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The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter

Fall 2014, Volume 2, No. 1

About Us … We are a thriving community of students, faculty and clinical staff dedicated to improving the lives of people with communication disorders. Our department and clinic are committed to providing students with qualitative academic and clinical experiences to prepare them for advanced study and a career in the science of human communication and its disorders.

Department Spring Research Workshop: A Hofstra Signature Event Hofstra University’s Signature Event Series is a great opportunity for newly admitted students to experience some of the social, academic and cultural events that are held regularly on campus. Although such events are typically open to current Hofstra students only, it is our hope that being a part of these exciting events will assist admitted students in their decision to pursue their higher education at Hofstra. The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department’s annual Spring Research Workshop was one of the Signature Events presented during this past academic year. The workshop, which was held April 8, 2014, at the Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, highlighted important research performed by our

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Spring Research Workshop.......... 1-2 Calendar of Events........................ 2 Current Issues in Health Sciences.............................. 3 Clinic Corner................................... 4 Faculty Focus.................................. 5 Student Spotlight........................... 6-10

Invited speaker Dr. Patrick Gannon of the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine gives the keynote presentation.

NSSLHA News Calendar of Events........................ 11-13 SAA Scoop..................................... 14-15 Alumni Connections...................... 15-19 Department News......................... 16-18 Acknowledgments................back cover

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Spring Research Workshop

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Fall 2014 Calendar of Events ASHA Convention Thursday-Saturday, November 20-22 Orlando, Florida Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Professor and Department Chair Carole Ferrand, PhD, welcomes guests to the annual workshop.

graduate and undergraduate students, in collaboration with our faculty. There was also a student research presentation and keynote speaker. This year, the department invited Dr. Patrick J. Gannon to speak. Dr. Gannon is the founding chair of the Department of Science Education at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. He presented his research, “Evolutionary Depth of Human Brain ‘Language’ Areas: Does the Brain Really Care About Modality with Multisensory Communication in Place?” It focused on anthropological aspects of brain function in humans and primates. There was also a presentation by Hofstra graduate students Nicole Capranzano and Cara Mattson. Ms. Capranzano and Ms. Mattson discussed their research, “The Effect of Mood on Executive Functioning as Demonstrated by the Stroop Color Word Test.” The purpose of the research was to measure the effect of positive (happy) and negative (sad) mood on executive functioning. Graduate and undergraduate students attended the workshop. Also present were faculty members Dr. Carole Ferrand, Dr. Evelyn P. Altenberg, Dr. Doron Milstein, and Dr. Jenny Roberts. Pizza and beverages were served. We are looking forward to recognizing new student research at the next Spring Research Workshop, to be held April 7, 2015.

Department Holiday Party and Sigma Pi Induction Ceremony Wednesday, December 3 11:15 a.m.-12:40 p.m. (Common Hour) 246 East Library Wing Axinn Library, South Campus

Important Dates to Remember Wednesday, October 15 Sigma Pi applications are due. Monday, November 17 SPCH 160 Field Experience applications are due.

Cara Mattson and Nicole Capranzano deliver the graduate student presentation.

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Current Issues in Health Sciences By Dr. Carole Ferrand, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Professor and Department Chair International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health in 1980 the World Health Organization, proposed a model to fully describe the effect of any disorder on an individual’s life. Then called the International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities, and Handicap, the model took into account the individual’s physical or mental impairment, the level of disability resulting from the impairment, and the handicapping effect of the disability. The model also accounted for the individual’s environment, cultural values and beliefs, goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. The model was updated in 2001 and endorsed by all 191 member states as the international standard to describe and measure health and disability (World Health Organization, 2001). Now called the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, the second edition reflects more current thinking and terminology. The term “limitation of activities” is used in preference to “disability level,” and “handicap” is replaced by “restriction in participation.” These changes recognize that physical/mental health, limitation of activity, and restriction in participation are interdependent, and that this relationship in turn is affected by environmental, social and personal factors. The model emphasizes health and wellness rather than disease and disability, and it places health and functioning in the context of biological, psychological and environmental factors. This implies that two people may have a similar impairment, but different degrees of participation restrictions, depending on each individual’s health condition and personal factors such as gender, race, age, other health conditions, fitness, lifestyle, coping styles, educational level, social background, and family support. The table below identifies and defines the major components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

Component

Definition

Body functions

Physiological functions of body systems (including psychological functions)

Body structures

Anatomical parts of the body such as organs, limbs and their components

Impairments

Problems in body function or structures

Activity

Execution of a task or action by an individual

Participation

Involvement in a life situation

Activity limitations

Difficulties in executing activities

Participation restrictions Problems in involvement in life situation Environmental factors

Physical, social and attitudinal environment in which people live

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health provides a framework for clinical management of communication disorders. For example, for a person with a voice disorder, treatment at the level of body structure and function is designed to improve the quality of the voice signal. Treatment may be behavioral, surgical, pharmacological, or a combination. At the level of activities/participation, the focus of treatment broadens to include the social context of communication. Factors such as involvement of family in the therapeutic process, group therapy, counseling, and employment issues are taken into account. Environmental factors can be targeted by reducing barriers and enhancing facilitators of effective vocal communication. There are several benefits to using the model as a framework for treatment. First, the focus is on the individual with the disorder, who is the ultimate judge of what he or she needs and what works best for him or her. Second, the approach highlights the need for multidisciplinary communication and cooperation between all individuals involved in the person’s care. Recognizing its importance, the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA) has adopted the model as the framework for speech-language pathology and audiology services in various professional documents, including the Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA, 2004). _____________________________________________________ References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2004).Preferred practice patterns for the profession of speech-language pathology [Preferred Practice Patterns]. Available at www.asha.org/policy World Health Organization (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICIDH-2), final draft. Available at www.who.int/icidh

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Clinic Corner

What’s New at the Speech-LanguageHearing Clinic Student clinicians who work with the aphasia group have developed a newsletter that introduces the group’s participants and highlights their progress and challenges. Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the left hemisphere, or the language part of the brain. Aphasia is typically caused by a stroke, but can be the result of TBI, dementia or tumor. A person with aphasia may have difficulty expressing what he or she wants to say or understanding what others say, and there may be difficulty with reading and writing abilities. Symptoms differ, depending on the exact location of the damage, and treatment must be tailored to each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. For more information, please contact Wendy Silverman, clinic director, at wendy.c.silverman@hofstra.edu. The inspiring gentlemen who currently make up the aphasia group.

