bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early Intervention Practices and Communication Intervention Strategies for Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome
Authors: Mirrett Penny L. , Roberts Joanne E. , Price Johanna 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This study describes speech-language pathologists’ impressions of the communication difficulties of young males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and the need for both syndrome-specific and individualized interventions. The findings of a regional study that identified speech-language pathologists’ impressions of the speech, language, and behavioral difficulties experienced by males with FXS and an array of interventions used by speech-language pathologists to improve communication skills for these children are reported.Methods:Fifty-one speech-language pathologists providing intervention for males with FXS ranging in age from 2 to 9 years (mean age=6;3 [years;months]) were interviewed.Results:The majority of the speech-language pathologists reported that boys with FXS exhibit a visually based, experiential or wholistic learning preference. They emphasized the necessity of making environmental accommodations for limited attention span, difficulties with topic and activity transitions, sensory deficits, and low threshold for anxiety. They reported that speech goals focused on slowing rate and increasing precision for verbal children and both low and high levels of assistive technology for nonverbal or minimally verbal children. Language goals focused on listening, auditory comprehension, and narrative/conversation skills. Pragmatic goals emphasized social dialogue, role playing, and topic maintenance.Clinical Implications:This study suggests that young males with FXS present the clinician with a constellation of behaviors and communication impairments that are both syndrome specific and symptom familiar. The specific communication strengths and deficits described by clinicians working with these children are common to many children with speech and language impairments compounded by cognitive deficits. Intervention programs for young boys with FXS should also attend closely to the specific behavioral (e.g., increased anxiety, attention deficits) and sensory "overload" problems they often exhibit before designing a tailored intervention program.
African American and Caucasian Preschoolers’ Use of Decontextualized Language
Authors: Curenton Stephanie M. , Justice Laura M. 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:Low-income preschoolers’ use of literate language features in oral narratives across three age groups (3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds) and two ethnic groups (Caucasian and African American) was examined.Method:Sixty-seven preschoolers generated a story using a wordless picture book. The literate language features examined were simple and complex elaborated noun phrases, adverbs, conjunctions, and mental/linguistic verbs.Results:Literate language features occurred at measurable rates for 3- to 5-year-old children. Conjunction use was positively associated with the use of complex elaborated noun phrases and adverbs, and the use of complex and simple elaborated noun phrases was inversely related. There were no differences between African American and Caucasian children’s usage rates. Age-related differences were observed in the use of mental/linguistic verbs and conjunctions.Clinical Implications:The importance of supporting decontextualized language skills during the preschool period is discussed.
The Use of Two Language Tests to Identify Pragmatic Language Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Young Edna Carter , Diehl Joshua J. , Morris Danielle , Hyman Susan L. , Bennetto Loisa 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:Pragmatic language disorders (PLDs) are difficult to diagnose in a cost-effective manner, and there are few assessment tools that yield quantitative data. This investigation was designed to determine whether two formal assessment tools would differentiate PLDs in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) from controls matched on verbal IQ and language fundamentals.Method:Thirty-four matched participants were given the Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL; D. Phelps-Terasaki & T. Phelps-Gunn, 1992) and the Strong Narrative Assessment Procedure (SNAP; C. J. Strong, 1998).Results:Participants with ASDs had significantly poorer scores than controls on the TOPL. On the SNAP, the children with ASDs performed similarly to controls on syntax, cohesion, story grammar, and completeness of episodes. The controls performed significantly better only on the ability to answer inferential questions.Clinical Implications:The TOPL was effective in differentiating PLDs in children with ASDs when performance was compared to matched controls. The SNAP did not clearly differentiate language problems in these two groups. Research is needed to develop formal assessment tools that target the unique language disabilities of high-functioning individuals with ASDs.
An Examination of Phonological Awareness Treatment Outcomes for Seventh-Grade Poor Readers From a Bilingual Community
Authors: Swanson Teri J. , Hodson Barbara W. , Schommer-Aikins Marlene 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:The goal of this study was to examine posttreatment outcomes following direct, systematic phonological awareness instruction for seventh-grade poor readers, most of whom had English as their second language.Method:The treatment group (n=35) participated in small-group instruction sessions that emphasized phonological awareness at the phoneme level and incorporated explicit linkages to literacy. The treatment, which was administered in the participants’ school setting over a 12-week period, involved approximately 45 hr of contact with a trained instructor. Postintervention performance of the treatment group was compared to performance of students from the same school and grade level who were waiting to receive phonological awareness treatment (nontreatment group,n=33).Results:ANCOVA results for total reading scores and MANCOVA results for Phonological Awareness, Word Attack, Word Identification, Word Comprehension, and Passage Comprehension subtests indicated that group differences were significant. The posttreatment scores of the treatment group were higher for all measures.Clinical Implications:Seventh-grade poor readers, including bilingual students who have English as their second language, can benefit from direct, systematic instruction that emphasizes phonological awareness and is linked to literacy.
Language Change Following Computer-Assisted Language Instruction With Fast ForWord or Laureate Learning Systems Software
Authors: Gillam Ronald B. , Crofford Julee A. , Gale Meghan A. , Hoffman LaVae M. 
Published: April 2006

