Media Kit

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Dear Mr. Rainey,

In the United States, more than 17 percent of adults report some degree of hearing loss. Only 1 out of 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one and between 6 to 8 million people in the U.S. have some form of language impairment.

This is an important public health issue for your readers, especially elderly adults and those with children. Communication is the most human of abilities, providing job holding, social interaction and fundamental needs. The Department of Communication Disorders at Auburn University utilizes its research and teaching in the speech and hearing clinic, offering services in audiology and speech pathology.

Enclosed, you will find press releases that feature an iPod study telling of the negative affects of high volume and the story of our department’s trip to Guatemala to distribute hearing aids. Feature stories showcase the clinic’s wide range of clients, from young autistic children to elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease. A biography of the department chair, Dr. Rebekah Pindzola is included as well as a fact sheet with key information about Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic. Broadcast releases are enclosed to announce our free speech and hearing screening.

We urge you to embrace this significant matter and assist us in raising alertness about speech and hearing disorders by covering this topic in Opelika-Auburn News.

For more information or to speak with anyone from Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic, please call me at (256) 658-0050. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Phillips

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Contact:Dr. Daniel Phillips, Assistant Professor, Auburn University(334) 844-9631, ([email protected])

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-Fact Sheet-

Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic: At a Glance

The Department of Communication Disorders offers a fully functioning Speech and Hearing Clinic in Haley Center. Yearly, Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic treats 6,000 to 8,000 patients. The clinic operates on a sliding fee scale for clients based on family size and income.

The clinic was established in 1947, and has been housed in Haley Center since its opening in 1969.

In 1969, the audiology and speech-language pathology programs became separately accredited. Both programs were re-accredited in February 2009.

Several degrees are offered within the Department of Communication Disorders including:

o Undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorderso Graduate program of study in speech-language pathologyo Professional degree program of study, the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree

In the 2008 U.S. News and World Report, Auburn’s audiology program was ranked No. 44 and its speech pathology program ranked No. 53. Auburn is the only university in Alabama to be ranked.

In 2008, the Department of Communication Disorders occupied 15 full-time faculty members, 92 undergraduates, 34 audiology students and 41 speech pathology students.

The majority of audiology patients at Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic are adults receiving hearing tests; children and infants are also seen to check for deafness. Speech pathology sees more children with severe problems like cleft pallets, stuttering, autism and swallowing disorders; adults are treated for impairments like voice disorders, language reception and motor speech problems and impaired swallowing.

The clinic is currently gaining additional space in Haley and is working with the campus architect and design team to renovate. It is anticipated that by 2010, the clinic will have a fresh and modern environment for treating its patients.

Additional information can be found at http://media.cla.auburn.edu/commdis/clinic/

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DR. REBEKAH PINDZOLACHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

BIOGRAPHY

Rebekah Pindzola became interested in providing health care assistance while growing up with her cousin and accompanying her to speech therapy after school. In college she pursued that dream, receiving her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Tennessee.

Pindzola has now served Auburn University for more than 31 years.She began as an assistant professor in communication disorders and worked her way up to professor. She later served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts. In Fall 2005, she returned to her home department of communication disorders and has since served as administrative chair.

Pindzola coauthored two best-selling texts in her field: Diagnosis and Evaluation in Speech Pathology (7th edition) and Communication Disorders in the Classroom (3rd edition). She also authored two clinical monographs: Stuttering Intervention Program Age 3 to Grade 3 and the Voice Assessment Protocol. In addition, Dr. Pindzola has published research articles and contributed book chapters in the areas of fluency, stuttering, alaryngeal speech and vocal assessment. She also has taught graduate-level courses in these areas as well as in anatomy and in neuropathologies of speech and language.

“I love helping people,” Pindzola said. “And at Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic we have the most progressive services to offer and a wonderful environment to make steps forward in our field.”