Get to Know … Wendy Silverman, Clinic Director Wendy C. Silverman, MS, CCC-SLP, joined the staff of the Saltzman Community Services Center at Hofstra University as director of the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic in January 2002. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Speech-LanguageHearing Sciences. She earned a BA in communication sciences and disorders from SUNY Buffalo and an MS in education from the University of Michigan. Over the years she has performed numerous administrative and clinical tasks at neurorehabilitation facilities designed to improve the quality of care for individuals with neurological disabilities. She started her clinical fellowship year as a staff speech-language pathologist at United Cerebral

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Palsy in Nassau County. She later joined the staff at the International Center for the Disabled in Manhattan. There, she saw adults with neurological injuries, fluency and voice disorders, and language-learning disorders. She was also a clinician on an interdisciplinary team for the development of an outpatient cognitive rehabilitation day program. After seven years, she moved forward as the coordinator of speech-language pathology at Transitions of Long Island, a neurorehabilitation facility within the North Shore-LIJ Health System. She cultivated a clinical specialty diagnosing and treating individuals with traumatic brain injury and served as a case manager for families for 12 years. As clinic director at Hofstra, she enjoys teaching and mentoring graduate students who will become the next generation of speech-language pathologists.

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Faculty Focus: Dr. Evelyn Altenberg Professor Evelyn P. Altenberg has been a member of our faculty since 2001. She teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Growing up in a bilingual family and being exposed to and studying other languages, Dr. Altenberg became interested in their patterns and relationships. She went on to earn a BA in Spanish from City College and completed a PhD in linguistics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Prior to joining the Hofstra faculty, Dr. Altenberg taught ESL and linguistics at the college level. She spent many years teaching at Queens College and was an adjunct professor in Hofstra’s New College and Linguistics programs. Since becoming a full-time professor in our department, Dr. Altenberg has had the unique opportunity to apply her knowledge and experience as a linguist to Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. Dr. Altenberg has received a number of research and development awards and grants, such as the Hofstra University Presidential Research Award, in projects co-written with colleagues Dr. Ferrand and Dr. Roberts. In 2002 she was an invited keynote speaker at the International Conference on First Language Attrition. She has had the pleasure of presenting at many other conferences, including the American Speech and Hearing Association Convention, the Boston University Conference on Language Development, and the American Association for Applied Linguistics Conference. Her work has been published in many distinguished journals, including the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, Journal of Voice and Second Language Research. In 2010 she co-wrote the book English Grammar: Understanding the Basics, with Robert Vago. Her professional affiliations include the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and The Phi Beta Kappa Society.

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The main focus of Dr. Altenberg’s research is psycholinguistics. She is interested in bilingual language processing, first and second language acquisition, and language attrition. She has collaborated with her colleagues on research projects exploring multicultural aspects of language and language disorders (with Dr. Ferrand) and the development of syntax in young children (with Dr. Roberts). Dr. Altenberg says she feels fortunate that, by working on research with colleagues and students, she can build bridges between linguistics and communication disorders. Dr. Altenberg feels “very lucky” to be in her position, as she loves both teaching and research. “I love showing my students things about language that they don’t know and seeing their reaction.” In addition, she likes to work with students on research: “I enjoy bringing together my love of teaching and research by working with students on research projects, in classes and independently. I like seeing the students get enthusiastic about research. It’s a great way to mentor students.” Dr. Altenberg also enjoys being a part of the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences department: “I enjoy getting to know our students, who I find very motivated and altruistic.” Dr. Altenberg has the following suggestion for speech students regarding their time here at Hofstra: “Take advantage of this special opportunity to learn and be exposed to new ideas. Take part in everything the University has to offer, academically and around campus. Despite all the stresses of your courses, just try to savor the experience and enjoy the process.” She also offers this piece of advice, which may come in handy as our students transition to their role as clinicians: “Be sensitive to cultural differences – learn to recognize them. You will have a better understanding of those you interact with both professionally and personally.”

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Student Spotlight: Departmental Honors Recipients Kasey Fahy, Alyssa Legnetti and Brianna Rogers - Next, a dialect might develop into a koine, OR reallocation may occur (a new purpose is assigned to the dialect and/or specific dialectal features)

Graduating seniors Brianna Rogers, Alyssa Legnetti and Kasey Fahy earned high departmental honors for their outstanding research projects.

The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department takes pride in its ability to produce students who excel at the highest academic standards. This past academic year, seniors Kasey Fahy, Alyssa Legnetti and Brianna Rogers participated in departmental honors projects with Drs. Evelyn Altenberg, Carole Ferrand and Jenny Roberts, respectively. The students and faculty presented their research at Undergraduate Research Day on May 8, 2014. Please join us in congratulating these standout students on their amazing achievements. Kasey Fahy “The Influence of One Dialect on Another: A Comparison of Schwa Insertion in Speakers of Boston English, Irish English, and Boston Irish English” Introduction •

A dialect is a relatively arbitrary pattern of vocabulary, phonology, and syntax used by a particular community of speakers that is not different enough to constitute a unique language (Gasser, 2009).

• Britain & Trudgill (1999) - The results of dialect contact are not random and follow a general pattern - First leveling or simplification of the individual’s first dialect (D1) may occur. - Accommodation: when a speaker consciously or unconsciously tried to assimilate his/her own idiolect to be closer to that of the person he/she is addressing (Holmes, 2013); can lead to leveling - Leveling occurs when a dialect is occurring at a reduced rate in a particular location (Togersen & Kerswill, 2004)

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Otheguy, Zentella, & Livert (2007) Study looking at the effect of English on varieties of Spanish in New York City For the multiple dialects of Spanish, leveling occurred. Speakers of Spanish located in the United States for longer amounts of time and who spoke English more frequently showed evidence of a movement toward the syntactic style of English in regard to their use of pronouns. Evidence showed that even though the two languages were not mutually intelligible, due to the prevalence of the L2 (English), the speaker’s L1 (Spanish) had changed and become closer to the L2.

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Straw & Patrick (2007) An additional consequence of dialect contact is the diffusion of unique phonetic features from one dialect to another. This study looked at the distribution of /t/ in the English of people from Barbados in Ipswich, Mass., and found that patterns of diffusion were affected by regional, linguistic and social factors. For example, people who were younger when they acquired the new phoneme /t/ had a much higher frequency of its use than those who were older at the time of acquisition.

