Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Outcomes In Children With Additional Disabilities Following Cochlear Implantation: A Systematic Review, Rebecca M. Tuchman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Thirty percent of children with hearing loss have an additional disability. These children may be difficult to test according to standard audiologic behavioral test protocols. Additionally, progress within this population may present differently than in children with no additional disability. Currently, no evidence-based protocol exists for assessing cochlear implant benefit and outcomes in this population.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation is to perform a systematic review on the outcomes of cochlear implantation in children with additional disabilities. Specifically, this study focused on areas of function assessed, outcome measures used, and evidence of benefit observed.

Methods: A comprehensive search …

A Musician Centered Toolkit For Audiologists, Ava Bonavita

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The toolkit for audiologists working with musicians includes a set of materials for use in a musician centered audiology practice. Given the rise in streaming of music by individuals of all ages and the recognition of susceptibility of musicians to hearing loss, the prevalence of hearing loss is on the rise necessitating the need for materials and protocols to better protect, educate, and treat music lovers of all ages who may be prone to hearing loss. Music induced hearing loss typically falls under the category of recreational noise exposure, a subset of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Musicians are the …

Language Nutrition For Language Health In Children With Disorders: A Scoping Review, Janet Y. Bang, Aubrey S. Adiao, Virginia A. Marchman, Heidi M. Feldman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The quantity and quality of child-directed speech—language nutrition—provided to typically-developing children is associated with language outcomes—language health. Limited information is available about child-directed speech to children at biological risk of language impairments. We conducted a scoping review on caregiver child-directed speech for children with three clinical conditions associated with language impairments—preterm birth, intellectual disability, and autism—addressing three questions: (1) How does child-directed speech to these children differ from speech to typically-developing children? (2) What are the associations between child-directed speech and child language outcomes? (3) How convincing are intervention studies that aim to improve child-directed speech and thereby facilitate children’s …

A Novel Eye Tracking Paradigm For Indexing Social Avoidance-Related Behavior In Fragile X Syndrome, Jessica Klusek, Carly Moser, Joseph Schmidt, Leonard Abbeduto, Jane E. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by hallmark features of gaze avoidance, reduced social approach, and social anxiety. The development of therapeutics to manage these symptoms has been hindered, in part, by the lack of sensitive outcome measures. This study investigated the utility of a novel eye tracking paradigm for indexing social avoidance-related phenotypes. Adolescent/young adult-aged males with FXS (n=24) and typical development (n=23) participated in the study. Participants viewed faces displaying direct or averted gaze and the first fixation duration on the eyes was recorded as an index of initial stimulus registration. Fixation durations did …

Carer Information Needs Following A Family Member's Right Hemisphere Stroke, Christyn Davidson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Previous studies have explored information needs for carers of persons with aphasia; however, there is minimal research on information needs of carers with right hemisphere disorder (RHD). RHD describes cognitive and communication impairments a person experiences following a right hemisphere stroke or brain injury. Carers have an important role in rehabilitation and the long-term quality of life of a person with RHD. This study explores the information needs for carers following a family member’s right hemisphere stroke throughout different periods of recovery.

Methods/Procedures: Participants completed online surveys and a semi-structured phone interview. Analysis of the interviews revealed four major …

Reparation Of Dignity: A Literature Review Of Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment With Expressive Arts Therapy, Courtney R. Battistelli

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Substance Use Disorder is a public health problem that impacts society and individuals on many levels. In 2016, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) documented 64,000 deaths in America due to overdose (NIDA, 2017). The economic burden related to substance abuse is estimated at $740 billion annually in the United States (Priddy et al., 2018). High rates of relapse, approximately 60% in the first year after treatment, (Priddy et al., 2018, p.103), suggest the need for more effective treatment. A combination of trauma-informed practice and creative therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders show promising results. This literature …

Effects Of Visit Frequency On Swallowing Function During Organ Preservation For Head And Neck Cancer, Mathew Blaine Vansant

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chemoradiotherapy is not without risk of injury to the muscles and nerves associated with swallowing function. Current research supports the use of prophylactic behavioral swallowing exercise in the HNC population, however, wide variations in swallowing treatment methodologies exist and no optimal SLP-patient visit frequency has been established. In addition, poor patient adherence to swallowing exercise appears prevalent. The current study explored the impact of speech language pathologist (SLP)-patient contact time, adherence to prophylactic behavioral swallowing exercises, and explored effects of exercise intensity on immediate post-radiation swallowing outcomes. Groups included a high frequency group (5 weekly SLP-patient visits, n = 15), …