This exploratory study was designed to evaluate functional language changes during and after treatment with language intervention software. Two children with language impairments received Fast ForWord (FFW; Scientific Learning Corporation, 1997), and two other children received a bundle of intervention programs published by Laureate Learning Systems (LLS). The children received intervention for 1 hour and 40 minutes per day for 20 days (4 weeks). Treatment was delivered according to a multiple-probe design in which one child was enrolled in Fast FFW immediately after a baseline phase. Another child remained in an extended baseline phase before beginning FFW. The design was replicated for the bundle of LLS programs. The children with extended baselines were identical twins. Progress was measured by gains on the Oral and Written Language scales (OWLS) and by visual and mathematical examination of trends for language sample measures.
All four children made clinically significant gains (posttest scores outside the 95% confidence interval of the pretest scores) on the OWLS. Two children who received the LLS software and one child who received FFW software made clinically significant gains on mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLU), but only one child, who received treatment with the LLS software, had fewer grammatical errors after treatment. The three children with improved MLU also produced a higher proportion of utterances with mazes. Measures of language content (percent of response errors) and language use (percentage of assertive utterances) were not informative due to high variability and floor effects. The similarity of the treatment effects (especially in the case of the identical twins) was surprising since FFW and the bundle of LLS programs targeted different levels of language, used different types of auditory stimuli, and were designed to promote different kinds of learning.
An Internet-Based Telerehabilitation System for the Assessment of Motor Speech Disorders: A Pilot Study
Authors: Hill Anne J. , Theodoros Deborah G. , Russell Trevor G. , Cahill Louise M. , Ward Elizabeth C. , Clark Kathy M. 
Published: April 2006

Purpose
This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an Internet-based telerehabilitation application for the assessment of motor speech disorders in adults with acquired neurological impairment.

Method
Using a counterbalanced, repeated measures research design, 2 speech-language pathologists assessed 19 speakers with dysarthria on a battery of perceptual assessments. The assessments included a 19-item version of the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA; P. Enderby, 1983), the Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech (K. M. Yorkston & D. R. Beukelman, 1981), perceptual analysis of a speech sample, and an overall rating of severity of the dysarthria. One assessment was conducted in the traditional face-to-face manner, whereas the other assessment was conducted using an online, custom-built telerehabilitation application. This application enabled real-time videoconferencing at 128 kb/s and the transfer of store-and-forward audio and video data between the speaker and speech-language pathologist sites. The assessment methods were compared using the J. M. Bland and D. G. Altman (1986, 1999) limits-of-agreement method and percentage level of agreement between the 2 methods.

Results
Measurements of severity of dysarthria, percentage intelligibility in sentences, and most perceptual ratings made in the telerehabilitation environment were found to fall within the clinically acceptable criteria. However, several ratings on the FDA were not comparable between the environments, and explanations for these results were explored.

Conclusions
The online assessment of motor speech disorders using an Internet-based telerehabilitation system is feasible. This study suggests that with additional refinement of the technology and assessment protocols, reliable assessment of motor speech disorders over the Internet is possible. Future research methods are outlined.
Examining Communication Repairs of 2 Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Influence of the Environment
Authors: Meadan Hedda , Halle James W. , Watkins Ruth V. , Chadsey Janis G. 
Published: April 2006

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine the repair strategies of 2 young children with autism spectrum disorder from an environmental rather than a developmental perspective.

Method
A scripted protocol that included opportunities for requests and repair was followed. The environmental variables investigated were activity type (e.g., puzzle, shapes, book) and breakdown type (i.e., request for clarification, wrong response, and ignore). The sessions were videotaped, and each child’s behavior was coded.

Results
The results revealed that (a) both participants repaired the majority (70%) of their unsuccessful initial requests and (b) the repair strategies varied across children, activities, and breakdowns.