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The current study seeks to identify the degree to which a particular phonetic characteristic of native Irish English dialects (schwa insertion) is influenced by immigration to America (specifically to Boston, Massachusetts). The dialects being studied are:

1. Boston English (Bos) 2. Irish English (specifically Galway Irish English [Ire]) 3. Boston-Irish English (the dialect of Irish English speakers who immigrated to Boston [IreB]) Questions 1. Is schwa insertion, a phonetic feature of Irish English, present in the dialect used by Irish English speakers who have lived in the United States (Boston, Massachusetts, in particular) for 17 to 27 years? 2. If the insertion of schwa is present, to what degree is it present in speakers of Boston Irish English? continued

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Student Spotlight continued from page 6 Methods Participants - 13 monolingual female speakers of English - Three speakers of Irish English (Ire) • Average age: 47.3 years old - Five speakers of Boston Irish English (IreB) - Average age: 45.8 years old • Average age that they came to the United States: 21.8 years old - Five speakers of Boston English (Bos) • Average age: 40.4 years old Materials - Sentences contained the word film in the initial, medial and final position of statements. • I have to get film for my camera. • She has a desk full of film. • film cameras are less popular today. • This looks like a film we should see. - A language background questionnaire was also completed by all participants. - Data was analyzed in the online Praat system (http://www.fon.hum.eva.nl/praat./). Procedure - All 13 participants were shown a PowerPoint slide show that presented 28 sentences. The participants were asked to read the sentences aloud at a comfortable and natural speed and volume. When finished, the participants were asked to fill out the language background questionnaire. - Analysis consisted of: • The author and two other senior speech-language hearing sciences majors determined the presence, or lack of, a schwa. • When disagreements occurred between the judges, the majority decision was used. • The words were analyzed acoustically in Praat. Results Analysis 1 - For the Bos group, the judges found that there was no epenthesis of schwa in any instance of film. - For the Ire group, the judges found that there was an epenthesis of schwa in every instance of film. - For the IreB group, the judges found that there was an epenthesis of schwa for 14/20 instances of film Analysis 2 - The word lengths were measured in the Praat system, which automatically demarcates the beginnings and ends of words. - The author made adjustments when coarticulation or static created inaccuracies in the Praat demarcations. Our Voice

t-test Results - Film length for Bos and Ire was not significant but approached significance. - Film length for Bos and IreB was not significant. - Film length for Ire and IreB was not significant but approached significance. Schwa Length Results - The results of the unpaired t-test of schwa lengths for Ire and IreB found that t(23) = 1.1033, p = .2813. These results indicated that the differences between schwa lengths for Ire and IreB speakers was not significantly different. Conclusion - The findings of the study indicate that although speakers of IreB have generally maintained the epenthesis of a schwa in the word film, they may also be accommodating to the Bos dialect of their current region (based on the finding that the epenthesis of a schwa was more varied for speakers of IreB; 70% compared to 100% for Ire). - The findings that Ire/IreB and Ire/Bos differences in word length were approaching significance may also indicate that with a larger sample size, the lengths of film for speakers of IreB may be changing due to extended contact with Bos speakers. Further research must be done before this can be concluded. - Results from the analysis of schwa lengths found no significant differences between Ire and IreB schwa lengths. - This suggests that if the speakers of IreB are accommodating to the dialect of Bos due to prolonged contact, the accommodation is most likely not the result of a shortening of the schwa inserted for speakers of IreB. - Overall, the results indicate a possible pattern of dialect change that occurs for speakers of Ire who have immigrated to the United States and lived there for between 17 and 27 years. In the future more research could be done to determine: 1. If findings can be duplicated. 2. If the results reach significance with a larger sample size. 3. If the results found here extend to men, other age groups, and other regional dialects of Irish English and American English. 4. If the results found here extend to other phonetic features.

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Student Spotlight continued from page 7 Selected References Britain, D., & Trudgill, P. (1999). Migration, new-dialect formation and sociolinguistic refunctionalisation: Reallocation as an outcome of dialect contact. Transactions of the Philological Society, 97, 245-256. Gasser, M. (2009). How language works: The cognitive science of linguistics (3rd ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University. Holmes, J. (2013). An introduction to sociolinguistics (4th ed., pp. 212 & 171). Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/ (Location of Praat program) Otheguy, R., Zentella, A., & Livert, D. (2007). Language and dialect contact in Spanish in New York: Toward the formation of a speech community. Language, 83(4), 770-802. Straw, M., & Patrick, P. L. (2007). Dialect acquisition of glottal variation in /t/: Barbadians in Ipswich. Language Sciences, 29(2/3), 385-407. Torgersen, E., & Kerswill, P. (2004). Internal and external motivation in phonetic change: Dialect leveling outcomes for an English vowel shift. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 8(1), 23-53.

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In 2007 Gottliebson et al. found that of 104 participants, 86% passed the Quick Screen for Voice, while 14% failed. The participants who failed all presented with one or more characteristics of an abnormal voice, and the most prevalent abnormal voice characteristic was vocal fry. All participants who failed were females.

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In 2011 Abdelli-Beruh et al. found that (1) more than 2/3 of the participants (who were all female) used vocal fry in sentence reading, (2) vocal fry rarely occurred in the sustained vowel /a/, and (3) vocal fry occurred most often at the ends of utterances.

• Today, vocal fry is frequent in some adult Standard American English speakers.

__________________________________________________ Kasey began study at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University in the fall. She is pursuing a Master of Science in communication sciences and disorders.

Alyssa Legnetti Generational Differences in the Use of Vocal Fry

Abstract •

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a difference in the use of vocal fry (a register produced at a very low frequency) exists between women of two distinct age groups.

• Results showed that women between the ages of 50 and 55 did not produce vocal fry, while women between the ages of 20 and 25 did. Introduction •

There are three vocal registers used for speech. Falsetto is the highest of the vocal registers, while modal is the register used primarily for normal conversation. In males, the modal register is characterized by a fundamental frequency (F0) of 100-140 Hz. In females, the modal register is characterized by an F0 of 170-240 Hz.

• Vocal fry is the lowest of the registers, and has distinct vocal fold vibratory patterns, acoustic features, and vocal quality. • The F0 of vocal fry falls in the range of 20-90 Hz for both men and women. • Previously, vocal fry was thought to be a characteristic of a voice disorder. • Research on the topic of vocal fry has ranged from analyses of frequency and pitch to subglottal air pressure and airflow measurements.

