Papers by Jillian McCarthy
Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Dec 1, 2011
Spelling is a vital skill for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)... more Spelling is a vital skill for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The ability to spell words provides an opportunity to create novel and spontaneous communication and increases educational, social, and employment opportunities for children and adults. However, many children and youth who rely on AAC struggle to gain functional spelling skills and written language. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to develop a strategy to provide auditory letter-sounds using commercially available computer equipment and to evaluate how such a computerized "sounding out" strategy influences spelling accuracy for one child who required AAC support. The spelling accuracy of both consonants and vowels increased during intervention sessions when individual sounds associated with target words were provided compared to the baseline session when individual sounds were not provided. Future directions are discussed. The ability to spell provides a means to generate spontaneous, novel utterances using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology for individuals with limited or no verbal speech . This, in turn, increases independence in daily activities, such as social communication, educational participation, volunteer/ employment opportunities, and management of care providers. Several studies have examined factors that appear to be critical for the spelling development of children with complex communication needs (CCN) who rely on AAC . One factor that has been previously explored is how one's ability to produce subvocal articulation affects or influences the ability to accurately spell words. Although researchers have investigated the ability to subvocally articulate, it remains unclear how influential subvocal articulation is on spelling performance and development. Subvocal articulation has been defined as mouthing speech silently , whispering, vocalizing speech that is barely audible to others , or speaking that occurs within the brain (i.e., individuals hear and practice the target sounds without any form of overt articulation; . Researchers have reported that, when subvocal articulation is suppressed, the ability to recall phonological
The availability and accessibility of basic concept vocabulary in AAC software: a preliminary study
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Jun 9, 2017
Abstract Core vocabulary lists obtained through the analyses of children’s utterances include a v... more Abstract Core vocabulary lists obtained through the analyses of children’s utterances include a variety of basic concept words. Supporting young children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop their understanding and use of basic concepts is an area of practice that has important ramifications for successful communication in a classroom environment. This study examined the availability of basic concept words across eight frequently used, commercially available AAC language systems, iPad© applications, and symbol libraries used to create communication boards. The accessibility of basic concept words was subsequently examined using two AAC language page sets and two iPad applications. Results reveal that the availability of basic concept words represented within the different AAC language programs, iPad applications, and symbol libraries varied but was limited across programs. However, there is no significant difference in the accessibility of basic concept words across the language program page sets or iPad applications, generally because all of them require sophisticated motor and cognitive plans for access. These results suggest that educators who teach or program vocabulary in AAC systems need to be mindful of the importance of basic concept words in classroom settings and, when possible, enhance the availability and accessibility of these words to users of AAC.
Influence of computerized sounding out on spelling performance for children who do and do not rely on AAC
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Feb 11, 2014
Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communica... more Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. Implications for Rehabilitation We investigated how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudowords for children with complex communication needs who did and did not use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Results indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words by participants, suggesting that computerized sounding out might assist in more accurate spelling for children who use AAC. Future research is needed to determine how language and reading abilities influence the use of computerized sounding out with children who have a range of speech intelligibilityabilities and do and do not use AAC.
Relations between speech production, speech perception, and spelling in children with complex communication needs: a preliminary examination
Speech, Language and Hearing, Oct 26, 2017
ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the influence of speech production and speech perception upon spel... more ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the influence of speech production and speech perception upon spelling abilities in children with complex communication needs (CCN). Methods: Eight children (3 females, 5 males) with cerebral palsy, who did and did not use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), were recruited to participate. The participants ranged in age from 5 years, 8 months to 11 years, 5 months (M = 8 years, 3 months). The children were assessed using clinical tests of speech production (or intelligibility), standardized tests of spelling and receptive vocabulary, and two experimental tasks focusing on spelling generation and spelling identification using pseudo-words matched on phonotactic probability. Results: Using Spearman's correlation, significant relationships were found between the number of pseudo-words spelled and identified correctly. Further examination using a Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test revealed a significant difference between list presentation type for the percentage of correctly spelled pseudo-words during the spelling generation task, but not for percentage of correctly identified words in the spelling identification task. A significantly greater percentage of consonant and vowel sounds were produced during the spelling generation task when individual sounds of the words were provided; however, there was no difference in performance during the identification task. Conclusions: Results suggest that speech perception has a strong influence than speech production in the development of spelling skills for children with CCN who do and do not use AAC. Further research is required on how to best teach spelling while taking advantage of perceptual abilities.
The impact of artificial subvocal articulation during spelling activities for children who do and do not use augmentative and alternative communication
Spelling is a vital skill for all children; however, the ability to spell provides children who r... more Spelling is a vital skill for all children; however, the ability to spell provides children who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) the opportunity to create novel and spontaneous communication. Additionally, for children who use AAC the ability to spell increases ...
