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Talking to Teenagers: Using Anthropological Methods to Explore Identity and the Lifeworlds of Young People Who Use AAC

Wickenden, M. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:24:52 PDT

The article outlines the methodology used in an ethnographic study of identity with teenagers who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is unusual to investigate this population in naturalistic contexts using qualitative methods. Nine individuals are studied, in a range of contexts using ethnography as the main method. The research draws on theory from childhood and disability studies to gain a broad picture of the participants’ lives. The aim was to explore the teenagers’ views of their lives while also contextualizing these with perspectives of people around them and three adult AAC users. The method enabled the researcher to see the many ways in which disabled teenagers experience their worlds. The study shows that they are more interested in the ways that they are like others than anything else and that they identify themselves most importantly as teenagers rather than as disabled.

Relationships Between Early Child Factors and School Readiness Skills in Young Children With Hearing Loss

Harrington, M., DesJardin, J. L., Shea, L. C. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:26:13 PDT

The goal of this longitudinal study is to examine the relationships between early child factors (i.e., age at identification, enrollment in early intervention, oral language skills) and school readiness skills (i.e., conceptual knowledge) in a group of young children with hearing loss (HL). Standardized language, cognition, and conceptual knowledge measures were administered to eight preschool children with HL (age M = 4.0 years). Significant negative relationships were observed between age at identification and enrollment in early intervention and later school readiness skills. Positive associations emerged between children’s early oral language scores and later school readiness abilities. Individual analyses revealed that children who had lower language standard scores at Time 1 had low school readiness skills 1 year later (Time 2), especially in the area of mathematical concepts. Guidelines for early intervention professionals are provided to support school readiness skills in young children with HL.

Targeting Prosody: A Case Study of an Adolescent

Bellon-Harn, M. L. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:26:12 PDT

Currently, there are few published treatment studies to address prosody in clinical populations. Developing treatment protocols is challenging due to the considerable degree of heterogeneity across individuals with prosodic disturbances and the multiple aspects of prosody, voice, speech, and language that can be affected. The purpose of this article is to describe the clinical management of prosody and outcomes in an adolescent who exhibits atypical prosody, residual segmental speech errors, morphosyntactic errors, and social communicative difficulties. An explicit approach using meta-awareness and discrimination strategies was used. Positive outcomes in some targeted behaviors were noted, whereas other behaviors did not change. Outcomes are discussed relative to the treatment approach.

A Matter of Vocabulary II: Low-Income African American Children's Performance on the Expressive Vocabulary Test

McCabe, A., Champion, T. B. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:26:13 PDT

The Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT) has recently been found culturally fair for an economically mixed sample of African American children, and others have argued that it is fairer for such participants than the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–III (PPVT-III). In this study, the authors sought to replicate these findings with an exclusively low-income group in the southeastern United States and to analyze errors. An African American graduate student administered the EVT and the PPVT-III to 53 African American children ages 5 years 4 months to 12 years 3 months (kindergarten through fourth grade) receiving free lunch. Contrary to prior research, children performed significantly below the norm on both the EVT and the PPVT-III. Neither test seemed easier. An item analysis of 785 errors revealed that approximately 75% were strong associates of target words and/or accurate descriptions of EVT pictures. African American children from low-income backgrounds appear to interpret EVT instructions differently from the official instructions, which led to compromised performance.

Bus Talk: A Preliminary Analysis of Children's Decontextualized Talk

Marvin, C. A., Cline, K. D. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:14:31 PDT

Decontextualized conversational talk has been recognized as an important foundation for young children’s early literacy and academic success. In this study, the authors explore the tape-recorded conversations of 15 typically developing preschoolage children. The children’s talk was recorded as they traveled home from preschool on a school bus with classmates who had developmental delays. Two days of travel conversations were analyzed for evidence of initiations, responses, and the time referents used. References to decontextualized topics were heard infrequently but heard in initiations and responses with adults and classmates, as well as in the children’s self-talk. References to the here and now (present tense) were common during the children’s 5 to 20 minutes of bus travel. The need for an attentive, competent partner in supporting young children’s use of decontextualized talk is discussed along with suggestions for adults who travel on buses with young children who are still developing language and conversational skills.

Maternal Involvement in the Home Literacy Environment: Supporting Literacy Skills in Children With Cochlear Implants

DesJardin, J. L., Ambrose, S. E., Eisenberg, L. S. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:14:31 PDT

This study examines the home literacy environment in a group of mothers and their early-school-age children with cochlear implants (N = 16). The goals of this investigation are to (a) describe the characteristics of the home literacy environment and (b) study the relationships between home literacy factors and children’s reading skills. Mothers completed a home literacy environment inventory and were videotaped during joint book reading. Children’s literacy skills were assessed using the Phonological Awareness Test and the Woodcock-Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery. Mothers’ perceived activities in their home, defined as maternal literacy teaching activities, were dominant and were positively related to children’s literacy skills. Two types of maternal responses to children’s miscues and two maternal comprehension techniques were used most frequently. Those same techniques were not positively associated with children’s literacy skills. Guidelines for educators are provided to better support the home literacy environment for children with cochlear implants.

