bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating Language Impairments in Typically Achieving Children
Authors: McFadden Teresa Ukrainetz
Published: July 2014

Many popular standardized language tests use a "normal" sample for their normative comparison group. This article describes the errors that result from current uses of such tests; (a) identification of normal children as language impaired, (b) provision of misleading profiles of verbal and nonverbal performance, (c) inability to estimate the severity or describe the general nature of a language impairment, and (d) a gradual increase in the number of children identified as language impaired with progressive test re-normings. Recommendations to alleviate this problem include (a) test users employing only full-range standardized tests; (b) test users using flexible cutoff scores, with the major emphasis on descriptive, criterion-referenced testing, and (c) test makers moving to full-range normative samples with descriptions of what particular test performances indicate in terms of the daily communication functioning of typically achieving children and clinical subgroups of children.
Defining Learning and Language Disabilities
Authors: Francis David J. , Fletcher Jack M. , Shaywitz Bennett A. , Shaywitz Sally E. , Rourke Byron P.
Published: July 2014

This article employed multivariate graphic techniques to address three issues concerning the use of IQ tests for identifying children with learning and/or language disabilities. The first issue concerns the weakness of the conceptual rationale for models that suggest that IQ directly, influences the attainment of academic and/or language skills. The second issue addresses psychometric issues that relate to the significance of an IQ/attainment difference score. The third issue involves the psychometric limitations of simple comparisons of IQ and attainment scores. This article shows that the historically prominent role of IQ tests for identifying children with learning and/or language disabilities is conceptually and psychometrically unwarranted.
Applying Vygotskian Developmental Theory to Language Intervention
Authors: Schneider Phyllis , Watkins Ruth V.
Published: July 2014

The developmental theory of L.S. Vygotsky is one that is particularly well suited to clinical application. Vygotsky viewed social interaction as essential for the development of individual functioning. His theory is thus especially relevant to language intervention, in which clinicians attempt to influence children’s development through interaction. In this article, we present key notions from Vygotsky’s developmental theory and applications of this theory to assessment. We then discuss applications to language intervention in clinical settings using examples from intervention with a child who has language impairments.
Families' Perceptions of Early Intervention Services for Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: Harrison Melody , Dannhardt Margaret , Roush Jackson
Published: July 2014

A national survey was distributed to families of preschool-age children who are deaf or hard of hearing in order to investigate parent's perceptions of family involvement in early intervention programs, as intended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (formerly P.L. 99-457). Questions were organized into five categories: (1) the family's experiences with their early intervention program, (2) information provided by their early intervention program, (3) experiences in writing the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), (4) demographic information concerning the family, and (5) demographic information concerning the child.

Surveys were returned from all geographic regions of the United States, representing parents from a wide variety of backgrounds. Results indicate that although an IFSP had not been developed by almost one-half of the respondents, those who responded reported overall satisfaction with their early intervention program.
Clinical Evaluation and Treatment of Vocal Disorders
Authors: Kereiakes Thomas J.
Published: July 2014

The evaluation of clients with voice disorders is a complex and challenging problem because of the vast number of influences affecting normal laryngeal functioning. A careful and complete history often will indicate the underlying problem, and a physical examination will add to this information and confirm the diagnosis.

Newer technology, such as video strobolaryngoscopy, has taken knowledge of the larynx and treatment of laryngeal pathology to a new plane. The approach outlined in this article is one approach used to evaluate the client with an impaired voice. This approach is designed to efficiently gain the necessary information to make an accurate diagnosis and to allow an appropriate treatment plan to be designed.
Children’s Comprehension of Idioms in the Context of Humor
Authors: Spector Cecile C.
Published: July 2014

Comprehension of idioms embedded in the context of humor was examined for 90 third, fourth, and fifth grade children (30 children from each grade). Tasks involved detection and explanation of the idioms. Results show that, as expected, detection tasks were significantly easier than explanation tasks for all grades, and significant improvement in understanding occurs with age. The data seem to suggest that idiom comprehension is affected by the level of idiom transparency, the degree of contextual support available in the humor items, and the level of familiarity of the idioms. These factors need to be studied further.
Satisfaction With Standardized Language Testing
Authors: Huang Rei-Jane , Hopkins Joseph , Nippold Marilyn A.
Published: July 2014

There is little documentation regarding which standardized tests of language development clinicians prefer and their degree of satisfaction with tests and the testing process. This study reports the results of a survey of 216 clinicians in a variety of work settings across the state of Oregon. Clinicians rated their degree of satisfaction with several factors associated with testing: time available for test administration and interpretation; funding available for purchasing tests; and psychometric properties of tests.

