Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

School

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Committee Chair

Dr. Amanda Mathews

Committee Chair School

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Committee Member 2

Mrs. Mary Schaub

Committee Member 2 School

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Committee Member 3

Mrs. Sarah Myers

Committee Member 4

Dr. Sangam Veeranna

Committee Member 4 School

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Abstract

Providing assessment and intervention with high-tech augmentative and alternative communication is within the scope of practice of American Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPS). Therefore, SLPs should be able to properly identify and implement assessment, intervention, and caregiver coaching strategies in this area of practice. Due to the lack of confidence ratings of current SLPs in providing assessment and intervention in AAC that is found in current research, this study was designed to find plausible solutions for which confidence ratings can be increased beginning at the graduate level of a Speech-Pathology Master’s program. The researchers sought to answer the following questions: “Do students find supplemental coursework/training valuable?”, “Are there differences in value ratings between the test and control group?”, and “Does participating in an AAC lab change desire/interest to utilize AAC in clinical work?” To answer these questions, the researchers created a four-week supplemental lab training course that ran congruently with a graduate level AAC theory course during the summer 2024 semester. 23 second-year Speech-Language Pathology graduate students enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi participated in the study, which consisted of a pre-assessment, instrumental lab portion, and post-assessment phase. Through a randomized control trial, 10 participants were randomly selected to participate in the lab portion of the study. Findings of the study showed that participants in the test group showed an increase in self-efficacy and confidence ratings after the four-week course when compared to their pre-assessment ratings. However, knowledge, though increased, was not found to be significant.

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