Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Parent/Caregiver Knowledge And Satisfaction Of Information And Referrals Related To Speech-Language Pathology Services For Children With Down Syndrome, Erin K. Salmons

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, is the most commonly occurring chromosomal abnormality present at birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are approximately 6,000 diagnoses of Down syndrome per year in the United States, further indicating that 1/700 infants are born with Down syndrome. A diagnosis of Down syndrome can be made either prenatally or postnatally. Early intervention services will be warranted to address underlying deficits associated with the syndrome, (i.e., speech-language/feeding/swallowing). Communicative disorders are among the most prominent concomitant deficits associated with Down syndrome. Therefore, it is critical that parents/caregivers of children with …

Dialect And Word Learning: Are Phonological Properties Maintained When Dialectal Influence Changes Word Meaning?, Heather C. Iwinski

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Word learning requires the accurate encoding and decoding of a word’s phonological and semantic properties. Errors in establishing an accurate phonemic-semantic connection can hinder accurate word comprehension and use. Geographical location, culture, and ethnicity can affect the phonology used by a speaker referred to as dialect. African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is one of the most commonly used dialects in the United States. In addition to grammatical changes AAVE is characterized by phonemic changes. The current study sought to determine the effects of AAVE use on the receptive and expressive learning of nonsense words that differ in meaning as noted …

Efficacy Of A Cognitive Training Program For Individuals With Moderate Cognitive Impairment: Evaluating Cognition, Erica Catherine Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive training program among those with moderate cognitive impairment. A total of 23 individuals participated in the study and were randomly assigned to a wait-list control group or a cognitive training program that consisted of 24 cognitive classes for a total of 12 weeks. The cognitive training classes aimed to activate the six primary cognitive domains impacted with dementia, reaction time, attention, memory, language, visual-spatial skills, and executive functioning. All participants were evaluated with a battery of neurocognitive assessments pre-and post-treatment. The findings tentatively support the use …

A Combination Of Therapeutic Techniques: Severe Broca's Aphasia, Kimberly Ann Homan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The effects of Modified Melodic Intonation Therapy for a fifty-nine year old adult with severe Broca's aphasia were examined. Intervention included inner rehearsal and first sound practice to potentially increase initiation abilities. Pre and post self-assessments were used to evaluate self-awareness. Six target phrases (four three-syllable phrases and two two-syllable phrases) were treated over the course of fifteen weeks with two one-hour sessions per week. Results showed an increase in the participant's ability to produce the target phrase. Inner rehearsal proved to be an initiation strategy that met functional needs of the participant in a timelier manner; on the other …

Caps: Implications For Collaboration Between Teachers And Speech-Language Therapists Working In Schools, Anna-Marie Wium, Brenda Louw

ETSU Faculty Works

This critical review addresses the implications of the Curriculum and Assessment Plan Statement (CAPS) for collaboration between teachers and speech-language therapists (SLTs) in schools. A historical perspective on changes in the roles and responsibilities of SLTs is provided, reflecting a shift from supporting the child to supporting the teacher. Based on the role of SLTs and audiologists in schools, an innovative approach to the support of teachers is conceptualized. The curriculum content and methods support learners who experience challenges and barriers to learning in main stream classrooms. The implementation of the curriculum necessitates close collaboration between teachers and SLTs in …

Paraprofessionals' Experiences And Understandings Of The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program (Mihow) In West Virginia, Amy Knell Carlson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

MIHOW, the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program, is a parent-to-parent home visitation program that aims to enhance early childhood development and parent education in economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated families with children birth to three. This qualitative case study conducted in two rural Appalachian counties examined the perceptions and experiences of paraprofessionals who are trained and work as home visitors in the MIHOW Program. Findings were interpreted in relation to extant literature on the use of paraprofessionals in home visitation. Three themes emerged from the data. The first theme related to the use of a strength-based approach and how …

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2015], 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.