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NEWS RELEASEDecember 11, 2009

Auburn University study proves the negative effects on personal safety while listening to Mp3 players

AUBURN, Ala.—Auburn University Department of Communication Disorders conducted a study among Auburn students that shows high volume levels when using personal listening devices such as iPods can be detrimental to personal safety.

The study, conducted in 2008 and led by Dr. Sridhar Krishnamurti, consisted of a survey of college students and observations of students listening to their iPods. There are a multitude of studies that investigate risks in hearing loss due to Mp3 player use, but Auburn’s is the first of its kind. The purpose of the study was to survey listening habits and attitudes of representative college students who use Mp3 players and to explore potential safety concerns linked to Mp3 player listening.

“The iPod itself doesn’t actually harm when it is at an appropriate volume,” Krishnamurti said. “However, when students listen to iPods while walking to class or engaging in activities such as exercise, they have a significant increase in distraction and a decrease in alertness.”

Alicia Hoover, a communication disorders student, assisted Krishnamurti in the study during her undergraduate research fellowship. The survey she developed consisted of questions about volume level and activities performed while listening to an Mp3 player.

In the survey, respondents between the ages of 19 and 25 represented 35 universities across the nation. One-third of respondents reported being distracted while wearing an Mp3 player and more than one-third of listeners experienced soreness in their ears after a listening session. Approximately one-third of respondents reported occasionally using their Mp3 players at maximum volume levels, which showed to be dangerous after only 5 minutes.

“The good news is most people listen at safe levels, according to other research,” Hoover said.

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“On the other hand, many students use their iPod while exercising, biking, walking around campus and even driving their cars which can be dangerous because of the distraction it causes.”

More than 73 percent of those surveyed said they felt safe wearing an iPod, but according to the study, it is one thing to think you are safe and it is another to actually be safe.

In addition to the survey, auditory attention tests were given to 16 Auburn students while listening to iPods at different volume levels. These tests examined students’ behavior when background noise was present as well as their ability to pay attention as the iPod volume increased.

Most students increased the volume level as background noise got louder, thus reducing their ability to perform in attention tests given while listening. Males and females participating in the tests experienced similar results in the broad spectrum of measurements taken, proving selective attention while listening to iPods affects both genders.

Communicating with others was one of the biggest issues faced by students in the study. “If people are trying to communicate with you and you have your iPod in, it can be difficult,” Krishnamurti said. Since Auburn is a community teeming with college students, this study holds special significance for the community.

The study recommends listening to Mp3 player at 50 percent volume or less. Attention and hearing loss occur at 75 percent volume, which is where the danger lies.

“We’re not saying don’t use an iPod,” Krishnamurti said, “but you might be more conscious of your surroundings if you aren’t listening while engaging in other activities.”

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Study proves the negative effects on personal safety while listening to Mp3 players

AUBURN, Ala.—A 2008 study conducted at Auburn University shows high volume levels when using personal listening devices such as iPods can be detrimental to personal safety.

The study, led by Dr. Sridhar Krishnamurti at Auburn University Department of Communication Disorders, consisted of a survey of college students and observations of students listening to their iPods. There are a multitude of studies that investigate risks in hearing loss due to Mp3 player use, but Krishnamurti’s is the first of its kind. The purpose of the study was to survey listening habits and attitudes of representative college students who use Mp3 players and to explore potential safety concerns linked to Mp3 player listening.

“The iPod itself doesn’t actually harm when it is at an appropriate volume,” Krishnamurti said. “However, when students listen to iPods while walking to class or engaging in activities such as exercise, they have a significant increase in distraction and a decrease in alertness.”

Alicia Hoover, a communication disorders student, assisted Krishnamurti in the study during her undergraduate research fellowship. The survey she developed consisted of questions about volume level and activities performed while listening to an Mp3 player.