The findings indicated that approximately one-half of the respondents expressed neutrality regarding overall satisfaction, with the remaining clinicians almost evenly split between expressing some degree of dissatisfaction or satisfaction. School clinicians were significantly less satisfied than clinicians in clinic/hospital settings. Clinicians with caseloads greater than 40 expressed significantly greater dissatisfaction with tests and the testing environment. Clinicians also indicated the tests most commonly used with four age groups that covered the birth-to-19 years age range. Possible sources of clinician dissatisfaction are also explored.
Academic and Clinical Preparation and Practices of School Speech-Language Pathologists With People Who Stutter
Authors: Kelly Ellen M. , Martin Jane S. , Baker Kendra E. , Rivera Norma I. , Bishop Jane E. , Krizizke Cindy B. , Stettler Deborah S. , Stealy June M.
Published: July 2014

One-hundred-fifty-seven Indiana school speech-language pathologists responded to a survey regarding their educational and clinical preparation and their current clinical practices with people who stutter. Respondents described and evaluated the quantity and quality of their academic coursework and clinical experiences, as well as their current clinical procedures for diagnosing and treating stuttering. Speech-language pathologists also estimated their clinical competence with their clients who stutter at two junctures in their careers: (a) following completion of academic/clinical training, and (b) currently.

Respondents reported receiving insufficient academic and clinical preparation to work with people who stutter. In addition, nearly half of those surveyed reported that their current clinical skills are inadequate for managing stuttering. Findings are interpreted as confirming and extending the growing body of literature that documents the need for the improvement and expansion of educational and clinical opportunities in stuttering for speech-language pathologists in training and those in professional practice.
Communication Assessments of Individuals With Limited Hearing
Authors: Maxwell Madeline M.
Published: July 2014

Communicative competence is not a matter of selecting a sentence and applying it to some use. Nor is competence a single dimension: It is a matter of interacting in socially coordinated ways with other people in some purposive behavior. Language fits a purpose and fits the people interacting. Assessment of the communication of children who are deaf has often resulted in frustrating lists of various kinds of linguistic elements, but little sense of how a child communicates. A better approach might focus on communicative competence.

This article presents a framework of assessment that has been derived from descriptive studies of the communication of individuals who are deaf. The frame-work attends to the shifting demands of the speaker and hearer roles in an interaction, the meanings that emerge from the interaction, and the action that ensues. The frame-work is followed up with some discussion of the organizational structures appropriate for comprehensive assessments and for ongoing teaching and therapy.
The Interactional Dimensions of Language Therapy
Authors: Kovarsky Dana , Duchan Judith F.
Published: July 2014

This article distinguishes between adult- and child-centered intervention practices according to five interrelated dimensions of therapy context: the event, the agenda, the interactional lead, evaluation, and repair. To illustrate how these five dimensions could potentially manifest themselves during interaction, clinicians were asked to engage a child of their own choosing in both adult- and child-centered intervention.

The present discussion focuses on a turn-by-turn analysis of an excerpt from one of the child-centered language therapy sessions. Analysis reveals that simply doing away with three-part quiz question sequences, eliminating explicit verbal evaluations of a child's communicative performance, and changing the function of repair does not necessarily result in a more child-centered interaction. To evaluate the child-centeredness of intervention, one must understand the communicative relationships between speakers as they manifest themselves during ongoing sequences of interaction that are embedded in therapeutic events.
Invented Spelling
Authors: Lombardino Linda J. , Bedford Tara , Fortier Christine , Carter Jennifer , Brandi John
Published: July 2014

Types and distributions of spelling patterns were identified in the invented spelling samples of 100 children in the second semester of their kindergarten year. Invented spellings were studied because they provide a valid measure of children’s phonemic awareness in print—a skill that is highly correlated with reading success in the early stages of literacy acquisition. The subjects’ spelling errors were used to develop a taxonomy of 10 invented spelling patterns and 21 response types that characterized the children’s most frequently occurring spellings of graphemes targeted for analysis in 12 words. The acquisition of spelling patterns was examined by dividing the children into three groups based on the phonemic accuracy of their spellings on a pre-readirng instrument. A developmental ordering of spelling patterns is presented and relationships among phonological awareness, spelling, and reading are discussed as they are relevant to speech-language pathologists treating children who are at risk for reading disabilities.
Issues in the Development of School and Interpersonal Discourse for Children Who Have Hearing Loss
Authors: Kretschmer Richard R.
Published: July 2014

