▼ The purpose of this study was to characterize articulation errors of children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) by type and position within the syllable. Errors made by children with CAS were compared against errors of peers with isolated, non-apraxic speech sound disorders (SSD) and combined speech and language disorder (SL) at preschool- and school-age. Results suggested that CAS was different from the other disorders with different profiles at the two ages. Between-group comparisons at same-age stages showed that a) preschool-aged children with CAS made more substitutions of onset consonants than comparison groups and b) school-aged children with CAS made more omissions of coda consonants than comparison groups. A subset of children with CAS was followed longitudinally. Results suggested that speech improved from preschool- to school-age, with substitutions decreasing and the percentage of consonants correct increasing. Despite improvement, coda omission appeared to be a salient characteristic of CAS at school-age. Advisors/Committee Members: Bonaventura, Patrizia.

▼ Objective: The objective of this study was to compare current beliefs and practice trends in selective mutism between the speech-language pathologist and the psychologist. Methods: Questionnaires addressing the areas of knowledge, treatment, collaboration, and demographics were constructed on Survey Monkey. Links to the questionnaire were sent to speech-language pathologists and psychologists via e-mail. Results were collected and analyzed by informal observation of trends and cross-tab analyses for each group. Group results were compared in order to draw conclusions about current beliefs and practice trends. Results: The psychologist had higher self-ratings of knowledge regarding selective mutism than the speech-language pathologist. However, both professionals reported a similar number of children with selective mutism on their caseloads. Additionally, the speech-language pathologist reported treating the disorder as a communication disorder by focusing on expressive language and pragmatic skills, whereas the psychologist focused on anxiety-relief strategies. Finally, collaboration among the professionals was uncommon although both recognized the advantages of collaboration. Conclusions: There is a disconnect between the two professionals, which may be preventing a more comprehensive assessment and treatment approach to selective mutism. Advisors/Committee Members: Lewis, Barbara.

▼ The present investigation examined the relationships among speech-language and reading abilities in a sample of Standard American speaking, middle to upper middle class third grade children with histories of speech-language or reading deficits. Based on speech-language and reading history, fifty third grade children were assigned to one of the following five groups (10 subjects; 5 boys, 5 girls per group): (S) Speech disorder; (L) Language disorder; (SL) Speech and Language disorder; (R) Reading disorder; or (N) Normal speech-language and reading. The subjects were between 8.25 and 10.22 years of age (mean = 8.96; sd = 0.44). Each subject demonstrated normal hearing sensitivity, normal neurological status, no evidence of craniofacial anomalies, absence of autism or emotional disturbance, and a nonverbal IQ within normal limits. The data collected in the present study included scores from several speech-language (including language, metalinguistics, narrative and phonological processing) and reading (including word decoding and reading comprehension) measures. Results showed that L, SL and R groups performed more poorly than N and S groups on many speech-language and reading measures. The L and SL group tend ed to score more poorly than the R group on the experimental battery suggesting that the R group contained subjects with less severe language-learning disorders. Although the S group scored low on word/phrase repetition tasks, this group did not evidence other language or reading limitations. Phonological processing abilities were found to explain the greatest amount of variance in word decoding skills, whereas language/metalinguistic skills explained the greatest amount of variance in reading comprehension skills. The relationship between word decoding and reading comprehension is discussed. The group data and regression findings are significant in that they provide valuable information for identifying children at risk for language-learning difficulties. The findings also provide an information base for diagnosis and remediation. Advisors/Committee Members: Ripich, Danielle N.

▼ The present investigation addressed the hypothesis that a subset of children with developmental language disorders exhibits significantly more disfluencies than other language disordered children and normally developing children of the same age. Spontaneous language samples of 60 children with developmental language disorders were analyzed for the frequency, type, and linguistic loci of disfluencies. The subjects in the present study were between the ages of three years, and five years, 11 months, exhibited normal hearing, no evidence of neurological impairment, autism, or emotional disturbance, a nonverbal IQ within normal limits, a one standard deviation discrepancy between nonverbal IQ and a standardized language score, and a mean length of utterance of at least two morphemes. Comparisons on the frequency of disfluencies across the subjects revealed that the language disordered subjects could be divided on the basis of fluency characteristics. A subset of 10 subjects (High Disfluency (HD) group) exhibited significantly more disfluencies than the other subjects (Normal Disfluency (ND) group). Comparisons between the HD and ND groups on demographic variables and standardized language tests revealed the HD group was significantly older, and demonstrated significantly higher scores on the vocabulary measures, including the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised, and the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test. These results suggest that the HD subjects demonstrated dyssynchronies in the development of different aspects of language and, because they were older than, yet comparable to the ND subjects in some language skills (e.g. morphology and syntax), exhibited more significant language deficits. Thus, a relationship between dyssynchrony in language development, severity of language disorder, and increased disfluencies was observed. Analyses examining the linguistic loci of the disfluencies of the HD subjects revealed associations between disfluencies and clause boundaries, pronouns, nouns, complex sentences, and morpho-syntactic errors. Individual variation was evident across the HD subjects, and a single pattern with respect to the linguistic loci of disfluencies was not observed. These findings supported the hypothesis proposed in this study, as the language disordered subjects evidenced more disfluencies than expected for chronological age and stage of language development. The subjects with significantly different fluency characteristics also presented significant variation in age and language capabilities. Advisors/Committee Members: Aram, Dorothy M.