In the survey, respondents between the ages of 19 and 25 represented 35 universities across the nation. One-third of respondents reported being distracted while wearing an Mp3 player and more than one-third of listeners experienced soreness in their ears after a listening session. Approximately one-third of respondents reported occasionally using their Mp3 players at maximum volume levels, which showed to be dangerous after only 5 minutes.

“The good news is most people listen at safe levels, according to other research,” Hoover said.

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“On the other hand, many students use their iPod while exercising, biking, walking around campus and even driving their cars which can be dangerous because of the distraction it causes.”

More than 73 percent of those surveyed said they felt safe wearing an iPod, but according to the study, it is one thing to think you are safe and it is another to actually be safe.

In addition to the survey, auditory attention tests were given to students while listening to iPods at different volume levels. These tests examined students’ behavior when background noise was present as well as their ability to pay attention as the iPod volume increased.

Most students increased the volume level as background noise got louder, thus reducing their ability to perform in attention tests given while listening. Males and females participating in the tests experienced similar results in the broad spectrum of measurements taken, proving selective attention while listening to iPods affects both genders.

Communicating with others was one of the biggest issues faced by students in the study. “If people are trying to communicate with you and you have your iPod in, it can be difficult,” Krishnamurti said.

The study recommends listening to Mp3 player at 50 percent volume or less. Attention and hearing loss occur at 75 percent volume, which is where the danger lies.

“We’re not saying don’t use an iPod,” Krishnamurti said, “but you might be more conscious of your surroundings if you aren’t listening while engaging in other activities.”

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Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic distributes hearing aids to impoverished children

AUBURN, Ala.—Auburn University students went to Guatemala City in August 2009 to perform hearing tests on children and distribute hearing aids at three different schools. Forty new hearing aids were given to children with significant hearing loss and the most need for use at school.

The trip was led by Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic audiologist, Dr. Sandra Clark-Lewis. “The audiology program was invited by the Municipality of Guatemala City,” Clark-Lewis said. “This just showcases the talent known to be here.”

Six Auburn doctoral students and audiology alumnae, Dr. Martha Miller accompanied Clark-Lewis to Guatemala in August.

The schools Auburn went to assist are special institutions that focus on children with a high possibility of becoming homeless. Eight of these schools exist in Guatemala City, and were established by the mayor’s wife, Patricia Arzu.

“Many of these kids have never been taught how to eat at a table,” Clark-Lewis said. “These schools not only keep these kids off the streets, but give them the basic tools they will need to succeed in life.”

Emma Rice serves as graduate assistant to the Guatemala Outreach Program. Her role is to help raise funds for the trip and assist students in getting all paperwork necessary to go abroad. “The most rewarding part of the entire week was getting to see such a wide variety of cases and gain so much more clinical experience through working with these problems,” Rice said. “Because of the great poverty in Guatemala, many children do not have the money to receive proper medical care for things such as ear infections. It was so neat to see these cases and know that finally

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someone is able to help these children.”

Auburn representatives went not only with the intention to distribute hearing aides, but to make their work sustainable. “We didn’t want to go as a flash in the pan,” Clark-Lewis said. “We were able to purchase an audiometer, a machine that tests hearing.” The group also trained the school nutritionist to screen hearing with this machine. She will in turn train other school faculty in the system, allowing them to administer their own hearing screening program.

In March 2010, Clark-Lewis will lead another team of Auburn audiology doctoral students to test more children and re-test those who failed tests on their last visit in August. They will be bringing with them 50 hearing aids to issue to children who do poorly on hearing tests.

“The spring trip will be exciting because we have so many children to follow up with,” Rice said. “There will be many more hearing aids to fit and we will feel more comfortable now that this is no longer uncharted territory.”

Clark-Lewis says in the future she hopes students from Auburn’s program will make the trip to Guatemala every year. She is attempting to raise funding to support student travel on the trip in March. Donations can be made at the Web site, www.auaudiology.ning.com.