English instruction for children with haring loss has traditionally focused on teaching
about
language conventions, with much less attention to learning language, or to learning
through
language—especially its discourse features. The author argues that language intervention, through the collaborative efforts of speech-language pathologists and teachers, should promote communication interactions that emphasize English discourse that facilitates interpersonal and school language learning. Particular focus in this article is on issues of teacher talk, talk around print, self-talk in problem-solving, and the uses of narrative and descriptive discourse in interpersonal and school contexts.
The Use of Sign Language and Sign Systems in Facilitating the Language Acquisition and Communication of Deaf Students
Authors: Coryell Judith , Holcomb Thomas K.
Published: July 2014

With a historical context as a foundation, the current trends, practices, and perspectives regarding the manual component of educating deaf children is examined, including Manually Coded English systems and American Sign Language. As decisions are considered regarding various approaches to sign communication, it is necessary to investigate issues that support and also question the appropriateness of any given language/system. In addition to the sign language/systems, an equally important aspect is the instructional strategy that supports sign usage, such as Total Communication, Simultaneous Communication, and Bilingual Education. Issues affecting the selection and use of sign language/systems conclude this article.
The Relationship Between Multiple Birth Children’s Early Phonological Skills and Later Literacy
Authors: McMahon Sandra , Stassi Kelly , Dodd Barbara
Published: July 2014

Previous studies have shown that multiple birth children (MBC) are prone to early phonological difficulties and later literacy problems. However, to date, there has been no systematic long-term follow-up of MBC with phonological difficulties in the preschool years to determine whether these difficulties predict later literacy problems. In this study, 20 MBC whose early speech and language skills had been previously documented were compared to normative data and 20 singleton controls on tasks assessing phonological processing and literacy. The major findings indicated that MBC performed significantly more poorly on some tasks of phonological processing than singleton controls did. Further, the early phonological skills of MBC (i.e., the number of inappropriate phonological processes used) were correlated with poor performance on visual rhyme recognition, word repetition, and phoneme detection tasks 5 years later. There was no significant relationship between early biological factors (birth weight and gestation period) and performance on the phonological processing and literacy-related subtests. These results support the hypothesis that MBC’s early speech and language difficulties are not merely a transient phase of development, but a real disorder, with consequences for later academic achievement.
Culture-Based Considerations in Programming for Stuttering Intervention With African American Clients and Their Families
Authors: Robinson Tommie L. , Crowe Thomas A.
Published: July 2014

This article describes a clinical framework that may be used with African American children who stutter and their families. It includes discussion of the clinical importance of culture-based factors such as myths, oral presentation styles, narrative discourse styles, and cognitive learning styles, as well as rules for interaction and turn-taking. These factors are considered relative to the various clinical stages in the evaluation and treatment of stuttering in African Americans.
Stickwriting Stories
Authors: Ukrainetz Teresa A.
Published: July 2014

Narrative is an important target of language intervention. However, oral narratives are difficult to remember, review, and revise because of their length and complexity. Writing is an option, but is often frustrating for both student and clinician. This article introduces a notational system called pictography that can be useful for temporarily preserving story content. Children represent the characters, settings, and sequences of actions with simple, chronologically or episodically organized stick-figure drawings. As a quick and easy representational strategy, pictography is applicable to both individual language intervention and inclusive classroom settings. This article describes benefits observed in narrative intervention, including facilitation of a time sequence, increased length and quality, and a greater focus on narrative content rather than on the mechanics of writing.
Impact of Managed Care in the Schools
Authors: O’Brien Mary Ann , Huffman Nancy P.
Published: July 2014

This article examines the effect of managed care on the types of children and services offered in the schools. The role of cost containment in service delivery in the schools relative to managed care is described. Skills that the speech-language pathologist must develop and maintain in the school systems in this era of managed care are outlined. Case management skills, definition of critical outcomes of service, and building and maintaining team approaches to communication problems are also emphasized.
Phonological Awareness and Production
Authors: Harbers Heidi M. , Paden Elaine P. , Halle James W.
Published: July 2014

Changes in feature awareness and production during phonological intervention were examined separatelyin four preschool-aged children with severe phonological impairment. Each received intervention that incorporated attention to the features of three error patterns and provided opportunities to practice productions for those patterns. Awareness skills and productionperformance were assessed repeatedly in the context of a multiple-probe design. Relationships between the two variables were then observed. Results indicated that the rate and degree of change in awareness did not always parallel production performance. The findings suggest that both feature awareness and production should be considered when planning intervention.
The Influence of Language/Cognitive Profile on Discourse Intervention Outcome
Authors: Cole Kevin N. , Coggins Truman E. , Vanderstoep Cheryl
Published: July 2014

