Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a neurogenic motor speech disorder characterized by impaired planning and programming of speech articulation movements. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, prominent features of AOS include phonemic distortions, phonemic substitutions or additions, reduced overall speech rate, and prosodic abnormalities that may worsen with increased complexity. Some well-researched treatment approaches include a) rate-rhythm control techniques emphasizing prosodic elements of speech production; b) articulatory–kinematic practice emphasizing accurate articulatory movements administered in person or via telepractice; and c) advanced instrumentation such as ultrasound intra-oral imaging for visual feedback of the articulators during speech production.

DB is a right-handed college-educated monolingual English-speaking gentleman who incurred a left fronto-insular-parietal stroke at age 57 in 2017.  Initial assessment revealed severe AOS at the monosyllabic level. From 2017 to 2023, a series of treatment approaches (rate-rhythm control, articulatory–kinematic practice, and ultrasound intra-oral imaging) was administered, with pauses in 2019 and 2021 to manage co-morbid complications such as seizures, post-stroke nerve pain, and side-effects of anti-convulsant medications, as well as the barrier of COVID-19 pandemic-induced isolation.

Across all treatments, DB demonstrated substantial gains in motor-speech control and intelligibility of at least 75% or more accurate production of target phonemic sequences in words embedded in repeated sentences. The synergistic approach combining rate-rhythm control techniques with articulatory kinematic practice and ultrasound intra-oral imaging was particularly effective, with DB achieving 100% accurate production of sentences containing words with target phonemic sequences. The involvement of DB's wife during treatment sessions facilitated generalization of successful techniques to daily communicative activities. 

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of research investigating the effects of the Transition to Literacy (T2L) software on participant’s acquisition of literacy skills. The T2L software, which includes speech output and dynamic text in response to dynamic stimuli, was accessed through the Scene and Heard Pro application by participants with complex communication needs. Previous research in which T2L was implemented by trained researchers demonstrated the features’ effectiveness in improving early word reading skills. Previous to the study, participants were determined to have minimal access to literacy learning opportunities.  The study implemented a single-case multiple baseline design across two participants. During intervention, the T2L feature was embedded into engaging activities and implemented  by school-based professionals to target previously unacquired literacy skills. Interventions were individualized to each participant’s target skills based on review of educational documentation and consultation with educational staff. Participants’ interests and preferred activities were considered in creating intervention materials in effort to increase engagement in literacy-learning opportunities. The study also sought to determine if participants showed engagement in literacy-learning opportunities when presented through the T2L features on the Scene and Heard application. Participants were probed by researchers following use of the T2L application to evaluate learning of targeted skills. Researchers assessed participant's knowledge of targets as well as novel words and sounds.  The long term goal of the study is to measure the effectiveness of the T2L features in supporting the development of early literacy skills in students with complex communication needs. 

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use a variety of modalities other than spoken language to communicate. These modes of communication may include vocalizations, gestures, augmentative & alternative communication (AAC) devices, and/or facial expressions. Minimally speaking, autistic children have been largely overlooked in clinical research, especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Research including bilingual children is pivotal to providing clinicians with a more inclusive understanding of communication in autistic children. 

I plan to focus on two children ages 4-6 from a larger study (Autism, Bilingualism, and Communication in Familias Latinas). Both children are exposed to English and Spanish and have a formal diagnosis of ASD. One is minimally speaking, while the other demonstrates emerging spoken language skills. Both participated in a pilot study and returned for another session a year later. During the sessions, the examiner conducts a bilingual version of the ELSA (Eliciting Language Samples for Analysis) protocol, a play-based method of interacting with a child that encourages expressive communication (Barokova et al., 2021). Sessions will be analyzed using ELAN, which allows researchers to segment communicative actions, transcribe them, and categorize their modality and language (if applicable). 

Through an in-depth exploration of the communication skills of these two children over time, I hope to identify changes in the modalities they use in response to English and Spanish input, as well as how quickly they do so. I will also highlight clinical implications, emphasizing the importance of considering all forms of communication during client assessment and intervention.

Coaching caregivers to use language facilitation strategies with their children has been documented as an effective approach to support children’s communication development (Roberts & Kaiser, 2011). However, the majority of this research has been conducted with White, non-Hispanic families, limiting equitable access to culturally and linguistically appropriate early language interventions for Latine children. This study explores changes in caregiver strategy use and child language ability over time, strategies used consistently by caregivers regardless of child language ability, and activities frequently used to sustain child engagement. This will help us understand the dynamic and bidirectional interactions that promote language development.  This study is part of a larger dataset (n=20) examining caregiver strategy use in naturalistic environments with their children who have language delays. For this portion of the study, we will analyze two families who also participated in an earlier pilot study. Children were 18-20 months old at the first timepoint and 41-43 months old at the second timepoint. 

We predict that caregivers will consistently use strategies such as modeling, asking questions, praising, and imitation, but they will also expand the variety and frequency of these strategies at the second timepoint. In addition, we expect to observe a more sustained language interaction between the caregiver and children. This research is foundational for adapting a caregiver-implemented early language intervention for this population, so that child language interventions can expand beyond White non-Hispanic families and towards more representative communities.

A characteristic of aphasia is difficulty expressing needs and wants to a communication partner (CP), which is exacerbated by limited public awareness of the communication disorder. Aphasia ID cards have been developed to ease encounters between persons with aphasia (PWA) and a CP. These cards typically include self-disclosure, a definition of aphasia, information about its impact on the person, and instructions on improving communication. 

Data for this project comes from a larger ongoing study comparing an aphasia ID card group versus a control group (no ID card) on a task measuring their comprehension abilities in simulated service encounters with a PWA (Service Request Comprehension Task). This project specifically investigates how attentive reading of the aphasia ID card affects comprehension of speech involving paraphasias (unintended sounds or words). To understand paraphasic speech, listeners must undergo a “repair process” to infer the speaker’s intended meaning from context rather than rely on literal interpretation. Attentive reading behaviors with the ID card may support this inferential process. We will examine this by analyzing the relationship between comprehension accuracy on service requests containing paraphasias and eye-tracking measures of fixations on keywords (e.g. “aphasia”) and phrases from the card. 

Our findings will provide insight into the objective effectiveness of aphasia ID cards as communication tools, as well as possible card-design improvements. Evidence-supported ID cards may promote awareness of aphasia and improve communication outcomes, which in turn would support the social wellbeing of individuals with aphasia.