UM pair to present paper on preschool tests, language

ORONO – Veronica Segarra, a sophomore at the University of Connecticut and alumna of the University of Maine’s Upward Bound program, will present a paper with Nancy Hall, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at UMaine, at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Convention in Atlanta, Nov. 21-24.

Segarra and Hall’s paper, “Predicting School Performance Using Preschool Language Measures,” investigates the ability of preschool tests to predict how children with developmental language disorders will perform academically.

Segarra conducted the research at UMaine’s Upward Bound Regional Math-Science Center the summer before she entered the University of Connecticut.

“I am not aware of any work conducted by a high school student presented to the national convention – this is an extraordinary accomplishment. When I first began working with Veronica, it became clear to me that she understood and used the scientific method in ways that some of my graduate students are just learning,” Hall said.

Each summer, some 50 highly motivated math, science and technology high school students from throughout New England spend six weeks at UMaine’s math-science center. The students also receive academic advice throughout the school year. The purpose of the federally funded center is to assist economically disadvantaged high school students in their efforts to succeed in college.

Segarra attended UMaine’s Upward Bound program for three years. She credits the Upward Bound math-science program for equipping her to pursue these goals.

“Upward Bound has played such a significant role in my life, I can’t express how much it did for me, from my ability to present myself verbally to the chance to conduct research with someone like Nancy Hall. If you’ve found your calling, the people at Upward Bound will help you in whatever way they can,” Segarra said.

Of her research, she said, “I wanted to find out if we could predict what areas children with speech language deficiencies would end up needing help in during later years. If we can get that information when they are in preschool, then we can get teachers and tutors to focus on those areas when the children are younger, therefore preventing the academic delays these children experience in elementary school.”

Segarra and Hall’s research built on previous studies, examining the correlation among nine different language test scores in preschool and how the children performed on academic tests in elementary school.

“A parental test like the Vineland gives us a broader evaluation of the child’s development, telling us how the child does at home and how the child is socializing with others. That’s more than a doctor can determine in an evaluation that lasts only a couple of hours, at the most. Therefore, the deficiencies reported by the parents may be the most significant areas to focus on improving during preschool,” Segarra said.

Segarra and Hall recommend that future research concentrate on determining the most useful ways to capture a parent’s understanding of the child’s language skills. For example, rather than a one-time interview with parents, parents could keep a weekly log about the child’s communication experiences.

“The law requires that parents be included in special education processes, but they are often left out of the daily business of assessment and treatment. The use of a family-based model of treatment, such as the one used in the Conley Speech and Hearing Center on the UMaine campus, helps to address some of the disconnect parents report when their children are receiving services,” Hall said.

Segarra, a speech language pathology major, says she hopes to have a career working with children with speech language disorders.