Toward The Development Of A Quick, Reliable Assessment Tool For Reflective Journals, April Garrity, Casey Keck, Janet L. Bradshaw, Keiko Ishikawa

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Reflective practice, including reflective writing, can facilitate enriched learning, especially when implemented as part of a service-learning (SL) experience. Reflection is a central component of service-learning (SL) experiences. Students’ reflective abilities are often measured through reflective journaling; however, assessment of students’ reflective journals is not always efficient and straightforward. The goal of the present study was to establish a simple, reliable, and relatively quick tool for use by busy college instructors seeking to encourage students’ deep learning through reflective writing. A total of 258 reflective journals from 43 graduate students in speech-language pathology were evaluated by three raters using a …

Creating Head Space: Using Spaced Retrieval Practice To Teach Cranial Nerves To Graduate Slp Students, Rachel K. Johnson, Anne Michalek, Corrin Richels

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of spaced retrieval practice on graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) student’s long-term retention of cranial nerves. This is a quasi-experimental design study using a repeated measures and between group design where the control group was not randomly assigned. The accuracy and quality of cranial nerve knowledge was measured in graduate SLP students who did not practice spaced retrieval (control), and those who practiced spaced retrieval for three (EG1) or four (EG2) semesters. The quality and accuracy of cranial nerve knowledge improved significantly for both experimental groups compared to the control group. …

Cognitive Dissonance Of Graduate Students During Clinical Sessions Of A Literacy Program: Types Of Episodes And Their Resolution, Pam Britton Reese, Ludwika Aniela Goodson

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This study provided an authentic context for examining cognitive dissonance of graduate students who were learning clinical skills in a six-week language and literacy project designed for young children. These student-clinicians received instruction four days a week in classroom sessions and began clinical sessions with children after each class. Signature pedagogies in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) provided the foundation for the instruction and clinical supervision. In their sessions with the children, the student-clinicians were expected to apply knowledge gained from the classroom and supervisor guidance. Journal entries, supervisor notes, clinical observation records, and transcripts from interviews were coded for …

“That’S So Much More Important Than The Grades”: Learning Client Centered Care Through Experiential Learning At Aphasia Camp, Esther S. Kim, J. Renzo Garcia

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Interventions aimed at increasing life participation for people with aphasia (PWA), such as camp-based programs, are being increasingly implemented throughout North America. Such camps present a unique experiential learning opportunity for students in speech-language pathology (SLP) programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of participation in aphasia camp on SLP students’ acquisition of the skills and attitudes required for client-centered care for PWA. Ten SLP students who volunteered at a weekend-long aphasia camp participated in focus groups examining their learning outcomes following their camp experience. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the focus group transcripts. …

The Gendered Experiences Of Male Students In A Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program: A Multi-Case Study, Jairus-Joaquin R. Matthews, Derek E. Daniels

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Speech-language pathology is a profession with a gender disparity wherein the majority of speech-language pathologists are female. This disparity is also reflected in speech-language pathology graduate programs. The American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association has developed many initiatives over the years to address this issue, yet the gender disparity still remains. The purpose of this study was to develop some initial insights into reasons that men enter into the profession of speech-language pathology, and their experiences in graduate programs. In this qualitative case-study approach, interviews were conducted with four male graduate students. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for major …

Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic Handbook - August 2019, Department Of Audiology And Speech-Language Pathology, East Tennessee State University

Speech-Language Pathology Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Narratives Of Expert Speech-Language Pathologists: Defining Clinical Expertise And Supporting Knowledge Transfer, Natalie F. Douglas, Katie Squires, Jacqueline Hinckley, Erline V. Nakano

HPD Articles

Clinical expertise is a component of evidence-based practice; however, relatively little attention has been paid to this phenomenon in the professional literature of speech-language pathology. This may have negative impacts on the training of pre-professional and novice speech-language pathologists. The purpose of this study was to examine professional narratives of expert Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to consider applications for knowledge transfer between expert clinicians and novice clinicians. Collection of the professional narratives of 10 expert SLPs were obtained through in-depth interviews. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes. Themes that impacted expertise in SLP included: training; work sites; individual and clinician …

Taste Manipulation And Swallowing Mechanics In Trauma-Related Sensory-Based Dysphagia, Angela M. Dietsch, H. Duncan Dorris, William Pearson, Katie E. Dietrich-Burns, Nancy Pearl Solomon

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study explored the effects of highconcentration taste manipulation trials on swallow function in persons with sensory-based dysphagia.