Children with communication needs are often allocated intervention services as a result of the relationship between their cognitive ability and language performance. Children with higher cognitive skills relative to language skills are considered promising candidates for language services. In contrast, children who are delayed in both cognitive and language abilities are considered poor candidates for intervention and are often excluded from services, or given a lower priority for services. This study examines the effects of intervention on one aspect of pragmatic development (discourse skills) following intervention for two groups of young children with delayed language development: one group with measured cognitive performance above language performance, and the other group with similar delays in both language and cognitive performance. Repeated measures analyses of variance indicated significant differences between groups for two of 15 measures derived from language samples. Both favored the children with equivalent delays in language and cognition. These findings do not support the notion that children with equivalent delays in cognition and language development are poor candidates for language intervention. Service delivery and policy implications are discussed.
Classroom-Based Assessment of a Collaborative Intervention Program With Kindergarten and First-Grade Students
Authors: Farber Judith G. , Klein Evelyn R.
Published: July 2014

The Maximizing Academic Growth by Improving Communication (MAGIC) comprehensive classroom teacher and speech-language pathologist collaborative intervention program was developed and initially implemented in 12 kindergarten and first-grade classes to determine whether children receiving this language-enriched program performed significantly better than control peers on a curriculum-based test and on teacher reports of classroom communication. Results indicated that weekly classroom intervention resulted in significantly higher scores on the subtests of listening and writing for the children involved in the MAGIC program. Students in the treatment groups demonstrated significantly higher abilities in understanding vocabulary and cognitive-linguistic concepts in addition to increased writing skill development for producing relevant sentences with correct mechanics and spelling.
To Use or Not to Use
Authors: Kamhi Alan G.
Published: July 2014

Clinicians are often faced with decisions concerning whether to use a new or different treatment approach. What factors influence these decisions? Are clinicians more influenced by treatment efficacy studies or their own theoretical biases? What role do parents and families play in influencing these decisions? Why are scientists so skeptical of new treatment approaches? When should a clinician try out a new or different treatment approach? Should clinicians be trusted to use the best treatment approaches? These are the central questions addressed in this article.
Oral Language Development in a Child With Floating-Harbor Syndrome
Authors: Muir Nicole Y. , Allard Glenn B. , Greenberg Cheryl
Published: July 2014

This clinical exchange presents a 3-year case study of oral language skill development in a child with Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS). FHS is a rare condition that is characterized by short stature, expressive language delay, and triangular facies. Oral language skills were developed in the context of a naturalistic language intervention approach, within an early childhood schoolbased program. Initial presenting speech and language characteristics, as well as long-term needs, are discussed.
Assessment and Intervention in Overcoming Writing Difficulties
Authors: Graham Steve , Harris Karen R.
Published: July 2014

The progress of a 12-year-old boy with learning disabilities and severe writing difficulties is followed from initial assessment through instruction in strategies for planning, revising, and managing the composing process. A validated instructional model, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), was used to teach these processes. With SRSD, writing strategies are explicitly taught in combination with procedures for regulating the use of these strategies, the writing process, and any undesirable behaviors that may impede performance. Recommendations are offered to speech-language pathologists for applying the SRSD model to children experiencing writing difficulties.
Working With Educational Interpreters
Authors: Seal Brenda C.
Published: July 2014

Increasing numbers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing are being educated in their local schools. Accommodations frequently made for these students include the provision of educational interpreting services. Educational interpreters serve to equalize the source language or source communication mode (usually spoken English) with a target language or target mode (either sign language, cued speech, or oral transliterating). Educational interpreters' expertise in sign language or cued speech will likely exceed that of speech-language pathologists, whose expertise in speech and language development and in discourse demands of the classroom will likely exceed that of the educational interpreters.

This article addresses the mutual needs of speech-language pathologists and educational interpreters in providing services to their students. Guidelines supported by recent research reports and survey data collected from interpreters are offered to speech-language pathologists as ways to improve the working relationships with educational interpreters in three areas: (a) evaluating a student's communication skills, (b) establishing treatment goals and intervening to meet those goals, and (c) providing inservice workshops to teachers about educational interpreting services.
The Role of the School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist Serving Preschool Children With Dysphagia
Authors: Kurjan Randy Moskowitz
Published: July 2014