An Examination of the Spelling Skills of Middle School Students
Pediatric Dysphagia: Survey Results Describing Speech-Language Pathologists' Education and Experience
Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2020
Purpose Evaluation and treatment of pediatric dysphagia, swallowing difficulties occurring during... more Purpose Evaluation and treatment of pediatric dysphagia, swallowing difficulties occurring during childhood, is in the speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) scope of practice; however, little is known regarding the education SLPs receive during their graduate work and afterwards to effectively assess, treat, and manage this diagnosis. Method An 11-question survey was developed to examine the experience and opinions of SLPs related to the type and extent of pediatric dysphagia education and training they have and/or should have received during their graduate education. The survey was disseminated to SLPs across the United States via social media and e-mail Listservs. Results Survey results from 134 participants across the country, with varying clinical backgrounds, indicated a lack of pediatric dysphagia education during graduate school. SLPs reported overcoming these insufficiencies through gaining work experience and pursuing continuing education units on pediatric dysphagia. SL...
Difficulty envisioning a positive future: Secondary analyses in patients in intensive care who are communication vulnerable
Nursing & Health Sciences, 2019
The purpose of this study was to report a secondary analysis of data collected through a primary ... more The purpose of this study was to report a secondary analysis of data collected through a primary study. The primary study was a, randomized, control trial that used a team-designed (nursing, speech language hearing, engineering, communication sciences, and biostatistics), nurse-led, electronic communication intervention (Speak for Myself Voice) and measured patient outcomes of symptoms of anxiety and depression in five intensive care units at a regional, magnet-status, academic medical center. A secondary analysis of data using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale is reported here. The extant literature supports patient expressions of frustration, anger, anxiety, and depression when unable to communicate. This secondary analysis study report adds information about Hospital Anxiety and Depression subscales in the communication-vulnerable population. Implications include emerging awareness of potential feelings of depression and anxiety in patients who are receiving mechanical ventilation or who are unable to verbally communicate for any reason (e.g. obstruction, trauma, head and neck cancer) in the intensive care unit.
Knowledge and experiences with augmentative and alternative communication by paediatric nurses: a pilot study
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2019
Abstract Purpose The current mixed methods research study was designed to describe the experience... more Abstract Purpose The current mixed methods research study was designed to describe the experience and opinions of paediatric acute care nurses at a single paediatric medical centre regarding augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This research serves as the beginning of a line of research to determine needs that can be met through later education and training on AAC with paediatric acute care nurses. Methods Mixed methods were used to gather survey and interview data from nurses at a single paediatric hospital to investigate their knowledge of AAC, perceived relevance of AAC for their patient populations, and preferences for training programmes. Results Quantitative survey and qualitative interview data indicated a need for AAC education for these paediatric nurses. Nurses demonstrated limited knowledge and experience with AAC but communicated both a desire and perceived need to know more to effectively care for their patients. Conclusion Nurses reported limited AAC knowledge but expressed a desire for support to use AAC with their patients. AAC education and cross-sector collaboration with healthcare workers such as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and acute care paediatric nurses are indicated to support effective communication when interacting with patients with complex communication needs (CCN). Implications for rehabilitation Improved background knowledge to develop and implement future nurse education on AAC. Foundation for cross-sector collaboration (e.g., nurses and SLPs) on AAC implementation in paediatric acute care settings
Examination of the Spelling Skills of Middle School Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Volta Review, 2014
Children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) often struggle with spelling, which can have a ne... more Children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) often struggle with spelling, which can have a negative effect on their written expression. Recent research has shown that linguistic analyses of spelling errors can be used to identify areas of need and guide remediation for spelling success. However, this research has not been conducted with children who are DHH. This study evaluated the spelling errors of children who are DHH using two measures: the Spelling Sensitivity Score (SSS) and a multi-linguistic coding system (MLC). The coding systems did not provide equivalent results in that the MLC system provided a more sensitive analysis to the spelling errors the children produced. The analyses showed that children who are DHH are most likely to make errors that demonstrate phonological, semantic, or morphological knowledge deficits.
Communication Disorders Quarterly, 2015
Numerous studies have shown that spelling presents unique challenges for children who are deaf or... more Numerous studies have shown that spelling presents unique challenges for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh), and most do not develop age appropriate spelling skills. Spelling errors from 29 middle school d/hh students were analyzed from writing samples that were gathered at the beginning, middle, and end of a year-long writing instructional approach. A linguistic analysis of spelling errors was used to assess each child’s understanding of the phonological, morphological, orthographic, semantic, and visual imagery rules that apply to written words. Our results provide a descriptive analysis of the types of spelling errors made by middle school d/hh students. Results indicate that spelling should be directly targeted during writing lessons. The results provide important information on the acquisition of spelling skills with this unique population and the use of narrative samples to assess spelling.
