bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive-Communication Abilities in Children With Closed Head Injury
Authors: Chapman Sandra Bond
Published: July 2014

The cognitive-communicative needs of children and adolescents with closed head injury (CHI) are an important responsibility facing speech-language pathologists today. Growing evidence suggests that the communicative disability of this population is not being adequately addressed. This article discusses ways that we can improve the situation through (a) recognition that traditional approaches based on children with developmental language impairments (LI) will be insufficient to identify the deficits in children with CHI and (b) through use of discourse measures in assessment and treatment. Narrative discourse measures, in particular, have been shown to be more sensitive outcome measures of the cognitive-communicative problems resulting from severe CHI than are structured language tests. In addition, we present a method for analyzing narrative discourse, with examples from children with CHI.
The Use of Contrastive Analysis in Distinguishing Difference From Disorder
Authors: McGregor Karla K. , Williams Danielle , Hearst Sarah , Johnson Amy C.
Published: July 2014

Contrastive analysis aids the identification of true speech-language errors in cases where there is a mismatch between the linguistic communities of the clinician and the client. This tutorial illustrates the procedure via three case studies of preschoolers who speak African American English (AAE). In these case studies, there was good agreement between the results of contrastive analysis and the results of more well-established comparison metrics, suggesting that contrastive analysis can yield valid profiles that aid in distinguishing difference from disorder in children who speak a nonstandard dialect.
Sounds and Stories
Authors: McFadden Teresa Ukrainetz
Published: July 2014

Phonemic awareness instruction is an important part of child language intervention. Activities and procedures have generally been adopted directly from experimental studies. Although effective, these methods may strike a discordant note with more holistically-oriented speech-language pathologists. This article describes an alternative approach involving teaching phonemic awareness within meaningful text experiences. By teaching phonological awareness within its contexts of use, the emergent nature of literacy acquisition and the reciprocal relationship between phonological awareness and literacy are recognized and capitalized upon. Phonemic awareness instruction then becomes part of the greater whole of meaningful, contextualized language and literacy intervention.
A Survey of Expressive Communication Skills in Children With Angelman Syndrome
Authors: Alvares Robin L. , Downing Sharon F.
Published: July 2014

Angelman syndrome (AS) results from partial deletion of the 15th chromosome (Knoll et al., 1989) and occurs in approximately 1 per 10,000 live births (Petersen, Brondum-Nielsen, Hansen, & Wulff, 1995). Individuals with AS exhibit a pattern of developmental delays that include feeding problems in infancy, delays in motor development, ataxic movements, seizures, severe to profound mental retardation, and a lack of expressive speech (Williams, Zori, et al., 1995). The purposes of this article are to summarize clinical research on AS, to provide a description of the communication skills of individuals with AS, and to identify strategies and resources for communication intervention. It begins by reviewing the existing literature on the clinical characteristics of individuals with AS, with an emphasis on communication skills. The second part of the article presents results obtained from a survey of 20 families of children with AS on the children's expressive communication skills. The implications of the findings of the survey are discussed relative to the existing literature.
Analysis of Criteria for Graduate Admissions in Speech-Language Pathology
Authors: Forrest Karen , Naremore Rita C.
Published: July 2014

Evaluations of applicants to most university speech and hearing programs rely on quantitative measures such as undergraduate grade point averages (UGPA) and scores on the aptitude portions of the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs). However, the ability of these factors to predict success of students pursuing master’s degrees in speech-language pathology has not been verified. In an effort to select the students who are most likely to excel in our graduate program, an analysis of factors used to evaluate applications to our master’s program was undertaken. Information was extracted from records of students enrolled in the Indiana University MA program in speech-language pathology between 1992 and 1995. Students chosen for this analysis were considered to be among the top or bottom students in their class, as measured by final graduate GPA and scores on the PRAXIS examination. A discriminant analysis was performed using UGPA, scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical subtests of the GREs, undergraduate university, and undergraduate major as input variables. This analysis indicated that students’ achievement in a master’s program could be predicted with 93% accuracy on the basis of UGPA alone. By contrast, when GRE scores were used to calculate the discriminant function, classification accuracy reached only 63%. A cross-validation analysis classified a second group of randomly selected students with 80% accuracy. The results of the current investigation are compared to studies in other disciplines that indicate limited utility of GRE scores in the prediction of students’ success in master’s degree programs.
Evaluating Stuttering in Young Children
Authors: Yaruss J. Scott , LaSalle Lisa R. , Conture Edward G.
Published: July 2014

