Katherine C. Hustad, PhD

Position title: Oros Bascom Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders

PhD, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Contact Information

Waisman Center Room 463
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
608.265.9977
kchustad@wisc.edu
Lab Website: Wisconsin Intelligibility, Speech, and Communication Laboratory
Communication Sciences and Disorders

Research Statement

My laboratory is dedicated to the study of communication development in children with cerebral palsy (CP). CP is the most common cause of severe motor disability in children and it affects 2.5 per 1000 in the US. Although motor impairment is the primary defining feature of CP, other issues such as intellectual disabilities, seizure disorder, and learning disabilities often co-occur. In the past, studies have suggested that up to 60% of children with CP may have communication problems, but our own work has revealed that this figure may be considerably higher (up to 75%). Prior to our work, however, the exact nature of communication problems in children with CP had never been comprehensively examined. As a result, little is known about the nature of speech, language, and cognitive problems and their co-occurrence with gross motor, and fine motor problems. One result is that data-based prognoses for communication development are unknown, and many children who have CP do not receive appropriate speech and language intervention until they enter preschool, missing critical early intervention opportunities.

Research in my laboratory focuses on characterizing changes in speech production, speech intelligibility, language, cognition, and functional communication abilities among children with CP beginning at the age of 18 months and continuing through adolescence (and ultimately through adulthood). This work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2003. We are currently following approximately 100 children with CP over time to understand the ways in which their speech, language, and communication abilities develop and change as children grow up. One key facet of this work is that it involves multidimensional examination of a variety of complex communication-related variables as well as interactions among the different variables that have not previously been studied. A primary objective is to generate a theoretically driven, data-based longitudinal model of speech and language development in CP that can be used to predict outcomes, test interventions, and guide treatment decisions. The ultimate goal is to use this model of speech and language development and the classification groups that emerge from it to develop and test individually-targeted communication interventions aimed at enhancing developmental trajectories, communication outcomes, and quality of life for children with CP.

