Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2024], 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.

The Effects Of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Chronic Dysphagia Following Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion Surgery: A Case Report, Anna Munson

Honors Theses

Background: Current literature is lacking an understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying dysphagia (impairment in swallowing function) that manifests as the result of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). ACDF is a common cervical spinal procedure that, due to its anterior to posterior (front-to-back) approach, risks significant injury to the larynx, which is critical for swallowing food and liquid safely. Furthermore, the general therapeutic approaches available to individuals with dysphagia after ACDF lack specificity of what is being targeted (Ko, et al. 2022). This project is a single subject case report of an individual who underwent ACDF and received neuromuscular …

Identifying A Group Of Factors Predicting Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults, Longgang Zhao, Yuan Wang, Eric Mishio Bawa, Zichun Meng, Jingkai Wei, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Tushar Trivedi, Hatice Hasturk, Roger Newman-Norlund, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Anwar T. Nerchant

Faculty Publications

Background

Cognitive impairment has multiple risk factors spanning several domains, but few studies have evaluated risk factor clusters. We aimed to identify naturally occurring clusters of risk factors of poor cognition among middle-aged and older adults and evaluate associations between measures of cognition and these risk factor clusters.

Methods

We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (training dataset, n = 4074) and the NHANES 2011–2014 (validation dataset, n = 2510). Risk factors were selected based on the literature. We used both traditional logistic models and support vector machine methods to construct a composite score …

Exploring The Relationship Between College Students' Self-Reported Listening Habits With Apple Airpods Or Earbuds And Pure Tone Hearing Threshold Outcomes, Blake Roth, Maegan Koch, Aubree Warner, Annika Wallace, Romina Gehrts, Austin Drake

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study investigated the relationship between self-reported listening habits of college students and their auditory threshold screening outcomes. Survey data was collected in addition to the completion of basic audiometry screening procedures. Results indicated most participants listen to portable devices within safe ranges. While these results are encouraging, continued efforts should be made to educate users of portable listening devices on the negative effects of music-induced hearing loss.

Service-Learning Through Chapter Chats: A Personal Reflection, Charity B. Blalock, Maryse Azer, April Garrity

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

Eagle showcase:excellence in service learning

Nationwide Survey: Disparities In Speech-Language Pathology Service Knowledge Between Hispanic Communities And The General Public Through Explanatory Mixed Methods, Kendra Lujan, Katie Geerdes, Madalyn Morelock, Ran An

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Despite ongoing efforts to bridge healthcare disparities, ethnic and language minorities continue to face significant challenges in accessing services (Mahmoud et al., 2014). Yet, in the realm of speech-language pathology (SLP) services, scant empirical research has identified the barriers impeding minority clients' access (Mahendra et al., 2009). With the Hispanic population growing (United States Census Bureau, 2023), identifying their knowledge of and potential access to speech-language pathology services is crucial. This study employed mixed explanatory methods, conducted a nationwide survey with 227 participants across 27 states, and interviewed 12 participants from both Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities, elucidating the challenges faced …

Assessing Language Abilities In School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Practices Of Speech-Language Pathologists, Mckayla M. Sprague, Cassandra Callahan, Tyrell Perrigo, Ran An

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Through an online survey conducted with 64 certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from 23 U.S. states, this study sheds light on the complex process of assessing language skills in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The responses gathered reveal the significant challenges SLPs face, stemming from the vast diversity within the ASD spectrum. These insights strongly suggest a need for adopting assessment strategies that are not only more adaptable and thorough, but also deeply mindful of neurodiversity and the distinct communication skills present in children with ASD.

