Karen Hux

Misconceptions about brain injury: A survey replication study

Primary objective: The researchers sought to update information about the publics knowledge about brain injury and to document progress made toward correcting misconceptions. Research design: Survey replication. Methods and procedures: Three hundred and eighteen respondents from the lay public answered questions about general brain injury knowledge, coma and unconsciousness, memory deficits and brain injury recovery. Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences among respondents based on age, gender, education and personal experience with brain injury or brain injury survivors. Findings were also compared with those reported by previous researchers administering similar questionnaires. Main outcomes and results: Misconceptions persist regarding some brain injury sequelae. Although most respondents knew general information, large numbers reported incorrect beliefs about memory problems, coma and unconsciousness and recovery. Conclusions: Despite the frequency with which it occurs, the general public persists in holding misconceptions about brain injury. Greater public awareness is necessary to prompt appropriate health care funding and rehabilitative service decisions.

Language Sampling Practices: A Survey of Nine States

A total of 239 school-based speech-language pathologists from nine midwestern states were surveyed about their language sampling practices. Survey data provided information on collection and analys...

Clinicians’ Training and Confidence Associated With Treating School-Age Children Who Stutter: A National Survey

The purpose of this survey was to obtain updated information on school-based speech-language pathologists’ training, confidence, attitudes, and perceptions associated with treating school-age child...

Current and future AAC research considerations for adults with acquired cognitive and communication impairments

ABSTRACT Adults with acquired language impairments secondary to stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases are candidates for communication supports outside of the traditional restoration-based approaches to intervention. Recent research proves repeatedly that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) provides a means for participation, engagement, conversation, and message transfer when individuals can no longer expect full return of pre-morbid communication skills and that inclusion of communication supports should begin early. We discuss current research and future directions for integrated systems of technical supports that include low-technology, high tech, and partner-dependent strategies for adults with severe and chronic aphasia, cognitive-communication problems resulting from traumatic brain injuries, and primary progressive aphasia.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication use and acceptance by adults with Traumatic Brain Injury

The purpose of this study was to document augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) acceptance and use patterns of 25 adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) who used either high- or low-tech AAC devices or strategies at some point during their recovery. Specifically, the purposes were to (a) document acceptance of AAC system recommendations, (b) identify AAC use patterns by persons who accepted the recommendation and for whom AAC intervention was implemented, (c) identify AAC access patterns for message formulation and encoding, and (d) document the kind of communicative functions that different AAC strategies supported. Information was gathered via a questionnaire from speech-language pathologists who provided AAC assessments and interventions at six different sites. The speech-language pathologists provided information about individuals with TBI from their clinics for whom they had recommended AAC. Results revealed that these adults generally accepted both high- and low-tech AAC recommendations and used their AAC systems for extended periods of time. Most utilized letter-by-letter message formulation strategies. When AAC technology was abandoned, it was usually a reflection of a loss of facilitator support rather than a rejection of the technology.

Parental report of occurrences and consequences of traumatic brain injury among delinquent and non-delinquent youth

Completed questionnaires from parents of youths attending a public middle school or high school and parents of youths admitted to an institution for juvenile delinquents provided information about incidents of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in their children. Results revealed that approximately 40% of the non-delinquent youth and 50% of the delinquent youth had sustained one or more TBIs during their childhood or youth. The majority of injuries appeared to be mild and had no permanent consequences. However, the parents of more than one-third of the delinquent youth with TBI histories reported long-term effects on academic performance, behavior and emotional control, activity level, and/or interactions with friends and family members; parental reports of long-term effects occurred significantly less frequently among the non-delinquent youth. The most common causes of TBI differed between the two adolescent populations. Non-delinquent youth sustained TBIs most frequently from blows to the head during sporting events, and delinquent youth sustained TBIs with approximately equal frequency from sporting events, fall, motor vehicle accidents and fights.

Let the games begin: A preliminary study using Attention Process Training-3 and Lumosity™ brain games to remediate attention deficits following traumatic brain injury

Abstract Primary objective: Computer-based treatments for attention problems have become increasingly popular and available. The researchers sought to determine whether improved performance by survivors of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) on two computer-based treatments generalized to improvements on comparable, untrained tasks and ecologically-plausible attention tasks comprising a standardized assessment. Research design: The researchers used an -A-B-A-C-A treatment design repeated across four adult survivors of severe TBI. Methods and procedures: Participants engaged in 8 weeks of intervention using both Attention Process Training-3 (APT-3) and Lumosity™ (2010) Brain Games. Two participants received APT-3 treatment first, while the other two received Lumosity™ treatment first. All participants received both treatments throughout the course of two, 1-month intervention phases. Main outcomes and results: Individual growth curve analyses showed participants made significant improvements in progressing through both interventions. However, limited generalization occurred: one participant demonstrated significantly improved performance on one of five probe measures and one other participant showed improved performance on some sub-tests of the Test of Everyday Attention; no other significant generalization results emerged. These findings call into question the assumption that intervention using either APT-3 or Lumosity™ will prompt generalization beyond the actual tasks performed during treatment.

Oral Language Skills of Female Juvenile Delinquents

The language performances of female delinquents and nondelinquents were compared on composite scores from a standardized test (the Test of Language Competence-Expanded) and an informal language sam...

Variations on the written choice communication strategy for individuals with severe aphasia

The Written Choice Communication Strategy is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technique designed to enhance the quality and efficiency of communication for people with severe aphasia. This paper presents the results of a study employing an alternating treatment design to examine the relative contributions of auditory and visual information to the Written Choice process. In three conditions (auditory only, visual only, and standard Written Choice), subjects responded to questions regarding Norman Rockwell pictures. Results revealed different accuracy patterns for each subject across the three conditions. Implications for applying AAC strategies to the treatment of severe aphasia are discussed.

Screening for traumatic brain injury

Primary objective: The researchers implemented a traumatic brain injury (TBI) screening procedure in settings likely to have relatively frequent contacts with survivors to better document TBI occurrence among populations at high-risk for under-identification. Methods and procedures: Professionals from four service agencies administered a TBI screening protocol to all incoming clients over a 6-month period. Main outcomes and results: Of the 1999 protocols collected, 531 (26.56%) were positive for a possible history of TBI of sufficient severity to impact quality of life. Memory challenges were the most common chronic complaint among individuals with positive screen results, with struggles with headaches, depression, concentration and anxiety also commonly reported. Conclusions: Large numbers of people seeking vocational rehabilitation, domestic abuse, homeless shelter or mental health services may experience persistent challenges stemming from unidentified TBIs. Identifying these individuals and the source of their challenges is important when developing intervention and supportive services. Using a TBI screening tool is one means of facilitating this identification process.