Download Helping Individuals with Communication Disorders Through

Helping Individuals with Communication
Disorders Through Behavioral Research
Treatment and Interventions for Children
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Children
Disorder/Condition: ASD are disorders characterized by delays in several areas
of development that include socialization and communication.
Public Health Impact: Approximately 1 in 150 children in the United States are
affected by ASD.
NIDCD-supported scientists are exploring the speech and language features in
autism, evaluating current treatment practices, and designing new treatments.
Examples of NIDCD research projects:
Social Communication Phenotype of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the
Second Year, Amy M. Wetherby, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Early Language Development within the Autism Spectrum, Susan
Ellis-Weismer, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Treatment and Interventions for Adults
Smell and Taste Loss in Older Adults
Disorder/Condition: The olfactory system declines with age and may affect food
choices, leading to changes in food intake, diet, overall nutrition and the health
status of the elderly. Understanding the causes of specific deficits in smell and
taste perception can help in making better food choices, and help avoid risk
factors for obesity and diabetes.
Public Health Impact: Each year, more than 200,000 people visit a physician
for chemosensory problems such as smell and taste. Such problems often
go unreported but affect quality of life (e.g., appreciation of food and
the surroundings).
A recent discovery has been the olfactory system’s reaction to different
medications. Like our sense of taste, our sense of smell can be damaged by
certain medicines while other medications have been associated with an
improvement of the sense of smell. NIDCD-supported scientists are working
to find out why this is so and develop drugs that can be used specifically to
help restore the sense of smell to individuals who’ve lost it.
Aphasia
Disorder/Condition: Aphasia is a disorder that results from damage to portions
of the brain that are responsible for language and usually occurs after a stroke
or other brain injury.
Public Health Impact: Approximately 80,000 individuals acquire aphasia each
year. About 1 million people in the United States currently have aphasia.
NIDCD-supported scientists have made substantial progress in the development
of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices to facilitate the
expressive communication of persons with severe communication disabilities.
Examples of NIDCD research projects:
Communication Outcomes for Naming Treatments in Aphasia, Anastasia
Raymer, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Neural Correlates of Aphasia Treatment and Recovery, Cynthia Thompson,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Example of NIDCD research projects:
How Children with Hearing Loss Develop Language,
Cognitive and Behavioral Skills
Early Intervention: The most important time for a child to be exposed to
and learn language is in the first 3 years of life. Children begin learning speech
and language in the first 6 months of life. Research suggests that children who
receive language intervention before 6 months of age develop significantly
better language skills than those for whom help is delayed.
Public Health Impact: Approximately 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the
United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. Nine out of every 10 children
who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear.
NIDCD-supported scientists are now studying a group of factors that support
the early development of speech, language, cognitive and psychosocial skills
in children with mild-to-severe hearing loss in order to improve intervention
strategies for these children.
Examples of NIDCD research projects:
Moderators and Outcomes in Children with Mild to Severe Hearing
Impairment, James Bruce Tomblin & Mary Pat Moeller,
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Development and Adaptive Behavior of Young Children with Hearing Loss,
Laurie Eisenberg & Strikka Carren, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Cochlear Implants in Children
Technology: A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can
help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely
hard-of-hearing.
Public Health Impact: In the United States, roughly 15,500 children and 23,000
adults have received cochlear implants.
NIDCD-supported scientists are examining many variables that influence
language learning after implantation, including environmental, social,
interventional, and biological influences.
Example of NIDCD research projects:
Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation, John Niparko,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Familial and Birth Cohort Effects on the Aging Senses, Karen Cruickshanks,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Dysarthria
Disease/Condition: Dysarthria is a group of speech disorders caused by
disturbances in the strength or coordination of the muscles of the speech
mechanism as a result of damage to the brain or nerves.
Falls and Older Adults
Health Problem: Each year, more than 1.6 million older Americans go to
emergency departments for fall-related injuries. Among older adults, falls
are the number one cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss
of independence, and injury deaths.
Public Health Impact: More than 1 in 3 people age 65 years or older falls
each year. The risk of falling—and fall-related problems—rises with age.
NIDCD-supported scientists recently developed an audio-biofeedback device that
gives people audio cues to let them know the direction and amount their body
is swaying so that they can compensate for it and maintain their balance. Use of
such auditory feedback may provide useful behavioral strategies to help prevent
falling and consequent injury during aging or rehabilitation.
Example of NIDCD research projects:
Adaptation of Spatial Orientation in Locomotion and Posture, Fay B. Horak,
Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR
Public Health Impact: It is estimated that 89% of individuals with Parkinson's
disease have a speech or voice disorder.
NIDCD-supported scientists are studying treatment effectiveness for dysarthric
speakers secondary to Parkinson's disease. Using the Lee Silverman Voice
Treatment (LSVT) program, speech-language pathologists guide and direct
patients to produce louder and clearer speech by using increased effort.
Examples of NIDCD research project:
Efficacy of Voice Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease, Lorraine Ramig,
University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO