INTEGRATING EVIDENCEBASED PRACTICE PRINCIPLES INTO GRADUATE CLINICAL PRACTICUM EXPERIENCES

1
INTEGRATING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PRINCIPLES
INTO GRADUATE CLINICAL PRACTICUM EXPERIENCES
Danielle Banfield, BS, Janelle Knies, BS, Vicki
Hammen, Ph.D Vannessa Coonrod, SLP.D. Program
in Communication Disorders, Indiana State
University, Terre Haute, IN
Case One
Case Two
Case One Results

• Background
• Hall, Oyer and Haas (2001) defines pragmatics as
  the use of language in a social context for a
  particular purpose. Pragmatic skills in school
  age children should not be underestimated. It is
  a very important area in the development of
  language skills. According to Hall, Oyer and
  Haas (2001) pragmatics has been identified as the
  area of most significant language growth during
  both the school age and adult years. Many school
  aged children have pragmatic-language skill
  deficits therefore, the idea of role playing
  with a child who has these deficits is a great
  tool to include in therapy. Ments, (1983)
  suggests that role playing is an example of
  communication just like other means of
  communication, it can be used for expressing or
  arousing feelings, negotiation, messages, and
  influencing, or an array of other reasons.
• Description
• 12 year-5 month old Caucasian male
• Mild to moderate delay in language skills,
  especially expressive language
• Delayed in reaching speech and language
  developmental milestones
• Diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of
  three
• Recorded twice a week for 10-20 minutes in
  university clinic
• Formal language test revealed a standard score
  of 40 in pragmatic judgment skills
• (moderate-to-severe deficit)
• Protocol
• Role playing categories included inquiry,
  greetings, request for help, ordering, express

• Background
• The word preposition was derived from a Greek
  word meaning to place (Morris, 1981), thus many
  prepositions are used when describing locations
  of items. Specialized prepositions related to
  location can be referred to as spatial concepts.
  In English, when speaking about what is seen, the
  use of spatial concepts/prepositions is common
  and the understanding of them nearly mandatory
  (Lipinski, 2002). Sternberg (1994) defines
  concept as a mental representation of a class
  which includes what we know about such things.
  Although not everyone has the same knowledge of
  these concepts (they may not picture the same
  location), the words used according to the
  concepts (in, on, under) allow for a close
  approximation of classes and ideas to be made
  (Sternberg, 1994). Children with language
  disorders may experience trouble when learning
  these concepts working with these children on
  such concepts can further their communication
  capabilities. The easiest way for children learn
  new concepts is through hand-on, natural
  activities. This theory is supported by Otto
  (2002) who states direct experiences have a
  greater impact on concept development.
• Description
• 6 year-8 month old male
• Moderately delayed in expressive and receptive
  language
• Observed during structured play twice a week for
  approx. 20 min. in university clinic
• Exhibited significant difficulty in the area of
  understanding spatial concepts
• Delayed in meeting developmental milestones
• Did not present voice, fluency, articulation or
  oral-motor structure functional abnormalities
• Protocol
• Objects manipulated action figures, cars,
  trucks, animals, dinosaurs food items
• Spatial concepts targeted in, on, under, over,
  through from
• Presented 6 picture cards, one for each spatial
  concept

Conclusion Manipulation of objects does aid
in the expression of spatial concepts
Case Two Results

REFERENCES Hall, B.J., Oyer, H.J., Haas,
W.H. (2001). Speech, Language, and Hearing
Disorders A Guide for the Teacher. Needham
Heights, MA Allyn Bacon. Lipinski, J. J.
(2002). Bridging the gap between spatial
language and spatial working memory Test of a
dynamic field model that integrates
spatial planning and memory with linguistic
processes. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
University of Iowa. Ments, M.V. (1983). The
Effective use of Role-Play A Handbook for
Teachers and Trainers. New York Kogan Page
Publishing. Morris, W. (Eds.). (1981). The
american heritage dictionary of the english
language New college edition. Boston Houghton
Mifflin. Otto, B. (2002). Language development
in early childhood. Upper Saddle River, NJ
Pearson Education. Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.).
(1994). Thinking and problem solving. San
Diego, CA Academic Press. Dr. Coonrod is
currently affiliated with Idaho State
University--Boise.
Conclusion Effects of role playing on
pragmatic judgment was proven effective