Speech Pathology and Audiology Commons^™

Speech-Language Pathologists' And Speech-Language Therapists' Role Working With Youth In The Juvenile Justice System, Maria Cuza

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine and provide insight into how speech-language pathologists and speech-language therapists (SLP/SLT) in Australia (AUS), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA) work with youth in the Juvenile Justice System (JJS). Currently, many youth involved in the JJS struggle with language barriers and need proper services to overcome them. Studies have shown that an SLP/SLT positively affects young people in the system. This study aimed to examine the demographic, educational, and occupational backgrounds of SLPs/SLTs working with youth in the JJS and the services provided to these youth by …

Impact Of Accent On Receptive Language Assessments For Bilingual Children, Katherine Stariknok

Honors Theses and Capstones

Language assessments are used to screen and diagnose children with language disorders. Many speech-language pathologists (SLP) practicing in Spanish in the United States do not speak Spanish as their first language, so they are administering these assessments in accented speech. This study aims to find what effect an SLP’s accent will have on a bilingual child’s language assessment. Initial findings show that participants were largely able to understand words in the L2 accent, with most of the errors due to several repeating consonantal features (i.e., voicing alone; place and manner of articulation). The broader impact of this work is to …

Assessing Parental Conversational Overlap In A Museum Setting And Its Correlation With Child Language Skills, Madison Gould

Honors Theses and Capstones

Research has identified the importance of quality interactions with parents, caregivers, and peers in the promotion of language acquisition. We question how certain aspects of parental language, primarily repetition, expansion, and extension, correlate with child language skills. There is limited research available regarding the impact of conversational overlap on a child’s language development at a singular time point, with most studies being longitudinal, especially when assessing conversations between children and their caregivers in different settings, such as a museum exhibit. Our findings suggest that children need less parental recasting as they age and as their language skills are bolstered.

Differences In Neural Encoding Of Speech In Noise Between Cochlear Implant Users With And Without Preserved Acoustic Hearing, Hwan Shim, Subong Kim, Jean Hong, Youngmin Na, Jihwan Woo, Marlan Hansen, Bruce Gantz, Inyong Choi

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cochlear implants (CIs) have evolved to combine residual acoustic hearing with electric hearing. It has been expected that CI users with residual acoustic hearing experience better speech-in-noise perception than CI-only listeners because preserved acoustic cues aid unmasking speech from background noise. This study sought neural substrate of better speech unmasking in CI users with preserved acoustic hearing compared to those with lower degree of acoustic hearing. Cortical evoked responses to speech in multi-talker babble noise were compared between 29 Hybrid (i.e., electric acoustic stimulation or EAS) and 29 electric-only CI users. The amplitude ratio of evoked responses to speech and …

Acoustic-To-Articulatory Speech Inversion Features For Mispronunciation Detection Of/ɹ/In Child Speech Sound Disorders, Nina R. Benway, Yashish M. Siriwardena, Jonathan L. Preston, Elaine Hitchcock, Tara Mcallister, Carol Espy-Wilson

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Acoustic-to-articulatory speech inversion could enhance automated clinical mispronunciation detection to provide detailed articulatory feedback unattainable by formant-based mispronunciation detection algorithms; however, it is unclear the extent to which a speech inversion system trained on adult speech performs in the context of (1) child and (2) clinical speech. In the absence of an articulatory dataset in children with rhotic speech sound disorders, we show that classifiers trained on tract variables from acoustic-to-articulatory speech inversion meet or exceed the performance of state-of-the-art features when predicting clinician judgment of rhoticity.

Autism For The Professions: One University, Three Colleges And One Undergraduate Course, Mary E. Carlson, Wendy Krueger, Amy V. Van Hecke

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

This paper discusses the elements of successful university-level, cross-disciplinary course development using best practices to foster richer relational networks and to meet the complex demands of education and treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Design/methodology/approach

The three authors created and taught a class on best practices in autism nine times. The authors assessed the knowledge base and attitudinal changes of undergraduates (most in psychology, speech pathology and audiology, and education) for two of the nine cohorts who were being prepared to work with individuals with ASD.

Findings

Pre- and postmeasures indicated significant improvement in knowledge and a …

Scoping Review On Eye-Gaze As An Access Method For Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Sara Elise Craig

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Background: Eye-gaze is an access method used for people with severe motor impairments to communicate when other access methods for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are not feasible. The purpose of this research was to conduct a scoping review on eye-gaze as an access technique for AAC. This scoping review uses Light’s communicative competences (i.e., linguistic, operational, social, and strategic) as a framework to analyze recent literature.

