Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) is a standardized language sample analysis procedure that evaluates and scores a child's use of standard American-English grammatical rules within complete sentences. Automated DSS programs have the potential to increase the efficiency and reduce the amount of time required for DSS analysis. The present study examines the accuracy of one automated DSS software program, DSSA 2.0, compared to manual DSS scoring on previously collected language samples from 30 children between the ages of 2-5 and 7-11. Additionally, this study seeks to determine the source of error in the automated score by comparing DSSA 2.0 analysis given manually versus automatedly assigned grammatical tag input. The overall accuracy of DSSA 2.0 was 86%; the accuracy of individual grammatical category-point value scores varied greatly. No statistically significant difference was found between the two DSSA 2.0 input conditions (manual vs. automated tags) suggesting that the underlying grammatical tagging is not the primary source of error in DSSA 2.0 analysis.

Within recent decades speech audiometry materials have been developed in various languages in order to more accurately identify and evaluate hearing impairment in native speakers. This advantage, however, is not available to native Cebuano speakers. The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Cebuano bisyllabic word lists for use in measuring word recognition ability. This process began with recording 260 commonly used bisyllabic Cebuano words by a native speaker noted for his quality and pleasantness of speech in his native tongue. These recordings were then evaluated by 20 normally hearing native Cebuano listeners (21 to 63 years old). Of these words, 200 were selected and then divided into 4 lists of 50 bisyllabic words and 8 half-lists of 25 bisyllabic words. Statistical analysis of the word recognition materials found no significant difference among the lists or half-lists. The mean psychometric function slope at 50% for the bisyllabic word lists and half-lists is 7.3%/dB. The mean 50% threshold for the lists was 19.7 dB HL (SD = 0.1dB). Adjustments were not necessary. The results of the current study are comparable to those found in other languages. Digital recordings of the bisyllabic word lists are available on compact disc.

Recent research indicates that children with language impairment (LI) often experience difficulties with social communication. Although the empirical basis for general social communication intervention is growing, information documenting the efficacy of these interventions for children with LI remains limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a social communication intervention on teacher perceptions of sociability in five elementary-aged children with LI. The intervention focused on the presentation and use of children's stories to target aspects of emotion understanding. The two sociability subscales of the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS), impulse control/likeability and prosocial behavior, were used as variables with which to measure teacher perception. Pre and post intervention measures of teacher ratings were taken and compared for each participant. Results indicated that four of the five participants received higher ratings for prosocial behaviors following treatment, with two participants scoring within typical range for their age. Two participants remained stable in their pre and posttreatment scores for impulse control/likeability, one participant increased in their ratings, and two of the participants had a decline in posttreatment scores for impulse control/likeability. This study revealed noteworthy improvements in prosocial behaviors in children with LI, even while problems with impulse control remained or increased. This was to be expected considering the intervention focused on emotion understanding which leads to prosocial behavior, whereas the intervention did not focus explicitly on impulse control. Implications of these results were discussed and suggestions for further research were offered.

This study attempted to replicate and expand previously published research in order to increase our understanding of how Vocal Function Exercises (VFE) might improve vocal function in normal voices. Measures were made to reflect potential post-treatment changes in acoustic and aerodynamic variables, including a measure of vocal efficiency. The participants of the study included 35 adults with normal voices. Each completed a series of speech tasks (sustained vowels, maximum phonation time, reading of a standardized passage, and repetition of syllable strings) before and after a four-week treatment period. Testing of pre- and post-treatment data revealed no clear improvement in acoustic and aerodynamic measures of the voice. There were also no significant improvements in vocal efficiency following the VFE. These findings suggest the need for further research to better understand the value of VFE in improving vocal function.

The purpose of this study was to examine interference between concurrently performed speaking and driving tasks. Participants included 60 adults, 30 males and 30 females, with no history of communication disorders. They were divided into three different age groups of 20 participants each: younger (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older (60s). The participants were given a list of topics to consider and were instructed to select eight topics that they could talk about; they completed five practice trials of the driving simulator prior to the experimental recording to eliminate practice effects. Each participant completed the speaking task and driving task both separately and concurrently. The speaking task consisted of producing a monologue about the topics that they had selected. Dependent measures for speech included metrics relating to intensity, fundamental frequency, and the ratio of speaking to pausing time. The simulated driving task involved maintaining a constant speed and lane position on a freeway. Dependent measures for driving included metrics relating to speed, lane position, steering wheel position, and a count of steering wheel turns. Results indicated significant divided attention effects in speaking time ratio, intensity, speed, and steering wheel control. There was a significant age effect for intensity and fundamental frequency as the younger group had less variation with these variables compared to the other age groups. There was a significant age effect for lane position, steering wheel position, and speed as the younger group had less variation in lane and position compared to the other groups and the older group had more variation in speed and steering wheel position compared to the other groups. There was a significant gender effect for intensity and lane position as the females had less variation in intensity and more variation in lane position compared to the males. These findings suggest that divided attention conditions impact both speech and driving performance. The results also shed some light on the effects of age on concurrently performed speech and driving tasks. These findings imply that divided attention conditions should be incorporated in treatment to help patients generalize the skills learned in therapy to everyday communication.