Narrative Language Assessment And Intervention: Applications With Children With And Without Disabilities, Norah M. Almubark

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Narrative is the art of conveying a sequence of causally and temporally linked events through monologic telling. Various functions can be served through narratives including sharing experiences, expressing ideas, providing entertainment, and imparting cultural or social values. Narrative language represents an authentic type of language that is useful for assessment and intervention because it can be analyzed according to content and form. The ability to use complex narrative language and produce quality narratives is associated with long-term academic and social benefits (Uccelli et al., 2019; Suggate et al, 2018). Given this crucial link, narrative language is suitable for child language …

Discourse- And Lesion-Based Aphasia Quotient Estimation Using Machine Learning, Nicholas Riccardi, Satvik Nelakuditi, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson, Rutvik H. Desai

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Discourse is a fundamentally important aspect of communication, and discourse production provides a wealth of information about linguistic ability. Aphasia commonly affects, in multiple ways, the ability to produce discourse. Comprehensive aphasia assessments such as the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) are time- and resource-intensive. We examined whether discourse measures can be used to estimate WAB-R Aphasia Quotient (AQ), and whether this can serve as an ecologically valid, less resource-intensive measure. We used features extracted from discourse tasks using three AphasiaBank prompts involving expositional (picture description), story narrative, and procedural discourse. These features were used to train a machine learning model …

Different Error Patterns Of /L/ In Children And Speech-Language Pathologists' Perception And Treatment, Grace E. Lemoine

LSU Master's Theses

Children often simplify target speech sounds using phonological processes, or common developmental error patterns. However, some children produce less common error patterns that differ from common errors. In the current study, less common errors involving /l/ sounds were studied as the phoneme /l/ is a sound that is subject to frequent misarticulations in young children and perceptual confusion among listeners. The current study focused on less common errors because studies have suggested that atypical errors can indicate weak phonological representations and poor phonological awareness skills, which can have long-term effects on children’s literacy skills. Therefore, the aim of the current …

Speech Language Pathologists’ Confidence And Preparedness Working With Clients With Hearing Loss, Katherine Rosa Giustino

Masters Theses

Speech language pathologists (SLP) are professionals who may work with clients with hearing loss. With hearing loss, there are many devices, such as hearing aids, that must be functioning to provide effective speech and language therapy. Therefore, SLPs must be familiar with how to check and maintain these devices to provide optimal therapy. However, it is unknown how confident SLPs are with working with such devices. Data from a Qualtrics survey with questions that assess SLPs’ confidence in working with hearing assistive devices and communicating effectively with individuals with hearing loss was analyzed.

Overall, this study found confidence across all …

”To Be Or Not To Be – It’S Good”: Actor And Student Experiences In A Drama Club For People With Aphasia, Jade K. Hannan

Senior Theses

Individuals with aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language network, confront a variety of social and emotional struggles. While leaving their cognition largely intact, aphasia tremendously impacts a person’s ability to communicate confidently, fracturing their social network and contributing to feelings of loneliness and frustration. To address this persistent need in the chronic aphasia population, the Play on Words drama club at the University of South Carolina provides a forum for people with aphasia (PWA) to engage in dramatic exercises focused on non-verbal communication of emotions, ideas, and stories, culminating the production of an original devised play. …

Dementia Implications For Audiology: Cognitive Screening In Clinical Practice, Kelsey May Harris

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Dementia is a progressive, debilitating cognitive disorder recognized as one of the greatest challenges to global health in the 21st century. In recent years, dementia has gained significant importance in the international health agenda due to the increasing aging population, longer life expectancies, and the substantial socioeconomic burden. Global concern has led to increased efforts to understand, manage, and alleviate its impact. Considering the lack of curative treatments, dementia research and awareness campaigns have intensified with a focus on early detection, prevention strategies, and collaborative healthcare. Prevention has focused on identifying risk factors and modifiable aspects of lifestyle closely linked …

Adaptation Of The Dangerous Decibels Program To Youth In Farming, Whitney Paige Hodges

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among youth in farming communities is a pressing issue, primarily due to prolonged exposure to loud farm environments. Effective health communication techniques that focus on education and NIHL prevention are essential to convey critical health messages to young individuals in agricultural communities. The Dangerous Decibels program employs these techniques, emphasizing the identification of hazardous noises, understanding the consequences of noise overexposure, and promoting hearing protection measures. It is crucial to acknowledge that the effectiveness of health communication messages can vary among different social groups, necessitating a tailored program to effectively inform young individuals …

Everyone Deserves A Dental Home, Loren C. Baim Dds

The New York State Dental Journal

With knowledge and preparation, dental practices should be able to accommodate the growing population of people on the autism spectrum.

