CD 5674 Adult Language Disorders

Instructor: Heather M. Clark, Ph.D.
Office: 201 A Duncan Hall
Phone: 262-7044

Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 12-1 pm
Email: clarkhm@appstate.edu
http://www.appstate.edu/~clarkhm

Course Description

Differential diagnosis and management of neurogenic language disorders in adults. Discussion will include acquired aphasia, right hemisphere syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and dementia. Emphasis is given to neurological bases, characteristics, etiologies, and family-based team management. (Meets ASHA B-2)

Course Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate and apply a working knowledge of central nervous system structures and functions related to communication.

2. Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of normal adult communication, with consideration given to regional, cultural, socioeconomic, and age-related diversity.

3. Students will develop and apply and understanding of differential diagnosis and prognosis of language disorders in adults with consideration given to diversity issues.

4. Students will develop and apply an understanding of rehabilitation principles, with emphasis on management of language disorders in adults. Issues related to diversity will be discussed.

Course Requirements and Grading System

The learning opportunities for this course were developed in recognition of core concepts and skills, of individual learning styles, and of time constraints inherent to the summer session. Thus, the course requirements have two main features:

1. In-class versus out-of-class activities. In recognition of the scarcity of unscheduled time during summer session, I have limited the number of learning activities that must be completed outside of class. The assignments to be completed outside of class include the readings, chapter quizzes, and on-line discussions. All other outside-class activities are optional. However, implicit in this design (and now explicit because I'm telling you) is that the outside-class activities must be completed by the date specified on the syllabus, so that you are prepared to complete the in-class activities. Work turned in late will result in a 10% deduction of the final score.

2. Required versus optional activities. The syllabus specifies those learning activities that are required. Most activities will be completed or nearly completed during scheduled class time. Students who miss class meetings will be unable to complete these activities and will need to select an optional assignment to demonstrate learning of the targeted material. Optional activities are listed under each objective and should be submitted by the specified due date. Work turned in late will result in a 10% deduction of the final score. Required work that is not turned in will result in the reduction of one letter grade designation for each missing assignment. (e.g., one missing assignment would result in a reduction of A to A-, two missing assignments would be A to B+).

Each activity or assignment is "worth" a given number of points. To receive any credit for any given assignment, the student must earn at least 70% of the possible points for that assignment. Most assignments are structured to enable the student to revise or re-do the assignment until adequate credit is earned. For each objective and content area, students may choose to earn at least a designated minimum number of points up to a designated maximum number of points. Failure to meet the minimum number of points for any objective will result in the reduction of one letter grade designation for each incomplete objective (see above). The total number of points earned at the end of the semester will determine the student's grade as follows:

A
A- 130 and up
125 - 129 B +
B
B- 120 - 124
112 - 119
105 - 111 C
F 98 - 104
Below 98

Academic Integrity

Students will be expected to adhere to the Appalachian State University Code of Academic Integrity. The code has specific applications to the format of this course, particularly with respect to collaborative work. Students will be encouraged to collaborate on learning activities when opportunities arise. When work is turned in to represent the collaborative effort of two or more individuals, the following will be assumed: 1) that each member of the group contributed to the development of the produce, and 2) that each member of the group is responsible for the work turned in. An additional issue related to academic integrity is the use of outside resources. All submitted products should include citations of resources utilized in development of the product.

Text and Readings

To prepare for each class meeting, students should complete the readings listed in the course schedule. The following materials will be most heavily used, although other documents may also be utilized.

Texts:
Brookshire, R. H. (1997). Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders. 5th Edition. St. Louis: Mosby.
Parr, S., Byng, S., & Gilpin, S. (1997). Talking about Aphasia. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Additional Relevant Texts:
Chapey, R. (1994) Language intervention strategies in adult aphasia. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.
Davis, G. A., (1993). A survey of adult aphasia and related language disorders. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Davis, G. A., & Wilcox, M. J. (1985). Adult aphasia rehabilitation: Applied Pragmatics. San Diego: College-Hill.
Halper, A. S., Cherney, L. R., & Miller, T. K. (1991). Clinical management of communication problems in adults with traumatic brain injury.Gathersburg, MD: Aspen.
Helms-Estabrooks, N. & Albert, M. L.(1991). Manual of aphasia therapy. Austin: Pro-Ed.
Tompkins, C. A. (1995). Right hemisphere communication disorders: Theory and management. San Diego: Singular.