This study describes relationships between speech, language, and related behaviors exhibited during an initial diagnostic evaluation by 2- to 6-year-old children referred for evaluation of their speech and language development. These children were referred as a result of their parents’ concerns that they might be at risk for stuttering. Subjects were 100 children (85 boys and 15 girls; mean age=54.7 months;
SD
=12.2 months) who appeared to be representative of the children that clinicians are likely to evaluate in a clinical setting. Analyses were based on a retrospective examination of detailed diagnostic records prepared during the diagnostic evaluations. Results indicated that children recommended for treatment exhibited significantly higher scores than children recommended for reevaluation or for neither treatment nor reevaluation on all measures of speech fluency except the duration of disfluencies (which approached, but did not reach, significance). Importantly, analyses also revealed significant behavioral overlaps between children in the three recommendation subgroups, suggesting that absolute referral criteria probably should not be used when making treatment recommendations. In addition, diagnostic testing revealed that a proportion of these children exhibited concomitant difficulties with language, phonology, or oral motor skills, suggesting that stuttering is not necessarily independent of other aspects of children’s speech and language development. Based on the distribution of children’s scores on a variety of measures in this relatively large database, benchmarks are presented that may provide clinicians with a means for comparing their own treatment recommendations to those made by others.
Determining Spoken Language Prognosis in Children With Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Yoder Paul J. , Warren Steven F. , McCathren Rebecca B.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this study is to predict which of 58 children (mean age=22 months) with developmental disabilities in the prelinguistic period of development would begin speaking 12 months after initial assessment. None of the children had severe or profound motor impairments. During the initial assessment period, children participated in a structured and unstructured communication sample with a project staff member. Also, at the time they entered the study, a mother-child interaction session was conducted to measure maternal responses to child communication acts, and mothers filled out a vocabulary checklist. Twelve months later, the structured and unstructured language samples were repeated. We labeled children with fewer than 5 different nonimitative spoken words in either communication samples as "prefunctional speakers" and those with 5 or more words in either sample as "functional speakers." The results indicate that functional speakers scored significantly higher than prefunctional speakers on 5 variables measured during the initial assessment period: (a) number of canonical vocal communication acts, b) number of intentional communication acts, c) rate of proto-declaratives, (d) ratio of words produced to those understood on the CDI (i.e., CDI discrepancy ratio), and (e) the number of maternal responses to child communication acts. After statistically controlling for the other significant predictors, only three of these variables continued to predict who would become functional speakers and who would not a year later: (a) number of canonical vocal communication acts, (b) rate of proto-declaratives, and c) CDI discrepancy ratio. These three variables discriminated functional speakers from prefunctional speakers with 83% accuracy.
The Speech and Language Status of Toddlers With Cleft Lip and/or Palate Following Early Vocabulary Intervention
Authors: Scherer Nancy J.
Published: July 2014

This study examined the effects of a vocabulary intervention for 3 children with cleft lip and/or palate who showed limited consonant inventories and delayed expressive language. In a multiple baseline design across behaviors, a vocabulary intervention was implemented using a milieu model. The treatment produced an increase in vocabulary production that generalized to a conversational language sample in the clinic and home as reported by parents. Phonological variables, including consonant repertoire and syllable structure, were monitored before and after language treatment for all children. Phonological performance improved and did not need to be addressed as a separate goal in intervention.
Reliability of the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program for the Analysis of Voice Samples of Subjects With Dysarthria
Authors: Kent Ray D. , Vorperian Houri K. , Duffy Joseph R.
Published: July 2014

Computer-based analysis systems are increasingly available for the clinical assessment of speech and voice functions. These systems have the potential to provide immediate quantitative information to assist clinical assessment and treatment. The Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) is a computer program that can calculate as many as 33 acoustic parameters from a voice sample. The MDVP appears to have potential for rapid quantitative assessments of voice in both research and clinical applications. This report evaluates the robustness and reliability of MDVP for vocal analyses of 32 individuals with dysarthria of various etiologies. It is concluded that the reliability is generally very good and that MDVP has potential as a tool for the semi-automatic analysis of voice samples in dysarthria. Some parameters appear to hold particular value in the description of voice qualities in these speech disorders.
Early Pragmatic Accomplishments and Vocabulary Development in Preschool Children With Autism
Authors: Rollins Pamela Rosenthal
Published: July 2014

This longitudinal parallel case study followed the development of pragmatic accomplishments and vocabulary development in five children with autism from the prelinguistic to early one-word stage of language. As would be expected, there was considerable variability in the rates of vocabulary acquisition across the five children. Qualitative analyses suggested that rate of vocabulary acquisition was associated with both type and diversity of pragmatic skills. This preliminary investigation lends support to the hypothesis that not all pragmatic accomplishments are related to language outcomes in precisely the same way.
Validating a Rate-Based Measure of Early Grammatical Abilities
Authors: Hadley Pamela A.
Published: July 2014