Global Strategies For Addressing Communication Disorders In Justice-Involved Youth, Sophia Martinez, Anne Marie Perrotti, Brooke Baker, Allison Chappell

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Throughout all stages of processing, most juveniles who encounter the justice system demonstrate cognitive-communicative difficulties (CCDs). Empirical evidence reveals that 19-22% of female and 28-38% of male youth offenders, culminating in approximately 50-60% of youth offenders, demonstrate language disorders that require intervention, but most have never received services (Snow et al., 2014; Winstanley et al., 2021). Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are communication experts certified to assess and treat CCDs. While nations abroad recognize the value of SLP involvement in all stages of processing for justice-involved youth (JIY), America lags in utilizing SLPs to improve JIY outcomes and lower youth's risk of …

Trauma-Informed Educational Practices: Perceptions Of Undergraduate Communication Sciences And Disorders Students, Lindsey J. Knussmann

Honors College Theses

Trauma is a prevalent issue among college students, with lasting negative effects on mental health, physical well-being, and academic performance. Despite this, literature exploring the application of trauma-informed education practices (TIEPs), specifically within the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD), is limited. The purpose of this study was to address this literature gap by exploring which TIEPs CSD students find most beneficial.

Undergraduate students majoring in CSD participated in this research, rating the helpfulness of 12 TIEPs. Most participants reported perceiving all TIEPs as at least “very helpful”. These data represent a step toward improved understanding of the effects …

Articulation Versus Motor Speech? Supervisor Perspectives Of Slp Graduate Students: A Qualitative Study, Maddison Verser

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was to determine clinical supervisors' perceptions of graduate students’ skill set of articulation disorders compared to motor speech disorders. Participants in this study included SLP clinical supervisors of Master’s level graduate students in Communication Disorders across various pediatric settings, including private practice, school-based or outpatient clinics in north central Arkansas. Face-to-face/phone interviews were recorded with a digital recorder and transcribed using the speech-to-text transcription service at Temi.com. The data were analyzed by the primary investigator to identify concepts and themes. The results of this study showed three main themes: (1) students are perceived as more independent and …

Hearing Loss Vs Length Of Employment In The Steel Industry, Sarah Jane Hattle

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate if there was a relationship between hearing loss and length of employment in the steel industry. Participants included 11 males that worked in the steel industry. Participants completed questionnaires regarding demographics, employment, and noise exposure, as well as took part in an audiological exam. The results of the audiological evaluations showed that 45% of participants had hearing loss in the right ear, 36% of participants had hearing loss in the left ear, and 36% of participants had loss in both ears. While there was no significant relationship between hearing loss and the …

Dissociating Reading And Auditory Comprehension In Persons With Aphasia, Rachel M. Harrington, Sigfus Kristinsson, Janina Wilmskoetter, Natalie Busby, Dirk Den Ouden, Chris Rorden, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D., Leonardo Bonilha

Faculty Publications

Language comprehension is often affected in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. However, deficits in auditory comprehension are not fully correlated with deficits in reading comprehension and the mechanisms underlying this dissociation remain unclear. This distinction is important for understanding language mechanisms, predicting long-term impairments and future development of treatment interventions. Using comprehensive auditory and reading measures from a large cohort of individuals with aphasia, we evaluated the relationship between aphasia type and reading comprehension impairments, the relationship between auditory versus reading comprehension deficits and the crucial neuroanatomy supporting the dissociation between post-stroke reading and auditory deficits. Scores from the Western Aphasia …