Methods: Five databases were searched to find relevant articles that considered eye-gaze as an access method for communicative purposes. Results were charted and analyzed to determine which, if any, communicative competences and associated …

The Effect Of Different Warm-Up Durations On Subjective And Objective Measures Of Singing In Choral Singers Over The Age Of 55, Jeremy A. Chesman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Choral singing is a popular activity in the United States. Choral singers are often encouraged to warm up vocally before they sing. Considering voice conditions, like presbyphonia, that can develop shortly after retirement, more research about vocal warm-ups is needed for those over the age of 55. This study assesses the effects of various durations of vocal warm-ups on subjective and objective measures of the singing voice using a within-groups design with randomized condition order. Nine participants performed vocal warm-ups for 0, 5, 10, and 15 minutes. A song sample was then recorded and sent to two expert raters who …

Speech And Language Assessment Of Internationally Adopted Children, Lindsey Clifford

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This paper consists of three distinct articles, all related to the speech and language assessment of internationally adopted children. The first article, “Speech and Language Assessment of Internationally Adopted Children,” is a qualitative study that explored how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) would conduct a speech and language assessment of internationally adopted children. The assessment of this population of children can be challenging for many reasons, and there is limited knowledge of what methods SLPs are currently using. In-depth interviews were conducted with five SLPs who had at least two years of experience working in a public school setting to learn how …

Improving Diagnostic Outcomes For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Within The Hispanic Community In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Bethany Waddey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Despite the importance of early identification and intervention of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Hispanic children are significantly under-diagnosed with ASD in comparison to non-Hispanic, white children due to barriers to ASD identification in this population. The purpose of this research is to determine the levels of ASD knowledge in the Hispanic community in Bowling Green, the barriers that may contribute to why ASD is underdiagnosed in Hispanic children, and how to mitigate these barriers. This research analyzes the results of a survey, called the “Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale- General Population Version”, administered to 51 participants from the Hispanic population of …

Effect Of Nodule Size And Stiffness On Phonation Threshold And Collision Pressures In A Synthetic Hemilaryngeal Vocal Fold Model, Mohsen Motie-Shirazi, Matías Zañartu, Sean D Peterson, Daryush D Mehta, Robert E Hillman, Byron D Erath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Synthetic vocal fold (VF) replicas were used to explore the role of nodule size and stiffness on kinematic, aerodynamic, and acoustic measures of voiced speech production. Emphasis was placed on determining how changes in collision pressure may contribute to the development of phonotrauma. This was performed by adding spherical beads with different sizes and moduli of elasticity at the middle of the medial surface of synthetic silicone VF models, representing nodules of varying size and stiffness. The VF models were incorporated into a hemilaryngeal flow facility. For each case, self-sustained oscillations were investigated at the phonation threshold pressure. It was …

Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials In Patients With Single Sided Deafness, Alshymaa Ibrahim Hammad, Sanaa Mahran

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction: Clinically unilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss known as single-sided deafness (SSD). It is defined by severe-to-profound hearing thresholds with a poor word recognition ability. SSD is not uncommonly encountered in otology, their symptoms is hearing loss and often associated with the vestibular system. In SSD otolithic dysfunction may be frequently misdiagnosed and majority of patients affected by cochlear and superior vestibular nerve then inferior vestibular nerve. Otolith damage may be present in patients with SSD because they sharing a membranous structure in addition they have similar receptor cell. The vestibule and cochlea may be impacted by the …

Voice Quality Assessment In Cases Of Vocal Fold Gaps After Single Growth Factor Injection, Amr Roushdyel Badrawy, Asmaa Abdel Hamid, Israa Eltaweel, Azza Abdel Aziz Azzam

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

In severe vocal fold (VF) lesions, deposits of disorganized, thick collagen bundles and little hyaluronic acid (HA) are deposited in the superficial layer of lamina propria (SLP). These changes lead to severe dysphonia and aspiration, which could be complicated by fatal pneumonia. Unfortunately, no specific treatment has been recognized due to unpredictable VF regeneration. Current progress in regenerative medicine has allowed the development of tissue engineering techniques using cells, scaffolds, and growth factors (GFs). Extrinsic GFs application could help in the induction of the regenerative process. The work aims to assess the voice quality after a single GF injection of …