This paper introduces an alternative measure of grammatical development,
unique syntactic types
(UST), for use with young children with intervention goals focusing on the emergence of word combinations. A unique syntactic type refers to a unique combination of two or more words with syntactic status that could fit into the phrase structure of a more grammatically complete adult utterance. The measure is appropriate only for children in Brown’s Stage I of language development (mean length of utterance [MLU] 1.00 to 2.00). It is intended to monitor the facility with which children deploy their grammatical knowledge under the realtime demands of conversation. The relationships between UST and existing measures of grammatical development were examined among 20 toddlers with specific language impairment to explore its validity. Similarly, measures of UST obtained on two separate days were compared to evaluate its reliability. Results revealed that UST demonstrates temporal reliability and is highly correlated with MLU (Brown, 1973) and total scores on the Index of Productive Syntax (Scarborough, 1990) at concurrent measurement points. Additionally, UST demonstrates predictive stability over 3- and 6-month intervals. These findings support the use of UST as an alternative measure for tracking the progress of children in this early stage of grammatical development. Data collection strategies for use in real practice settings are also discussed.
Use of Visual Feedback to Treat Negative Intraoral Air Pressures of Preschoolers With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Higgins Maureen B. , McCleary Elizabeth A. , Schulte Laura
Published: July 2014

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if negative intraoral air pressures (−P
o
) produced by young deaf children can be treated effectively with visual feedback. We used two forms of visual feedback. One was a display of the P
o
signal on an oscilloscope, and the other was movement of cellophane streamers placed in front of the children’s mouths. Participants were two 5-year-old boys who had been using cochlear implants (CIs) for less than 6 months. Both children were congenitally deafened and had very limited speech production and perception skills. In addition to frequent usage of −P
o
, both children exhibited deviant phonatory behaviors, so phonatory goals were incorporated into treatment. The magnitude and direction of P
o
was monitored, as well as fundamental frequency and electroglottograph cycle width. Data were collected at baseline, before and after treatment sessions, and 7 weeks after termination of treatment. One child responded well to treatment of −P
o
with both forms of visual feedback, and progress was maintained at follow-up. For the other child, +P
o
occurred more frequently as the study progressed, and he rarely produced −P
o
by the end of the investigation. However, because changes were evident in baseline as well as during treatment, it is difficult to attribute his more frequent use of +P
o
specifically to treatment. The phonation of the two children changed in ways that were consistent with their phonatory goals, although the degree of change was not always significant. Change was more evident for phonatory behaviors that could be shaped with visual feedback. Although both children exhibited some undesirable speech/voice behaviors in response to visual feedback, there was no evidence of long-lasting mislearning. Although our data are limited, it appears that treatment of −P
o
can be efficacious for some young children with CIs, even those with very poor speech perception and speech production skills. Further, treatment of −P
o
can be incorporated effectively with other speech production goals.
Hand Gestures: Perspectives and Preliminary Implications for Adults With Acquired Dysarthria
Authors: Garcia Jane Mertz , Cannito Michael P. , Dagenais Paul A.
Published: July 2014

Most communicators engage in some degree of hand gesturing while speaking. The purposes of the present paper are to review in detail the nature of hand gestures (gesticulations) in normal communicative interactions and to examine their potential role as a compensatory communicative strategy in dysarthria rehabilitation. In addition, contraindications and other considerations that may limit the use of gesticulations will be identified. Directions for future research on the use of gesticulations for adults with acquired dysarthria are discussed.
Evidence That the Association Between Hypernasality and 22q11 Deletion Syndrome Still Goes Undetected: A Case Study
Authors: Greenberg Irit Spierer , Fifer Robert C.
Published: July 2014

This manuscript presents a case study that underscores the need for increasing awareness that hypernasality, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and a number of other anomalies may be related through the common etiology of 22q11 deletion syndrome. The child presented here has a long-standing history of cardiac defects, hypernasality, poor speech intelligibility, and other anomalies. The variety of symptoms, occurring over a relatively broad time span, caused the family to seek several individual specialists on separate occasions. A major factor influencing this case was the absence of communication between the various specialists. Each health care specialist treated the child based on the limited perspective of the individual discipline, missing the fundamental etiology of the child’s disorders. It was not until the diagnosis of 22q11 deletion syndrome was established that successful, coordinated treatment of the disorder was realized.
Internal Marketing for the Established Audiology Practice
Authors: Hampton Dennis
Published: July 2014

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of audiologists providing direct services to people with hearing impairments in both private practice and institutional settings. Marketing has become—or should become— an important part in the planning and management of any audiology practice.

This paper outlines several marketing activities aimed at a practice's present client group. This population, or market segment, is the most cost-effective and responsive market segment available. Many of the marketing activities described also represent long-term quality care.
Auditory Brain Stem Responses Recorded With Uncushioned Earphones
Authors: Marsh Roger R. , Knightly Carol A.
Published: July 2014

Although the cushion is essential to accurate pure-tone audiometry with conventional earphones, it may interfere with the auditory brain stem response (ABR) testing of small infants because of its size and the risk of ear canal collapse. To determine the consequences of ABR testing with an uncushioned earphone, adults were tested with and without the cushion, and probe-tube sound measurements were made. Although removing the cushion results in substantial signal attenuation below 1 kHz, there is little effect on the click-elicited ABR.
Fitting Strategies for Multiple-Memory Programmable Hearing Instruments
Authors: Stypulkowski Paul H.
Published: July 2014

