Research seminar with Sandie Bass-Ringdahl and Joel Ringdahl

Sandie Bass-Ringdahl's talk

Measuring and facilitating vocalization development in children with and without hearing loss

Early vocalization development follows a stage-like progression that begins with vegetative sounds shortly after birth and progresses to mature consonant-vowel syllable production (canonical babble) between 6-10 months of age. Development of canonical babble is an important milestone in first word production. By 10 months of age, most infants are well into the canonical babbling (CB) stage. Disruption in early vocalization development can result for many reasons. For example, studies indicate that limited audibility, either permanent or temporary, can disrupt the process of early syllable production resulting in reduced CB productions and immature vowel structure. Parent child interaction plays a significant role in the early development of child speech and language. 

The language stimulation techniques that caregivers use as well as rapid contingent responses can influence the frequency and variety of infant vocalizations. This presentation examines the measurement of infant vocalizations in the context of parent child interaction with an emphasis on parent contingent responses and language stimulation techniques.

The discussion will highlight the role of caregiver responsiveness in supporting early speech development for infants as well as emphasize the importance of early intervention strategies to reduce the risk of speech delays. Findings may inform speech-language therapy practices and caregiver training programs aimed at improving long-term speech and language outcomes for at-risk children.

Sandie Bass-Ringdahl, Clinical Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at the University of Georgia will be presenting her research on:

Joel Ringdahl's talk

Respecting Individual Communication Preferences: Communication Modality Selection as Part of Functional Communication Training

Individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) such as autism spectrum disorder often engage in behavior that poses a barrier to educational, social, and residential opportunities. Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based approach designed to increase functional communication and thereby reduce problem behavior. First described in 1985, hundreds of published research studies have subsequently demonstrated its utility across clinical populations and behavioral concerns. FCT relies on identifying the antecedents (environmental and motivational factors) and consequences (reinforcers) related to problem behavior and uses that information to help design interventions.

This approach aligns with the school positive behavior support (PBS) model and can be implemented as part of a Tier 3 intervention within that model. Identifying an appropriate communication modality represents one of the key features of this intervention. This presentation describes assessments that can be used to identify communication modalities to be included in FCT.

In particular, the presentation will focus on identifying communication modalities preferred by an individual. In addition, the presentation will review the potential benefits of including preferred communication modalities in FCT-based interventions from a treatment outcome perspective and the perspective of social validity. 

Joel Ringdahl, Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at the University of Georgia will be presenting his research on:

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