Date of Award

12-1992

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Dr. Sandra Edwards

Second Advisor

Dr. Karen Seelig

Third Advisor

Dr. Doris Smith

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Effects of vestibular stimulation, when presented prior to language therapy, on expressive language abilities in pre-school children with Down syndrome were examined. Two subjects participated; one subject completed the study. Vestibular stimulation was therapist- and child-initiated and provided by various types of equipment. The subject's expressive language use (verbal and non-verbal) was videotaped during fifteen minutes of language therapy across a six-week, eleven-session period.

Results of this study indicate that expressive language use increased or improved across many parameters during the vestibular stimulation phase of the study. The subject displayed greatest gains in the use of multiple word utterances and gestures accompanied by vocal utterances and displayed a marked decrease in the use of unintelligible utterances.

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