Method: Dysphagia researchers partnered with clinical providers to prospectively identify traumatically injured U.S. military service members (N = 18) with sensorybased dysphagia as evidenced by delayed initiation and/or decreased awareness of residue/penetration/ aspiration. Under videofluoroscopy, participants swallowed trials of 3 custom-mixed taste stimuli: unflavored (40% weight/volume [wt/vol] barium sulfate in distilled water), sour (2.7%wt/vol citric acid in 40% wt/vol barium suspension), and sweet–sour (1.11% wt/vol citric acid plus 8% wt/vol sucrose in 40% wt/vol barium suspension). Trials were analyzed …

An Overview Of Dyslexia: Definition, Characteristics, Assessment, Identification, And Intervention, Jane Roitsch, Silvana M. Watson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Background: Dyslexia is a developmental brain-based type of learning disability that affects a person's ability to read and spell words. Best estimates place 5 percent to 10 percent of the population with the condition, but the incidence of dyslexia is challenging to pinpoint, as the definition of dyslexia varies throughout research. Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of dyslexia, its characteristics, assessment and identification, and intervention techniques for the condition. Results: Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia include difficulty with phonological skills, low accuracy and fluency of …

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions Of Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Lauren Fabrize

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics, assessment, and treatment of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) as perceived by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) and whether it differed from those of other Neonatal Intensive Care Unit populations.

Methods: A secure web-based questionnaire with 62 questions collected information on NAS, caseloads, treatment environment, and demographics. Twenty-six respondents initiated the survey; 42% completed most or all questions. Response analyses included descriptive and nonparametric inferential statistics.

Results: Infants with NAS were on the caseloads of 73% of respondents. The majority (79%) only saw infants with NAS and feeding problems. Primary …

Hear Me Out: An Evaluation Of The Services Provided To Parents Prior To A Diagnosis Of Hearing Loss, Amber Wagster

McNair Scholars Research

This study seeks to identify and evaluate the services provided to parents of children who did not pass their newborn hearing screening. This study will determine what educational services were offered and if they effectively-prepared parents for navigating the process of their child's potential hearing loss diagnosis. A questionnaire was distributed to parents through the offices of audiologists and through Hands & Voices, a parental advocacy organization.

Statistical Distributions Of Consonant Variants In Infant-Directed Speech: Evidence That /T/ May Be Exceptional, Tonya Bergeson-Dana, Laura Dilley, Jessica Gamache, Yuanyuan Wang, Derek M. Houston

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Statistical distributions of phonetic variants in spoken language influence speech perception for both language learners and mature users. We theorized that patterns of phonetic variant processing of consonants demonstrated by adults might stem in part from patterns of early exposure to statistics of phonetic variants in infant-directed (ID) speech. In particular, we hypothesized that ID speech might involve greater proportions of canonical /t/ pronunciations compared to adult-directed (AD) speech in at least some phonological contexts. This possibility was tested using a corpus of spontaneous speech of mothers speaking to other adults, or to their typically-developing infant. Tokens of word-final alveolar …

Reliability And Stability Of The Metrical Stress Effect On Segmental Production Accuracy In Persons With Apraxia Of Speech, Dallin J. Bailey, Lisa Bunker, Shannon Mauszycki, Julie L. Wambaugh

Faculty Publications

Background Acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) involves speech-production deficits on both the segmental and suprasegmental levels. Recent research has identified a non-linear interaction between the metrical structure of bisyllabic words and word-production accuracy in German speakers with AOS, with trochaic words (strong–weak stress) being resistant to errors compared with iambic words (weak–strong).

Aims To replicate previous findings in English speakers with AOS, to measure the test–retest reliability of the effect, and to examine the potential impact of different methods of word scoring.

Methods & Procedures Speech samples were collected from 27 speakers with AOS and aphasia. Participants were at least …