian Vaughan

Conference Papers

Therapeutic alliance, a concept closely related to rapport, is one of the most important variables in psychotherapy. High degrees of synchrony/coordination in the therapeutic session are considered to contribute to rapport, and have received attention in the psychotherapy literature. Coordinative behaviours are observable in speech, and they manifest in phenomena such as prosodic accommodation, a dynamic phenomenon closely related to conversational success. A preliminary investigation of interpersonal prosodic dynamics in psychotherapy was performed on a database obtained in collaboration with the University of Padua, consisting of 16 recordings making up the entire course of a brief psychodynamic psychotherapy intervention for …

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

Computer Science Faculty Publications

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

Electroencephalogram (Eeg) For Delineating Objective Measure Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sampath Jayarathna, Yasith Jayawardana, Mark Jaime, Sashi Thapaliya

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that often impairs a child's normal development of the brain. According to CDC, it is estimated that 1 in 6 children in the US suffer from development disorders, and 1 in 68 children in the US suffer from ASD. This condition has a negative impact on a person's ability to hear, socialize, and communicate. Subjective measures often take more time, resources, and have false positives or false negatives. There is a need for efficient objective measures that can help in diagnosing this disease early as possible with less effort. EEG measures the …

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2019], Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders

Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders Programs

The Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders provides continuing education activities in speech- language pathology that are acceptable to the State of Iowa and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Areas of emphasis include adults and pediatrics.

Examining Sensory Ability, Feature Matching And Assessment-Based Adaptation For A Brain–Computer Interface Using The Steady-State Visually Evoked Potential, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Anh Nguyen, Kevin M. Pitt, Sean D. Lorenz

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: We investigated how overt visual attention and oculomotor control influence successful use of a visual feedback brain-computer interface (BCI) for accessing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices in a heterogeneous population of individuals with profound neuromotor impairments. BCIs are often tested within a single patient population limiting generalization of results. This study focuses on examining individual sensory abilities with an eye toward possible interface adaptations to improve device performance.

Methods: Five individuals with a range of neuromotor disorders participated in four-choice BCI control task involving the steady state visually evoked potential. The BCI graphical interface was designed to simulate …

Barriers To Change For Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Lauren E. Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of counseling training on speech language pathologists’ (SLPs) perceived competency to address Attitude Barriers within the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment process as presented by Beukelman and Mirenda (2005). Counseling techniques, such as the use of the Readiness to Change© tool, are within the scope of practice for SLPs. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on how to apply these tools and techniques with individuals who use AAC .

A training seminar was conducted to educate participants in the use of the Readiness to Change© tool. Data was …

Assistive Devices For Communication Use With The Elderly, Corrine Koepsell, Antony Joseph

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Hearing loss is one of the prevalent medical conditions in older adults. Although it has been documented that hearing loss is associated with various aspects of social and physical health, hearing assistive technologies and audiologic rehabilitation have been infrequently tapped clinical solutions. Cost and user problems in background noise are two common reasons why hearing aids are underutilized by seniors, and by younger age groups as well. Alternative tools, such as assistive listening devices, may be helpful for older listeners, even though they are used less frequently than hearing aids. To identify if assistive listening devices are satisfactory, a pilot …

Outcomes Of An Intensive Exercise-Based Swallowing Program For Persons With Parkinson's Disease: A Single-Case Experiment, Jocelyn Jenks

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The leading cause of death in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is aspiration pneumonia, a negative consequence of swallowing impairment. Approximately 80%, and upward of 95%, of persons with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) will present with progressive dysphagia, or swallowing impairment. Dysphagia may also lead to dehydration, malnutrition, weight loss, reduced quality of life, hospital readmissions, and high financial burden. Recent evidence suggests swallowing exercise is beneficial for PwPD and there is growing evidence that supports intense programs combining exercises, which may provide sufficient treatment intensity to improve swallowing. The present study investigated whether a four-week Intensive exercise-based Swallowing Program (ISP) combining lingual …

Patient Perspectives Of An Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program For Stroke Survivors, Anya A. Leyhe, Catherine A. Off, Carolyn R. Baylor, Jenna R. Griffin, Kirsten W. Murray

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Persons with aphasia (PWA) who participate in intensive comprehensive poststroke language rehabilitation programs make a variety of significant investments. While intensive aphasia programs and intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAPs) are becoming increasingly prevalent across health care settings, patient perspectives of ICAPs have not been explored. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine patient perspectives about the experience of participating in an ICAP at the University of Montana. The primary research question of this study was: “what is it like to be a PWA in an ICAP?” Methods: Researchers used an interpretive phenomenological approach to conduct …

Speech-Language Pathology And Psychology Students' Perceptions Of An Interprofessional Autism Intervention: An Exploratory Case Study, Haley Marie Nelson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how the interprofessional collaboration (IPC) experience of Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) changes perceptions and knowledge regarding scope of practice of pre-service professionals in the Communicative Sciences and Disorders (CSD), School Psychology, and Clinical Psychology programs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pre-service professionals participating in YETI as student clinicians at three different time periods. The results contribute to the existing literature base affirming that interprofessional experiences during pre-professional programs are beneficial. For the Departments of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Department of Psychology at University of Montana, findings have the …