Sophie Wolf, Aarthi Madhavan, Nicole Etter, Krista Wilkinson
{"title":"Visual Communication Supports for the Assessment of Swallowing and Somatosensation in Adults With Down Syndrome.","authors":"Sophie Wolf, Aarthi Madhavan, Nicole Etter, Krista Wilkinson","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_persp-25-00100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This article describes practical strategies for enhancing swallow assessments for individuals with intellectual or cognitive disabilities through the inclusion of visual communication supports (known as augmentative and alternative communication [AAC]). These strategies were developed to support understanding and self-expression during the swallow assessments for individuals with Down syndrome, as part of a large research study. Over the last 2 years, these supports have been integrated into swallow assessments with 14 adults with Down syndrome.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Clinicians and researchers with expertise in swallowing and AAC collaboratively designed and refined visual communication aids to enhance understanding and task completion of swallowing-related assessments, including the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability, Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, spontaneous swallowing frequency, food avoidance inquiries, and lingual somatosensation testing. A summary table of assessments and suggested strategies is provided. All study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB #00022372) at The Pennsylvania State University.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our observations suggest the integration of AAC enhances the accessibility of swallow assessments for individuals with intellectual disabilities, supporting their participation in these assessments. Many participants referenced the visual aids, such as videos, as key to their understanding of what to expect and what to do during assessments. These observations are consistent with research showing that multisensory modalities and adaptations can improve functional outcomes for people with Down syndrome.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Incorporation of visual supports may be useful for clinicians and researchers seeking to improve accessibility in swallow assessments for diverse populations. Clearly, dedicated research is necessary to examine these observations systematically.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"11 1","pages":"202-212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13099009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147791517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily Lorang, Janine Mathée-Scott, Jennifer Johnson, Courtney E Venker
{"title":"A Response to Blanc and Colleagues' Viewpoint on Gestalt Language Processing and the Natural Language Acquisition Protocol: Concerns and Common Ground.","authors":"Emily Lorang, Janine Mathée-Scott, Jennifer Johnson, Courtney E Venker","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00055","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) and the Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) protocol have recently grown in popularity in the field of speech-language pathology. However, significant controversy surrounds the ideas proposed and clinical strategies recommended within GLP/NLA. In this commentary, we respond to the <i>Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups</i> viewpoint by Blanc et al. (2023) detailing the hypothesized alternative path of language development, proposed stages, and recommended supports associated with GLP/NLA. We identify several strategies recommended by the NLA protocol that are also part of general developmental clinical practices. We go on to describe five concerns associated with GLP/NLA: It is contradicted by existing research, has a fundamental conceptual flaw, presumes incompetence, recommends strategies that may be harmful, and lacks supporting research evidence. We close by emphasizing the importance of engaging in respectful and professional conversations about GLP/NLA and using precise language to describe its individual components.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"11 1","pages":"43-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13148292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Voice Therapy for Puberphonia in the Adolescent Male: A Clinical Case Study.","authors":"Lydia R Kruse, Robert Brinton Fujiki","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00222","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00222","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Clinical scenario: </strong>Puberphonia (also known as mutational falsetto) occurs when an individual maintains prepubescent speaking fundamental frequency (<i>F</i>0) after the laryngeal changes associated with puberty have taken place. Voice therapy with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the primary treatment for puberphonia; however, resources describing treatment techniques specific to this patient population are lacking.</p><p><strong>Clinical question: </strong>What diagnostic and treatment procedures are employed in the course of treatment for an adolescent presenting with puberphonia? What factors influence intervention?</p><p><strong>Study sources: </strong>Henry, a 13-year-old adolescent male, was diagnosed with puberphonia with a muscle tension component. Voice quality was characterized by roughness, strain, and elevated speaking pitch for his age and gender. Voice therapy was recommended and pursued. Audio recordings, acoustics, patient-reported outcome measures, auditory-perceptual evaluations, and laryngeal imaging findings are presented in detail. Considerations for course of treatment are discussed.