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Methods • Ten female speakers were recorded, five between the ages of 20 and 25, and five between the ages of 50 and 55. They were all native English speakers. •

Before the study began, participants read and signed an informed consent form. They then completed a short questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed the quality of the participant’s voice, and asked for information regarding medications, nicotine use, caffeine consumption, and daily vocal quality.

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Each participant was recorded during three separate speaking conditions: sustained, isolated vowel /a/; reading task; and conversational speech. Participants were recorded using Praat Analysis Software and a MacBook 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2.

Results • Results were obtained using acoustic analysis computer software in the Speech Lab of Davison Hall. •

Results showed that (1) vocal fry occurred at the ends of sentences, at least once, in 100% of participants within the 20-25 age group, (2) vocal fry was not used by either age group during production of the isolated vowel /a/ or during conversational speech, and (3) vocal fry was not present during any of the speaking conditions within the 50-55 age group.

Discussion • The results of this study show that there is a difference in the use of vocal fry between the two age groups. • The findings of this study are in accordance with Abdelli Beruh et al. (2011), who found that vocal fry rarely occurred in the isolated vowel /a/. •

These findings are also in accordance with Hollien (1966, 1968), who found that speakers who do not present with vocal pathology can still use vocal fry in connected speech. continued

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Student Spotlight continued from page 8 •

Psycholinguistic research has shown that vocal fry can sometimes be used as a marker of paragraph and sentence boundaries. The present study is in accordance with those findings.

Table 4: Comparison of Frequency (Hz) at Beginning and End of Sentences in Grandfather Passage, 50-55 Age Group

• It is possible that due to cultural and social influences, younger women may be more likely to exhibit use of vocal fry. Table 1: Fundamental Frequency and Standard Deviation (Hz), 20-25 Age Group

Table 2: Fundamental Frequency and Standard Deviation (Hz), 50-55 Age Group

References Abdelli-Beruh, N.B., Wolk, L., & Slavin, D. (2011). Habitual use of vocal fry in young adult female speakers. Journal of Voice, 26,111-116. Gottliebson, R.O., Lee, L., Weinrich, B., & Sanders, J. (2007). Voice problems of future speech-language pathologists. Journal of Voice, 21, 699-704. Hollien, P.M., Wendahl, R.W., & Michel, J.F. (1966). On the nature of vocal fry. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 35, 245-247. Redi, L., & Shattuck-Hufnagel, S. (2001). Variations in the realization of glottalization in normal speakers. Journal of Phonetics, 29, 407-429. Slifka, J. (2006). Some physiological correlates to regular and irregular phonation at the end of an utterance. Journal of Voice, 20, 171-186

___________________________________________________ Alyssa Legnetti became interested in speech-language pathology at age 16 after her grandfather suffered a stroke. She began her studies at Hofstra as a speech major but was also taking pre-physician assistant studies courses. It was the course Phonetics that got her hooked on speech. Alyssa began Hofstra’s Master of Arts Program in SpeechLanguage Pathology in the fall. After completing graduate school, she hopes to work in a hospital setting with the geriatric population. Topics of interest to her include working with neurogenic disorders, such as aphasia and dysphasia.

Table 3: Comparison of Frequency (Hz) at Beginning and End of Sentences in the Grandfather Passage, 20-25 Age Group (* denotes vocal fry)

Brianna Rogers Narrative Plot Structure in Written Language Samples of Internationally Adopted Children

Introduction •

Internationally adopted (IA) children undergo a unique process of “second first language development” (DeGeer, 1992; Glennen, 2002; Roberts, Pollock, Krakow et al., 2005). The adoptive child typically abandons his/ her first language to learn the language of his/her adoptive family.

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Longitudinal studies of the language development of IA children show mixed results on both oral and written measures. Scott et al. (2008) found that IA children in the first or second grade performed well on standardized continued

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Student Spotlight continued from page 9

tests of phonological processing, listening, comprehension, spelling, reading and sentence formulation. Others propose that IA children struggle with language skills when they reach school age because they begin to use language to learn decontextualized language (Dalen, 1995; Dalen & Rygvold, 1999; Hene, 1987; Saetersdal & Dalen, 1991).

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To my knowledge, writing tasks of IA children have not yet been analyzed. Writing is challenging due to the added component of transcribing thoughts onto paper. This requires the majority of the child’s resources, including increased working memory, which takes away resources typically available for sentence construction and the generation of content until the skill becomes automatic (Berninger, 2000; Graham et. al.,1997; Olive, Favart, Beauvais, & Beauvais, 2009).

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Narrative writing is a typical discourse task for schoolaged children. Klecan-Aker, McIngvale, & Swank (1987) and Westby (2005) argue that the meaning of individual utterances cannot add up to the total meaning of discourse and that narratives serve as an uninterrupted flow of discourse where multiple linguistic characteristics can be analyzed simultaneously in a single sample.

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Applebee (1978) proposed six levels of narrative development: heaps, sequences, primitive narratives, unfocused chains, focused chains, and true narratives. Klecan-Aker & Swank (1987) used an adapted version of Applebee’s (1978) scheme to assess oral stories of first and third graders, finding that the stories became more complex as the children entered the older grades.

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McFadden and Gillam (1996) verified, using both oral and written narratives, that a holistic approach to rating narratives was particularly useful in assessing children with language impairment because it captured the more refined aspects of the narratives.

• Thus, a holistic narrative scheme, such as Applebee’s (1978) scheme, could be useful in assessing how IA children compare to their non-adoptive peers. Questions 1. How do the narrative writing abilities of internationally adopted children compare to their non-adopted peers who were born in the United States? 2. Can Applebee’s (1978) Scheme of Narrative Development be used to assess delays in internationally adopted children? Method Participants •

The IA group consisted of 20 second grade children and 2 first grade children ranging in age between 6;9 (yr;mo) and 8;1 (M = 7.4 yrs, SD = 3.9 months). The children had been adopted when they were between 10.3 to 24.9 months (M = 13.9 months, SD = 3.4 months).