▼ This study examined parent and self-ratings of executive function in adolescents with language impairments (LI) and in typically developing peers (TD). Eighteen adolescents with LI and eighteen age and sex-matched peers (TD) (age range = 11-18 years of age) rated their executive function in daily living using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-SR; Guy, Isquith, and Gioia, 1996), and their parents provided companion ratings using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Buy and Kenworth, 1996). Using the Global Executive Composite scores (GEC) from the BRIEF and BRIEF-SR, adolescents in both LI and TD groups rated themselves more positively than did their parents, and the presence of language impairment was associated with more negative ratings by both parents and adolescents. The results of this study suggest that language skills are related to executive function. A greater understanding of this relationship has important implications for both theoretical accounts of language impairment, and also the timing and content of therapeutic intervention. Advisors/Committee Members: Turkstra, Lyn S.

▼ The purpose of this study was to expand on previous research that focused on what information parents felt was critical to know about their child with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and to create a more detailed understanding of the exchange of information regarding feeding and swallowing that exists between parents of children with CLP and members of the craniofacial team. Questionnaires were distributed to parents of children with CLP and to craniofacial team members during craniofacial clinic at a hospital in northeast Ohio. Responses to the questionnaires were then analyzed using analytical software. Results of the study found that parents wished they received more information about specific topics related to feeding and swallowing, craniofacial team members agreed with parents about what information was most important to know about feeding and swallowing, and despite the fact that craniofacial team members reported specific information about feeding and swallowing was important to know, parents reported that they did not get, or would have liked more, information on these topics. Advisors/Committee Members: Ciccia, Angela.

▼ Purpose: Studies have shown that children with language impairment (LI) have slower speed of processing times in a variety of modalities than children with typical language abilities. However, no studies to date have examined speed of processing in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). This study’s first aim is to examine how severity of language impairments in children is related to speed of processing time. The second aim is to determine if there are significant differences between groups on a variety of speed of processing measures. Method: 60 children ages 3.6-6.9 were studied across three groups; LI and SSD, SSD-only, and a control group. These groups were compared through various domains of speed of processing including visual, verbal, and auditory measures. Results: Language scores were correlated with the visual measure (p=.025), and approached a significant correlation with the verbal measure (p=.054). In comparing groups across measures of speed of processing, significant differences were found between the SSD and LI group and SSD only group on the visual measure, p=.03, and differences approached significance between the SSD and LI group and control group on the verbal measure, p=.081 . Conclusion: These results suggest that there may not be a direct relationship between severity of language impairment and speed of processing. Also, slower speed of processing time was found in the language impaired group in two of the measures (visual and verbal). This supports previous research that processing time in children with LI is slower across modalities. Advisors/Committee Members: Lewis, Barbara.

▼ Factors that have been used to predict reading competence vary widely from study to study. Phonological awareness is a well-documented factor in reading development, but other skills such as oral language, IQ, vocabulary, and verbal working memory also have been shown to play a role. This study examined the relationship between cognitive skills (expressive and receptive language, phonological awareness, Performance IQ, vocabulary, and verbal memory) and reading (decoding and comprehension) at three different stages of reading development: Early Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Results showed that different cognitive skills predict reading ability at different ages and to differing degrees. Vocabulary as measured by standardized assessments was found to be a better predictor of reading than vocabulary in conversation. Advisors/Committee Members: Lewis, Barbara.

▼ Objective: The first objective of this study was to examine how three groups of children age 3.25 to 6.5 years differ in narrative ability during the years of emergent literacy. These groups included children with co-morbid speech sound disorders (SSD) and language impairment (LI), children with isolated SSD, and typically developing children. The second objective was to determine if early narrative ability predicts reading and written language ability at school age (8 to 12 years). Method: The children were given a narrative retelling task before formal literacy instruction. The early narratives were analyzed and compared for group differences. Reading decoding, reading comprehension, and written language ability were later tested at school age, and regression was used to compare the results with the children’s early performance on the narrative task. Results: The children with isolated SSD did not differ from the control group. Significant group differences were found between the group of children with co-morbid SSD and LI and the other two groups. Specifically, these differences included the ability to answer questions about the story, use of story grammars, and number of correct and irrelevant utterances. Syntactic and semantic measures such as mean length of C-unit, number of C-units, number of words, and number of different words were not significantly different. The early narratives were predictive of literacy skills at school age. Measures of story structure and accuracy proved to be the best predictors of reading comprehension, written language, and the decoding of real words. Measures of syntax and lexical diversity were the best predictors of decoding nonsense words. Conclusions: These results suggest that LI, and not SSD, interferes with a child’s ability to retell a narrative and answer comprehension questions. The results also suggest that narrative retelling is a useful task for identifying children who may be at risk for later academic problems in the areas of reading and written language. Advisors/Committee Members: Lewis, Barbara.