Selected Publications

PubMed

Sakash, A., Mahr, T. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2023). Perceptual measurement of articulatory goodness in young children: Relationships with age, speech sound acquisition, and intelligibility. Clinical linguistics & phonetics, 37(12), 1141–1156. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2022.2150893
Long, H. L., Christensen, L., Hayes, S., & Hustad, K. C. (2023). Vocal Characteristics of Infants at Risk for Speech Motor Involvement: A Scoping Review. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 66(11), 4432–4460. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00336
Soriano, J. U., Mahr, T. J., Rathouz, P. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2023). Intelligibility in Context Scale: Growth Curves for Typically Developing English-Speaking Children Between Ages 2;6 and 9;11. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(5), 2021–2039. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00392
Borrie, S. A., Hepworth, T. J., Wynn, C. J., Hustad, K. C., Barrett, T. S., & Lansford, K. L. (2023). Perceptual Learning of Dysarthria in Adolescence. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 66(10), 3791–3803. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00231
Hustad, K. C., Mahr, T. J., Soriano, J. U., & Rathouz, P. J. (2023). Developmental Cut-Points for Atypical Speech Intelligibility in Children With Cerebral Palsy. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 66(8S), 3089–3099. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00310
Long, H. L., & Hustad, K. C. (2023). Marginal and Canonical Babbling in 10 Infants at Risk for Cerebral Palsy. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(4S), 1835–1849. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00165
Mahr, T. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2023). Lexical Predictors of Intelligibility in Young Children’s Speech. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, 66(8S), 3013–3025. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00294
Long, H. L., Mahr, T. J., Natzke, P., Rathouz, P. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2022). Longitudinal change in speech classification between 4 and 10 years in children with cerebral palsy. Developmental medicine and child neurology, 64(9), 1096–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15198
Koopmans, C., Sakash, A., Soriano, J., Long, H. L., & Hustad, K. C. (2022). Functional Communication Abilities in Youth With Cerebral Palsy: Association With Impairment Profiles and School-Based Therapy Goals. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 53(1), 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00064
Mahr, T. J., Soriano, J. U., Rathouz, P. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2021). Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children II: Articulation Rate Growth Curves. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research: JSLHR, 64(11), 4057–4070. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00206
Soriano, J. U., Olivieri, A., & Hustad, K. C. (2021). Utility of the Intelligibility in Context Scale for Predicting Speech Intelligibility of Children with Cerebral Palsy. Brain sciences, 11(11), 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11111540
Hustad, K. C., Mahr, T. J., Natzke, P., & Rathouz, P. J. (2021). Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children I: Intelligibility Growth Curves for Single-Word and Multiword Productions. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research: JSLHR, 64(10), 3707–3719. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00142
Mahr, T. J., Berisha, V., Kawabata, K., Liss, J., & Hustad, K. C. (2021). Performance of Forced-Alignment Algorithms on Children’s Speech. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 64(6S), 2213–2222. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00268
Allison, K. M., Russell, M., & Hustad, K. C. (2021). Reliability of Perceptual Judgments of Phonetic Accuracy and Hypernasality Among Speech-Language Pathologists for Children With Dysarthria. American journal of speech-language pathology, 30(3S), 1558–1571. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00144
Sakash, A., Mahr, T., & Hustad, K. C. (2021). Validity of Parent Ratings of Speech Intelligibility for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Developmental neurorehabilitation, 24(2), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518423.2020.1830447
Mahr, T. J., Rathouz, P. J., & Hustad, K. C. (2020). Longitudinal Growth in Intelligibility of Connected Speech From 2 to 8 Years in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Novel Bayesian Approach. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 63(9), 2880–2893. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00181
McFadd, E. D., & Hustad, K. C. (2020). Communication Modes and Functions in Children With Cerebral Palsy. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 63(6), 1776–1792. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-19-00228
Hustad, K. C., Mahr, T., Natzke, P., & Rathouz, P. J. (2020). Development of Speech Intelligibility Between 30 and 47 Months in Typically Developing Children: A Cross-Sectional Study of Growth. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 63(6), 1675–1687. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00008
Hustad KC, Mahr TJ, Broman AT, Rathouz PJ. (2020). Longitudinal Growth in Single-Word Intelligibility Among Children With Cerebral Palsy From 24 to 96 Months of Age: Effects of Speech-Language Profile Group Membership on Outcomes. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 63(1):32-48. doi: 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-19-00033.
Braza MD, Sakash A, Natzke P, Hustad KC. (2019). Longitudinal Change in Speech Rate and Intelligibility Between 5 and 7 Years in Children With Cerebral Palsy. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 28(3):1139-1151. doi: 10.1044/2019_AJSLP-18-0233.
Hustad KC, Sakash A, Natzke PEM, Broman AT, Rathouz PJ. (2019). Longitudinal Growth in Single Word Intelligibility Among Children With Cerebral Palsy From 24 to 96 Months of Age: Predicting Later Outcomes From Early Speech Production. Journal of Speech Language Hearing Research, 19;62(6):1599-1613. doi: 10.1044/2018_JSLHR-S-18-0319.
Pennington L, Hustad KC. (2019). Construct Validity of the Viking Speech Scale. Folia Phoniatr Logop, 12:1-10. doi: 10.1159/000499926.
Chen LM, Hustad KC, Kent RD, Lin YC. (2018). Dysarthria in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Cerebral Palsy: Speech Subsystem Profiles. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 15;61(3):525-548.
Allison KM, Hustad KC. (2018). Acoustic Predictors of Pediatric Dysarthria in Cerebral Palsy. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(3):462-478.
Hustad KC, Allison KM, Sakash A, McFadd E, Broman AT, Rathouz PJ. (2017) Longitudinal development of communication in children with cerebral palsy between 24 and 53 months: Predicting speech outcomes. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 20(6):323-330.
Allison KM, Annear L, Policicchio M, Hustad KC. (2017). Range and Precision of Formant Movement in Pediatric Dysarthria. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 12;60(7):1864-1876.
Hustad KC, Oakes A, McFadd E, Allison KM. (2016) Alignment of classification paradigms for communication abilities in children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 58(6):597-604. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.12944.
Hustad KC. (2016) Reflections on the Functional Communication Classification System for children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 58(10):996. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13147.
Hustad KC, Oakes A, Allison K. (2015) Variability and diagnostic accuracy of speech intelligibility scores in children. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research. 17. doi: 10.1044/2015_JSLHR-S-14-0365.
Smith AL, Hustad KC. (2015) AAC and Early Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Parent Perceptions and Child Risk Factors. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 31(4):336-50. doi: 10.3109/07434618.2015.1084373.
Lee J, Hustad KC, Weismer G. (2014) Predicting speech intelligibility with a multiple speech subsystems approach in children with cerebral palsy. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research. 1;57(5):1666-78.
Allison KM, Hustad KC. (2014) Impact of sentence length and phonetic complexity on intelligibility of 5-year-old children with cerebral palsy. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 16(4):396-407.
Lee J, Hustad KC. (2013) A Preliminary Investigation of Longitudinal Changes in Speech Production over 18 Months in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. 65(1):32-39.
McFadd E, Hustad KC. (2013) Assessment of social function in four-year-old children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 16(2):102-1.
Hustad KC, Allison K, McFadd E, Riehle K. (2013) Speech and language development in 2-year-old children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 2013 Apr 29.
Hustad KC, Schueler B, Schultz L, Duhadway C. (2012) Intelligibility of 4 year old children with and without cerebral palsy. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Jan 9.
Clancy KJ, Hustad KC. (2011) Longitudinal changes in feeding among children with cerebral palsy between the ages of 4 and 7 years. Developmental Neurorehabilitation. 14(4):191-8.
Hustad KC, Dardis CM, Kramper AJ. (2011) Use of listening strategies for the speech of individuals with dysarthria and cerebral palsy. Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Mar;27(1):5-15..
Hustad KC, Miles LK. (2010) Alignment between Augmentative and Alternative Communication Needs and School-Based Speech-Language Services Provided to Young Children with Cerebral Palsy. Early Childhood Services. Sep 10;4(3):129-140.
Hustad KC, Gorton K, Lee J. (2010) Classification of speech and language profiles in 4-year-old children with cerebral palsy: a prospective preliminary study. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Dec;53(6):1496-513.