Theses and Dissertations - Department of Communicative Disorders

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Administering articulation assessments on the iPad®
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Jones, Cristen Kalea; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study is to investigate the significance of technology as a time- and a resource-saver. Children between the ages of 2 years, 5 months and 5 years, 11 months had their speech sound abilities assessed using the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (GFTA-3; Goldman & Fristoe, 2015). The administration of the assessment took two forms: (a) the iPad® method, and (b) the hard copy method. Raw scores were compared between the two methods to determine reliability. In addition, time to administer and time to score each assessment was compared between the two methods. Finally, the influence of a child’s experience with the iPad® was assessed with the frequency of redirections and imitations during the administration of the iPad®. Results showed that, when compared to the traditional hard copy version of assessment, the iPad® is a reliable instrument and will exhibit the same raw score. Results also showed that the time to administer each test did not differ, but the iPad® saves time because the scoring is fully automatic. Finally, results showed that a child’s familiarity with an iPad® at home as measured in days per week and minutes per sitting was not related to an increased time in testing, but was related to more redirections required for the iPad® assessment. Overall, the iPad® is a reliable and valid assessment tool that can save the clinician time in scoring the assessment while still establishing articulation abilities of the child.
Attitudes of stuttering within the social networks of people who stutter
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Hawkins, Haley; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study examined attitudes about stuttering in the social networks of people who stutter. This study included seven people who stutter (PWS) as well as 21 other participants across the social networks of the PWS. The PWS were asked to identify up to five individuals they consider to be close to, constituting the inner “circle” of their social network. These individuals were asked to identify two acquaintances and two strangers of the PWS to also participate in the study, constituting the outer circles of the social network. However, low participation rate made it possible to examine only the inner circle. A series of surveys were administered to the PWS and all recruited participants to assess how attitudes toward stuttering change as a function of the “distance” from the PWS, and to evaluate the prevalence of negative attitudes (i.e., stigma) about stuttering in the network. Results showed that perceived stigma was similar between PWS and those in their social networks. In addition, PWS rated their overall experiences of stuttering and the level of debilitation as less negative than their social networks. The perceived closeness of the individuals did not appear to have a major impact on the attitudes about stuttering. One limitation of the study is that stigma of stuttering proved to be an obstacle to studying the stigma itself. This suggests a need for more communication about stuttering within the networks of PWS.
Bama perks: the use of simulated context as treatment for adults with aphasia
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Tucker, Marie Louise; Barber, Angela B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
There is a growing interest in examining the efficacy of aphasia treatment programs that examine meaningful real-life outcomes rather than therapeutic outcomes within structured intervention settings (Chapey et al., 2008). This study measured language abilities, social networks, and quality of life for nine patients with aphasia over a ten-week span during a simulated coffee shop social communication intervention called Bama Perks. Using an evaluative approach, strengths and weaknesses were examined and results supported the feasibility of Bama Perks as a supplement to traditional therapy. Clinician and caregiver measures indicated client improvement in language skills and social communication skills, a growth in social networks, and a reduction in burden of diagnosis. Daily rating scales taken during each Bama Perks session revealed variability with marginal growth across measures of communication function, flexibility, and overall communication production. These findings contribute to growing evidence supporting socially simulated environments as therapeutic contexts for individuals with aphasia.
Common practices of speech-language pathologists in bilingual assessment and intervention
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Aguilar, Carla Janette; Saffo, Rachel W.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Research in the literature shows that the percentage of individuals who are multicultural and multilingual is steadily increasing in the United States (Shin & Kominski, 2010). This rise has led to the increase of children who are bilingual on the caseloads of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States (Caesar & Kohler, 2007; Kritikos, 2003). Research is beginning to delineate evidence-based practice (EBP) in assessment and intervention for bilingual children. However, recent survey studies have shown that most SLPs in the United States are not providing this type of evidence-based service to children who are bilingual (Caesar & Kohler, 2007; Kritikos, 2003). The current survey study sought to identify variables that influence SLPs' use of evidence-based practice and their confidence in culture and assessment, as well as the influence of treatment methods on reported therapy gains. The researcher created an online survey and distributed it to SLPs across the United States (n=435). Regression analysis revealed that years of experience inversely predicted use of some methods of EBP, and language skill and number of bilingual SLPs in the facility positively predicted the use of other methods. Experiential demographics influenced confidence in culture and assessment more than didactic factors, and confidence in treatment and assessment positively predicted therapy gains.