Fitting a multiple-memory programmable hearing instrument presents a new set of challenges to the dispenser, compared to conventional fittings. Rather than having to compromise on a single frequency-gain response (the prescriptive target), it is now possible to create a family of hearing aid responses from which the user can select an appropriate response for a given situation. This philosophy is also applicable in the prescription of compression characteristics. The flexibility designed into the 3M two-channel compression system allows the dispenser to program very different types of signal processing strategies (low frequency compression, high frequency compression, full spectrum compression, or linear processing) into a single instrument to match the requirements of different listening environments and to meet the needs of different users. Utilizing this approach, comfort, speech intelligibility, and sound quality can be optimized in a variety of situations by considering the listener's acoustic environment and the input signals to which the hearing aid must respond.
Flexibility in Frequency Response Shaping and Signal Processing With Analog Hearing Aids
Authors: Preves David A.
Published: July 2014

Mainly because of packaging size limitations, most amplifiers for in-the-ear (ITE) and in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids have performed linear processing and had a class A output stage. Recent advances in the miniaturization of analog semiconductor technology have made it possible to package much more sophisticated signal processing circuitry and push-pull and class D output stages in ITE and ITC hearing aids.

These advancements have been used in hearing aids to improve sound quality, enhance the speech signal to emphasize weak consonants, provide increased flexibility in frequency response shaping, and reduce the amplification of undesired noise. Although digital programmability offers increased flexibility in hearing aid fittings, in most programmable hearing aid designs it is the analog portion of the circuit rather than the digital portion that performs the signal processing functions.

Although "true" digital signal processing holds promise for further dramatic improvements in hearing aid performance, the capabilities of analog electronics are just beginning to be exploited. Through advances in low-voltage CMOS circuitry, analog ITE and even ITC hearing aids are now being made with multiband amplifiers that have relatively steep filter slopes.

These small, nonprogrammable hearing instruments are essentially master hearing aids for frequency response shaping that require only a few potentiometers and an ordinary screw-driver for adjustment. Consequently, analog circuitry should not be totally abandoned as yet in favor of digital circuitry.
Assistive Devices for Classroom Listening
Authors: Lewis Dawna E.
Published: July 2014

The listening problems experienced by people with hearing loss have been well-documented. Typical classrooms, where listening is so important, are especially noisy and reverberant environments. A number of strategies have been used to help students with hearing loss in the classroom. This article will examine three of the most common classroom assistive listening devices: large-area induction-loop-amplification systems, FM amplification systems, and soundfield amplification systems. Descriptions, benefits, and limitations of the systems will be discussed, along with candidacy issues for each system.
Testing Balance Function in Spanish-Speaking Patients
Authors: Newman-Ryan Jody , Northrup Briseida DeLeon , Villarreal-Emery Claudia
Published: July 2014

In conclusion, clinicians are advised to avoid becoming complacent with the notion that they are doing the best they can in working with culturally diverse populations, and instead are advised to strive towards excellence in providing services that are linguistically and culturally appropriate (Erickson & Iglesias, 1986). This article is only one step towards the goal of providing better services to patients who are Spanish-speaking and who are suspected of having balance difficulties. Further work in the area of providing clinical services to this population is definitely needed.
Adult and Pediatric Cochlear Implant Programs at the University of Michigan
Authors: Zwolan Teresa A. , Kileny Paul R. , Zimmerman-Phillips Susan , Telian Steven A.
Published: July 2014

The Cochlear Implant Program at the University of Michigan has evolved over the past several years and is strongly dependent on a team approach to clinical care. Members of the team work closely together to assist patients and their families as they participate in the implant evaluation and rehabilitation process. We feel fortunate that we have been able to help so many profoundly deaf individuals and look forward to continued growth and future advances that will inevitably come about in the field of cochlear implants.
New Methods in the Molecular Genetic Study and Treatment of Hearing Loss
Authors: Halpin Chris
Published: July 2014

In genetics, both discovery and methodology are advancing at an accelerating rate. As a result, the role of clinicians, and in this case clinical audiologists, must be re-examined from time to time to assure the sort of cooperation that will maximize results for both the investigators and the patients. This article will briefly review the current state of molecular genetic methodology and relate the assumptions inherent in such methods to the character of the clinical data needed from the audiologist inthese cases. The basic assumption of most molecular biologic investigations of ear disease is that a binary (yes or no) diagnosis can be made by the audiologists and physicians as to the disease status of each member of an affected family. The binary assumption gives rise to a number of clinical diagnosis issues not easily understood by molecular biologists, and these issues are discussed in order to facilitate progress in genetic cases.
Hit and False-Alarm Rates of Selected ABR Indices in Differentiating Cochlear Disorders From Acoustic Tumors
Authors: Musiek Frank E. , McCormick Cynthia A. , Hurley Raymond M.
Published: July 2014