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• The control group consisted of 8 first grade children and 11 second grade children ranging in age from 6;2 to 8;5 (M = 7.1 yrs, SD = 7.8 months) from Nashua, NH. Written Language Measures •

Narrative collection was achieved using a picture and prompt instructions from the Test of Written Language-3 (Hammill, D., & Larsen, S., 1996). Each child was given the same picture, prompt, and 15 minutes to write his/her narrative. The narratives were transcribed into Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) using standard SALT conventions and segmented into C-units, which are defined as “a main clause with all its dependent clauses” (Miller, Andriacchi, & Nockerts, 2011, p. 34). Consensus reliability was used for transcription of samples to create a final set of transcripts.

Procedure •

Each narrative was assigned a score based on a collapsed version of Applebee’s System for Scoring Narrative Stages (1978). Narratives were determined to be Stage 1 (Heap Stories), Stage 2 (Sequence or Primitive Narratives), Stage 3 (Chain Narratives), or Stage 4 (True Narratives). Intra-rater reliability of 84.6% was established. For the narratives that held discrepancies, a second reader reviewed the sample to determine level of narrative development.

Results and Discussion • Sample size was too small to run statistical analysis on most results. Thus visual inspection of graphs was relied upon to determine findings. •

Data suggest that the IA children mimic the narrative development of the control group with a distribution of narratives between all stages of development. However, a higher frequency occurred in the lower 2 stages.

• Most variables, such as child’s age, parent level of education, and age of parents, did not have an effect on either group’s stage of narrative development. • One area of distinction was that second graders in the IA group had a higher frequency of Stage 1 narratives than the second graders in the control group. ___________________________________________________ Selected References Applebee, A. (1978). The child’s concept of a story: Ages 2 to 17. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Berninger, V.W. (2000). Development of language by hand and its connections with language by ear, mouth, and eye. Topics in Language/Disorders, 20(4), 65-84. Dalen, M. (1995). Learning difficulties among inter-country adopted children. Nordisk pedagogikk, 15(4). Dalen, M. (2001). School performances among internationally adopted children in Norway. Adoption Quarterly, 5, 39-58. Dalen, M., & Rygvold, A.L. (1999): Hyordan gar det pa skolen? En ayse ay utenlandsadopterte eleyers skolekompetanse (How are you doing at school? An analysis of foreign adoptees’ school competence), Institutt for spesialpedagogikk (Department of Special Needs Education), University of Oslo. continued on page 13

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NSSLHA News Hi, everyone! My name is Deanna Lino, and I am president of the National Student SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) for the 20142015 academic year. I am very excited to continue the wonderful traditions of our club as well as lead our chapter in a new direction. As we continue the successful fundraising and rewarding community service events we always hold, I plan to initiate more educational and preprofessional events for our chapter. We will be attending the ASHA convention for the second time this upcoming November, and will be participating in “NSSLHA Day” at the convention where we will attend workshops and seminars to enhance our undergraduate experience. We will also be hosting information events of our own such as “Do’s and Don’ts of the Clinic: What Is Considered Appropriate and Inappropriate Behavior in the Saltzman Center,” an informational meeting about the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY), and hope to have a dog therapy session. We also intend to host our own NSSLHA national programs such as communication sciences and disorders career awareness events and preprofessional workshops.

I would like to thank the professors, faculty, clinical staff and students of the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department for their continued support. As a club, we would not be where we are today without them! We are very excited to begin the school year and hope to see all current members, as well as new faces, at our meetings and events! Deanna Lino 2014-2015 NSSLHA President

NSSLHA Annual Fundraising Dinner, 4/30/14 This past April, NSSLHA hosted its fourth annual fundraising dinner at Spumante’s in East Meadow, New York. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner as they excitedly glanced over the 60+ raffle prizes and anxiously awaited the calling of their raffle ticket number.

While most guests will say the most exciting part of the evening was the raffle drawing, NSSLHA advisor Melissa Fitzgerald spoke about the importance of NSSLHA and the fundraising dinner. Former NSSLHA President Emily Robbin offered a few words about the successful year NSSLHA had, and this year’s president, Deanna Lino, introduced the new e-board for the 2014-2015 academic year. To celebrate the seniors’ success in the undergraduate program and to wish them continued success, the seniors were presented with their cords for graduation. The annual fundraising dinner raised over $4,000 to be donated to the Saltzman Center. The members of NSSLHA thank everyone who attended the event and hope to continue the great success of this dinner in the spring 2015 semester.

The NSSLHA executive board consists of determined and motivated women who are eager to plan and hold these events: Vice President: Rebecca Ahdoot Treasurer: Nicole Grimaldi Secretary: Nicole Mosca Public Relations Chair: Rebecca Hipp Fundraising Chairs: Victoria Pallanto and Joanna Capitelli Volunteer Coordinators: Danielle Czizik and Courtney Roth Our Voice

2014-15 NSSLHA e-board (L-to-R): Nicole Grimaldi, Deanna Lino, Rebecca Ahdoot, Rebecca Hipp, Nicole Mosca, Joanna Capitelli and Courtney Roth

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Fall 2014 NSSLHA Calendar of Events

October

NOTES:

S U N D A Y

M O N D A Y

T U E S D A Y

1 iPad Atrium Table

5 6 CSD Awareness Day

-‐ Mill Neck Festival: enjoy a day of fun

12 Mill Neck Festival!

with members of the deaf community! -‐ Halloween Baskets: help us fill

F R I D A Y

S A T U R D A Y

8 9 Dept. Undergrad Orientation

15 Advocacy Event (TBD)

29 30 Halloween Baskets! Deadline for Dues!

-‐ iPad Atrium Table: help us sell our raffle tickets for an iPad at a table in the student The Mack Student Center!

W E D N E S D A Y T H U R S D A Y

baskets to deliver to the children in the pediatric unit in Winthrop Hospital where we will spend an hour doing fun activities with the children!

2014

November

NOTES:

S U N D A Y

M O N D A Y

4 5 Dog Therapy – 6 PM

12 “Do’s & Don’ts” of the Clinic

-‐Dog Therapy: come see how Dr. Bernstein incorporates her dog, Maggie, into treatment!

S A T U R D A Y

1 Winthrop Visit

F R I D A Y

great event! We will be joining the

W E D N E S D A Y T H U R S D A Y

-‐ Winthrop Visit: sign up early for this

children for some crafts and activities.

T U E S D A Y

-‐ “Do’s and Don’ts”: learn what is appropriate behavior and what is NOT In the Saltzman Center!