Doctoral students who went in August benefited immensely because of the clinical experience. “I find great joy in watching students grow into outstanding clinicians,” Clark-Lewis said. “It was amazing to see the clinical growth during this week and it was fantastic for the students to experience the Guatemalan culture.”

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http://www.auaudiology.ning.com/

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Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic helps Parkinson’s disease patients and aides in establishing support group

AUBURN, Ala.—Tom Bonniol was a Hall of Fame swimmer in high school. He later went on to coach swimming, work for the Red Cross and most recently served as director of purchasing for Sony. He has traveled to 49 states and more than 40 European countries.

In February 2005, Bonniol was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a debilitating disease that affects the nervous system and cognitive abilities, eventually making the capacity to think and act difficult due to brain cells being killed by the disease.

A few symptoms of the disease proved themselves to be especially hindering to Bonniol. He began having difficulty with his speech and swallowing. He was given a recommendation to see Dr. Daniel Phillips of the Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic.

“Part of my quest to improve my voice was contacting Dr. Phillips,” Bonniol said. Phillips is the only speech pathologist in the Auburn, Ala. area certified in the most innovative voice treatment available to Parkinson’s patients: the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. According to the LSVT Foundation, 89 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease will have problems with speech that start early in the disease process and progressively diminish quality of life. LSVT is an intense 1 hour a day, 4-week course of therapy that teaches people with Parkinson’s disease to develop the strength required to speak at a normal vocal loudness.

Bonniol was Phillips’ primary patient in the program. “The idea of the treatment is to think loud, breath deeper and put in more effort in order to speak clearer,” Phillips said. Part of the patients’ “homework” is to practice loud “ah” sounds to help them project their voices.

“It helped me immeasurably,” Bonniol said of the treatment. “It is necessary to continue exercises daily just like any athlete in his own sport. Practice is the tool to which you can attain and retain a level of satisfaction in speech.”

As a result of his treatments with Phillips, Bonniol can project his voice across the room, whereas last Spring he could barely be heard even when the listener sat right next to him. “For the first time in years, I can order for myself at a restaurant,” Bonniol said. “Before, the server couldn’t hear me.”

Bonniol and his wife, Betty, live in Auburn, Ala. with his daughter and son-in-law. Betty is Bonniol’s primary caregiver, and the two have been married 29 years. Bonniol describes their living situation as “win-win.” His daughter and son-in-law have built-in grandparents, and Betty

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gains assistance in her care-giving. Before moving to Auburn, the Bonniols lived in Birmingham, Ala. where Bonniol was a member of a Parkinson’s disease support group. Upon moving to Auburn, he discovered there was no such group that existed in the area.

Although Phillips does not suffer from Parkinson’s disease himself, his passion for its patients led he and Bonniol to come together to plan and start a support group in Auburn. The Lee County Area Parkinson’s Disease Support Group’s initial meeting in September was held in St. Michael’s Church. Thirty-two people came to the first meeting, and 52 people attended the most recent meeting in November. Meetings are held the second Sunday of every month and consist of a guest speaker on the subject of Parkinson’s disease.

To be a member of the support group and attend meetings there are no charged dues. In the future Bonniol aspires for there to be water aerobics classes and weekly exercise sessions. “It will be good for Parkinson’s patients to come together and improve their physical capabilities, strength and potential,” Bonniol said.

It isn’t just Parkinson’s disease patients who are welcome at meetings; they also are concerned with giving assistance to caregivers. “They are the ones saddled with giving the best care they can year after year and we want to pave their way toward success and comfort,” Bonniol explained. “They are as much a part of the support group as we patients are.”

Betty enjoys the benefits she, the caregiver, reaps from the support group. “I think it is a wonderful idea, especially with so many Parkinson’s patients around,” she said. “Anyone with common interest can help each other.”

Bonniol serves as executive vice president of the support group, but plans on giving the reins to a younger face after two years. Since there are no dues to be a member of the support group, it must raise all the money to cover operational expenses. The current fundraiser is raffling off a football signed by all 12 of the Auburn football coaches, and there are future plans to raffle a quilt knit by a late Parkinson’s patient.

