Dissertation Defense Schedule
Academic Excellence
Sharing original dissertation research is a principle to which the University of Delaware is deeply committed. It is the single most important assignment our graduate students undertake and upon completion is met with great pride.
We invite you to celebrate this milestone by attending their dissertation defense. Please review the upcoming dissertation defense schedule below and join us!
PROGRAM | Speech-Language Pathology
Time is of the Essence: Examining the Time Course of Speech-Motor Learning in Adolescents and Young Adults with and without Childhood Apraxia of Speech
By: Anne L. van Zelst Chair: F. Sayako Earle
ABSTRACT
Adolescents and young adults with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) present with persistent speech and language difficulties (Lewis & Ekelman, 2004; Lewis et al., 2007; Preston et al, 2013). These deficits can be a serious barrier to academic and social success (Lewis et al., 2007; Ruben, 2000). Existing models of speech-motor learning focus on active, online practice and the protracted development of the movement component of the speech-motor representation; however, specific elements of the speech-motor representation may be subject to offline learning processes (van Zelst & Earle, 2021). As such, thoughtful timing of speech-motor practice relative to wakeful rest or nocturnal sleep may promote memory consolidation of new speech-motor representations. The aim of this research is to track these learning time courses in adolescents and young adults with and without CAS as they learn a new speech-motor representation. Learning a new speech-motor representation is thought to involve learning both movement-specific (the how of moving) and goal-based information (the why or the reason for moving) (Cohen et al., 2005). In nonspeech-motor learning, these mechanisms can be dissociated and are thought to occur through a division of labor between the procedural and the declarative memory systems (Cohen et al., 2005; Song, 2009; van Zelst & Earle, 2021). Adolescents and young adults with CAS may have deficits in procedural learning (Iuzzini-Seigel, 2021) and thus may rely more heavily on declarative memory and learning processes. The overarching goal of this project is to investigate the time course of learning the movement (i.e., motor, procedural learning) and goal-based (i.e., linguistic, declarative learning) constituents of a new speech-motor representation in adolescents with (CAS) and without (TD) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).This work is the first step in a programmatic line of research to optimize the treatment of long-standing CAS in adolescents and young adults.
The Process
Step-by-Step
Visit our “Step-by-Step Graduation Guide” to take you through the graduation process.From formatting your Dissertation to Doctoral Hooding procedures.
Dissertation Manual
Wondering how to set up the format for your paper. Refer to the “UD Thesis/Dissertation Manual” for formatting requirements and more.
Defense Submission Form
This form must be completed two weeks in advance of a dissertation defense to meet the University of Delaware Graduate and Professional Education’s requirements.