2014

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Fall 2014 NSSLHA Calendar of Events

December

NOTES:

-‐ Good luck on finals and have a

S U N D A Y

M O N D A Y

T U E S D A Y

T H U R S D A Y

F R I D A Y

S A T U R D A Y

3 Dept. Holiday Party

great break! See you in the spring

W E D N E S D A Y

J

2014 2014

www.calendarlabs.com

Student Spotlight continued from page 10 De Geer, B. (1992). Internationally adopted children in communication: A developmental study [Doctoral Thesis]. Lund University: Department of Linguistics. Glennen, S. (2002). Language development and delay in internationally adopted infants and toddlers: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 44, 417-433. Graham, S., Berninger, V.W., Abbott, R.D., Abbott, S.P., & Whitaker, D. (1997). Role of mechanics in composing of elementary school students: A new methodological approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(1), 170-182. Hene, B. (1987): Vuxna utlandsadonterade I Sverige- en interviundersokning. Sprins rapport: 37. Gothenburg. Department of Linguistics, Gothenburg University. Klecan-Aker, J., McIngvale, G., & Swank, P. (1987). Stimulus considerations in narrative analysis of normal third grade children. Language and Speech, 30(1), 13-24. Klecan-Aker, J., & Swank, P. (1987). The narrative styles of normal first and third grade children. Language and Speech, 30(3), 251-262. McFadden, T., & Gillam, R. (1996). An examination of the quality of narratives produced by children with language disorders. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 27, 48-56. Miller, J., Andriacchi, K., & Nockerts, A. (2011). Assessing language production using SALT software. Middleton, WI: SALT Software LLC. Olive, T., Favart, M., Beauvais, C., & Beauvais, J. (2009). Children’s cognitive effort and fluency in writing: Effects of genre and of handwriting automatisation. Learning and Instruction, 19(4), 299-308.

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Roberts, J.A., Krakow, R., Pollock, K., Price, J., Fulmer, K., & Wang, P. (2005). Language development in preschool-aged children adopted from China. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 48, 93-107. Saetersdal, B., & Dalen, M. (1991). Norway: Intercountry adoptions in a homogenous country. In H. Alstein & R. Simon (Eds.), Intercountry adoption: A multinational perspective (pp. 83-108). New York: Praeger. Scott, K.A., Roberts, J., & Krakow, R.A. (2008). Oral and written language development of children adopted from China. American Journal and Speech-Language Pathology, 17, 150-160. Westby, C. (2005). Assessing and facilitating text comprehension problems. In H. Catts & A. Kamhi (Eds.), Language and reading disabilities (pp. 157-232). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Acknowledgments: We are grateful to all of the families who volunteered to participate in this study. Thanks also to the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department at Hofstra University for making this project possible. Brianna Rogers was first exposed to speech-language pathology when her younger brother started receiving services for a language delay. She became more immersed in the field through an early education program in her high school where she studied child development and also worked with children in the classroom. At Hofstra, Brianna double-majored in speech-language-hearing sciences and dance. Future plans include moving to New York City to pursue dance for a couple of years before going to graduate school. Ultimately Brianna is interested in working with children either in early intervention or in the school setting and plans to return to speech-language pathology in the future.

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SAA Scoop Recent Events Student Research Presentation Day, 3/13/14 Students of the Long Island AuD Consortium are required to successfully write and formally present a poster presentation of a clinical research project proposal. The proposal consists of an original research question and written justification of the project, including its practical viability and potential contribution to the field. The clinical research project proposal is written under the guidance of a faculty mentor. .

Special Olympics, June 16-20, 2014 SAA and several SLP volunteers screened the hearing of over 4,000 athletes across four days at the national Special Olympics held in New Jersey.

SAA members pose with staff and students from Montclair State University, who served as coordinators for the hearing screening event.

Audiology in the Military Our AuD students who participated in Student Research Presentation Day, held at Hofstra.

West Islip High School Visit, 5/16/14

Audiology student Brittany Renne performs a hearing screening on one of the West Islip High School students.

This past May, SAA and SLP students conducted a workshop for high school students regarding careers in audiology and speech. West Islip High School students then had the opportunity to operate the equipment and have their hearing screened.

An externship with the armed forces affords students the opportunity to work in a clinical setting, with patients of all ages and with a variety of disorders. This includes all types of audiometric diagnostic, vestibular, aural rehabilitation, Lt. Kristy Casto, PhD, CCC-A, speaks and central auditory processing to third-year audiology students. evaluations. The externship prepares audiologists to manage programs focusing on prevention of noise-induced hearing loss at their followon assignment. Opportunities are available to educate soldiers and commanders about the effects of hazardous noise and how to protect their hearing from those hazards, assess environments to improve communication, conduct compliance visits, and engage in projects or research related to noise-induced hearing loss. Third-year AuD students attended an information session regarding clinicial experience opportunities available to them in the armed forces. Lt. Kristy Cato, PhD, CCC-A, was one of the special presenters. She spoke about her role as deputy audiology and hearing conservation specialist with the U.S. Army. She is also president-elect at the National Hearing Conservation Association.

continued

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SAA Scoop continued from page 14 Starkey University Workshop SAA members, along with moderator Dr. Ianthe Murad-Dunn, attended the Starkey University Workshop, from July 10 to July 13 at the Starkey Headquarters in Minnesota. During the workshop, the students participated in sessions covering topics such as the company’s hearing technology, wireless solutions, and software training.

They were taught how to program and fit a variety of hearing technologies and how to use software and counseling tools effectively and appropriately, and they gained an understanding of an evidence-based approach to hearing aid technology and design. Starkey offers this workshop twice a year. It is open to all faculty and AuD students, from first to fourth years. For more information and to apply for SAA membership, visit http://www.audiology.org/about/membership/join/ Pages/default.aspx.

Alumni Connections Catching up with Amanda Thompson, MA, CCC-SLP MA, Speech-Language Pathology, Class of 2011 BA, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Class of 2009 My experience at Hofstra University in the Speech-Language Pathology program helped me to develop many long-lasting friendships and invaluable professional connections. Throughout the program, I always felt supported by a group of dedicated instructors who set the bar high to ensure that each and every student was reaching his or her maximum potential. The program was the perfect size – large enough to have many different opportunities and experiences, yet small enough to feel comfortable and form close working relationships with instructors. In addition to my course work and clinical placements, I was fortunate to gain experience as a graduate research assistant. This work only further developed my skill set and provided me with a unique experience to learn. My internship experience at Hofstra allowed me to have a wide variety of opportunities over the course of my graduate education. Beginning at the Saltzman Center, which is located right on Hofstra’s campus, the foundation for clinical skills was laid. My supervisors were knowledgeable, patient, and dedicated to teaching. The wide array of clients exposed me to different populations, age groups, and disorders. In addition, I was fortunate to work with a neighborhood elementary school for the duration of my first year in the program. This allowed me to gain experience with gathering assessment data and implementing programs at the kindergarten level.