The Effects Of Exercise On Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julia Hofacker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This Honors Research Project will look at the impact of various types of exercise on the speech, language, and behavior of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The goal of this research project is to determine how exercise can be implemented into speech and therapy programs in order to better improve the communication skills of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. To accomplish this, recent studies and publications will be analyzed to compare traditional therapy methods and therapy methods that include exercise. These studies will provide data on how various types of exercise impacted adolescents with autism spectrum disorder speech, language, behavior, …

Traumatic Brain Injury In Pediatrics, Natalie Deibel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an acquired brain injury as a result of an external force to the head. Common causes for these injuries include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports, and abuse. The affected location of the brain, severity, and age at the time of injury affect what deficits are present. Resulting deficits can be in speech, language, behavior, motor, and cognition/executive functions (Manasco, 2020). Traumatic brain injuries can affect all ages. No parent wants to experience their child going through this. TBIs do not just affect the patient but also loved ones. During this difficult time, parents or caregivers …

Speech-Language Pathology Students' Perspective Of Working With Older Adults, Anna Hamill

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There is an increasing demand for speech language pathologists (SLPs) willing to work with older adults. Demographic trends warn that the number of people over 65 will double by 2050 (Vincent, 2010). Studies reveal that only 37.3% of SLP students prefer to work with older adults after graduation (Leonard et al., 2016). Ageism is affecting speech-language pathology and related health care professions. Research within the last five years has shown that ageism towards older adults exists across multiple medical professions in all fields and settings (Heape et al., 2020). Interdisciplinary fields report negative feelings towards older adults (Ortiz-Rubio et al., …

The Impact Of Bowl Feeding On Infant Muscle Activity And Kinematics - An Executive Summary, Kendall Steer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Addressing difficulties with swallowing is a small, yet critical portion of a speech-language pathologist’s role. Infants often experience challenges associated with swallowing safely, yet the ability of SLPs to prescribe effective interventions is limited by the lack of knowledge on how anatomy and physiology interact to drive these challenges. The goal of my Honors Research Project is to address this lack of knowledge by determining how the infant pig tongue moves during feeding from a bottle versus drinking from a bowl, as well as how the muscles controlling the tongue differ in these behaviors. I used infant pigs for this …

Professional Development In Phonological Awareness For Early Childhood Educators In Low-Income, Urban Classrooms: A Pilot Study Examining Dosage Effects, Jayne E. Jaskolski, Maura Jones Moyle

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Providing high-quality literacy instruction in early childhood may positively affect the long-term outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Previous research has shown that educators are generally lacking in their own phonological awareness knowledge and skills which could negatively impact the provision of effective instruction in code-focused early literacy skills. The purposes of this pilot study were to examine the effects of differing dosages of professional development in phonological awareness on early childhood educators’ (ECEs) own phonological awareness skills and instructional practices, and to examine the effects on child outcomes. The comparison group consisted of 10 ECEs who were receiving professional …

An Exploration Of Quality Of Life Perceptions Of Cochlear Implant Recipients And Their Frequent Communication Partners, Jessica L. Bishop, Ashley G. Flagge

Ashley Flagge Publications

Purpose: Quality of life (QoL) after cochlear implantation has been investigated using a variety of QoL questionnaires. However, few studies have examined the perceived QoL of cochlear implant (CI) recipients compared between the recipient and a frequent communication partner (FCP) using both hearing-related (hearing-specific), and health-general (health-general) measures.

Method: For this multiple case study, five participant pairs were recruited, consisting of five adult recipients who were implanted at least six months prior to the time of evaluation, and five adult frequent communication partners who lived with the recipient at the time of evaluation. All ten participants (five pairs) completed a …

Revisiting The Rainbow: Culturally Responsive Updates To A Standard Clinical Resource, Angela M. Dietsch, Richard Mocarski, Debra A. Hope, Nathan Woodruff, Miechelle Mckelvey

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose

Cultural responsivity is essential for efficacious and affirming clinical relationships. This may be especially important with historically marginalized clients, such as transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people seeking behaviorally based affirming communication services. We recommend modifications to standard tools for diagnostics and training that otherwise might undermine our efforts to create an inclusive and affirming environment.

Method

Modifications to the Rainbow Passage, a standardized paragraph utilized for eliciting speech samples in clinical settings, focused on nongendered terminology and the elimination of content with religious connotations.

Results

The recommended edits to the Rainbow Passage maintain similar length, cadence, and phonetic balance …