Increasing numbers of medically complex children are being referred to preschool programs managed by the public school systems. Public school speech-language pathologists have the responsibility of evaluation and intervention in the area of dysphagia. Although the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Scope of Practice includes dysphagia, there is some controversy about whether this more traditional medical intervention belongs in the educational model. In the educational setting, information and techniques must be accurately and safely transmitted to the entire team working with the child. Ongoing communication between the medical community and the school staff is crucial. The increased responsibility of the speechlanguage pathologist brings with it a variety of concerns. These include safety, mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, awareness of dangerous mealtime practices, specific education in pediatric dysphagia intervention, liability, and financial support.
Development of an Interdisciplinary Dysphagia Team in the Public Schools
Authors: Homer Emily M. , Bickerton Cheryl , Hill Sherry , Parham Lisa , Taylor Darlene
Published: July 2014

This article describes the development of a school-based dysphagia team (swallowing action team [SWAT]) within the St. Tammany Parish School System located in Covington, Louisiana. The team's vision was to ensure safe nutrition and hydration for students at risk for swallowing dysfunction during school hours. This article addresses how the team was initially formed, the process of identifying students who were exhibiting a swallowing disorder, steps taken for staff development, and problems encountered in seeking administrative approval. The current status of the dysphagia program, as well as future plans for further implementation, are also presented.
Scaffolds for Learning to Read in an Inclusion Classroom
Authors: Silliman Elaine R. , Bahr Ruth , Beasman Jill , Wilkinson Louise C.
Published: July 2014

Purpose:This article describes a study on the scaffolding of learning to read in a primary-level, continuous-progress, inclusion classroom that stressed a critical thinking curriculum and employed a collaborative teaching model. Two emergent reading groups were the focus of study—one group that was taught by a general educator and the other by a special educator. The primary purposes were to discern the teachers’ discourse patterns in order to define whether scaffolding sequences were more directive or more supportive and the degree to which these sequences represented differentiated instruction for children with a language learning disability (LLD).

Method:Two students with an LLD and two younger, typically developing peers were videotaped in their emergent reading groups during an 8-week period. The distribution, types, and functions of teacher scaffolding sequences were examined.

Results:Both team members primarily used directive scaffolding sequences, suggesting that the assistance provided to children emphasized only direct instruction (skill learning) and not analytical thinking concerning phonemegrapheme relationships (strategy learning). Distribution of scaffolding sequence types directed to the four students indicated that the two children with an LLD were receiving reading instruction that was undifferentiated from the two typically developing, younger children.

Clinical Implications:In order for children with an LLD to benefit from inclusion, explicit, systematic, and intensive instruction in phonological awareness and spelling-sound relationships should be implemented within the context of multilevel instruction that balances skill- and strategy-based learning.
Planning for Phonological Generalization
Authors: Powell Thomas W.
Published: July 2014

Recent treatment efficacy research has shown that a clinician’s choice of treatment targets is an important factor affecting sound generalization by children with phonological impairments. In this article, approaches to target selection are reviewed and an individualized clinical problem-solving approach to treatment target selection and prioritization is described. Finally, application of this approach is demonstrated in a case study.
The Implications of Emergent Literacy Research for Children With Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Koppenhaver David A. , Coleman Patsy P. , Kalman Sophia L. , Yoder David E.
Published: July 2014

Recent research in emergent literacy has led to a conceptualization of literacy learning as a continuous process that begins at birth. Such a view has critical implications for children with developmental disabilities because it implies that the potential for written language learning is present in everyone. In this article, emergent literacy research in both nondisabled children and children with developmental disabilities is synthesized. Implications of the research for parents, practitioners, and researchers are drawn.
Effects of Teaching Preschool Peers to Use the Mand-Model Procedure During Snack Activities
Authors: Venn Martha L. , Wolery Mark , Fleming Lucy A. , DeCesare Lisa D. , Morris Andrea , Cuffs Melanie Sigesmund
Published: July 2014

This investigation was designed to evaluate the effects of scripted direct instruction sessions, role playing with an adult and another child, feedback, in vivo teacher prompting, and praise on typically developing preschoolers’ use of the mand-model procedure; and to evaluate the effects of that use on the communication behavior of their peers with disabilities during snack activities. Six children, three with typical development and three with disabilities, participated in the study. They were grouped in three dyads during snack time, and the use of the mand-model procedure by the typical children and the responses of the children with disabilities were measured. A multiple probe design across subjects was used. The results indicated that (a) the typically developing preschoolers learned to use the mand-model procedure, (b) the preschoolers with disabilities responded to the mands and models after their peers began to use the procedure, (c) inappropriate behavior by the children with disabilities increased with the introduction of the mand-model procedure and then subsided, and d) unprompted requests increased for two of the three children with disabilities.
The Removable R-Appliance as a Practice Device to Facilitate Correct Production of /r/
Authors: Clark Charlene E. , Schwarz Ilsa E. , Blakeley Robert W.
Published: July 2014