Course Schedule

Date	Topic	Readings
June 8	Introduction, Overview	Course syllabus, concept map
June 10	Neurophysiology Neuropathology Localization of function	Chapter 1 Notes
June 15	Normal adult communication Normal communication in diverse populations	Notes
June 17	Aphasia	Talking about Aphasia (entire book) Chapter 4 p.128-156 Notes
June 22, 24	RHD, TBI, Dementia	Chapters 7, 8,9 Notes
June 29, July 1, July 6	Assessment	Chapters 2, 3, 4 Notes
July 8, July 13, July 15	Treatment	Chapter 5, 6 Notes
July 20, July 22, July 27	Case Studies, Neurogenic Communication Disorders in Diverse Populations	Talking about Aphasia
July 29	Final Exams, Proficiencies

Learning Options

Learning Objective	Options
Miscellaneous Learning Activities ( Minimum: 5 points; Maximum: 20 points) *Due 7/27/99*	Required Participate in on-line discussion (5 points). Subscribe to NEURO listserv. Optional Review Advance Magazine articles. (Up to 10 points). Create a portfolio to document your learning. (5 - 10 points). Class participation. (1-5 points).
Objective One (Minimum: 10 points; Maximum: 20 points) *Due 6/22/99*	Required Chapter Quiz (10 points) Optional Memory exam (20 points) Take home exam (15 points) Cheat Sheet (10 points)
Objective Two (Minimum: 10 points; Maximum: 25 points) *Due 7/8/99*	Optional Take home exam (15 points) Analyze language samples using the discourse materials from the WAB and the BDAE. (15 points) Review up to 3 documents (journal articles, books, or chapters) which describe variations in language content, form, or use related to differences in age, gender, or culture. (variable points) Research brain-behavior relationships. (variable points)
Objective Three (Minimum: 30 points; Maximum: 45 points) *Due 7/15/99*	Required Develop a brief assessment protocol. (10 points) Chapter Quizes or Outlines (10 points) Optional Memory exam. (20 points) Take home exam (20 points) Observe an adult language assessment session. (10 points). Review an assessment instrument for one of the diagnostic groups (aphasia, TBI, RHD, dementia). (10 points). Demonstrate competence in administering & scoring an assessment instrument (see above) (10 points)You may not demonstrate competence on the same instrument that you demonstrate to the class. Each student may demonstrate only one competency. Write an assessment report based on case history and assessment information provided. (10 points). Develop a "cheat sheet" to help you discriminate among the major diagnostic groups (aphasia, TBI, RHD, dementia) as well as different "types" of aphasia. (10 points). Research in depth a topic of your choice related to the characterization or diagnosis of adult communication disorders. (10-25 points depending on product). The topic breadth and depth must be approved by me in advance.
Objective Four (Minimum: 30 points; Maximum: 45 points) *Due 7/27/99*	Required Chapter Quizzes or outlines (10 points) Read a book written by an individual who experienced an acquired language disorder or by a family member of such an individual. (10 points). Optional Memory exam. (20 points) Take home exam. (20 points) Observe an adult language treatment session. (10 points). Study the literature to examine the efficacy of at least two treatment techniques utilized with adult language disorders. (10 points).Write a summary of the treatment techniques and their reported efficacy. Your document should also include a critique of the studies reporting efficacy data. Examine issues such as subject selection, rater reliability, generalizability, etc. If you choose related treatment techniques, synthesize the information to reflect an understanding of the relationships among treatments, subject variables, or research designs. Interview an individual and/or family who have participated in therapy for an adult language disorder. (15 points). Focus on their impressions of what the goals of therapy were and whether they were appropriate, and if they felt the goals were met. Ask about modifications they have made to their lifestyle to accommodate a new disability or a person with a disability. Write a summary of the interview and include any insights you gained through the process. Complete a fictitious case study.(15 points).