Spelling is a vital skill for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)... more Spelling is a vital skill for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The ability to spell words provides an opportunity to create novel and spontaneous communication and increases educational, social, and employment opportunities for children and adults. However, many children and youth who rely on AAC struggle to gain functional spelling skills and written language. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to develop a strategy to provide auditory letter-sounds using commercially available computer equipment and to evaluate how such a computerized "sounding out" strategy influences spelling accuracy for one child who required AAC support. The spelling accuracy of both consonants and vowels increased during intervention sessions when individual sounds associated with target words were provided compared to the baseline session when individual sounds were not provided. Future directions are discussed. The ability to spell provides a means to generate spontaneous, novel utterances using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology for individuals with limited or no verbal speech . This, in turn, increases independence in daily activities, such as social communication, educational participation, volunteer/ employment opportunities, and management of care providers. Several studies have examined factors that appear to be critical for the spelling development of children with complex communication needs (CCN) who rely on AAC . One factor that has been previously explored is how one's ability to produce subvocal articulation affects or influences the ability to accurately spell words. Although researchers have investigated the ability to subvocally articulate, it remains unclear how influential subvocal articulation is on spelling performance and development. Subvocal articulation has been defined as mouthing speech silently , whispering, vocalizing speech that is barely audible to others , or speaking that occurs within the brain (i.e., individuals hear and practice the target sounds without any form of overt articulation; . Researchers have reported that, when subvocal articulation is suppressed, the ability to recall phonological
The impact of artificial subvocal articulation during spelling activities for children who do and do not use augmentative and alternative communication
Spelling is a vital skill for all children; however, the ability to spell provides children who r... more Spelling is a vital skill for all children; however, the ability to spell provides children who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) the opportunity to create novel and spontaneous communication. Additionally, for children who use AAC the ability to spell increases ...
Influence of computerized sounding out on spelling performance for children who do and do not rely on AAC
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2014
Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communica... more Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. Implications for Rehabilitation We investigated how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudowords for children with complex communication needs who did and did not use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Results indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words by participants, suggesting that computerized sounding out might assist in more accurate spelling for children who use AAC. Future research is needed to determine how language and reading abilities influence the use of computerized sounding out with children who have a range of speech intelligibilityabilities and do and do not use AAC.
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 2012
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that word reading accuracy, not oral languag... more The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that word reading accuracy, not oral language, is associated with spelling performance in school-age children. We compared fourth grade spelling accuracy in children with specific language impairment (SLI), dyslexia or both (SLI/dyslexia) to their typically developing grade-matched peers. Results of the study revealed that children with SLI performed similarly to their typically developing peers on a single-word spelling task. Alternatively, those with dyslexia and SLI/dyslexia evidenced poor spelling accuracy. Errors made by both those with dyslexia and SLI/dyslexia were characterized by numerous phonologic, orthographic and semantic errors. Cumulative results support the hypothesis that word reading accuracy, not oral language, is associated with spelling performance in typically developing school-age children and their peers with SLI and dyslexia. Findings are provided as further support for the notion that SLI and dyslexia are distinct, yet co-morbid, developmental disorders.
An examination of speechreading and spelling accuracy with high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing
Speech, Language and Hearing, Aug 22, 2016
Numerous studies have demonstrated that spelling presents unique challenges for children who are ... more Numerous studies have demonstrated that spelling presents unique challenges for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh) and most do not develop age appropriate spelling skills. For these children, information about the sound structure of a word is reduced due to limited auditory input. However, children who are d/hh do have access to visual information about the sounds in words through speechreading. The objective of this study was to explore the degree to which speechreading cues are used to support spelling during a single word spelling test. Fourteen high school students who are d/hh from a state school for the Deaf, participated in two spelling conditions; Condition A in which visual information from speechreading was available and Condition B in which it was not. Spelling errors were coded by Condition for overall accuracy and accuracy based upon the visibility of the initial sound and the ambiguity of the American Sign Language (ASL) sign or picture. A multi-linguistic coding system was also used to assess each child's understanding of the phonological, morphological, orthographic, semantic, and visual imagery rules that apply to written words. Results show that total scores in both Conditions were low although spelling accuracy for the words with ambiguous signs and pictures improved when visual information from speechreading was available. The visibility of the initial speech sound did not affect test scores. The multi-linguistic analysis showed that the participants produced more semantic, morphological, and phonological errors than other errors types. The results from this study suggest that, at least with this group of participants, there is a need for greater emphasis on teaching the linguistic foundations that guide spelling, coupled with an emphasis on using the visual speech signal to obtain linguistic information.
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Papers by Jillian McCarthy