Parentally Placed Private School Students With Disabilities

Sopko, K. M., Montgomery, J., Burdette, P. — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:52:18 PDT

Methamphetamine Exposure, Iron Deficiency, and Implications for Cognitive-Communicative Function : A Case Study

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:16:53 PDT

Methamphetamine (meth) exposure during fetal development has the potential to adversely affect the development of multiple organ systems. An interdisciplinary case study of a 4-year 11-month-old child born to a mother addicted to meth revealed significant cognitive and communicative delays. Possible meth-related consequences for these delays included stroke in utero with associated hemiparesis and epilepsy, congenital eye dysfunction, recurrent middle ear infections, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social adjustment problems, and parental neglect. An important additional finding was the child’s nondietary iron deficiency anemia, which could contribute to or compound meth-related behavioral problems. The influence of chronic iron deficiency anemia on cognitive-communicative function speaks to the importance of including dietitians in the interdisciplinary team assessment of children exposed to meth.

Case Study: Parent-Implemented Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching With a High Risk Dyad

McCathren, R. B. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:23:57 PDT

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to determine if a mother with mild developmental disabilities living in poverty was able to implement Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching (PMT) strategies. The strategies included following the child’s lead, arranging the environment to increase opportunities for communication, imitating the child’s play and communication behaviors, modeling play and communication, and using words to map the child’s experience and actions. The second purpose was to see if using these strategies resulted in increased intentional communication in her daughter. Intentional communication is when the young child coordinates the use of eye gaze, vocalizations, and/or gestures to achieve a particular communication outcome. The child is demonstrating intentional communication when she persistently alternates gaze between the adult and the object or event of interest or includes attention to both the adult and object in an interaction. For example, a child might reach toward an out-of-reach toy and look back and forth between the toy and the parent, communicating that she wants her parent to get the toy for her. The results indicated that the mother was able to implement the PMT strategies, and the use of these strategies increased her daughter’s intentional communication.

Exceptional Rule Learning in a Longitudinal Case Study of Williams Syndrome: Acquisition of Past Tense

Jacobson, P. F., Cairns, H. S. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:23:58 PDT

Conflicting reports of language ability in Williams syndrome (WS) are confusing and may hinder accurate clinical decisions with respect to therapeutic services and educational placements for children with WS. This longitudinal case study examined the acquisition of regular and irregular past tense verbs in a child with WS. The development of regular and irregular verbs was monitored using an elicited production task, supplemented with informal language samples and a grammaticality judgment task. The authors found an unusual profile of regular and irregular past tense use that both approximated and diverged from normal expectations at various stages. The unusual pattern of past tense acquisition is presented in its relation to other language problems known with regard to WS. Clinical implications for assessment and intervention are discussed.

The Effectiveness of Using Communication-Centered Intervention to Facilitate Phonological Learning in Young Children

Hart, S., Gonzalez, L. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:23:57 PDT

Treatment of preschool children with moderate to severe speech sound disorders is typically a long-term endeavor with many sounds and sound patterns requiring intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine if a communication-centered intervention would be effective in improving speech production with this population. The intervention consisted of the combined application of focused stimulation of key words during joint storybook reading and interactive practice of key words using communicative feedback. Participants displayed unique response patterns to the intervention. Two of the three participants demonstrated improvement in the use of the target speech pattern during intervention sessions, with one of the participants demonstrating generalization of the target pattern to conversational speech. Although the third participant did not demonstrate improvement during the intervention period, follow-up testing revealed some systemwide changes in his phonological system. This study provides preliminary support that communication-centered approaches are effective in facilitating phonological change.

Impact and Implications of Word-Finding Difficulties in Adolescents on Listening Comprehension Assessment

Newman, D. B. — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:37:15 PDT

This investigation examined the listening comprehension (LC) performance of two groups of adolescent struggling readers, one group with word-finding difficulties (WFD) and one with no word-finding difficulties (NWFD). Of interest was whether the expressive language difficulties of the WFD group would interfere with their success on a LC assessment that requires oral responses to complete. Findings indicated that whereas the performance of the WFD group was comparable with the NWFD group when LC was measured using a multiple-choice response format, their performance was significantly poorer when LC was measured using an open-ended verbal response format, suggesting that learners’ WFD could interfere with their success on such assessments. Practical implications of these findings for the assessment of LC as part of adolescents’ reading evaluations are discussed.