Differences in dietary intake, sensory processing, anthropometric measures, mealtime behaviors, and parental stress of children with ASD and other neurodevelopmental impairments
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Henderson, Elizabeth Dianne; Gosa, Memorie M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Feeding difficulty is a frequently reported feature of neurodevelopmental delays and disorders that affect children, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the diagnosis of ASD can include deficits in social interaction, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, rigid routines, fixated interests, and hypo- or hyperreactivity to sensory input. All of these factors can affect mealtime behaviors. Parents of children with a diagnosis of ASD frequently report problem behaviors at mealtime and decreased dietary variety. However, the extent to which specific characteristics of feeding difficulty are unique to children with ASD has not been determined. This study examined whether reported problem mealtime behaviors and decreased dietary variety are symptoms exclusive to children diagnosed with ASD or whether similar behaviors and patterns of dietary intake are present in other neurodevelopmentally delayed or impaired populations. The data for this project was collected through a variety of assessment measures that examined dietary patterns, problem mealtime behaviors, sensory processing, growth, and parental stress in children referred for evaluation by the University of Alabama’s ASD Clinic. The purpose of this study was to compare dietary intake, patterns of sensory processing, measures of growth, mealtime behaviors, and levels of parental stress among children with ASD to children with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses (speech-language delay, attention deficit disorder, or not otherwise specified). In this study, we found that children diagnosed with ASD did not exhibit significant differences in terms of dietary intake, patterns of sensory processing, measures of growth, mealtime behaviors, and levels of parental stress when compared to age-matched peers with other neurodevelopmental delays or disorders.
The effects of focused stimulation, vertical structuring, and expansions on verbal language in young minimally-verbal children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Chiarelli, Chelsea Renee; Barber, Angela B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Speech pathologists are often the first line of referral for young children at risk for an ASD. Often, SLPs, especially those who work in state-funded Early Intervention Programs (Part C-Early Intervention, IDEA, 2004), do not have access to training on autism-specific early intervention models (Stahmer, Collings, & Palinkas, 2005). In addition, children who are receiving Early Intervention in community settings often do not have available options for autism-specific interventions, which are offered in many university settings. As a result, the facilitation strategies of focused stimulation, vertical structuring, and expansions are often being implemented in therapy with these children. To our knowledge, no study has measured the effects of these commonly used language strategies on the verbal language in minimally verbal children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of focused stimulation, vertical structuring, and expansions on the acquisition of verbal language in minimally verbal children with ASD. Three toddlers diagnosed with autism were recruited for this study. Intervention took place twice a week for 20-minute sessions, followed by two-generalization probes 4 weeks post intervention. Two out of our three participants demonstrated gains in their verbal language inside of the intervention environment. Results of this study conclude that these intervention strategies are capable of being implemented in community-based intervention settings with successful outcomes.
Impact of common morbidity on attainment of oral feeding skills in a modern cohort of infants born prematurely: a retrospective analysis
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Schweers, Madeline G.; Gosa, Memorie M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Feeding during infancy is a complicated, multidimensional task involving dynamic coordination between sucking, swallowing, and breathing (Wolf & Glass, 1992). The synactive theory of infant development discusses the influence of the autonomic, motor, and state systems on the resulting stability and homeostasis of newborns (Als, 1982). The synactive theory proposes that the core of stability for all developing infants is the autonomic nervous system, especially the respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems. The motor system supports the development of the state system – levels of arousal that range from deep sleep to a vigorous cry. The ability to attend and to actively process incoming stimuli is supported by the ability to maintain stability in the autonomic and motor systems and remain alert (Ross, 2012). By the synactive theory, feeding can be conceptualized as a developmental skill that emerges when the coordination for sucking/swallowing/breathing is present at approximately 35 weeks post gestational age along with maturation of the state system (Ross, 2012). Previous research has established that many common newborn morbidities, such as those that impact the cardiac and respiratory systems, can delay the post gestational age at which infants born prematurely achieve full oral feeding competency. The purpose of this project is to establish the impact of common newborn morbidities, as measured by the Morbidity Assessment Index for Newborns, on the resulting transition time and post conceptual age at which a modern cohort of preterm infants attain the skills and coordination necessary to support nutritional intake by exclusive oral means.
An investigation into stuttering development: a longitudinal approach
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Treleaven, Shanley Belle; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between daily emotions and stuttering. A longitudinal design was used to evaluate changes in the relation between emotions and stuttering over the fall and spring semesters of the 2015-2016 school year. The study participant consisted of child who was three years old when enrolled in the study. The child’s caregiver provided daily information regarding the four greatest emotional events and associated emotional arousal and speech disfluency. Conversational samples of speech were collected on weekly visits to the clinic, which were transcribed and coded for speech disfluencies. It was hypothesized that emotional arousal would be related to the child’s stuttering. It was also hypothesized that routine would impact longitudinal change in emotional arousal and associated stuttering. Results showed that intensity of emotional arousal was predictive of parent-observed stuttering when emotion was negative. However, stuttering did not significantly change over the duration of the study, and change in routine was not related to longitudinal change in emotion and stuttering.
