Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Jeff Sigafoos. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-179).

This constructivist grounded theory explored the perspectives of twelve families of children who were using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AAC). There is a growing body of research literature concerning AAC but very little is focused on the perspectives of the ‘whole’ family and the use of AAC in the home environment. Twenty-five parents and children were interviewed using a variety of flexible qualitative methods including a ‘draw and tell’ approach for younger children and ‘Talking Mats’, a framework to support children with complex communication needs to express their views. The core category, ‘Finding a Voice’, emerged from the analysis of the data as families expressed the desire for their child with complex communication needs to gain a voice through the use of AAC. A trajectory was identified which provides a framework underpinning the families’ continuous progress towards ‘Finding a Voice’ for their child. The four phases in the trajectory: Loss of Voice, Prioritising a Voice, Gaining a Voice and Sustaining a Voice encapsulate the strategies parents used in implementing AAC in the home. Dynamic conditions associated with daily family life and routines resulted in parents redefining family roles and shifting priorities to allow the implementation of AAC. The findings show that although the use of AAC systems in the home can be challenging, parents in the study viewed successful communication as a high priority for their children. These findings give a greater insight into the perspectives of families using AAC systems with implications for professional practice.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 41-45).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 S323 / Master of Arts

Introduction: Differentiating between normal language variation and abnormal language development can be difficult for clinicians working with young children who present with slow language development, so-called “late talkers”. Although the language difficulties of many late talkers resolve spontaneously, there is clearly a group of children whose problems persist, either for a long period or possibly permanently (after the age of five, often referred to as children with specific language impairment: SLI). There is a lack of research examining potential markers of language difficulties in young children which may enable the early detection of children at risk of SLI. The aim of this thesis was to determine the most suitable measure, or combination of measures, that can predict which late talkers at age 3;0 to 4;0 will be likely to have SLI at age 4;0 to 5;0. Methods Forty seven late talkers and 47 children with typical language development (TLD) aged from 3;0 to 4;0 were assessed on a number of language, IQ and marker tasks (baseline assessment). The children were recruited from 13 nurseries and one family centre in Aberdeen city. The children were reassessed one year later on a number of language, IQ and marker tasks (follow-up assessment). Results: Characteristics of the child or family examined were not associated with membership of the expressive language delay group at follow-up. Within the late talker group only, the Preschool Language Scale-3 Expressive Communication (PLS-3 EC) and Recalling Sentences scores at baseline were the best predictors of persistent expressive language delay at follow-up. Late talkers performance on the PLS-3 EC and Recalling Sentences tasks at age 3;0 to 4;0 has potential as predictors of persistent expressive language delay (children likely to have SLI) at age 4;0 to 5;0. Conclusions: A sizeable proportion of children identified as late talkers at age 3;0 to 4;0 have persistent language problems a year later at follow-up. The language measure PLS-3 EC has the potential to differentiate between late talkers who are going to have more persistent problems from those who recover. The marker task Recalling Sentences also has the potential to differentiate between late talkers who are going to have more persistent problems from those who recover. Given the simplicity of Recalling Sentences, this task has the potential to be a useful screening test in clinical practice although this needs to be evaluated in further research.

Linguistic diversification within our public schools has demanded professional responsibility from speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serving nonstandard English speaking students. Understanding and recognizing normal cultural linguistic differences is the responsibility of the SLP. This study focused on the relationship of three speech features to intelligibility ratings of 10 preschool aged Black English speakers as assigned by 4 licensed standard English speaking SLPs with varying experience. The SLPs also rated the perceived effect of these speech features (i.e., articulation, speaking rate, and resonance) on intelligibility. Using the Pearson product-moment correlation, ratings were correlated and found to demonstrate an association between intelligibility ratings and all three speech features assessed. To determine which speech feature affected intelligibility the most, a linear association using a stepwise regression was applied to all listeners' ratings. For 3 of the 4 listeners, the strongest association between intelligibility and articulation. Ratings of the 4th listener, the listener with the most experience(> 3 years) demonstrated the strong association between intelligibility and resonance. The listener with _the least amount of experience tended to assign higher severity ratings to ratings for intelligibility, rate, and resonance than did the other listeners. Findings from this study demonstrate a need for more studies within the area of Black English as well as further investigative studies to assess listeners' perception of dialectical differences based on the experience within linguistically different or similar communities. Various measures of intelligibility of Black English speakers should also be explored for more accurate assessment tools for this population. Clinical implications focus on the SLP's responsibility to be experienced and knowledgeable of the linguistic community they are serving.