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*NSSLHA members can download the full-text versions of these articles in the "Members" section of our site.
- Culturally Appropriate Assessment for Children Living in Rural Areas
- Strategies for Recruiting African American and Hispanic Women as Participants in Research
- Mediated Action Analysis: A Tool for Planning Zones of Proximal Development From Standardized Test
- The Effects of Four Key Strategies Within a Communicative Reading Strategies Construct: A Single-Subject Design for Two Third Graders With Language-Learning Disabilities
- Evaluative Reactions to Service Delivery: "Oracular Reasoning" in Clinical Contexts
- Disfluency in Nonstuttering African American Preschoolers During Conversation and Narrative Discourse
- Outcomes in Clinical Training: Views of Graduate Students' Clinical Expertise by Externship Supervisors
- Historical Perspectives on Stuttering Treatment: Dean Williams
- A Revised Component Model for diagnosing and Treating Children Who Stutter
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1. Culturally Appropriate Assessment for Children Living in Rural Areas
Thalia J. Coleman
Abstract: Professionals who provide special services to individuals living in rural areas are confronted with many unique challenges, including personnel shortages, high poverty rates, special unwritten codes of conduct, poor communication (lack of telephones), inadequate transportation systems, harsh climates, rough terrain, lack of essential materials and supplies, and many other obstacles to effective service provision. This article discusses characteristics of rural communities, challenges to effective service provision in rural communities, and creative approaches to service provision in rural communities. It presents a summary of the efforts being made by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to enhance quality service delivery to clients in rural areas. Special emphasis is placed on assessment issues. Suggestions are offered for ensuring culturally appropriate assessment for children living in remote/rural areas of the United States.
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2. Strategies for Recruiting African American and Hispanic Women as Participants in Research
Caron Scheffner Hammer
Abstract: All communication behaviors are embedded in a cultural context from which they cannot be separated (Agar, 1994; Schwartz, 1981). Despite this understanding, relatively little research involving individuals from cultures other than the Caucasian, mainstream culture is conducted in the professions of speech pathology and audiology. As a result, there is a great need for researchers, practicing clinicians, and students to conduct investigations that add to the knowledge base with regard to multicultural populations. Recruiting participants is a critical step when conducting a research project; however, a paucity of information exists about how to recruit individuals from non-mainstream cultures effectively. This manuscript addresses this need by (a) discussing reason why individuals from multicultural populations are difficult to recruit, (b) sharing successful recruiting approaches, and (c) addressing consideration to be made to ensure continuous participation.
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3. Mediated Action Analysis: A Tool for Planning Zones of Proximal Development From Standardized Test
Fran Hagstrom
Abstract: A descriptive analysis based on Vygotsky's (1978) zone of proximal development and extended by the neo-Vygotskian developmental concept of mediated action is outlined for use with standardized tests in this article. The analysis is designed to describe how test materials and standardized administration rules establish a particular form of discourse. Within this discourse, test materials as well as the examiner function as forms of assistance. The different ways that children use these forms of assistance as test material becomes more complex and/or difficult are used to determine what the child can do alone versus with assistance. This analysis provides a framework for understanding test performance that is supplemental to normative results in order to help plan intervention.
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4. The Effects of Four Key Strategies Within a Communicative Reading Strategies Construct: A Single-Subject Design for Two Third Graders With Language-Learning Disabilities
Monica L. Bellon
Lori Allyson Cantrell
Abstract: Research has demonstrated that children with language disabilities often exhibit deficits in the areas of written language. Communicative Reading Strategies (CRS) is an integrated, holistic intervention consisting of various strategies to facilitate higher level language use and reading abilities in children who are exhibiting difficulties with oral and written language. Relative efficacy has been documented in three studies investigating children who are at risk for academic difficulties using various strategies within the CRS construct. This investigation narrowly defined four key strategies within the CRS construct and applied them to two children who were exhibiting disabilities in order to provide more data regarding specific strategies while including children with language and learning disabilities. A single-subject ABAB design was used to analyze the relative efficacy on reading fluency and text comprehension of two third graders who were exhibiting language learning difficulties. Result indicated and increase in the subjects' ability to read text and answer comprehension question related to the story. Clinical implications are discussed as related to the findings of the study.