Furthermore, several outside clinical placements were arranged based on my interests in the field. These externship experiences included a developmental preschool, an elementary school, and a private practice. Each one was unique and offered further insight into the broad field of speech and language pathology. The various settings in which I was a graduate clinician allowed me to put into practice the strong theoretical and research-based background that I gained from my course work. I am currently employed at a District 75 elementary school in the New York City Department of Education. The majority of students on my caseload are in grades K-3 and have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. When I began there, it was the first year the school was opening. This provided me with the unique experience of spearheading the speech department at this school location and starting a program from the very beginning. Over the past few years, it has been wonderful to watch the program (and the children!) grow. My work there focuses on assessing and providing intervention for students in many areas, including but not limited to, expressive language, receptive language, pragmatic skills, augmentative and alternative communication, feeding, and literacy development. Collaboration with other professionals is also a major part of my practice, which has allowed me to learn from disciplines such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, teachers, and more. Additionally, I was happy to return to Hofstra University as an adjunct instructor. Though initially I was slightly nervous to be on the other side of the fence, I was thrilled to return to the program. I enjoy being able to give back to the Hofstra community, as well as to future speech-language pathologists. While I try to infuse my own clinical experiences into each course, I truly love continuously learning from my students continued on page 19

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Department News Welcome to the Family!

AuD Reception, 5/1/14

We would like to introduce you to the newest member of our department. Lukas Torin Davidow was born on March 25, 2014, weighing 6 lbs., 15 oz., and measuring 21 ½ inches long. Congratulations to Dr. Jason Davidow and his wife, Frauke, and welcome to the world, Lukas!

On Thursday, May 1, the AUD Consortium hosted a graduation celebration for the AUD students of the three home schools: Adelphi, Hofstra and St. John’s. This celebration is held at Hofstra every year to bring together all the graduating students, family, friends,

Lukas Torin Davidow

End of Year Celebrations Phi Beta Kappa Reception, 4/30/14 This past academic year, an unprecedented 10 speech-languagehearing sciences majors were invited to join The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest academic honor society. They are: Amanda Carey, Kasey Fahy, Alexis Glushankova, Jennifer Goldberg, Amanda Hocevar, Stefanie Kitsos, Stephanie Malone, Annabel Martinez, Jessica Matrone, and Brianna Rogers. All of these students were graduating seniors. We wish them continued success in all their endeavors.

SLHS majors Annabel Martinez, Stephanie Malone, Amanda Hocevar, Jessica Matrone, Kasey Fahy, Alexis Glushankova, and Amanda Carey pose with fellow Phi Beta Kappa inductees

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Brianna Rogers receives her induction certificate.

Annual Hofstra Gala, 5/1/14 The 18th annual Hofstra Gala was held on Thursday, May 1, 2014, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. This premier event raises funds for the Endowed Scholarship program. This year’s gala marked the establishment of the School of Health Sciences and Human Services, of which our department is part, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. AUD Consortium faculty members enjoying the party. L-to-R: Dr. Ianthe Dunn-Murad, Dr. Janet Schoepflin, Dr. Donna Geffner, Dr. Yula Serpanos, and Dr. Kathy Scott

(L-to-R) Graduate students Lisa Zaroogian, Kim Doxey, and Lisa Mener attend the Hofstra Gala with SLHS Professor and Chair Carole Ferrand and Clinic Director Wendy Silverman

The mission of Hofstra University’s School of Health Sciences and Human Services is to educate students in the theory and practices of their specialized area of study, with a strong foundation in the natural, social and behavioral sciences. Through competency-based instruction, field experience and research training, students are educated to become effective and compassionate clinicians, evidence-based practitioners, policy makers, managers and advocates who promote health equity.

faculty, administrators and staff to celebrate the achievements of each school’s future audiologists. The reception also allows the students to see each other before graduating since each university holds its own commencement. Wishing all the students success in their future endeavors.

The L.I. AuD Consortium Class of 2014 continued

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SLP Graduate Reception, 5/8/14

Awards Joan Fox Memorial Award

Nothing like a group selfie of our graduating SLP master’s students.

A reception for our speech-language pathology master’s students was held on Thursday, May 8. Faculty, clinicians and staff celebrated the accomplishments of our graduate students.

Commencement Spring 2014 commencement was held on May 18, 2014. The baccalaureate ceremony for the School of Health Sciences and Human Services was held in the morning, while the graduate ceremony took place in the evening.

Dr. Ellen Parker Scholarship Award Nineteen SLHS majors were awarded the Bachelor of Arts. Master of Arts degrees in SLP were awarded to 46 students. The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department congratulates all graduates. We wish you all much luck, happiness and success as you pursue your professional and academic endeavors! We are proud of your achievements and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!

Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an honor society open to matriculated undergraduate students who have achieved excellence in their studies at Hofstra University. Students must complete an application in order to be considered for eligibility. Students who meet the following requirements are eligible for consideration: • • • •

Completed a minimum of 30 semester hours in residence at Hofstra Must complete at least 24 hours in speech-language-hearing sciences course work Must obtain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7 Must have documentation of service to the department, community and/or University

If you meet these requirements, the application should be completed and returned to 106 Davison Hall by October 15. You may find the application on Blackboard or in the department office. The academic achievements of Sigma Pi members will be recognized at the departmental holiday party on December 3. Our Voice

It is our great pleasure to congratulate Candice Cepeda and Victoria Shinkarev on being selected as this year’s recipients of the Joan Fox Memorial Award in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology, respectively. Each year, the Long Island Speech-Language-Hearing Association (LISHA) presents the Joan Fox Memorial Award to graduate students in speech-language pathology and audiology from five colleges and universities on Long Island and Queens. The awards are presented to deserving students selected by the faculty of the programs “in recognition of outstanding scholarship and service to the speech, language and hearing field.”