Retention of School-Based SLPs: Relationships Among Caseload Size, Workload Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction, and Best Practice

Hutchins, T. L., Howard, M., Prelock, P. A., Belin, G. — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:28:22 PDT

Nationally, the shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the schools is growing. As such, it is important to understand factors related to the retention of SLPs in this setting. This study expanded on previous research by examining a wider range of factors that may be related to the retention of SLPs including caseload size, workload satisfaction, job satisfaction, and time available to conduct best practice. Participants were 75 full-time SLPs working in a school setting in the state of Vermont who completed a survey designed to solicit information concerning the variables of interest. Several dimensions of job satisfaction and best practice predicted retention, caseload, and especially workload. The results also suggested that high workloads complicate the implementation of best practice and have implications for retention. Limitations of the research and implications for practice are discussed.

Female Juvenile Delinquents' Reactions to a Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Study

Sanger, D., Ritzman, M., Schaefer, L., Belau, D. — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:09:56 PDT

Older students who struggle with reading are more motivated to participate in instructional intervention if they are interested in the program. This mixed methods study examined opinions and reactions of 41 female juvenile delinquents on a 1-hour demonstration of the START-IN (STudents Are Responding To INtervention) reading program. Following a demonstration of the 16 reading tasks, participants ranging in age from 13 to 18 years responded to four multiple-choice and one open-ended item. Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that one half or more of the participants reacted favorably to the level of difficulty, age appropriateness, importance of information, and future participants’ willingness to participate on tasks. Three themes, including their opinions of the task and reading, their prediction of how future participants would respond to implementation, and information pertaining to metacognition, emerged from 308 comments to open-ended items. Intervention implications were also considered.

Classroom Modeling of Supplemental Literacy Instruction: Influencing the Beliefs and Practices of Classroom Teachers

Korth, B. B., Sharp, A. C., Culatta, B. — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:10:14 PDT

This study investigated the influence of direct modeling of a supplemental classroom program on the early literacy beliefs and practices of Head Start teachers. Developed by speech language pathologists (SLPs), Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy Instruction (SEEL) was not undertaken with an explicit professional development goal. However, the potential significance regarding professional development became apparent as teachers collaborated with literacy specialists (SLPs) who conducted supplemental literacy activities in the classrooms. Data were collected by interviewing teachers at the end of each year of participation and again two years later. Transcripts were reviewed for relevant themes. Results demonstrate that teachers’ early literacy understanding and practices were influenced by exposure to SEEL as teachers expressed an understanding of key strategies used by the program and made observations of student performance. Implications are discussed regarding the use of supplemental classroom intervention programs as methods of professional development for classroom teachers.

Vocabulary Instruction Through Books Read in American Sign Language for English-Language Learners With Hearing Loss

Cannon, J. E., Fredrick, L. D., Easterbrooks, S. R. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:45:38 PDT

Reading to children improves vocabulary acquisition through incidental exposure, and it is a best practice for parents and teachers of children who can hear. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing are at risk for not learning vocabulary as such. This article describes a procedure for using books read on DVD in American Sign Language with English-language learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. This research examined the effectiveness of DVDs as a tool to increase a student’s production of the printed word in American Sign Language. The researchers used expository books with math vocabulary in a multiple-baseline design (ABC) across three sets of five vocabulary words. Four participants aged 10 to 12 with severe to profound hearing loss engaged in vocabulary activities using the DVD math expository books read through American Sign Language. DVDs alone were less effective for increasing vocabulary than when accompanied with preteaching of the target vocabulary words.

Models of Instruction Used in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Programs

Hadley, A. J., Fulcomer, M. C. — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:26:36 PDT

To meet the needs of a diverse student population while addressing the knowledge and skills outcomes of the curriculum, faculty should develop a repertoire of instructional models. Research-based instructional models from the fields of education and health care have been developed to support various learner outcomes. Emphasis on evidence-based practice in the field of communication sciences and disorders should include increased study of research-based instructional practices in higher education. The present study examined the models of instruction currently implemented by professors in speech-language pathology graduate programs. Problem-based learning and induction were used most frequently, followed by direct instruction. Cooperative learning, memory strategy instruction, and role play were used less frequently. Results suggest that instructors are utilizing a variety of instructional models to meet learning outcomes. Implications for the use of models of instruction, as well as future directions for research, are discussed.

Phonological Awareness and Word Recognition in Reading in Children With Autism

Gabig, C. S. — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:53:21 PST

This research examined phonological awareness (PA) and single word reading in 14 school-age children with autism and 10 age-matched, typically developing (TD) children between 5-7 years. Two measures of PA, an elision task (ELI) and a sound blending task (BLW), were given along with two measures of single word reading, word identification for real words (WID) and phonetic decoding of nonwords (WATTK). Group differences were found for performance on PA tasks but no group differences were found for WID or WATTK. All the children with autism scored within the average range on WID and WATTK, although a statistical bias was noted for WID. No relationship was found between PA and measures of word reading in children with autism. Children with autism have adequate ability in single word reading but below average PA. Word reading does not appear to be related to PA for some of the children with autism