Publication Date

1984

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Shearer, William M.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Communicative Disorders

LCSH

Larynx; Voice

Abstract

This study was completed to determine the reliability of the s/z ratio for evaluations of laryngeal functioning. Two speech pathologists, known as Clinician A and Clinician B, evaluated 78 first and second grade children in the Sycamore, Illinois, public schools, using the s/z ratio. One-half of the children were tested first by Clinician A, and then retested several days later by Clinician B. The other one-half of the children were tested first by Clinician B, and retested several days later by Clinician A. All children were retested for a third and final time by Clinician A. S/z ratios were computed for all subjects for Test One, Test Two, and Test Three. Mean prolongation times for all s/z ratios were also computed. No significant differences were found between the s/z ratios of first graders and second graders, or between s/z ratios obtained by Clinician A and those obtained by Clinician B. Similarly, there was no significant difference in s/z ratios for Test One versus Test Two. Essentially no relationship was found between prolongation times and s/z ratios. Test Three, however, was found to have significantly smaller s/z ratios than either Test One or Test Two. This latter finding was felt to be related to the high incidence of respiratory infections during that testing period. Results of this study suggest that there is high test-retest reliability and high interclinician reliability in the s/z ratio for evaluating children's laryngeal function.

Comments

Bibliography : pages 47-48.

Extent

vi, 48 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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