Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Cerebral Perfusion In Chronic Stroke: Implications For Lesion-Symptom Mapping And Functional Mri, Jessica D. Richardson, Julie M. Baker, Paul S. Morgan, Chris Rorden, L. Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson

Faculty Publications

Lesion-symptom mapping studies are based upon the assumption that behavioral impairments are directly related to structural brain damage. Given what is known about the relationship between perfusion deficits and impairment in acute stroke, attributing specific behavioral impairments to localized brain damage leaves room for speculation, as impairments could also reflect abnormal neurovascular function in brain regions that appear structurally intact on traditional CT and MRI scans. Compared to acute stroke, the understanding of cerebral perfusion in chronic stroke is far less clear. Utilizing arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, we examined perfusion in 17 patients with chronic left hemisphere stroke. The …

Central Neural And Behavioral Correlates Of Voice Secondary To Induced Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis, Ashwini Joshi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in voice production is essential to incorporating principles of neuroplasticity into therapeutic practice for voice disorders. Early steps to attaining this goal require the identification of specific neural biomarkers of the changes occurring in the CNS from a voice disorder and its subsequent treatment. In the absence of an adequate animal vocalization model, the larynx has not been acutely and reversibly perturbed to concurrently examine the effect on both peripheral and central processing of the altered input/output.

Using a unique, reversible perturbation approach, it was the purpose of this study to …

Nonliteral Language Used By Teachers In The Classroom, Jenna K. Szybowicz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research project was to determine ifregular education and special education classroom teachers used a varying amount of idioms in the classroom. Two groups of subjects were involved in the study; 12 regular education classroom teachers (four first grade; four second grade; and four third grade) and 12 primary crosscategorical classroom teachers. The teachers were observed for one to two hours via naturalistic observation methods during math and language arts lessons. The sample was transcribed and analyzed using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcriptions (SALT). The transcriptions were coded for the following criteria: nonliteral idioms[n] (e.g.,just a minute); …

The Effectiveness Of Errorless Learning For Teaching Concepts And Comments To Children With Autism, Marissa L. Ulm

Masters Theses

Research has indicated that errorless learning has been an effective teaching strategy for teaching discrete skills to both typically developing children and children with a learning disability (Schimek, 1983; Storm & Robinson, 1973). Errorless learning differs from other common teaching strategies in that it only presents correct responses, eliminating the possibility of participants responding incorrectly. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of errorless learning for improving symbol acquisition in children with autism who used a high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Four children previously diagnosed with autism participated in this study; subjects were required to …

A Comparison Of Stimuli Presentation In Advanced Theory Of Mind Tasks For Adolescents With Asperger's Syndrome (As), Juliet N. Leon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals diagnosed with Asperger‟s Syndrome (AS) have marked impairments in social interaction, including difficulty expressing and perceiving thoughts, emotions, and intentions. This deficit may be due in part to a delayed or underdeveloped Theory of Mind (ToM). The previous research investigating ToM in individuals with AS has been inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to compare three Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks, presented via three different modalities, to evaluate the recognition of complex emotions and mental states in adolescents with AS compared to typically developing adolescents. Participants in this study included twenty adolescents: 10 adolescents with AS and 10 …

Memory And Language: Evidence Of Relationships From Three Studies Of School-Age Children, Michele A. Anderson

Dissertations

The purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to explore the relationship between performance on verbal memory and language assessment tasks in school-age children. Study one used data from whole-class administration of three language assessment tasks to 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 9th graders (N= 187). Studies two and three used data from individualized administration of language assessment and verbal memory tasks to comparable samples of children between the ages of 6 and 18 years with typical language (TL) and language impairment (LI) (n = 37 per group).