Longitudinal Predictors Of Functioning In Children With Asd, Alli Smith, Megan Lyons, Katherine Tsatsanis, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine whether maternal education and number of intervention hours are correlated and/or predictive of a range of developmental outcomes in a longitudinal cohort of children diagnosed with ASD.

Communication Sciences And Disorders (Csd) Graduate Students' Preparedness To Work With Individuals Who Are Bilingual, Elizabeth M. Harbaugh

Honors Theses

This study addresses the overall competence of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate students working with individuals who are bilingual. It examined the different CSD graduate programs in the United States and identified key variables that lead to students' preparedness. The author surveyed 238 individuals, consisting of first and second year graduate students and individuals working in their clinical fellowship from 30 different graduate programs. The data were collected from both Mississippi and the total population and were compared as an example of possible future research pertaining to SLP preparedness needed when working with individuals who are bilingual. The results …

Do People With Aphasia Interpret Road Signs Differently Than People Without Aphasia?, Caitlin Elise Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: This study increased our understanding of how aphasia may affect interpretation of road signs. Background: Despite aphasia’s theoretical effects on road sign comprehension and promising initial findings in studies that investigated driving and aphasia, the literature examining aphasia and road signs has been sparse. Research has shown that aphasia may have some effect on road sign interpretation. However, more study is needed regarding both accuracy and response time to road sign interpretation, which are equally important for safe driving. Methods: This was a prospective, between group study that used data collected from a larger study by Donovan, Savage, Varnado, …

Reliability Of Subjective Endoscopic Parameters In The Differentiation Of Essential Voice Tremor And Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia Using High-Speed Videoendoscopy, Lindsey A. Parker

LSU Master's Theses

Certain neurogenic voice disorders present with similar or overlapping audio perceptual voice characteristics. Developing reliable and standardized perceptual measures of vocal fold vibratory characteristics for such voice disorders can enable accurate diagnosis and lead to faster, targeted treatment. In this study, subjective perceptual vocal fold vibratory characteristics and the presence and absence of supraglottic events during phonation were investigated to differentiate between Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ADSD) and Essential Vocal Fold Tremor (EVT) using high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV). The specific aims of the study were to 1) assess which subjective endoscopic vocal fold vibratory measures differentiate EVT from AdSD; and 2) assess …

Hesitation Rate As A Speaker-Specific Cue In Bilingual Individuals, Jamie Lynn Armbrecht

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hesitation use is common among all speakers, regardless of whether they are engaged in their dominant or non-dominant language (Fehringer & Fry, 2007; Reed, 2000). The question is whether a bilingual speaker will engage in the same types of hesitations in both languages. If hesitation patterns can be identified consistently across speakers regardless of language, their use as an acoustic cue for speaker identification may be possible. This study examines differences in hesitation use across languages and speaking contexts (reading vs. conversation) in bilingual speakers.

Twenty Spanish-English bilinguals (ages 19 -31 years) were tested as part of a larger speaker …

Anticipatory Coarticulation And Stability Of Speech In Typically Fluent Speakers And People Who Stutter Across The Lifespan: An Ultrasound Study, Alissa Joy Belmont

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study uses ultrasound to image onset velar stop consonant articulation in words. By examining tongue body placement, the extent of velar closure variation across vowel contexts provides for the measurement of anticipatory coarticulation while productions within the same vowel context provide measurement of extent of token-to-token variation. Articulate Assistant Advanced 2.0 software was used to semi-automatically generate midsagittal tongue contours at the initial point of maximum velar closure and was used to fit each contour to a curved spline. Patterns of lingual coarticulation and measures of speech motor stability, based on curve-to-curve distance (Zharkova, Hewlett, & Hardcastle, 2011), are …

Validity Testing Of A Preschool Reading Screening Device For Pediatricians, Erika Elaine Blue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to improve access to early literacy intervention in the United States, there are still children entering kindergarten that are not adequately prepared for school and are unlikely to catch up to their peers (National Education Association, 2014). Preschool programs are actively involved in screening their students for potential literacy difficulties; however, there are children who do not attend preschool and may not have their literacy development assessed. One solution to this problem is to involve other individuals who routinely see preschool age children. Pediatricians are one such group as children come to them for their wellness visits and …