The purpose of this study was to use previously recorded Spanish trisyllabic words tested on adults in the measurement of the speech recognition threshold of Spanish-speaking children in order to (a) determine the words' appropriateness when testing children and (b) compare psychometric functions between adults and children. A selection of 28 frequently used trisyllabic words was chosen from previously recorded samples of male and female adult native speakers of Spanish. These words were then presented to 20 native Spanish-speaking children with normal hearing between the ages of 4 and 8 years. The words were presented starting at -5 dB HL and ascended in 5 dB increments until the presentation level reached 15 dB HL. Using logistic regression, psychometric functions were calculated for each word. Resulting pediatric thresholds were found to be 8.7 dB higher for male talkers and 11.0 dB higher for female talkers than previously reported adult thresholds. These results indicate a clinically significant threshold difference between pediatric and adult populations. Future research should be conducted to measure the speech recognition threshold (SRT) in children of varying ages to determine the age at which the SRT approximates with adult performance.

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Book Summary: Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance: Clinical and Research Perspectives is a professional resource for audiology practitioners involved in the clinical management of patients who suffer from sound tolerance concerns. The text covers emerging assessment and intervention strategies associated with hyperacusis, disorders of pitch perception, and other unusual processing deficits of the auditory system. In order to illustrate the patients perspectives and experiences with disorders of auditory processing, cases are included throughout. This collection of diagnostic strategies and tools, evidence-based clinical research, and case reports provides practitioners with avenues for supporting patient management and coping. It combines new developments in the understanding of auditory mechanisms with the clinical tools developed to manage the effects such disorders exert in daily life. Topics addressed include unusual clinical findings and features that influence a patient s auditory processing such as their perceptual accuracy, recognition abilities, and satisfaction with the perception of sound. Hyperacusis is covered with respect to its effects, its relation to psychological disorders, and its management. Hyperacusis is often linked to trauma or closed head injury and the text also considers the management of patients with traumatic brain injury as an opportunity to illustrate the effectiveness of interprofessional care in such cases. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, self-efficacy training, and hearing aid use are reported in a way that enhances clinicians' ability to weave such strategies into their own work, or into their referral system. Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance illuminates increasingly observed auditory-related disorders that challenge students, clinicians, physicians, and patients. The text elucidates and reinforces audiologists contributions to polytrauma and interprofessional care teams and provides clear definitions, delineation of mechanisms, and intervention options for auditory disorders.

Book Summary: Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance: Clinical and Research Perspectives is a professional resource for audiology practitioners involved in the clinical management of patients who suffer from sound tolerance concerns. The text covers emerging assessment and intervention strategies associated with hyperacusis, disorders of pitch perception, and other unusual processing deficits of the auditory system. In order to illustrate the patients perspectives and experiences with disorders of auditory processing, cases are included throughout. This collection of diagnostic strategies and tools, evidence-based clinical research, and case reports provides practitioners with avenues for supporting patient management and coping. It combines new developments in the understanding of auditory mechanisms with the clinical tools developed to manage the effects such disorders exert in daily life. Topics addressed include unusual clinical findings and features that influence a patient s auditory processing such as their perceptual accuracy, recognition abilities, and satisfaction with the perception of sound. Hyperacusis is covered with respect to its effects, its relation to psychological disorders, and its management. Hyperacusis is often linked to trauma or closed head injury and the text also considers the management of patients with traumatic brain injury as an opportunity to illustrate the effectiveness of interprofessional care in such cases. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, self-efficacy training, and hearing aid use are reported in a way that enhances clinicians' ability to weave such strategies into their own work, or into their referral system. Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance illuminates increasingly observed auditory-related disorders that challenge students, clinicians, physicians, and patients. The text elucidates and reinforces audiologists contributions to polytrauma and interprofessional care teams and provides clear definitions, delineation of mechanisms, and intervention options for auditory disorders.