Without the treatment and help of Phillips, Bonniol may never have had the confidence to start the support group, Bonniol says. “My proudest moment was watching Tom speak at the last support group meeting,” Phillips said. “He was able to project all the way across the room, which is something he wouldn’t have done before we started his treatment.”

The goal of the support group as a whole, according to Bonniol, is to give people hope there will be success in the total curing program. He says the most important thing for a Parkinson’s patient is a good frame of mind and a positive attitude. Bonniol is looking for the cure, and he’s been told it will be found.

Bonniol and his wife are planning their 28th and final trip to Europe next year due to his health. But in keeping with the idea of maintaining a positive attitude, Bonniol said, “we don’t want people to feel bad, we want them to feel good because that in turn makes us feel good.”

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Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic sets the bar for speech therapy in patients with autism

AUBURN, Ala.—Sam Allison has been going to Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic for speech therapy since he was 3 years old. He was diagnosed with autism at 22 months and now, at age 6, struggles with the ability to communicate his feelings and needs. Sam’s mother, Tammy Allison, proudly watches her son from the observation room while he diligently does speech exercises with the Auburn graduate student assisting him.

Auburn’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, a fully functioning clinic located in the heart of Auburn’s campus in Haley Center, contains therapy rooms with connecting observation rooms for clinicians to examine their patient, parents to watch their children and for spouses or other visitors to view their loved one as they receive therapy. Sam’s clinician, Dr. Nancy Nusbaum, has worked with him since he came to the Speech and Hearing Clinic three years ago. However, at every new school semester at Auburn, Sam receives a new graduate clinician who works with him for a few months until the end of the semester.

“Sam has always had clinicians that seem to pull different things out of him,” Nusbaum said. Having a different clinician every semester not only helps Sam interact with new people, Tammy Allison comments, but it has allowed him to work through diverse methods of communication. Each clinician has a new personality and a fresh demeanor, which for autism patients can be difficult to get used to. The experience, according to Tammy, has been good for Sam and the structure has helped him.

Before coming to Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic, Sam struggled with language. “He was babbling, not doing more than playing with his voice,” Allison said. “His sounds and what they pull out of him has greatly increased. Every clinician has a different technique.”

No two autistic patients are the same, Nusbaum says. The three components of autism are behavioral, social and communication. Nusbaum’s goal for Sam is not necessarily speech, but any form of communication. “There’s more to it than just words,” she said. Sam’s main challenge is getting others to understand what he is trying to communicate and to respond. According to Allison, the clinicians working with him are excellent in staying entirely attentive so as not to miss any communication cues Sam relays to them.

Sam has also worked through some extreme behaviors that are common in children with

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autism including spitting, kicking, biting and throwing. In such cases, Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic clinicians don’t react to the behavior and continue with therapy, which in turn has caused the conduct to decrease. “If you’re unable to talk and communicate, those types of behaviors display the frustration and may be the only way you have to communicate,” Nusbaum said.

Fall of 2009, Sam’s graduate clinician, Rebekah Hobbs, began using a computer technique to work with him. He views images on the screen and repeats what he sees through speech and motions. With most autism patients, a difficult task in therapy is finding something that will motivate them to do the exercises with the clinician. As Nusbaum and Tammy will attest, working with the computer is Sam’s reinforcement.

Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic works with patients of all ages who have various reasons to receive speech or audiology therapy. Dr. Rebekah Pindzola, department chair, oversees both the clinic and the educational aspects of the Department of Communication Disorders. The clinic offers services ranging from patients with voice disorders, stuttering, cleft pallets, ear infections, swallowing, hearing tests, Parkinson’s disease, language reception associated with strokes, motor speech problems and a number of other ailments in adults and children.