We are proud to announce that Teresa Lynch and Claire Berger are the recipients of the 2014-2015 Dr. Ellen Parker Annual Scholarship for Clinical Excellence and Compassion at Hofstra University. This scholarship is made possible by a generous contribution from Mr. Donald Parker in honor of his late wife. It is awarded to second-year graduate students in our Speech-Language Pathology program who have demonstrated clinical excellence and expressed and/or demonstrated humanitarian concern. Dr. Ellen Parker served as a professor and chair in the SLHS Department. She was also the director of the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic for 30 years. Her major interest was in the areas of childhood language, and the diagnosis and treatment of language disorders in children.

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Department News continued

The following content has been reprinted from the American Speech and Hearing Association. The 2014 ASHA Convention will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, November 20–22, 2014. The ASHA Convention is the premier annual event for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Bringing together more than 12,000 attendees, the Annual Convention provides you with a oncea-year opportunity to learn about the latest research, polish clinical skills, improve techniques, and gain new tools and resources to advance professional development.

Dual-Degree Program Our department continues to offer a dual-degree Speech-LanguageHearing Sciences (BA)/SpeechLanguage Pathology (MA) program. Following is a list of eligibility requirements as outlined in the Hofstra Bulletin: • • • • •

Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 Completion of 30 semester hours (s.h.) of major requirements (at least 24 must be in-residence), including SPCH 005A, 006, 009, 101A, 102A, 103, 131, 132, 137, and PSY 040 Completion of 10 hours of clinical observation Acceptable GRE scores Recommendation of faculty advisor and approval of graduate program director Our Voice

The 2014 ASHA Convention theme is Science. Learning. Practice. Generations of Discovery. The speech and hearing professions are built on science, which has provided a strong foundation of learning and practice for generations of speechlanguage pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Generations of professionals have contributed to the knowledge base, delivered services, and taught future generations of professionals, who in turn have delivered services to individuals and their families or become the next generation of researchers and educators. Orlando, a destination for many families, provides the perfect setting for both professional and biological families to gather in November to celebrate the generations of discovery in science, learning, and practice. Join your colleagues for the comprehensive programming, cuttingedge education, and energized atmosphere of the ASHA Convention!

If you are interested in applying for this program, please schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor. We encourage this option for students who are interested in Hofstra as their first (and only) choice for graduate school. Please note that this program does not apply to the AUD Consortium.

For detailed information on this program, please visit bulletin.hofstra.edu.

Field Experience in Communication Disorders (SPCH 160) With the guidance of an instructor and speech-language pathologist or audiologist who will serve as a mentor in the field, students are exposed to the roles and responsibilities of speechlanguage pathologists and audiologists in either a health care or educational setting.

Eligibility requirements: • • • • • •

Must be a declared SPCH major and must have completed SPCH 5A, 6, 9, 10, 102A, 131 and 137, with an overall GPA of 3.0, and a departmental GPA of 3.3. Students must apply by November 17 for the following spring semester, or April 15 for the following fall semester. There are no summer internships. When the application is approved, students then register for SPCH 160 (Field Experience in Communication Disorders), a 1 s.h. course. Students may accrue observations hours, but may not use experiences for clinical clock hours. Grades are based on both academic and on-site work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” results in a maximum grade of C. This course may not be used toward meeting a major or minor requirement.

Interested students must submit the “Application for Field Experience in Communication Disorders,” available on Blackboard and in the SLHS office, by November 17.

For questions or additional information, please contact the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department at 516-463-5509.

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Alumni Connections continued from page 15 as well. The experiences and examples they are able to share contribute to both their learning experience and my own. While I was a student at Hofstra, I attended the ASHA and LISHA conventions. Currently, I participate in regular professional development to continue my education in a

variety of subject areas. I truly believe that the learning process should never end, and it is of utmost importance to keep up with current research and changing practices. I love where I am and what I am doing in the field. I hope to continue my education and see what opportunities the future may hold.

In Other News â€Ś Nicole Kolenda, our very own adjunct professor and former clinical supervisor, took a position this summer as the executive clinical director at the Atlas Foundation for Autism (www.AtlasforAutism.org). The Atlas Foundation for Autism is a newly formed organization that Nicoleâ€™s friends and colleagues (Amanda Friedman and Alison Berkely) started as an evolution of their program Emerge and See Education Center (which has been operating since 2009). In addition to teaching and supervising at Hofstra, Nicole operated a private practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for the past 13 years where she treated on teams with Amanda and Alison. This past year, Nicole began consulting with them on a new communication (EVEnt) program and this eventually led to a bigger collaboration at Atlas. The Atlas Foundation for Autism encompasses three prongs of service for individuals of all ages with autism and other developmental abilities: 1) It will continue to include the services offered through Emerge and See (social groups/

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holiday camps); 2) The Atlas School will open in 2015 and will serve children ages 7-21; and 3) Treatment at Atlas will encompass speech, occupational and physical therapy. Atlas also has an innovative vocational program, which combines independent life skills with community integration and experiential learning. As the executive clinical director, Nicole is responsible for the Clinical Services Division at Atlas. She oversees all clinical therapies (Speech, PT, OT), both in the school as well as at the educational treatment center. She is interested in student collaboration and can be reached at nicole@atlasforautism.org.

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Acknowledgments Wishing all of our speech students the best of luck this fall semester! Many thanks to our student contributors: Kasey Fahy, Alyssa Legnetti, Brianna Rogers, and Deanna Lino. Special thanks to Dr. Ferrand, Wendy Silverman and Dr. Altenberg for their articles. All speech students are welcome and encouraged to make contributions to our newsletter. If you are interested, please contact Marisa Higgins at 516-463-5509 or marisa.m.higgins@hofstra.edu for further details. Our next issue will be published in spring 2015. Check out facebook.com/HofstraHSHS for additional information about our department, clinic, and the School of Health Sciences and Human Services The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department is located in 106 Davison Hall on the South Campus of Hofstra University. The office is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is located in the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center on the South Campus of Hofstra University. The clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For information about our undergraduate program, please contact Marisa Higgins at 516-463-5509. For information about our graduate program, please contact Joyce Fuentes at 516-463-5508. For information about our clinic services, please contact Allison Collins at 516-463-5656. Hofstra University is committed to extending equal opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status in employment and in the conduct and operation of Hofstra Universityâ€™s educational programs and activities, including admissions, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. For additional contacts and related resources, see hofstra.edu/EOE.

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