- A Mentoring Model for Enhancing Success in Graduate Education
- Acoustic Changes in Chinese Patients With Cancer-Related Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis After Medialization Thyroplasty
- A Review of Evidence for the Covert Repair Hypothesis of Stuttering
- Counseling Training in Communication Disorders: A Survey of Clinical Fellows
- The Role of the SLP in Assisting College Students With Dyslexia in Fulfilling Foreign Language Requirements: A Case Study
- A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Interactive Metronome Training on the Language Skills of an Adolescent Female With a Language Learning Disorder
- The Impact of Prolonged Pacifier Use on Speech Articulation: A Preliminary Investigation
- Verb Particle Errors in Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment
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1. A Mentoring Model for Enhancing Success in Graduate Education
Wilhelmina Wright-Harp
Howard University, Washington, DC
Patricia A. Cole
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Abstract: Mentoring has served as an effective mechanism to reduce the attrition rates of individuals who are entering graduate programs in the health science disciplines; however, both minorities and males continue to be underrepresented, particularly in the discipline of human communication sciences and disorders. In response to this rapidly growing shortage, several institutions have addressed the need for mentoring; few, however, have provided effective mentoring programs to reverse the shortage of these underrepresented populations. Even fewer have focused on mentoring in graduate education. Given these facts, the purpose of this article is to present 2 models for use in graduate education: a Multiple Mentor Model and a Five-Tier Mentoring Program. Both are designed to reduce attrition rates and enhance student success in acquiring the skills necessary to transition into a professional career. The former is based on the premise that students can benefit from having multiple mentors with varied skills to facilitate their academic, professional, and personal development. The latter consists of 5 components that are essential for a successful mentoring program. The authors also provide recommendations regarding new directions in the field to improve mentoring efforts that will enhance the recruitment, retention, graduation, certification, and employment of graduate students.
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2. Acoustic Changes in Chinese Patients With Cancer-Related Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis After Medialization Thyroplasty
Manwa L. Ng, The University of Hong Kong
Ripley K. Wong
William I. Wei
Y. H. Wong
Paul K. Y. Lam
Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
Abstract: The present study investigated the change in the voice quality of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) of benign and malignant causes after medialization thyroplasty. Thirty-four native Cantonese adults who had been diagnosed with UVFP participated in the study. Acoustical parameters including the average voice fundamental frequency, percent jitter, relative average perturbation (RAP), percent shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) were measured from the sustained vowel /a/ that was recorded before and after the thyroplasty procedure. Maximum phonation time (MPT) was also obtained. Results indicated that, for both benign and malignant patients, all acoustical parameters except for NHR showed improvement after thyroplasty: Percent jitter, RAP, and percent shimmer values were significantly reduced, and MPT was significantly lengthened. Our findings support the notion that medialization thyroplasty is a useful palliative procedure to improve voice production in Cantonese-speaking UVFP patients. Despite the cancerous condition, it is still beneficial to malignant UVFP patients, and better voice quality can be achieved.
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3. A Review of Evidence for the Covert Repair Hypothesis of Stuttering
Paul H. Brocklehurst, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Abstract: This review examines evidence relating to the main postulates of A. Postma and H. Kolk's (1993) covert repair hypothesis: (a) That, in people who stutter, an abnormally slow rate of phonological encoding results in the incorporation of large numbers of phonological errors into the speech plans of their intended utterances, and (b) that their attempts to repair these errors, covertly, causes the symptoms of stuttering. Related hypotheses are also evaluated, including EXPLAN and the vicious circle hypothesis. The review concludes that, although the rate of phonological encoding may, under certain circumstances, be slower in people who stutter, this slowness does not result in the production of large numbers of phonological encoding errors. Furthermore, the covert repair of errors of phonological encoding cannot account for all instances of disfluency associated with stuttering. The evidence reviewed does, however, suggest that the more general phenomenon of error repair may play an important role in the development of persistent stuttering and that the rate of disfluency in stuttered speech is, in part, dependent on speakers' perceptions of the level of accuracy that specific speaking situations require. It also suggests that this may be an area where the covert repair hypothesis and related hypotheses may have a direct relevance to the clinical management of stuttering.
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4. Counseling Training in Communication Disorders: A Survey of Clinical Fellows
Daphne T. Phillips, Scottsdale Healthcare Hospital, Scottsdale, Arizona
Lisa Lucks Mendel, The University of Memphis, Tennessee
Abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether current speech-language pathology and audiology graduates felt prepared and comfortable in conducting counseling activities upon initiation of their clinical fellowships. The study also examined how much training in counseling was offered at the graduate level. A 20-item questionnaire was mailed to 28 individuals who were completing their clinical fellowships. Analysis of returns indicated that a strong majority felt that it was within the speech-language pathologist's/audiologist's role to provide counseling services, but most did not feel comfortable or prepared to provide this service after graduation. Significant correlations were reported between (a) hours of counseling provided in a work week and comfort levels in providing counseling to clients and caregivers, (b) hours of counseling provided in respective work settings and comfort levels in providing counseling, (c) hours of coursework provided and preparedness to conduct counseling, and (d) comfort levels in providing counseling and preparedness to conduct counseling. Eighty percent of the respondents reported that no counseling courses were offered in their degree program. Suggestions for incorporating counseling into graduate training programs are discussed.