</p><p><strong>Primary results: </strong>Initially, Henry did not tolerate manual laryngeal reposturing. Thus, dysphonia and speaking <i>F</i>0 were targeted through semi-occluded vocal tract exercises and resonant voice techniques. After four sessions, no change in speaking <i>F</i>0 was observed; however, muscle tension was sufficiently reduced to implement manual laryngeal reposturing. Three sessions implementing this technique resulted in <i>F</i>0 reduced to normative range and resolution of dysphonia. Henry and his family initially expressed trepidation about the sudden changes in his voice quality, but gradually welcomed them as his vocal efficiency and voice-related quality of life improved.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This case study supports past work indicating that voice therapy effectively reduces <i>F</i>0 and improves voice quality in adolescents with puberphonia. Manual laryngeal techniques were particularly useful in reducing speaking <i>F</i>0. Future clinical trials should continue to examine the efficacy and efficiency of voice therapy for adolescents with puberphonia.</p><p><strong>Supplemental material: </strong>https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31032382.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12920004/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147273223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Camila Lirani-Silva, Irina Claudia Fernandes Sanchez de Araujo, Catriona M Steele, Lúcia Figueiredo Mourão
{"title":"Influence of Bolus Location and Age on Timing Measures of Swallowing in Healthy Older Adults.","authors":"Camila Lirani-Silva, Irina Claudia Fernandes Sanchez de Araujo, Catriona M Steele, Lúcia Figueiredo Mourão","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00116","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Swallowing safety and efficiency are influenced by the timing of swallowing events, such as laryngeal vestibule closure (LVC) and upper esophageal sphincter opening (UESO). Although age-related changes in these parameters are well documented, whether bolus location at swallow onset (BLSO) influences timing measures is less understood. This study investigated the effects of BLSO and age on timing measures of swallowing in a healthy older adult sample.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This single-center, cross-sectional, retrospective study included 26 community-dwelling healthy participants (21 women, five men; aged 56-77 years) who underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing study involving three thin liquid swallows: two 5-ml swallows (Bolus 1 [B1], Bolus 2 [B2]) and one cup sip (Bolus 3 [B3]). BLSO was classified as high (at/above the valleculae) or low (beyond the valleculae). Three timing measures were analyzed: swallow reaction time (SRT), hyoidburst-to-UESO (HYB-to-UESO) interval, and time to LVC (TTLVC). Statistical analyses (α = .05) included univariate analyses of variance, Spearman correlations, and mixed models exploring BLSO and age interactions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>BLSO was not correlated with age and varied within participants across boluses, necessitating separate analyses by bolus (B1, B2, B3) rather than repeated-measures analysis. In univariate analyses, lower BLSO was associated with prolonged SRT across all three boluses and shorter HYB-to-UESO interval for B1. Older age was correlated (ρ > .3) with a longer SRT (B1, B3), a shorter HYB-to-UESO interval (B1), and a shorter TTLVC (B1, B2). No significant main effects or interactions were observed in the combined models.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Lower BLSO was associated with prolonged SRT. Inconsistent age-related differences in timing measures were observed in this sample across different liquid bolus presentations.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":" SIG 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12883075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146151348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brittany N Fletcher, Wei-Wen Hsu, Vesna D Novak, Mary E Wilkens, Amy W Hobek, Amy S Pratt, Michelle Leon, Kimmerly Harrell, Victoria S McKenna
{"title":"Demographic and Acoustic Factors related to Automatic Speech Recognition Inaccuracies for Child African American English Speakers.","authors":"Brittany N Fletcher, Wei-Wen Hsu, Vesna D Novak, Mary E Wilkens, Amy W Hobek, Amy S Pratt, Michelle Leon, Kimmerly Harrell, Victoria S McKenna","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00052","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_persp-25-00052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigated the relationship between acoustic measures and Google's Speech-to-Text inaccuracies in recognizing speech of children ages 4-9 years who speak African American English (AAE).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Audio recordings were collected from 11 AAE speaking children with speech stimuli targeting final plosive variations observed within the AAE dialect. Dialectal density was measured using the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation Language Screener. Recordings were transcribed using Google's Speech-to-Text application (Google Voice) and inaccuracies were determined through comparison to researcher extracted transcriptions. Acoustic measures from vowels preceding final plosives (including vowel duration, fundamental frequency, average <i>F</i> <sub>1</sub>) were extracted using Praat and a custom MATLAB algorithm. Individual mixed-effects logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the relationships between acoustic measures and transcription accuracy (accurate vs. inaccurate) for voiced and voiceless plosives separately.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no significant differences between inaccuracy rates for voiced and voiceless plosive productions, nor were acoustic measures predictive of speech-to-text inaccuracy. However, age and dialect density were significantly related to voiceless plosive accuracy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The complexities of voice, motor and articulatory development within children can be characterized by acoustic measures. These measures inform acoustic algorithms created for speech technology. Research on acoustic measures in young child AAE speech, with considerations for dialect variability and age, will enhance speech recognition technology and clinical best practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12490741/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145234305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John H Munday, Maia N Braden, Daniel Y Cho, Robert Brinton Fujiki