Conclusions
The findings of this study suggest that the 2 young children with autism and limited expressive language discriminated among environmental variables (i.e., type of activity and type of breakdown). The participants modified their repair topographies to correspond to changes in the environment. The findings from this study offer ways to enhance assessment and intervention of early communication. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Screening for Hearing Loss and Middle-Ear Disorders in Children Using TEOAEs
Authors: Taylor Carmen L. , Brooks Rebecca P. 
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this research was to obtain the sensitivity and specificity of transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) screening procedures compared with conventional audiometric pure-tone screening and tympanometry.
Pass/refer values were obtained from a group of 297 ears of 152 preschool and school-aged children, 3 to 8 years of age. The sensitivity and specificity of the TEOAE screenings compared with the pure-tone screenings were 81% and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of TEOAE screenings compared with tympanometric screenings were 60% and 91%, respectively.
The Importance of Modality Specificity in Diagnosing Central Auditory Processing Disorder
Authors: Cacace Anthony T. , McFarland Dennis J. 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This article argues for the use of modality specificity as a unifying framework by which to conceptualize and diagnose central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). The intent is to generate dialogue and critical discussion in this area of study.Method:Research in the cognitive, behavioral, and neural sciences that relates to the concept of modality specificity was reviewed and synthesized.Results:Modality specificity has a long history as an organizing construct within a diverse collection of mainstream scientific disciplines. The principle of modality specificity was contrasted with the unimodal inclusive framework, which holds that auditory tests alone are sufficient to make the CAPD diagnosis. Evidence from a large body of data demonstrated that the unimodal framework was unable to delineate modality-specific processes from more generalized dysfunction; it lacked discriminant validity and resulted in an incomplete assessment. Consequently, any hypothetical model resulting from incomplete assessments or potential therapies that are based on indeterminate diagnoses are themselves questionable, and caution should be used in their application.Conclusions:Improving specificity of diagnosis is an imperative core issue to the area of CAPD. Without specificity, the concept has little explanatory power. Because of serious flaws in concept and design, the unimodal inclusive framework should be abandoned in favor of a more valid approach that uses modality specificity.
A Multisite Study to Examine the Efficacy of the Otoacoustic Emission/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol
Authors: Widen Judith E. , Johnson Jean L. , White Karl R. , Gravel Judith S. , Vohr Betty R. , James Michele , Kennalley Teresa , Maxon Antonia B. , Spivak Lynn , Sullivan-Mahoney Maureen , Weirather Yusnita , Meyer Sally 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This 3rd of 4 articles on a study of the efficacy of the 2-stage otoacoustic emission/automated auditory brainstem response (OAE/A-ABR) newborn hearing screening protocol describes (a) the behavioral audiometric protocol used to validate hearing status at 8–12 months of age, (b) the hearing status of the sample, and (c) the success of the visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) protocol across 7 sites.Method:A total of 973 infants who failed OAE but passed A-ABR, in one or both ears, during newborn screening were tested with a VRA protocol, supplemented by tympanometry and OAE screening at age 8–12 months.Results:VRA audiograms (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz) were obtained for 1,184 (82.7%) of the 1,432 study ears. Hearing loss was ruled out in another 100 ears by VRA in combination with OAE, for a total of 88.7% of the study sample. Permanent hearing loss was identified in 30 ears of 21 infants. Sites differed in their success with the VRA protocol.Conclusions:Continued monitoring of hearing beyond the newborn period is an important component of early detection of hearing loss. Using a structured protocol, VRA is an appropriate test method for most, but not all, infants. A battery of test procedures is often needed to adequately delineate hearing loss in infants. Examiner experience appears to be a factor in successful VRA.
A Multisite Study to Examine the Efficacy of the Otoacoustic Emission/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol
Authors: Gravel Judith S. , White Karl R. , Johnson Jean L. , Widen Judith E. , Vohr Betty R. , James Michele , Kennalley Teresa , Maxon Antonia B. , Spivak Lynn , Sullivan-Mahoney Maureen , Weirather Yusnita , Meyer Sally 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This article examines whether changes in hearing screening practices are warranted based on the results of the recent series of studies by J. L. Johnson, K. R. White, J. E. Widen, J. S. Gravel, B. R. Vohr, M. James, T. Kennalley, A. B. Maxon, L. Spivak, M. Sullivan-Mahoney, Y. Weirather, and S. Meyer (Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, James, et al., 2005; Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, Vohr, et al., 2005; White et al., 2005; Widen et al., 2005) that found a significant number of infants who passed an automated auditory brainstem response (A-ABR) screening after failing an initial otoacoustic emission (OAE) screening later were found to have permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.Method:Similar to the approach used by F. H. Bess and J. Paradise (1994), this article addresses the public health tenets that need to be in place before screening programs, or in this case, a change in screening practice (use of a 2-step screening protocol) can be justified.Results:There are no data to suggest that a 2-step OAE/A-ABR screening protocol should be avoided.Conclusion:Research is needed before any change in public policy and practice surrounding current early hearing detection and intervention programs could be supported.
Human Auditory Brainstem Response to Temporal Gaps in Noise
Authors: Werner Lynne A. , Folsom Richard C. , Mancl Lisa R. , Syapin Connie L. 
Published: April 2006

