Honors Theses

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Communication Sciences and Disorders

First Advisor

Carolyn Higdon

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study was designed to determine if there were speech, language, or swallowing disorders in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor or medulloblastoma tumor. It also was designed to determine if motor speech was more affected than swallowing in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor and in a child with a medulloblastoma tumor. Thirdly, this study investigated the incidence and treatment of speech, language, or swallowing disorders through survey. The surveys were sent through the United States Postal Service to speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The SLPs worked in pediatric hospitals or hospitals with pediatric floors. The purpose of the surveys was to gain information regarding the SLPs’ perceptions regarding prevalence of communication and/or swallowing disorders and type and duration of communication and/or swallowing disorders found following medical management. The researcher’s first hypothesis was that there were no diagnosed disorders of speech, language and/or swallowing in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor or medulloblastoma tumor. The researcher’s second hypothesis was that swallowing disorders were the primary communicative disorders identified and treated by SLPs in a child with a brain stem glioma tumor or medulloblastoma tumor. The results of this study showed the first hypothesis to be rejected due to the identification of speech, language and/or swallowing disorders in children with the two types of tumors. The results of this study also showed no significant difference between the number of SLPs who identified swallowing disorders and the number of SLPs who identified motor speech disorders in children with brain stem gliomas or medulloblastomas.

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