The remediation of /r/articulation errors in school-age children often poses a challenge for speech-language pathologists. This study was designed to investigate whether an appliance placed in the maxillary arch would facilitate the production of /r/, whether intervention with or without a direct auditory model and with or without the appliance would have significant effect on treatment success, and whether the appliance would be a feasible treatment adjunct for speech-language pathologists who treat school-age children. Thirty-six school-age subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Each subject was seen individually for 15 minutes twice weekly for a period of 6 weeks. Results of the study indicated that the R-appliance was considered to be a useful clinical tool by the speech-language pathologists. Statistically significant differences in favor of the children who used the R-appliance, with either treatment model, were noted at all levels of production—sound, word, and spontaneous speech. In addition, at the level of spontaneous speech, the R-appliance combined with the direct auditory model treatment yielded significantly better results than the R-appliance combined with the non-auditory model.
Consumer-Oriented Evaluation of Interactive Language Intervention
Authors: Girolametto Luigi , Tannock Rosemary , Siegel Linda
Published: July 2014

Thirty-two mothers of preschool-aged children with developmental delay participated in a parent-focused language intervention program that espoused an interactive approach. Consumer satisfaction data (i.e., subjective measures [parent ratings] and objective measures [attendance, home assignment completion]) revealed parental satisfaction with the quality of service, thus confirming the social validity of this treatment approach. All parents reported improvements in their interactions with their children, but were equivocal about improvements in their children’s communication skills. Developmental level of the child at entry did not influence program acceptability or outcome ratings. No significant associations were found between what the parents subjectively reported and objective change data coded from pre- and post-intervention videotapes. We conclude that while consumer satisfaction surveys provide valuable information on the quality of service offered, they are inadequate as sole measures of treatment outcome.
Assessment of Preschool Narrative Skills
Authors: McCabe Allyssa , Rollins Pamela Rosenthal
Published: July 2014

The assessment of discourse skills in young children is an important responsibility facing clinicians today. Early identification of problems in discourse skills and, more specifically, narrative abilities is especially important for identifying children at risk for later learning and literacy-related difficulties. Despite this, few tools are available for assessing narrative skills in preschoolers. In this article we provide information concerning preschool narrative development in typically developing, North American, Caucasian, English-speaking children. Methods are suggested for assessing narrative skill of children with language impairment and children developing language normally. Transcripts of narratives from these children are presented, along with specific recommendations for evaluating these narratives.
Potential Cultural Bias in Training Parents as Conversational Partners With Their Children Who Have Delays in Language Development
Authors: Kleeck Anne van
Published: July 2014

This article explores the potential cultural biases in language intervention approaches that train parents to interact with their children who have language delays in ways that will promote language development. The goals of such programs are solidly grounded in research on parent-child interaction. However, these studies have focused almost exclusively on white, middle-class families. Therefore, the goals reflect underlying values and beliefs that are not shared by all cultural groups. This article highlights the cultural assumptions that underlie these programs by considering research on language socialization in a variety of nondominant American and non-American cultures and social groups. Culturally relativevalues, beliefs, and practices underlying parentchild interaction are explored in the areas of (1) aspects of social organization related to interaction, (2) the value of talk, (3) how status is handled in interaction, (4) beliefs about intentionality, and (5) beliefs about teaching language to children. Finally, clinical implications are explored.
Auditory Integration Training
Authors: Veale Tina K.
Published: July 2014

AIT is a listening treatment that has recently been introduced into the United States. Initial results in the application of this technique with individuals with autism and other disorders have been encouraging in most cases. Further research to improve our understanding of AIT continues to be necessary. It is of the utmost importance that the training and certification of practitioners be monitored more closely, and that service provision be constant from practitioner to practitioner. These and other issues will need to be examined in the upcoming months and years as we continue to learn more about AIT: a new listening treatment that has an impact on hearing and communication and demands and deserves the attention of our professions.
Commitment to Theory
Authors: Friel-Patti Sandy
Published: July 2014

In summary, authors Rimland, Edelson, and Veale are to be commended for bringing the topic of auditory integration training forward for professional review and debate. AIT offers an excellent forum for consideration of the role of theory in intervention for clinicians engaged in treatment of persons with communication disorders. Each clinician must take a step back on occasion and face the question about treatment efficacy from an objective, data-driven perspective. Such public discussion of AIT as intervention inevitably leads to reexamination of what is meant by success/failure in treatment; indeed, what constitutes intervention itself. AIT is being held up to the scrutiny of both the clinical and research communities, and, if it is valid, it will withstand such inquiry and will even advance our understanding of some very perplexing disorders. In order for that to happen, responsible researchers and clinicians must be willing to shed biases, ask questions, conduct studies, and report them to their professional community of peer reviewers. The process is vital for every speech, language, and hearing professional and for the persons with communication disorders they serve.
The Influence of Familiarity on Judgments of Treated Speech
Authors: Tjaden Kris , Liss Julie M.
Published: July 2014