The first study addressed practical and theoretical questions regarding memory and language demands of …

Evaluation Of Verbal Behavior In Older Adults, Amy Gross

Dissertations

Older adults make up a large and increasing portion of the population (U.S. apply those assessments to the evaluation of verbal behavior in older adults with and without dementia. The research addressed two questions. First, in what way do verbal behavior problems differ between older adults with and without dementia? Second, does language deteriorate in a pattern compatible with Skinner's analysis of functionally independent verbal operants? Thirty-one participants were categorized into Control (n=15) and Dementia (n=16) Groups based on their score on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Verbal behavior assessments were administered to participants on two occasions, separated by one week. …

Reading, Writing, And Repetition: Performance On Nonword Measures Bystudents With And Without Language-Learning Disabilities, Patricia J. Tattersall

Dissertations

The central purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to explore the ability of school-age children with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD) to apply sound/word level structure knowledge when performing speaking, spelling, and reading tasks. Data came from a larger investigation that used stratified sampling to create two ability groups—children with typical language (TL) and with LLD—comparable in terms of age (range 6 through 18 years), sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The central purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to explore the ability of school-age children with and without language-learning disabilities (LLD) to apply sound/word level structure knowledge when performing speaking, …

The Acoustic Effects Of Vowel Equalization Training In Singers, Christopher Dromey, Emily Heaton, J. Arden Hopkin

Faculty Publications

Vowel equalization is a technique that can be used by singers to achieve a more balanced vocal resonance, or chiaroscuro, by balancing corresponding front and back vowels, which share approximate tongue heights, and also high and low vowels by means of a more neutral or centralized lingual posture. The goal of this single group study was to quantify acoustic changes in vowels following a brief training session in vowel equalization. Fifteen young adults with amateur singing experience sang a passage and sustained isolated vowels both before and after a 15 minute training session in vowel equalization. The first two …

Curriculum Vocabulary Acquisition Of 4th Graders Using A Language-Sensitive Teaching Approach, Joanna H. Spielvogel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a direct, explicit method of teaching vocabulary with a Vocabulary Scenario Technique-Language Sensitive protocol (VST-LS) would yield gains in the vocabulary knowledge of 4th grade students greater than those seen in 4th grade students receiving vocabulary instruction typical to some general education classrooms. VST-LS is a detailed description of procedures intended to be used by a teacher in a general education classroom for direct vocabulary instruction. The VST-LS protocol provides for 14 word encounters involving listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Forty-one 4 th grade students consisting of 18 males and …

Everyday Speech Production Assessment Measure (E-Spam): Reliability And Validity, Tracy N. Watts

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Purpose: The Everyday Speech Production Assessment Measure (E-SPAM) is a novel test for assessing changes in clients‟ speech production skills after intervention. This study provides information on reliability and validity for the test and overviews its clinical application.

Method & Procedures: E-SPAM, oral reading, and sequential motion rate tasks were administered to 15 participants with motor speech disorders (MSDs). E-SPAM responses were scored using a 5-point system by four graduate students to assess inter-scorer and temporal reliability and to determine validity for E-SPAM.

Results: Findings of this study indicate that the E-SPAM can be scored with sufficient …

The Parallel Experience Of A Bilingual Child With A Communication Disorder And A College Language Immersion Program, Kate Sussan Elahi

Honors Program Theses

For many speech-language pathologists, it is difficult to truly understand the experience a child goes through when they have a communication disorder. Especially when at the same time, a child is learning a new language in an unfamiliar culture. This thesis bridges that gap of understanding by comparing the experience of a bilingual child with a communication disorder and that of a college student studying abroad in a language immersion program. It reviews and compares various literature and studies describing the language characteristics (i.e., form, content, use, and behavior) of bilingual children with a communication disorder. These characteristics are then …

Beliefs, Concerns, And Methods Of Parents Raising Children Bilingually: A Study Of Hispanic Iowa Mothers Attempting To Maintain Heritage Language In Their Children, Briana Vera

