Experiences are the impressions developed through gaining, using, fostering, and sometimes disposing of a service or product. Recent years have shown an ongoing emphasis placed on experiences and their impacts; one of particular interest for this study are the experiences of para-collegiate student-athletes. Using the Experience Type Framework…

Background: The most common cause of aphasia is a left middle cerebral artery stroke affecting the left perisylvian region of the brain. The perisylvian region is critical for supporting phonological processing, and damage to this region results in difficulty with retrieving and manipulating speech sounds. The impact of weakened phonology has been…

While clinical engagement is widely considered to be essential to the rehabilitation process, little empirical evidence exists examining the influence of engagement-enhancing practices on clinical performance. This dissertation study sought to evaluate the impact of a set of clinician-driven engagement practices, targeting key affective states,…

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a developmental speech sound disorder (SSD) notable for its severity and persistence of speech difficulties. A debate has surfaced historically about the cause of the speech and language deficits observed in the disorder. As children with CAS often present with comorbid language problems (i.e., receptive and…

Prospective memory (PM), the ability to remember to execute an intention in the future, is critical for the performance of everyday tasks important for independence and quality of life. PM failures are associated with negative health, financial, and social outcomes, and are more frequent with increased age and can be even greater for older adults…

Language processing is an extremely important, uniquely human cognitive ability. For well over a century, researchers have sought to understand how the human brain implements a system for instantaneously recognizing and generating complex linguistic patterns. Left perisylvian regions are considered to have certain computational abilities that are…

It has been widely recognized that a visual impairment can limit an individual's ability to learn through visual observations. This decreased limited visual access which could impact how the skills to access and recognize the world around them develop. However, when the visual impairment was brain-based, such as in Cortical/Cerebral Visual…

This study delved into the heightened risk of adverse psychosocial outcomes faced by young individuals leaving detention, encompassing challenges such as limited reconnection to education, diminished mental and physical well-being, persistent family difficulties, and social isolation (Altschuler & Armstrong, 1990; Altschuler & Brash, 2004;…

There is a long history of individuals with extensive support needs (ESN) being sterilized without their knowledge and consent. Students with ESN are defined as individuals who need continuous and widespread supports necessary for academic, communication, and/or daily living skills. These individuals typically have more than one diagnosis…

VestibulOTherapy is an emerging frame of reference, grounded in contemporary neuroscience evidence with supporting theories from OT-Ayres Sensory Integration and vestibular rehabilitation. Through its application, children with vestibular under- registration will experience adequate vestibular activation to generate myelination and develop…

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to explore educators and school leaders in Arizona and experiences that contributed to their preparation and work with the traumatic brain injured population. Specifically, experiences that influenced their understanding of the academic and behavioral needs of students were explored. Qualitative…

Each year approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million people suffer a sports-related traumatic brain injury (Langlois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). Concussions, a common form of mild traumatic brain injury, account for 75% of total brain injuries in the United States (Faul, Xu, Wald, & Coronado, 2010). In sports, concussions account for 1 of every…

The purpose of this study was to compare the first-time neurocognitive concussion baseline outcomes, using the Cognigram assessment software, between American and Brazilian professional bull riders. The analysis was performed using the database provided by the Professional Bull Riding Association Sports Medicine staff. The Cognigram assessment…

There has been an increase of both neurodivergent students and enrollment in Computer Science programs in higher education. These increases have brought attention to two separate challenges: neurodivergent college students struggle more compared to their neurotypical peers and many students struggle in introductory computer science courses. This…

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to develop an activity to address paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH), a sequela of traumatic and acquired brain injury (TBI/ABI), and evaluate pre-/post-activity knowledge and comfort levels. Participants were also asked to approximate intent to change future practice and…