<p> The purpose of this study was to address two research questions: After parents participated in a brief, language-focused parent-training program: (1) To what extent does the parent-training influence children&rsquo;s vocabulary development and (2) To what extent does the parent-training influence parents&rsquo; role as a language facilitator in regards to their perceptions, strategies and knowledge of language and literacy concepts.</p><p> Pre-and post-parent-training, assessment was conducted and used to measure growth within each participant group. A standardized vocabulary test was administered to the child participants and a parent questionnaire was administered to the parent participants. Data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results from this study found that parent-training can increase children&rsquo;s vocabulary and parent&rsquo;s perceptions, knowledge and skills pertaining to their role as their child&rsquo;s language facilitator.</p><p> </p>

This thesis contains four manuscripts examining the respiratory mechanics of normal and stuttering speech. The first study (J.Appl.Physiol. 75 (2):696-703, 1993) examined lung volume (V scL) during stutterers' relatively fluent speech. We showed that stutterers used the V scL extremes. This suggested that stutterers recruited their respiratory muscles in a different manner than normals to maintain subglottic pressure (Psg). We therefore investigated respiratory muscle recruitment patterns in normals and stutterers. In the second study, (submitted to J.A.P.), we modified the Campbell pressure volume diagram by the addition of abdominal pressure (Pab) and by the use of a surrogate relaxation curve. The addition of Pab allowed us to differentiate between diaphragmatic and non diaphragmatic inspiratory muscles and to quantify expiratory muscle recruitment. The surrogate curve provided a good approximation of the true relaxation curve (non significant difference between surrogate and true relaxation curves: P $>$.10). The third study (submitted to J.A.P.) used the modified diagram to examine respiratory muscle recruitment patterns, instantaneous Psg, voluntary hyperinflation and intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEPi) during normal and stuttering speech. Stutterers used consistent muscle recruitment patterns and consistent V scL but Psg was not as well controlled as in normals. Because a lack of control of Psg could have an immediate effect on the glottis, particularly at high or low V scL, we measured instantaneous Psg and flow in the final study (to be submitted to J.A.P.) to give us instantaneous glottal resistance. In this study we were able to plot a 'family' of glottal resistances that covered normal speech. This provided a normal envelope of resistances. When stutterers were fluent they remained within both the flow and Psg limits set by the normals' envelope. When they were fluent both Psg and flow extended beyond the normals' envelope. We conclude

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: A, page: 4229. Adviser: Cynthia J. Johnson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-174) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

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