We performed a retrospective study of 26 patients with acoustic tumors and 26 patients with otologically diagnosed cochlear pathology to determine the sensitivity (hit rate), specificity (false-alarm rate), and efficiency of six auditory brainstem response indices. In addition, a utility value was determined for each of these six indices. The I–V interwave interval, the interaural latency difference, and the absolute latency of wave V provided the highest hit rates, the best A’ values and good utility. The V/I amplitude ratio index provided high specificity but low sensitivity scores. In regard to sensitivity and specificity, using the combination of two indices provided little overall improvement over the best one-index measures.
Consistency in Latency Measurements and Interpretation of ABR Tracings
Authors: Olsen Wayne O. , Pratt Terri L. , Bauch Christopher D.
Published: July 2014

Multichannel ABR recordings for 30 otoneurologic patients were reviewed independently by three audiologists to assess interjudge consistency in determining absolute latencies and overall interpretation of ABR results. Four months later, the tracings were reviewed a second time to evaluate intrajudge consistency in interpretation of ABR waveforms. Interjudge agreement in marking latencies for waves I, III, and V within 0.2 ms was on the order of 90% or better. Intrajudge consistency was slightly higher. Only rarely did inter- or intrajudge differences in latency measurements exceed 0.3 ms. Agreement in overall interpretation of ABR results as "normal" or "abnormal" was unanimous for 90% of the patients. Across pairs of judges, the agreement for "normal" and "abnormal" classification of the ABR tracings was 97%. Intrajudge consistency for "normal" and "abnormal" categorization of the ABR results was 100% for one judge, 97% for the other two judges.
Grammatical Morphology Deficits in Spanish-Speaking Children With SLI
Authors: Bedore Lisa M. , Leonard Laurence B.
Published: July 2014

In "Grammatical Morphology Deficits in Spanish-Speaking Children With SLI" by Lisa M. Bedore and Laurence B. Leonard, which appeared in the August 2001 issue (Vol. 44, No. 4), some items in the left-most column of Table
5
on p. 914 were ordered incorrectly. The correct version of the table appears below.

Table 5.

Summary of verb morpheme response patterns.

Response

Item Type

1 singular present

1 singular past

1 plural present

1 plural past

3 singular present

3 singular past

3 plural present

3 plural past

Infinitive

Children with SLI group

1 singular present

129

2
1
2
—
—
—
—
—

1 singular past
3

126

1
1
1
—
—
—
—

1 plural present
1
—

135

—
—
—
—
—
—

1 plural past
—
—
—

121

—
—
—
—
—

3 singular present
17
1
4
1

97

20
20
4
6

3 plural present
5
19
1
2
3

142

9
25
—

3 singular past
—
—
1
—
3
—

90

14
—

3 plural past
—
—
—
1
—
2
5

91

—

Infinitive
1
1
7
6
11
4
4
2

154

Other error
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

Unscorable

Progressive
4
6
5
8
27
13
25
30
1

Other
4
—
4
1
8
10
8
11
3

No response
16
13
9
13
6
4
7
3
4

Total
180
168
168
156
156
195
168
180
168

MLU control group

1 singular present

127

25
—

—
—
—
—
—

1 singular past
10

101

—

—
—
—
1
—

1 plural present
1
—

131

—
—
—
—
—

1 plural past
—
—
1

—
—
—
—
—

3 singular present
14
—
1

106

15
20
9
4

3 plural present
1
6
—

1

160

8
21
1

3 singular past
—
—
2

—
—

110

13
2

3 plural past
—
—
—

—
—
4

104

—

Infinitive
1
—
2

5
5
—
3

171

Other error
—
1
—

—
2
—
—
—

Unscorable

Progressive
1
3
—

25
9
10
12
—

Other
1
—
—

4
3
15
11
2

No response
12
8
19

3
1
13
6
—

Total
168
144
156

144
195
180
180
180

Age control group

1 singular present

162

1—
—
—
—
—
—
—

1 singular past
7

164

—
1
—
—
—
—
—

1 plural present
1
—

167

1
—
—
—
—
—

1 plural past
—
—
—

173

—
1
—
—
—

3 singular present
4
—
1
—

134

1
6
—
—

3 plural present
—
1
—
—
3

182

4
2
—

3 singular past
—
—
—
—
—
—

138

1
—

3 plural past
—
—
2
1
—
—
5

156

—

Infinitive
—
1
8
2
2
—
—
—

179

Other error
6
8
—
1
1
1
—
1
—

Unscorable

Progressive
—
2
1
—
26
9
8
17
—

Other
—
1
—
—
2
1
4
1
—

No response
—
2
1
1
—
—
3
2
1

Total
180
180
180
180
168
195
168
180
180
French-English Bilingual Children With SLI
Authors: Paradis Johanne , Crago Martha , Genesee Fred , Rice Mabel
Published: July 2014

The figure below corrects Figure
2
from the article, "French-English Bilingual Children With SLI: How Do They Compare With Their Monolingual Peers?" by Johanne Paradis, Martha Crago, Fred Genesee, and Mabel Rice, appearing in the February 2003 issue of the
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
, Volume 46, No. 1, p. 122.