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5. The Role of the SLP in Assisting College Students With Dyslexia in Fulfilling Foreign Language Requirements: A Case Study
Sharon M. DiFino
Bonnie W. Johnson
Linda J. Lombardino
University of Florida, Gainesville
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe the potential academic challenges of college students with dyslexia and to suggest ways that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can guide students to the appropriate accommodations needed to complete a foreign language requirement successfully.
Method: This article presents a case study of a 21-year-old female university student with dyslexia who struggled with learning a second language but ultimately succeeded. Data were collected through ethnographic interviews and standardized testing.
Results: Ethnographic interviews revealed a developmental progression of specific academic challenges related to the student's dyslexia from preschool through college. Psycho-educational testing conducted by an SLP confirmed that, in spite of the student's academic success, she continued to exhibit a pattern of testing that was consistent with her diagnosis of dyslexia in first grade. Instructional strategies that were used to support this student's academic success are described.
Conclusion: The outcome of our case study revealed that the impact of dyslexia changes across one's lifespan. Even if a student appears to have "compensated" for his or her dyslexia, accommodations may be needed to face new challenges such as learning a foreign language. SLPs need to be prepared to provide the necessary documentation to assist these students in receiving university accommodations and to provide guidelines to instructors of foreign languages on techniques to help these students learn.
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6. A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Interactive Metronome Training on the Language Skills of an Adolescent Female With a Language Learning Disorder
Jessica J. Sabado, Evergreen Healthcare, Seattle, Washington
Donald R. Fuller, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington
Abstract: The interactive metronome (IM) uses innovative technology to provide a movement-based repetition program that may improve a person's cognitive and motor performance. Essentially, the IM is a patented, microcomputer-based version of the traditional music metronome in which the user listens to a steady beat through headphones and makes synchronized rhythmic movements in response to the beat. The assumption is that IM training provides drill in rhythm and timing, which in turn may influence neural pathways. To date, IM training has been found to have beneficial effects on motor, cognitive, and academic performance (P. Bartscherer & R. Dole, 2005; T. M. Libkuman, H. Otanim, & N. Steger, 2002; R. J. Shaffer et al., 2001). However, there are no studies reported in the literature of the application of IM training to the field of speech-language pathology. As delayed response time is one characteristic of many learning disabilities (S. J. Diamond, 2003), IM training may facilitate improvement of underlying motor and cognitive processing capacities that are foundational in an individual's ability to attend and learn.
The present study investigated the effects of IM training on an adolescent female with a language learning disorder (LLD). Results showed that the participant demonstrated improvement in all language areas assessed on the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (R. Brownell, 2000) and the Oral and Written Language Scales (E. Carrow-Woolfolk, 2006) from pre- to posttest. These preliminary results suggest that IM training may have potential application to a wide range of clinical conditions in the field of speech-language pathology.
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7. The Impact of Prolonged Pacifier Use on Speech Articulation: A Preliminary Investigation
Laura L. Shotts
D. Mike McDaniel
Richard A. Neeley
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Abstract: This investigation was designed to study the impact of prolonged pacifier use on speech articulation. Three groups of children representing varying degrees of pacifier use ranging from little or none to 55 months were formed. Group 1 consisted of 30 children who had no or minimal history of pacifier use. Group 2 consisted of 16 children who had a history of pacifier use for up to 15 months. Group 3 consisted of 22 children who had a history of pacifier use that ranged from 18 to 55 months. Each child was administered the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation—Second Edition (GFTA–2; R. Goldman & M. Fristoe, 2000). For purposes of this investigation, mean standard scores for each group were statistically compared. A one-way analysis of variance did not suggest that there were significant differences among the 3 groups. Implications for future study include more rigorous quantification of the style and brand of pacifier used, the extent of pacifier use, the inclusion of other forms of nonnutritive sucking, and the instrument and protocol for measuring speech articulation errors.
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8. Verb Particle Errors in Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment
Corinne R. Juhasz
Bernard Grela
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the spontaneous language samples of children with specific language impairment (SLI) to those of typically developing children for frequency of verb particle production and frequency and errors types associated with verb particle production.
Method: The language transcripts of 10 children with SLI (age 3;8 [years;months] to 5;7) were compared to those of 10 typically developing children (age 2;11 to 3;4) matched for mean length of utterance (MLU). The transcripts were analyzed for the number of verb particles produced and errors occurring with the verb particles attempted. Three types of errors were identified: verb particle constructions, subject argument omissions, and object argument omissions.
Results: No significant difference was noted between groups for verb particles attempted. Omission of the subject argument was the most common error for the children with SLI and the MLU controls. Between-group comparisons showed that the children with SLI produced more errors overall. A significant difference was found in the frequency with which children with SLI omitted the object argument.
Conclusion: Although children with SLI may produce as large a variety of verbs as their typically developing peers, they make more grammatical errors during the construction of these utterances. This finding is consistent with results showing that grammatical errors increase as the complexity of grammatical structures attempted increases.
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