Three groups of 10 naive listeners transcribed sentences produced by a dysarthric speaker. The first group (Control) transcribed sentences that the speaker read in her customary manner. A second group (Treatment) transcribed the same sentences; however, the speaker produced them while implementing a breath-group strategy that she had learned in speech treatment. A final group of listeners (Familiarization) also transcribed the sentences that were produced by the speaker as she implemented the breath-group strategy. However, this Familiarization group first listened to an audiotape of the speaker reading aloud a paragraph as they followed along with a written script. This was regarded as a familiarization procedure. Statistical analysis revealed that the Familiarization group outperformed the Treatment group, which in turn outperformed the Control group. Potential perceptual benefits resulting from the familiarization procedure are discussed, along with clinical implications.
Validation of Facilitated Communication
Authors: Calculator Stephen N. , Hatch Elizabeth R.
Published: July 2014

This study reports the results of an attempt to validate a young adult's use of facilitated communication. The individual, Philip, had made allegations of sexual abuse against his father. These allegations were conveyed to two facilitators, one a special education teacher and the other an instructional aide. A comprehensive battery of procedures was developed and then administered to examine the likelihood that Philip could have authored the allegations. Results of the assessment failed to support Philip's possessing the necessary communication skills to have authored the allegations. Charges against his father were subsequently dismissed.

While findings of this investigation cannot be generalized beyond Philip, the procedures and accompanying rationale may be useful to other examiners who are engaged in validation activities with facilitated communicators. Implications and proposed guidelines for testing the validation of this method of communication are presented.
The Relationship of Selected Perceptual Measures of Diadochokinesis to Speech Intelligibility in Dysarthric Speakers With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Samlan Robin A. , Weismer Gary
Published: July 2014

The current experiment explored the relationship of two perceptual measures of diadochokinetic (DDK) performance to speech intelligibility in 15 men with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The perceptual measures of DDK performance took the form of scalings of articulatory precision and rhythmic consistency. Regression analyses indicated that both measures were statistically significant in their ability to predict scaled speech intelligibility, although the efficiency of that prediction was somewhat better for articulatory precision than for rhythmic consistency. Regressions involving articulatory precision and rhythmic consistency were also found to be statistically significant. These results are discussed in terms of the clinical significance of DDK measures, especially their potential independence (or lack thereof) from general estimates of speech severity.
Performance Deviations in the Connected Speech of Adults With No Brain Damage and Adults With Aphasia
Authors: Brookshire Robert H. , Nicholas Linda E.
Published: July 2014

A rule-based system was used to score performance deviations in the connected speech of 40 adults with no brain damage, 10 adults with fluent aphasia, and 10 adults with nonfluent aphasia. Performance deviations were productions that did not qualify as words or as correct information units (CIUs) (Nicholas & Brookshire, 1993). They were assigned to 2
nonword
categories (part-words or unintelligible productions and nonword filler) and 8
non-CIU
categories (inaccurate words, false starts, unnecessary exact repetitions, nonspecific or vague words, filler words, the word and, offtask or irrelevant words, and uncategorizable productions). Speech samples from both aphasic groups contained significantly greater percentages of inaccurate words, false starts, and part-words or unintelligible productions than those of the non-brain-damaged group. In comparison with the non-brain-damaged group, speech samples from the fluent aphasic group contained significantly greater percentages of unnecessary exact repetition, whereas those of the nonfluent aphasic group contained significantly greater percentages of the word
and
and nonword filler. The only significant difference between the two aphasic groups was for nonword filler, with the nonfluent aphasic group producing more than the fluent aphasic group. Individual aphasic subjects showed performance that generally was consistent with that of their group.
Features of Spontaneous Language in Speakers With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Dysarthria
Authors: Wilkinson Constance , Yorkston Kathryn M. , Strand Edythe A. , Rogers Margaret
Published: July 2014

Language samples (picture description) produced by moderately dysarthric speakers with ALS were compared with those of gender- and age-matched controls. Results indicated that dysarthric speakers produced the same number of concepts but fewer words than controls. Efficiency (as measured by content units/minute and words/content unit) was maintained in the dysarthria group by shortening phrases, reducing the proportion of mazes, and increasing the number of nongrammatical phrases. Measures of vocabulary were not different for the two groups. Three possible explanations for the "economy of wording" strategy are: (a) response to increasingly effortful speech, (b) subtle language deficits, and (c) response to slowed speaking rates.
Do SSI-3 Scores Adequately Reflect Observations of Stuttering Behaviors?
Authors: Lewis Kerry E.
Published: July 2014