Figure 2.

Percentage correct tense and non-tense morphemes (means and ranges) for monolingual and bilingual French.
Interspeaker Variability in Hard Palate Morphology and Vowel Production
Authors: Lammert Adam , Proctor Michael , Narayanan Shrikanth
Published: July 2014

Purpose

Differences in vocal tract morphology have the potential to explain interspeaker variability in speech production. The potential acoustic impact of hard palate shape was examined in simulation, in addition to the interplay among morphology, articulation, and acoustics in real vowel production data.

Method

High-front vowel production from 5 speakers of American English was examined using midsagittal real-time magnetic resonance imaging data with synchronized audio. Relationships among hard palate morphology, tongue shaping, and formant frequencies were analyzed. Simulations were performed to determine the acoustical properties of vocal tracts whose area functions are altered according to prominent hard palate variations.

Results

Simulations revealed that altering the height and position of the palatal dome alters formant frequencies. Examinations of real speech data showed that palatal morphology is not significantly correlated with any formant frequency but is correlated with major aspects of lingual articulation.

Conclusion

Certain differences in hard palate morphology can substantially affect vowel acoustics, but those effects are not noticeable in real speech. Speakers adapt their lingual articulation to accommodate palate shape differences with the potential to substantially affect formant frequencies, while ignoring palate shape differences with relatively little acoustic impact, lending support for acoustic goals of vowel production.
SIG 11 Perspectives Vol. 22, No. 3, October 2012
Authors: Kerins Marie R. , Matrangola DeDe
Published: July 2014

Sorry, this activity is no longer available for CEUs. Visit the SIG 11 page on the
ASHA Store
to see available CE activities.

Use the CE questions PDF here as study questions to guide your Perspectives reading.
SIG 7 Perspectives Vol. 19, No. 1, May 2012
Authors: Marrone Nicole , Harris Frances
Published: July 2014

Sorry, this activity is no longer available for CEUs. Visit the SIG 7 page on the
ASHA Store
to see available CE activities.

Use the CE questions PDF here as study questions to guide your Perspectives reading.
Viewpoint: What Brain Research Can Tell Us About Accent Modification
Authors: Ojakangas Catherine L.
Published: July 2014

The field of brain research has made numerous advances in the past few decades into how we learn new motor skills, from the value of sleep to the discovery of “mirror neurons,” which fire when we watch others performing movements we are attempting to learn. Accent modification may be conceptualized as a form of sensorimotor skill learning – learning to produce a set of movement components and performing them as a whole automatically in spontaneous speech. Motor skill learning occurs in stages and motor habits are formed after acquisition of the new behavior, consolidation of the new brain patterns, and automatic production in appropriate settings. New neural pathways are formed and both cortical and subcortical brain regions participate. The author of this article reviews concepts from the neuroscience literature in the field of motor skill acquisition, work which has primarily focused on the learning of arm and finger movements, and attempts to apply them in a practical manner for the clinician working with non-native English speakers. Discussed are the neurophysiology of motor skill learning, stages of habit formation, intermittent practice, sleep, feedback, mirror neurons and motor imagery. Practical suggestions are given to optimize the accent modification process for the clinician and client.
Improving Communication Skills in Health Care
Authors: Wilner Lynda Katz , Feinstein-Whittaker Marjorie
Published: July 2014

Hospital reimbursements are linked to patient satisfaction surveys, which are directly related to interpersonal communication between provider and patient. In today’s health care environment, interactions are challenged by diversity — Limited English proficient (LEP) patients, medical interpreters, International Medical Graduate (IMG) physicians, nurses, and support staff. Accent modification training for health care professionals can improve patient satisfaction and reduce adverse events. Surveys were conducted with medical interpreters and trainers of medical interpreting programs to determine the existence and support for communication skills training, particularly accent modification, for interpreters and non-native English speaking medical professionals. Results of preliminary surveys suggest the need for these comprehensive services. 60.8% believed a heavy accent, poor diction, or a different dialect contributed to medical errors or miscommunication by a moderate to significant degree. Communication programs should also include cultural competency training to optimize patient care outcomes. Examples of strategies for training are included.
SIG 15 Perspectives Vol. 17, No. 3, September 2012
Authors: Mason-Baughman Mary Beth , Lander Andrew
Published: July 2014

Sorry, this activity is no longer available for CEUs. Visit the SIG 15 page on the
ASHA Store
to see available CE activities.