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my thesis was to discover more about parents who are raising their children to be English-Spanish bilingual, particularly their beliefs, concerns, and methods regarding this issue. I focused specifically on mothers in Iowa whose native language was Spanish and who had at least one child in the household between the ages of four and sixteen. A point of interest I focused on were the beliefs, concerns, and methods these mothers have and use to maintain their children‟s heritage language (Spanish) as the community language (English) becomes more prominent in their children‟s lives. This information is important for …

The Impact Of An Aac Device, Using The Lamp Approach, Mary Hannah Pulliam

Student Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examined both the initial and renewed impact of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, using the Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) approach, on an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A within subject research design was utilized and consisted of a multiple baseline across behavior design in combination with a multiple baseline across device research design.This investigation included one child with ASD, and utilized an observation checklist of video recordings (Appendix A) to assess the communication behaviors of the participant. The behaviors in question were communication acts per obligatory context per minute, the percent of total …

The Efficacy Of A Supplementary Literacy Program For Kindergarten Children With Language Impairment, Amy E. Mckinney

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a supplemental literacy program for children with language impairment. Ten kindergarten children that qualified for language therapy at a kindergarten center were divided into treatment and non-treatment groups. Children in the treatment group participated in 10 minutes of supplemental literacy instruction at the end of each language intervention session. The non-treatment group received language therapy without the supplemental literacy intervention. Mid-term scores indicated a significant between group difference in letter-sound correspondence, but not in word decoding and sight word recognition for children in the treatment condition. Twelve week post …

Speech-Language Pathologists' Application Of Learning Styles During Clinical Intervention, Crystal Mcdaniel

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the preferred modes of learning and teaching of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The purpose of the study was to determine if SLPs' learning style influences their delivery of therapeutic intervention. Using the Visual, Aural, Read-Write, and Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire and observation of SLPs during clinical intervention, the preferred mode(s) of learning and teaching for nine SLPs was determined. Results indicated that study participants did not prefer one particular mode of learning over another, nor were there significant differences in their teaching style. In addition results indicated that SLPs' preferred mode(s) of learning and teaching were independent of one …

The Impact Of Multiple Viewings Of Educational Television Programming On Young Children's Acquisition Of Basic Concepts And Social Interaction Skills, Brandi Worthington

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effect that educational television viewing had on young children's knowledge of basic concepts and social interaction skills. In order to accomplish this purpose, two groups of children were assembled. Groups were matched for gender and age. Group one consisted of children from a tightly-knit religious sect whose families and culture were opposed to specific types of technology, such as television. Group two consisted of children from families who were not opposed to viewing television per se and that had been exposed to educational television. The Wiig Assessment of Basic Concepts (WABC) and Play Observation Scale (POS) …

Item Analysis Of The Grammar Subtests Of The Cdi: Words & Sentences For African American Children, Zainab Maqsood

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Eight Simple Rules For Talking With Preschoolers, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The article offers eight simple rules that teachers can use to help preschoolers build their vocabularies. It suggests teachers to talk with children to identify topics that interest them. It also recommends teachers to accompany all the routines and activities of the preschool day to enhance the language experience of children. Moreover, it proposes that open-ended questions invites preschoolers to offer lengthier and more detailed responses, thus stimulating their language growth.

The Effects Of Gender And Catechol O-Methyltransferase (Comt) Val108/158met Polymorphism On Emotion Regulation In Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome): An Fmri Study, Ioana L. Coman, Matthew H. Gnirke, Frank A. Middleton, Kevin M. Antshel, Wanda Fremont, Anne Marie Higgins, Robert J. Shprintzen, Wendy R. Kates

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is caused by a micro-deletion of over 40 genes at the q11.2 locus of chromosome 22 and is a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. COMT, one of the genes located in the deleted region, has been considered as a major candidate gene for genetic susceptibility in psychiatric diseases. Its functional polymorphism Val108/158Met has been shown to affect prefrontal function and working memory and has been associated with emotional dysregulation. We utilized a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) event-related paradigm to asses COMT genotype and gender-moderated effects on the neural activation that …