An examination of the extent to which SSI-3 scores accurately reflect judges' observations of stuttering behaviors was conducted. A preliminary study was performed in order to achieve comparability with the SSI-3 procedure in terms of speech samples, data collection, SSI-3 scores, and reliability procedures and results. Subsequent to successful replication of those methods and results, the relationships of judges' counts/ratings of stuttering frequency, duration, and physical concomitant behaviors to the corresponding SSI-3 scores were examined. Obtained SSI-3 scores obscured the wide range of judges' raw counts and ratings of stuttering behaviors and, overall, did not accurately reflect the observational data from which they were derived. In addition, SSI-3 Severity Level agreement was found to be essentially identical to agreement levels for purely subjective ratings of severity. These results, along with concerns related to SSI-3 judge reliability procedures, are discussed.
Effects of Phonological Decoding Training on Children's Word Recognition of CVC, CV, and VC Structures
Authors: Rivers Kenyatta O. , Lombardino Linda J. , Thompson Cynthia K.
Published: July 2014

The effects of training in letter-sound correspondences and phonemic decoding (segmenting and blending skills) on three kindergartners' word recognition abilities were examined using a single-subject multiple-baseline design across behaviors and subjects. Whereas CVC pseudowords were trained, generalization to untrained CVC pseudowords, untrained CVC real words, untrained CV and VC pseudowords, and untrained CV and VC real words were assessed. Generalization occurred to all of the untrained constructions for two of the three subjects. The third subject did not show the same degree of generalization to VC pseudowords and real words; however, after three training sessions, this subject read all VC constructions with 100% accuracy. Findings are consistent with group training studies that have shown the benefits of decoding training on word recognition and spelling skills and with studies that have demonstrated the effects of generalization to less complex structures when more complex structures are trained.
Effects of Pictures Versus Orally Presented Stories on Story Retellings by Children With Language Impairment
Authors: Schneider Phyllis
Published: July 2014

Narratives can be a useful clinical assessment tool, but some thought must be given to the type of stimuli used to elicit them. For the current study, children with language impairments (ages 5;7–9;9) told stories from pictures, retold orally presented stories, and retold stories presented both orally and pictorially. Within-subjects comparisons showed that the best stories (in terms of complete episodes and number of information units) were produced when children listened to stories without pictures. The stories containing the least story grammar information and the greatest extraneous information, but with the fewest indicators of formulation load (mazes), were produced when children viewed the pictures without hearing an oral version. Implications for choice of narrative stimuli are discussed.
Voice Response to Injection of Succinylcholine in the Thyroarytenoid Muscle of Normal Subjects
Authors: Rainey Cheryl L. , Zealear David L. , Courey Mark , Stone R. E. (Ed)
Published: July 2014

Botulinum toxin (Botox) is commonly used in the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia. Succinylcholine is a neuromuscular blocking agent that mimics the biological activity of Botox yet takes effect within minutes. Four subjects with normal voice underwent bilateral vocal fold injection of succinylcholine to determine whether the drug would alter voice in a way comparable to previously reported analyses of voice response with Botox. Acoustic analyses confirmed that succinylcholine induced an increase in fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer, and a decrease in harmonic-to-noise ratio. Glottal flow rates were elevated after drug injection. Succinylcholine induced perceptual changes in pitch and quality. These findings suggest that succinylcholine alters vocal parameters that are also influenced by Botox. This drug may prove useful as a screening agent in patients for whom the benefit of Botox is questionable, or as an agent injected coincidentally with Botox to predict an optimal voice result and avoid the side effects associated with treatment.
The Influence of Recording Systems on Jitter and Shimmer Estimates
Authors: Perry Cecyle K. , Ingrisano Dennis R-S , Blair W. Brent
Published: July 2014

In this study, the influence of recording systems on the important clinical voice parameters of jitter and shimmer was examined. Simulated voice samples (i.e., triangular waveforms) of 100 Hz, 200 Hz, and 400 Hz were captured through analog cassette recording, digital audiotape (DAT) recording, and direct-to-computer sampling. Results indicated that the analog recording introduced a statistically significant amount of jitter and shimmer error into the analysis as compared to DAT and direct-to-computer recording. Findings support the use of DAT recorders and direct-to-computer captures in the context of select voice assessment.