Use the CE questions PDF here as study questions to guide your Perspectives reading.
Introducing the Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum
Authors: Winston Randi
Published: July 2014

Although hospital based universal newborn hearing screening programs have been implemented in the majority of hospitals in the country, state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs and hospitals face the ongoing challenge of ensuring that all screening staff are properly trained and competent. Inadequately trained screening staff jeopardizes the integrity and efficiency of the early identification and intervention process. Over the past 2 ½ years, a team of experts dedicated to newborn hearing screening, represented by The EAR Foundation of Arizona (EFAZ) and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management at Utah State University (NCHAM), collaborated on a project to develop a competency based, multi-media training curriculum to meet hospitals’ training needs. The goal was to provide a consistent and comprehensive training solution to help hospitals achieve an improved standard of care to babies and families through efficient screening practices. A draft version was piloted and evaluated in 10 EHDI state programs. Feedback from 70 hospitals was incorporated. This document will discuss considerations and methods used for development and an overview of the curriculum content.
Outcomes for Children With HL: Effects of Age of ID, Sign Support, and Auditory Prosthesis
Authors: Nittrouer Susan
Published: July 2014

The purpose of the project reported here was to examine the effects of three independent variables on developmental outcomes for children with hearing loss (HL): age of identification of hearing loss, whether or not spoken language input was supported with signs and whether children used hearing aids (HAs) or cochlear implants (CI). Children with and without hearing loss were tested multiple times between 12 and 48 months of age, at their 6-month birthdays. Dependent variables were selected to examine all aspects of child development: receptive and expressive language, psychosocial components of personality, deleterious behaviors, adaptive behaviors, parental language style, and levels of parenting stress. Results support several main findings:

None of the independent variables had any significant effect on any dependent variable unrelated to language.

Mean levels of all language skills were delayed for all groups of children with HL, even those children identified at birth with only moderate losses that could be appropriately aided with HAs.

For children with losses identified at birth, the use or nonuse of signs to support spoken language input did not affect language outcomes in the long run.

Within the restricted range examined here, age of identification did not affect language outcomes, if children were not getting sign support; children with late-identified hearing loss receiving sign support were more delayed on all language measures than other children with HL.

Regarding prosthesis, some experience using HAs was associated with better outcomes, even if children eventually received CIs.

A parental language style that involved being very verbally responsive to the child's communicative attempts was strongly associated with positive language outcomes.
Quality In, Quality Out: Supporting Good Outcomes for Children Who Wear Hearing Aids
Authors: Bagatto Marlene P.
Published: July 2014

Fitting hearing aids to infants with hearing loss can be completed in a systematic and evidence-based manner. This is because there are clinical protocols and technologies available so that pediatric audiologists can fit hearing aids to their patients with hearing loss during the early months of life. Early hearing aid fitting supports speech and language development, however, the way in which the hearing aid is fitted can significantly impact the infant’s progress. A four-stage process for infant hearing aid fitting is offered as a framework with which to execute the essential components of the procedure. Key aspects of the pediatric hearing aid fitting process are described with a focus on elements that may impact an infant’s progress with hearing aids if not implemented.
Erratum
Authors: Burdin L. Gray
Published: July 2014

March 3, 1941.

As an addendum to a recent article of mine in the “Journal” (“A Survey of Speech Defectives in the Indianapolis Primary Grades,” September, 1940) the assumption was present that the situation revealed was as of the publication date.

Since the data was gathered for this survey (1937), the Indianapolis Public Schools have rightfully set about to correct this need. The present director of Speech Correction is Miss Esther Glaspey, a well-trained speech pathologist. Her progressive remedial speech program in the Indianapolis Public Schools has met with hearty approbation.
Erratum
Authors: Sortini Adam J.
Published: July 2014

In the November 1965 issue of this journal, the affiliation of George E. Lynn was incorrectly listed as Audiologist for the Rehabilitation Institute of Detroit, Michigan. It should have appeared as Associate Professor of Audiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
Characteristics of Manually Communicating Deaf Adults
Authors: Northern Jerry L. , Teter Darrel , Krug Richard F.
Published: July 2014

Data obtained from a questionnaire survey of 152 deaf adults living in Colorado are reported for the purpose of acquainting speech and hearing personnel with a hearing loss group who use manual communication. The respondents were questioned concerning their medical and audiological history, communication abilities and preferences, as well as their educational, vocational, and social backgrounds and environments. The data suggest that this deaf population seldom utilizes otologic, audiologic, or speech pathology services, although indications were noted of interest in such activities. It is suggested that an increase in understanding by speech and hearing clinicians of this profoundly deaf population may result in mutual benefits to both groups.
Modification of Speech Discrimination in Patients with Binaural Asymmetrical Hearing Loss
Authors: Arkebauer Herbert J. , Mencher George T. , McCall Carol
Published: July 2014

Ten patients with bilateral asymmetrical hearing losses were tested for differences in speech discrimination scores under the following listening conditions: poorer ear under earphone; better ear under earphone; sound field, ears unoccluded; and sound field, poorer ear occluded. A patient manifesting a bilateral asymmetrical hearing loss may not be able to either separate or integrate two speech signals; however, occlusion of the poorer ear may be an advantageous means of obtaining maximum speech discrimination. Examination of the speech discrimination scores indicates the existence of detrimental interaction between ears exhibiting bilateral asymmetrical hearing loss. These findings also indicate that when the difference between ears is greater, speech discrimination is better than when asymmetry approximates symmetry. Apparently, the greater the impairment in the better ear, the greater the results to be gained by occluding the poorer ear. These findings were interpreted as being relevant in determining candidacy for binaural amplification. Such candidacy should be determined on the basis of speech discrimination scores obtained from each ear independently, and the combined effect of both aids.
Temporal Integration: I. Clinical Implications of a Laboratory Study. II. Additional Data from Hearing-Impaired Subjects
Authors: Gengel Roy W. , Watson Charles S.
Published: July 2014