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5. Evaluative Reactions to Service Delivery: "Oracular Reasoning" in Clinical Contexts
Dona Kovarsky
Jay Singer
Lisa Beatty
Tom Iacono
Amber Franklin
Abstract: As part of a larger ongoing investigation, three adults were videotaped as they commented on the quality of their hearing aids and service delivery. The videotape was then reviewed by a listening group consisting of audiologists and speech-language pathologists. This article focuses on the expressed evaluative reactions of the listening group while viewing the videotape. Their reactions appeared consistent with what Mehan (1990) termed "oracular reasoning." In oracular reasoning, clients' criticisms are not taken at face value and, instead, are construed as further evidence of their own internal problems. Four potential contributors to the formation of oracular reasoning within the listening group are considered: the research context, professional face, models of communication, and ways of problematizing people. Although such reasoning was understandable within the confines of this particular study, implications for clinical practice are considered. It is argued that the potential for oracular reasoning is not restricted to audiologist and adults with hearing aids. Rather, the possibility of this type of clinical reasoning must be confronted whenever practitioners, audiologists and speech-language pathologists included, seek to help those individuals whose communicative abilities are deemed to be problematic.
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6. Disfluency in Nonstuttering African American Preschoolers During Conversation and Narrative Discourse
Tommie L. Robinson, Jr.
Johnetta G. Davis
Thomas A. Crowe
Abstract: Speech samples elicited from Nonstuttering African American preschool children were compared for degree and nature of influences during conversation and narrative discourse. Twenty children (10 males and 10 females) were videotaped while they engaged in conversation, story retelling, and story generation. Speech samples were rated for disfluency by three clinically certified speech-language pathologists. The subjects exhibited significantly more disfluencies during narrative tasks than during conversation. No differences in disfluency based on gender were found. Subjects displayed word repetitions, phrase repetitions, interjections, and disrhythmic phonation that was consistent with research findings on the types of speech disfluencies in Nonstuttering children.
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7. Outcomes in Clinical Training: Views of Graduate Students' Clinical Expertise by Externship Supervisors
Karyn Bobkoff Katz
Pamela G. Garn-Nunn
University of Akron, Ohio
Loretta M. Nunez
Abstract: Assessing the nature and quality of student clinician training is critical for achieving effective graduate education. Many perspectives contribute to our judgment of clinical strengths. Research involving externship supervision is not often published. However, such supervision constitutes and extremely important source of information as students move through their practicum experiences. For this study, narrative evaluation comments from extern supervisors were reviewed over four semesters. Data analysis revealed two general foci for the comments: clinical/technical and social/professional. Within each of these categories, themes were noted and discussed with regard to "real-world" expectations and demands. Implications for professionals-in-training as well as academic training programs are presented.
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8. Historical Perspectives on Stuttering Treatment: Dean Williams
Robert W. Quesal
J. Scott Yarus
Abstract: Many speech-language pathologists have reported that they are uncomfortable with their skills for working with people who stutter. The source of this discomfort seems to be related, at least in part, to a lack of familiarity with relevant historical viewpoints that lay the foundation for our present understanding of the disorder. The purpose of this article is to provide and overview of the background and techniques employed by Dean Williams, one of the pioneers in the area of stuttering. Many of William's ideas, first developed in the 1950's, still have clinical relevance today. Armed with a better understanding of this influential approach to the nature and treatment of stuttering, clinicians may feel more confident that they can help their clients who stutter.
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9. A Revised Component Model for diagnosing and Treating Children Who Stutter
Glyndon Riley
Jeanna Riley
Abstract: This study describes a revision of a 1979 component model that was proposed as useful in dealing with the multidimensional aspects of stuttering in children. Stuttering, speech motor control, psychosocial behaviors, articulation phonology, and language were assessed in 50 children who stutter (CWS). The resulting revise component model identifies four components that are correlates with stuttering in that they were more prevalent among CWS than would be expected in a random sample. And additional three components were identified that related specifically to CWS and not at a random sample. The components and the percentage of the CWS who exhibited each component were:
- Attending disorder (26%);
- Speech motor control difficulties (68%);
- High self-expectation (66%);
- Overly sensitive (42%);
- Disruptive communication environment (54%);
- Secondary gains (22%); and
- Teased and bullied (36%).
Interactions among the components and implications for diagnosing and treating CWS are discussed.
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