Script Training: The Role Of Written Cues, Hallie Cohen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Script training is a technique that allows persons with acquired speech and language disorders, such as nonfluent aphasia, to have islands of fluent speech during which they can speak about a topic without pausing or having word-finding errors. Scripts relevant to specific functional situations are written and practiced until memorized. Script training delivered verbally has been effective with clients with aphasia but the role of written cues in the training has not been explored. Therefore the purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of script training taught verbally, or verbally with a written script, in persons with aphasia. …

Investigating The Effect Of Photographic Representations On Scores Of The Stroke And Aphasia Quality Of Life Scale-39 For People With Moderate To Severe Aphasia, Samantha Studrawa

LSU Master's Theses

Background: The Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life-39 (SAQOL-39) is a valid and reliable measure of quality of life (QOL) for stroke survivors and people with mild-to-moderate aphasia However, it could not be validated for people with severe aphasia due to their language deficits. Research has shown that combining pictures with written text can support communication effectiveness of people with aphasia. Combining language modalities in this way is a form of alternative or augmentative communication (AAC). The use of AAC has been explored as a possibility to improve communication for people with severe aphasia (Dietz, McKelvey & Beukelman, 2006). Aim: …

Noise Induced Hearing Loss: The Impact Of Acoustic Trauma On The Ear, Aviva Levihaiem

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a pervasive disability that affects millions of people across the world. It is characterized by a decrease in hearing sensitivity to sounds that fall between 3000–6000 Hz(known as the “notch”). NIHL is caused by either a sudden acoustic trauma or long-term exposure to noise levels above 85 dB. The noise exposure induces overproduction of free radicals within the cells of the cochlea, overpowering of the ear’s antioxidant defense systems. The free radicals then destroy cell membranes and hair cell nuclei, causing necrosis and apoptosis, leading to hair cell death. This upsets the mechanical structure and …

Psychometric Evaluation Of Lexical Diversity Indices: Assessing Length Effects, Gerasimos Fergadiotis, Heather Harris Wright, Samuel B. Green

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose—Several novel techniques have been developed recently to assess the breadth of speaker’s vocabulary exhibited in a language sample. The specific aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the validity of the scores generated by different lexical diversity (LD) estimation techniques. Four techniques were explored: D, Maas, Measure of Textual Lexical Diversity (MTLD), and the Moving Average Type Token Ratio (MATTR).

Method—Four LD indices were estimated for language samples on four discourse tasks (procedures, eventcasts, story retell, and recounts) from 442 neurologically intact adults. The resulting data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results—The scores on the …

Acoustic Realization Of Contrastive Stress In Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Ana Maria Gaviria

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigated the acoustic correlates of contrastive stress produced by individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to learn more about their ability to modulate acoustic cues to mark contrastive stress. Speech materials from 10 individuals with PD and 10 gender- and age-matched neurologically healthy controls (HC) were recorded and analyzed. The four acoustic measures (peak intensity, peak F0, vowel duration, and acoustic vowel space area) of stressed and unstressed syllables were compared to determine which acoustic parameters are preferentially employed by each group to mark contrastive stress. The results indicated that individuals with PD exhibited significant changes in vowel duration …

Interactions Between A Speech Pathologist And People With Aphasia In The First 6 Weeks Post Stroke: A Qualitative Study Of Assessment Experiences, Penelope Judith Wood

Theses : Honours

This study examines clinician and client interactions in the context of an acute care unit in a small urban Western Australian Hospital. The study involved audiovisual recordings and observations of assessment sessions, and in-depth interviews with the assessing Speech Pathologist and her clients. Analysis used Discourse Analysis of assessment sessions and Thematic Analysis of interviews. There is growing evidence as to how less formal non-traditional assessment might be more supportive of people with aphasia—for instance, by using concepts and techniques drawn from Dynamic Assessment and principles of Adult Learning. Surveys of Australian and New Zealand Speech Pathologists reflect a move …