{"title":"Speech Therapy in an Adult With Cleft Lip and Palate: A Clinical Case Study.","authors":"John H Munday, Maia N Braden, Daniel Y Cho, Robert Brinton Fujiki","doi":"10.1044/2025_PERSP-25-00045","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_PERSP-25-00045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Clinical scenario: </strong>Although speech therapy (ST) has been frequently studied in children, the efficacy of motor-phonetic ST in adults with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) is unclear.</p><p><strong>Clinical question: </strong>How does articulation change over time for an adult with CLP engaged in motor-phonetic ST?</p><p><strong>Study sources: </strong>This study describes articulation and motor-phonetic intervention in a 33-year-old, monolingual Spanish-speaking woman presenting with CLP and associated velopharyngeal insufficiency. Case history, initial evaluation, surgical intervention, and progress during ST are described with reference to current literature.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Upon initial evaluation, the patient presented with speech characterized by pervasive compensatory articulation errors and moderate hypernasality. As such, the patient completed 22 sessions of ST and underwent palatal surgery (between ST Sessions 3 and 4). Follow-up data were collected 49 days following treatment. Progress in ST was tracked using percent consonants correct (PCC) on the targets /p, t, k, s/. All therapy targets were produced at baseline as glottal stops (0% PCC). Following surgery, PCC was 56% for /p/, 31% for /t/, and 0% for /s/. In Session 11, /k/ was introduced (PCC = 45%). At Session 22, PCC was 100% for /p/, 46% for /t/, 100% for /s/, and 70% for /k/. PCC values were maintained across all target phonemes at follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PCC improved following intervention, and gains were maintained at follow-up. Data suggest that a motor-phonetic approach may effectively address speech sound disorders in adults with CLP. Future research is needed to explore this intervention on a larger scale and compare to other approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12268363/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144981664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Introduction to the Forum: Intersectional Approaches to Language in Autism.","authors":"Kelly L Coburn, Teresa Girolamo","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"10 3","pages":"651-654"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12668521/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna V Kasdan, Deborah F Levy, Isaac Pedisich, Stephen M Wilson, Dominique Herrington
{"title":"A Practical Guide to Translating Scientific Publications Into Aphasia-Friendly Summaries.","authors":"Anna V Kasdan, Deborah F Levy, Isaac Pedisich, Stephen M Wilson, Dominique Herrington","doi":"10.1044/2025_persp-24-00141","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2025_persp-24-00141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Research in aphasiology is largely not accessible. Almost none of the articles published in the field's rich, over 150-year history are communicated in a way that is understandable to those who could benefit from them the most-individuals with aphasia and their loved ones. In this tutorial, we detail how researchers in any field of aphasiology can create aphasia-friendly research summaries of their scientific publications. This step-by-step guide in eight simple parts covers principles of aphasia-friendly written communication (e.g., use of plain language and supportive icons and images) and makes use of freely available resources. We also introduce a prototype tool-Article Friend-that automatically generates aphasia-friendly abstracts to jump-start this process for researchers; this preliminary tool serves as a proof of concept that creating accessible research can be an efficient, sustainable practice in the scientific publishing landscape.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The tutorial provides researchers with specific tools and examples to effectively and easily create aphasia-friendly summaries of their publications. Principles from our tutorial extend beyond aphasia and can apply to consumers affected by other communication and cognitive disorders, such as developmental language disorder, dementia, and traumatic brain injury. Making research available to patient stakeholders and their loved ones can empower them to access and understand the research they have contributed to, ultimately furthering increased community engagement and interchange between researchers, clinicians, consumers with aphasia, and policymakers.</p><p><strong>Supplemental material: </strong>https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28590227.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"10 3","pages":"719-727"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208688/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144531528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kimberly D Mueller, Madeline R Hale, Olivia Goulette, Hannah Belay, Leah Sanson-Miles, Clark Benson, Mary Hitchcock, Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi
{"title":"A scoping review of episodes of lucidity in people living with dementia near the end of life: the potential role of speech-language pathology in research and practice.","authors":"Kimberly D Mueller, Madeline R Hale, Olivia Goulette, Hannah Belay, Leah Sanson-Miles, Clark Benson, Mary Hitchcock, Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi","doi":"10.1044/2024_persp-24-00033","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2024_persp-24-00033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>There is existing and emerging evidence showing that people living with dementia may experience episodes of lucidity (EL) near the end of life. ELs involve a transient recovery of function that was presumably lost, often manifesting as a return of communication functions, demonstration of increased awareness of surroundings, and/or a return of daily living abilities. Given the centrality of communication to most definitions of EL, this scoping review seeks to assess the existing body of knowledge, describe the disciplines involved in research of EL, and formulate recommendations for SLPs working with people living with dementia near the end-of-life. Ultimately, we aim to guide future research and stimulate the development of clinical strategies for speech-language pathologists engaging in end-of-life care for this population.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We conducted a systematic literature search and scoping review across five major databases using relevant terms such as \"dementia,\" \"end-of-life,\" and \"lucidity,\" covering all records up to May 2023. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies [focused on lucid episodes at end of life] were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 5,780 articles that were independently screened for inclusion by two independent reviewers, 10 met criteria and were synthesized using narrative methods. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by these reviewers. Among the selected studies, three were case reports, while the remaining seven employed qualitative assessments based on caregiver or informant reports. The majority of studies featured contributions from disciplines such as nursing, medicine, and psychology. All definitions and reports of lucidity involved aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication by the individuals living with dementia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The scoping review of lucid episodes in people with severe dementia near the end of life represents a valuable synthesis of evidence at a time when research on this understudied phenomenon is growing. There is growing interest in unraveling the neurobiological and behavioral aspects of lucidity in dementia, with the ultimate aim of enhancing care for older adults. Given the fundamental role of communication in the definition of lucidity, speech-language pathologists are well-positioned to participate in this research and care continuum.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"10 2","pages":"463-476"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315051/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144777133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren Prather, Nancy Creaghead, Jennifer Vannest, Lisa Hunter, Amy Hobek, Tamika Odum, Mekibib Altaye, Juanita Lackey
{"title":"Testing Very Preterm Black Children to Examine Potential Assessment Bias in Two Language Tests.","authors":"Lauren Prather, Nancy Creaghead, Jennifer Vannest, Lisa Hunter, Amy Hobek, Tamika Odum, Mekibib Altaye, Juanita Lackey","doi":"10.1044/2024_persp-24-00134","DOIUrl":"10.1044/2024_persp-24-00134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The lack of appropriate assessments affects populations presumed to be most at risk for speech and language concerns, one of them being children with a history of preterm birth. This study aims to examine whether bias is present in the currently available tests for Black children under age three to examine potential cultural bias in the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) and the MacArthur Bates Communicative Inventory (CDI).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This study uses data from the <i>Early Development of NICU graduates' study</i> (EDeN), a National Institutes of Health-funded, ongoing prospective, multicenter cohort investigation of very preterm (VPT) infants. A total of 54 (18 Black; 36 White) children born VPT were included in this study. The outcome measures were the Black and White children's CSBS cluster scores and their CDI: Words and Gestures (WG) scores. T-tests and a mixed model approach were used to compare the scores of the CSBS and CDI: WG based on matched pairs. Spearman rank correlation was used to examine the relationship between the CSBS and CDI: WG scores.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no significant difference between CSBS scores of Black and White children. There were no significant differences between the Black and White children's total scores on the CDI: WG based on the parent responses. There was a weak correlation between the CSBS and the CDI: WG Gesture subtests scores for the total group and a moderate correlation for Black children.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The comparison of scores on the CSBS and the CDI: WG showed no significant difference between the Black and White children, indicating that there may not be evidence to support bias for the premature children in this study. The correlation between the gestural subtest of the CSBS and the CDI: WG showed that direct observation by clinicians was similar to the observations of the parents.</p>","PeriodicalId":74424,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups","volume":"10 2","pages":"341-353"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12490789/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145234271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}