The perception of emotion through static and dynamic facial expression in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Queen, Melanie Wilkie; Barber, Angela B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The current project examined the ability of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to perceive and judge emotional information conveyed in facial expression when compared to typically developing peers. The purpose of this study was to (a) compare how children with ASD and children with typical development (TD) differ in their ability to perceive and judge the emotional information conveyed by happy, sad, angry, and scared static facial expression; (b) compare how static decoding abilities relate to decoding abilities of integrated dynamic facial expressions, prosody, and verbal content; (c) measure the ability of children with ASD and children with TD to perceive and judge emotional information based on the perceptual features of the speaker (cartoon vs. human); and (d) examine the role of timing in the perception and judgment of emotional information in children with ASD and children with TD.
Real-time prosodic aspects of text generated speech
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Kassas, Nure Biane; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a text to speech (TTS) device that allows the user to manipulate pitch and volume as speech is being generated. This device was intended to facilitate the communicative needs of individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) as a result of acquired neurological conditions such as dysarthria. An Android touchscreen tablet with a built-in speech engine was used as the hardware for the TTS device, and a post-audio signal processing approach was utilized to program the TTS device. Results were collected in two separate phases: auditory and use-based. During the auditory phase, participants listened to audio samples from the thesis TTS device, a typical TTS device, and human speech and then rated them based on perceived affect (positive vs. negative) or intent (question vs. statements) categories. During the use-based phase, participants provided feedback about the thesis TTS device after using it to communicate with the study investigator. Although auditory phase results indicated that the thesis device was currently not as effective as human speech when communicating emotion and intent, use-based findings were more promising. Use-based results revealed that the new features the thesis TTS provided (ability to manipulate pitch and volume) were considered beneficial.
The relationship between representational, beat, and cohesive gestures and speech disfluency in the 2012 presidential debate
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Puzinauskas, Katerina Joanna; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Hand gestures are yoked to speech in a highly-correlated system, often referred to as co-speech (Hostetter, 2011). Both disfluency and gesture have been show to influence audience reaction during political debates (e.g., Pennebaker, Mehl, & Niederhoffer, 2003). This study examined the relation between speech disfluency and hand gesture in the First 2012 Presidential Debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Specifically, the frequency and type of speech disfluencies and gesticulations generated by candidates were identified, annotated, and compared. Speech and gesture variables were examined across multiple speech domains, including utterance and speaking turn. Results showed a correlation between the level of speech disfluency and the type of gesture within a set speaking turn for both speakers. Overall, findings suggest 1) associations between speech disfluencies and the five taxonomies of gestures (iconic, metaphoric, deictic, cohesive, and beat, and 2) relationships between variables and audience-reported outcomes for debate success.
Social influences on autonomic arousal in autism spectrum disorders
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Turner, Carolyn Kate; Buhr, Anthony P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this study was to gain new understanding of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in familiar and unfamiliar social situations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both Children with ASD and typically developing peers viewed three sets of stimuli on a computer screen: 1) a screensaver (initial and final baseline), 2) objects moving to music (attention), and 3) narratives produced by both a caregiver and a stranger (familiar and unfamiliar social situations). Physiological measures of heart rate and skin conductance were acquired to assess ANS functioning. It was expected that 1) ANS activity would differ between children with ASD and typically developing peers at baseline, 2) differences in ANS activity between the two groups would be greater in the attention vs. the baseline task, and 3) differences in ANS activity between the two groups would be greater in the unfamiliar vs. the familiar tasks. Results showed that sympathetic, but not parasympathetic, arousal was greater for children with ASD as compared to typically developing children, but these measures did not differ across tasks. Results are interpreted to suggest that children with ASD perceived the experimental conditions as more challenging as compared to children who are typically developing.
Vowel production variation in college students based on social integration
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Chapman, Sarah Kristin; Reed, Paul E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Exemplar theory represents the encoding of individual experiences as a collection of episodic memories known as exemplars, which form “exemplar clouds” (Drager & Kirtley, 2016). Originally used to model phonetic classification in perception, the exemplar theory has been extended to speech production with evidence that the perception-production loop can cause shifts over time. While exemplars are considered robust and stable categories, Clopper (2014) suggested that shifts can occur when individuals move to an environment in which they are exposed to a high quantity of exemplars from different regional or social distributions. The present study investigated the following research question: Does involvement in highly structured social groups, such as Greek life, influence the variation of vowel productions in young adults? The overarching purpose of the study was to explore how immersion in new social groups leads to exemplar shifts in college students. The data from this study was collected from 30 in-state female students at The University of Alabama (15 Greek, 15 non-Greek) from a semi-structured interview, reading passages, and word list tasks. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in degree of monophthongization of /a͡ɪ/ based on Greek status. Specifically, participants in Greek organizations were significantly more diphthongal in reading passages and word list tasks, and the difference was trending towards significance for conversational tasks and all tasks combined. Thus, these results indicate that involvement in highly integrated groups such as Greek life may impact exemplar shifts in college students. Key words: sociophonetics, exemplars, production shift, social integration, monophthongization

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations - Department of Communicative Disorders by Author "Buhr, Anthony P."

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