Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Charles Diebold
Abstract
Children who are born without functional speech and who have complex communication needs are at a disadvantage because of their inability to verbally respond. Professionals disagree on when to incorporate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), often missing critical windows of development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the extent to which endorsement of myths related to AAC intervention persist among speech language pathologists (SLPs) and pediatricians, and the extent to which these myths and other factors influence age of referral for children with complex communication needs to receive therapy that incorporates AAC. Perlovsky’s theory of a hierarchical relationship between language and cognition provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 143 SLPs and 35 pediatricians. Responses were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of covariance and multiple linear regression. Results indicated the higher the myth endorsement score, the older the age of referral. Furthermore, myth endorsement was negatively correlated with the number of referrals in the past year, and years in practice was positively correlated with the number of referrals in the past year. Findings may be used to encourage AAC intervention prior to or during language development to afford nonverbal children the opportunity to take an active role in language learning, communication success, and independence.
Recommended Citation
Ferreira, Jennifer Madaffari, "Myth Endorsement and Children’s Age of Referral to Augmentative and Alternative Communication" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8888.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8888
