1,720,981 research outputs found
A grounded theory study of retention among rural speech-language pathologists
No full textThesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and DisordersThe purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate rural speech-language pathologists' motivations for remaining in rural practices. Administrations and recruiters frequently offer monetary incentives to professionals who are hired for hard-to-fill positions in rural areas. However, initial incentives do not ensure that individuals will remain at their jobs once the benefits of the incentives have ended. To better understand factors contributing to retention, we interviewed eight speech-language pathologists who had practiced in rural Kansas for five years or longer. Through semi-structured interviews, we collected data concerning the participants' motivation, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction regarding their jobs. We coded and analyzed their narratives, which were compared to theories of motivation developed by Staw (1989), Herzberg (1964), and Deci and Ryan (2002). Through this comparison and coding, we found major themes of motivation shared by most of the participants. Using these themes, we developed a grounded theory of rural retention, which brings the standard practice of providing incentives into question. Finally, we offer alternative suggestions for administrators and recruiters to consider to improve retention
Comparison of first and second year Speech-Language Therapy students in terms of demonstration of person centered care
Get PDFPaper presented to the 7th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Marcus Welcome Center, Wichita State University, May 4, 2011.Research completed at the Department of Communication Sciences and DisordersResearch has indicated that student clinicians in the field of Speech-Language Pathology have the tendency to be more task oriented and structured in therapy sessions rather than person centered. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in person centered care behaviors between the two sets of student clinicians due to different levels of experience and other factors. In this study, the person centered care behaviors exhibited by first year and second year Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) student clinicians were compared. Two first year student clinicians and two second year student clinicians, who were both doing their clinical practicum at Wichita State University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, and their clients, consented to participate in the study. The student clinicians were observed during their therapy sessions and analyzed for person centered care behaviors, using the Person Centered Care Behavior Inventory Scale and the Global Behavior Scale. Results of the study indicated no clear difference between first-year or second-year clinicians on either measure
Suprasegmentals and comprehensibility: a comparative study in accent modification
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders"December 2005."Includes bibliographic references (81-95)This study investigated the effectiveness of two methods of accent modification instruction. Thirty nonnative English speakers received an intonational-based instruction method for the pronunciation of American English. Half of those speakers received additional instruction and activities that were based on theories of cognitive processing of language. Three expert listeners evaluated pre- and post-instruction recordings of each speaker. Listeners were asked to rate the use of speech characteristics determined to be instrumental for intelligible speech on a 5-point Likert scale and three yes/no responses. As a whole, the intonational-based instruction method resulted in significant increases in the use of positive speech characteristics. A modification of that method did not result in significant differences in any of the speech characteristics. Findings of this study support the focus on suprasegmentals in pronunciation training of English as a second language and may lead to more diverse methods and designs for accent modification research
The role of personal epistemology in selection of stuttering treatment
No full textThesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and DisordersClinicians’ personal epistemology about stuttering and knowledge may directly affect their clinical decision-making process. The purpose of the current study was to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between clinicians’ epistemological beliefs and their selection of stuttering treatment – fluency shaping or stuttering modification. This study (a) examines the clinicians’ beliefs about the structure and complexity of knowledge and (b) investigates whether clinicians adapt a particular form of epistemological beliefs specific to their treatment preference with persons who stutter (PWS). Participants were 174 certified speech-language pathologists who responded to questionnaires that included a stuttering-specific epistemological beliefs scale and predominant ways of knowing. Results indicate that persons who have higher levels of separate knowing have a preference for the fluency shaping approach with PWS. People who believe knowledge is more complex and is always changing have a preference for the stuttering modification approach. The findings of the current study suggest that clinicians’ personal epistemology (rather than the tenets of evidence-based practice) may be playing a significant role in some clinical decisions
Quality of communication between persons with aphasia and their primary-care physician from caregiver and patient perspectives
No full textPresented to the 12th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Heskett Center, Wichita State University, April 29, 2016.Research completed at Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology, College of Health ProfessionsIntroduction: Communication between healthcare providers and persons with communication disorders has been shown to be problematic and to negatively impact the patient's autonomy and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of communication between persons with aphasia (PWA) and their primary-care physician. To gain a broader understanding of this interaction, the communication was examined from the perspective of both the caregiver/spouse and the patient. Methods/Results: Clients from the Aphasia Group at the Wichita State University Speech-Language-Hearing Center were given a modified Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) designed to provide insight into the quality of communication between patients and physicians. Another modified version of the CAT was given to the client's spouse/caregiver to obtain their perspective on the communication. Results are discussed with respect to discrepancies between the perspectives of caregivers/spouses and PWA, as well as specific strengths and weaknesses of the communication interaction.Graduate School, Academic Affairs, University Libraries, Regional Institute on Agin
How do negative evaluation sensitivity, anxiety sensitivity, and expectancy combine to determine fear in people who stutter and people who do not stutter?
No full textThesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders.There has been a long history of research into the possible relationship between anxiety
and stuttering. Despite this history, however, relatively little research has focused on components
of anxiety and how these components combine to create fear responses in both fluent speakers
and persons who stutter. This study was designed to determine if differences existed between
fluent speakers (FS) and persons who stutter (PWS) with respect to components of fear described
by Reiss’ (1991) expectancy model. Twenty PWS and twenty FS were provided with a
hypothetical social communication scenario and asked to complete measures related to predicted
anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and expectancy. Results indicated that
the FS group behaved as predicted by Reiss’ model but the PWS group did not. Results
suggested that clinicians working with people who stutter may tend to view their client’s anxiety
based upon their own experiences. Clinicians should explore the client’s components of fear and
how it is playing a role in their experience of stuttering
The Professional Experiences of the Autistic Speech-Language Pathologist: A Phenomenological Approach
No full textThe prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and the field of speech-language pathology are growing simultaneously. This study investigated the professional experiences and perceptions of autistic speech-language pathologists (SLPs) using a phenomenological approach to data analysis. Four themes were generated from the experiences of two autistic SLPs that resulted in an essential structure. Participants described several positive professional attributes that their ASC provided them with, along with difficulties in social communication that affected them professionally. The utilization of compensatory strategies and masking practices were found to be common, with the disclosure of their diagnosis of ASC deemed to be a conscious and critical process. Conclusively, the professional experiences of autistic SLPs are variable based upon a myriad of factors, although shared experiences are present. A shortage of support indicated by the broader field provides important implications moving forward as the neurodiversity movement gains traction in the field of speech-language pathology
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Pediatric SLPs' perceptions of the therapeutic alliance across communication disorders
No full textMany researchers in psychotherapy, healthcare and speech-language pathology have stated that the therapeutic alliance (TA) is an important factor in positive therapy outcomes. However, little is known about the TA in pediatric speech pathology, specifically how it is understood when treating different types of pediatric communication disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate SLPs’ perceptions of TA across different communication disorders and child age groups. SLPs’ filled out a survey where they rated their perceptions of TA using the Clinician-Client Relationship Scale (Ebert, 2016) for different communication disorders. Results indicated that SLPs’ overall TA ratings were high across communication disorders and child ages, but TA subscale scores differed. Further, analysis of clinicians’ perceived benefits and barriers to TA showed a disconnect between the importance and actual understanding of TA. Results reveal the need for additional research to better understand therapeutic relationships with children to increase quality of care
- …