“We chose Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic because friends of ours used the clinic,” Tammy said. “Sam needed help with his speech and we’ve been happy every year we’ve been here.”

Nusbaum has gone beyond her duties to see that Sam is able to communicate efficiently. She arranged for representatives to bring Augmentative Communication Devices for Sam to try. These devices are personal computers that speak for the user. The child can choose from a series of pictures to express needs. Sam wasn’t ready for the devices on the representatives’ last visit, but plans are currently being made for them to return and let Sam try again.

“Dr. Nusbaum set up all the appointments for the representatives to come in and arranged for them to travel to Auburn,” Allison said. “Our relationship with Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic has gone further than just being patients. They really want to see Sam succeed.”

According to Nusbaum, wanting to rally around Sam is easy to do. He has gone from crawling under the table and throwing objects across the room in his first sessions at the clinic to being able to focus during therapy. “Sam’s personality tends to create a team around him,” Nusbaum said. “He’s engaged during therapy and you can tell he’s trying to connect with people.”

Sam faces many challenges, but being behind cognitively is not one of them. “People automatically assume he is unintelligent and therefore don’t expect as much from him,” Tammy said. “But here at the clinic they know he can do well if he wants to and expect him to do so.”

Allison and Sam take things one day at a time, but have a big picture in mind. Verbal communication is a desired outcome of therapy, Allison says, but regardless, the Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic is giving Sam the means to communicate.

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Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic Total Time: :30 secondsFree Speech and Hearing Screening Date: Dec. 11, 2009

ANNOUNCER: AUBURN UNIVERSITY SPEECH AND HEARING CLINIC IS

OFFERING A FREE SPEECH AND HEARING SCREENING TO THE PUBLIC ON

DECEMBER 11TH, 2009. THE CLINIC IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF AUBURN’S

CAMPUS IN 1199 HALEY CENTER. AT THE SCREENING, A BRIEF ANALYSIS

WILL BE GIVEN TO DIAGNOSE THE PRESENCE OF HEARING DISORDERS AND

SPEECH-LANGUAGE DISORDERS. COME FOR YOUR FREE SCREENING

DECEMBER 11TH. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (334) 844-9600 OR VISIT OUR

WEB SITE.

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Contact:Dr. Daniel PhillipsAssistant Professor, Auburn University(334) 844-9631, (dep0006)

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Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic Total Time: :60 secondsFree Speech and Hearing Screening Date: Dec. 11, 2009

ANNOUNCER: AUBURN UNIVERSITY SPEECH AND HEARING CLINIC IS

OFFERING A FREE SPEECH AND HEARING SCREENING TO THE PUBLIC ON

DECEMBER 11TH, 2009. THE CLINIC IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF AUBURN’S

CAMPUS IN 1199 HALEY CENTER. AT THE SCREENING, A BRIEF ANALYSIS

WILL BE GIVEN TO DIAGNOSE THE PRESENCE OF A HEARING DISORDER OR

HEARING LOSS. WE CAN DETECT ARITICULATION ISSUES WITH SOUND

FORMATION OR DELAYED LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, VOICE DISORDERS,

SWALLOWING DISORDERS OR THE LOSS OF LANGUAGE. MANY SUFFER

FROM A DECLINE IN EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE FOLLOWING A STROKE OR

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NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE. COMMUNICATION IS THE MOST HUMAN OF

ABILITIES AND PROVIDES SOCIAL INTERACTION, JOB HOLDING AND BASIC

NEEDS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET CHECKED FOR PROBLEMS IN SPEECH

AND HEARING. COME FOR YOUR FREE SCREENING AT THE AUBURN SPEECH

AND HEARING CLINIC ON DECEMBER 11TH IN 1199 HALEY CENTER. FOR

MORE INFORMATION, CALL (334) 844-9600 OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE.

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Contact:Dr. Daniel Phillips, Assistant Professor, Auburn University(334) 844-9631, (dep0006)

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