The two purposes of this report are to discuss three problems that clinicians should consider when they use temporal integration data for diagnostic purposes and to provide additional data on temporal integration in persons with sensorineural hearing impairment. The first problem which must be considered stems from evidence that, for persons with normal sensitivity as well as persons with sensorineural hearing impairment, integration time is dependent on frequency. Therefore, before making inferences about atypical temporal integration, norms should be established for each test frequency. The second problem stems from evidence that an individual can show considerable variability when repeated measurements of temporal integration are made. Therefore, until a highly reliable measurement procedure is found, several determinations of the temporal integration function should be made. The third problem stems from evidence that integration time can differ when different psychophysical procedures are used. These differences, due to method of measurement, lead to very different interpretations of temporal integration data. Therefore, it is suggested that a single, standard clinical procedure for measuring temporal integration be developed. The second half of the report gives temporal integration data from eight persons with sensorineural hearing-impairment who show a wide variety of audiometric configurations.
Speech Clinicians' Conceptions of Boys and Men Who Stutter
Authors: Woods C. Lee , Williams Dean E.
Published: July 2014

Speech clinicians were asked to write adjectives they felt best described the adult male stutterer. Their responses were compared with the same information obtained about elementary school-aged boys who stutter. Many of the same adjectives were listed for both boys and men, indicating a fairly well established stereotype of a “stutterer,” regardless of age. Furthermore, most of these adjectives were judged to be undesirable personality characteristics for males. When the adjectives were grouped together into broad behavior categories, approximately 75% of the clinicians listed adjectives that grouped within the category of “nervous or fearful,” and 64% listed those that were included in the category of “shy and insecure.” Interestingly, only 31% of the clinicians listed adjectives that reflected “abnormalities in speech.” These data have importance for the clinician who sits for the first time across the clinical desk and begins to work with a stutterer.
The Importance of Seeing Red: Self-Teaching Techniques for Adult Aphasia
Authors: Montgomery Joan
Published: July 2014

The use of color in speech therapy for adult aphasics offers new, effective, and interesting techniques to the speech clinician. Two specific techniques, “instant definition” and “over-training,” are described.
Observations on Hearing Levels of Preschool Cleft-Palate Children
Authors: Harrison Robert J. , Philips Betty Jane
Published: July 2014

Pure-tone audiometry was performed on a monthly basis to a small group of preschool-aged cleft-palate children. The incidence of hearing loss in the group range from 25 to 71% from month to month. Further inspection of the data, however, indicates that all of the children experienced a significant hearing loss at some time during the study period. The lack of overt signs of hearing loss in the study group suggests that professional monitoring of the hearing levels may be necessary to assure optimum habilitation procedures.
A Foster Home Approach to Speech Therapy
Authors: Hatten John T. , Hatten Pequetti A.
Published: July 2014

This paper describes a language development program for a six-year-old child. The program consisted of foster home placement in a home where both parents were speech clinicians, and the program of instruction included an operant approach in the home and a three-hour therapy session each day at a university speech and hearing clinic. During the first week of the child’s stay, he initiated 55 verbalizations with a total of five separate words. By the end of the sixth week he was attempting over 1000 verbalizations a week and a total of 65 separate words were produced.
A Case Study of Psychogenic Hoarseness
Authors: Strandberg Twila E. , Griffith Jerry , Hollowell Mack W.
Published: July 2014

This paper describes the treatment procedures used with a 40-year-old female with hoarseness of sudden onset. The evidence suggested that the hoarseness was of psychogenic origin. A combination of training in deep muscle relaxation, instruction in phonation in controlled vowel contexts, and gradual reintroduction of a normal voice quality was employed in a hospital setting. Pertinent medical and background information is presented. The patient was seen twice daily for 30-minute sessions on three consecutive days. She achieved a normal voice quality in the fifth session. She was dismissed from the hospital two days later with a normal quality, which she has maintained. There is no subsequent evidence of symptom substitution.
The Use of a Bilateral Speech Appliance in Conjunction with a Pharyngeal Flap: Two Case Reports
Authors: Quinn Galen W. , Massengill Raymond
Published: July 2014

The bilateral speech bulb has been devised to aid patients in obtaining velopharyngeal (VP) closure following the insertion of an unsuccessful pharyngeal flap. The results obtained for two patients, utilizing bilateral speech bulbs, are reported. This technique has proven advantageous in decreasing hypernasality when the pharyngeal flap was not adequate.