Gap detection is a commonly used measure of temporal resolution, although the mechanisms underlying gap detection are not well understood. To the extent that gap detection depends on processes within, or peripheral to, the auditory brainstem, one would predict that a measure of gap threshold based on the auditory brainstem response (ABR) would be similar to the psychophysical gap detection threshold. Three experiments were performed to examine the relationship between ABR gap threshold and gap detection. Thresholds for gaps in a broadband noise were measured in young adults with normal hearing, using both psychophysical techniques and electrophysiological techniques that use the ABR. The mean gap thresholds obtained with the two methods were very similar, although ABR gap thresholds tended to be lower than psychophysical gap thresholds. There was a modest correlation between psychophysical and ABR gap thresholds across participants.ABR and psychophysical thresholds for noise masked by temporally continuous, high-pass, or spectrally notched noise were measured in adults with normal hearing. Restricting the frequency range with masking led to poorer gap thresholds on both measures. High-pass maskers affected the ABR and psychophysical gap thresholds similarly. Notched-noise-masked ABR and psychophysical gap thresholds were very similar except that low-frequency, notched-noise-masked ABR gap threshold was much poorer at low levels. The ABR gap threshold was more sensitive to changes in signal-to-masker ratio than was the psychophysical gap detection threshold. ABR and psychophysical thresholds for gaps in broadband noise were measured in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss and in infants. On average, both ABR gap thresholds and psychophysical gap detection thresholds of listeners with hearing loss were worse than those of listeners with normal hearing, although individual differences were observed. Psychophysical gap detection thresholds of 3- and 6-month-old infants were an order of magnitude worse than those of adults with normal hearing, as previously reported; however, ABR gap thresholds of 3-month-old infants were no different from those of adults with normal hearing. These results suggest that ABR gap thresholds and psychophysical gap detection depend on at least some of the same mechanisms within the auditory system.
Looking While Listening and Speaking
Authors: Turkstra Lyn S. 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to address the lack of quantitative data on eye-to-face gaze (also known as eye contact) in the literature on pragmatic communication. The study focused on adolescents and young adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as gaze often is included in social skills intervention in this population.Method:Gaze times were calculated for participants with TBI (n= 16) and their typically developing (TD) peers (n= 16) engaged in 3-min extemporaneous conversations.Results:The TD group members looked at the face of their conversation partner an average of 62% of the time while listening and 43% of the time while speaking, versus 67% and 51%, respectively, for the TBI group. There were no significant between-groups differences in average gaze times, but the within-group variability was significantly greater in the TBI group.Implications:As there was no evidence of a uniform trend in gaze times among participants with TBI, general intervention to increase eye contact does not appear warranted. Instead, goals must consider that gaze is a highly complex behavior, not necessarily indicative of attention to one's partner, and that there are potential reasons for gaze aversion in individuals with cognitive limitations.
The Processing of Morphology in Old Age
Authors: Kavé Gitit , Levy Yonata 
Published: April 2006

Purpose:Taking advantage of the rich morphological structure of Hebrew, the current article aims to examine whether age affects the processing of morphological forms through an investigation of 2 systematic morphological paradigms.Method:Forty-eight young and 48 old Hebrew speakers completed 2 experiments: the 1st investigated sensitivity to subject-verb gender incongruity in a reading task, and the 2nd examined parsing of pseudoverbs containing existing and nonexisting consonantal roots in a lexical-decision task.Results:Older adults were slower relative to the young, but both groups were slower on incongruent relative to congruent targets and on a pseudoverb with a real root relative to a pseudoverb with a nonexistent root. In both experiments the interaction between condition and age was statistically significant.Conclusions:While older adults demonstrate preserved morphological parsing abilities, possible explanations for the interaction effect include cognitive slowing or deficient inhibitory control.