Seminars in Speech and Language最新文献

Communication partner training (CPT) is an evidence-based treatment approach, applied when working with people with traumatic brain injury (pwTBI). However, all existing programs are available in English only. This article focuses on surveying people in China about their awareness of CPT for pwTBI, and the perceived benefits and challenges of implementing CPT programs, with a view to providing recommendations for optimal services. The authors surveyed 339 medical professional (n = 169) and non-medical professional (n = 170) communication partners to obtain their awareness about CPT. Further, they were asked to identify the potential barriers and benefits of implementing CPT. Potential components that should be considered when developing a CPT program for pwTBI in China were also identified by the communication partners. This article reported low awareness levels about CPT for both medical professional (33.33%) and non-medical professional (22.14%) communication partners. Both groups reported interest in opportunities to receive CPT. The findings of this study will be useful as a guide when developing CPT programs for pwTBI in China. The findings also have implications for the global translation of CPT programs to other languages and countries where they may have a positive impact on the lives of pwTBI and their communication partners.

Various researchers have identified naming speed (rapid automatized naming [RAN]) as a predictor for reading skills and dyslexia. Although fewer studies investigate the connection between RAN and writing acquisition, their results suggest a connection between alphanumeric RAN tasks and spelling skills. Since the cognitive processes relevant to RAN have not yet been researched, it is unclear which components connect spelling performance and naming speed. Various authors propose a connection through orthographic and visual knowledge. This study investigated whether and how alphanumeric (letters and digits) and non-alphanumeric RAN (colors, objects) relate to spelling skills in German. Therefore, we investigated naming speed abilities in German 8- to 11-year-olds (n = 103) with pure developmental dysgraphia (i.e., isolated spelling deficit without reading deficit; n = 22), combined developmental dysgraphia and dyslexia (n = 26), and typical spelling and reading skills (n = 55). We found significant differences between children with pure developmental dysgraphia and children with typical reading and spelling skills for alphanumeric, but not non-alphanumeric RAN tasks. Our findings suggest that alphanumeric RAN, in contrast to non-alphanumeric RAN, is related to spelling. The study thus reveals the relevant difference between alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric RAN tasks and points toward distinct underlying cognitive mechanisms.

The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child highlight the importance of children being involved in matters that concern them. Examining children's drawings can support speech-language pathologists' understanding of children's unique communication experiences, especially when considered alongside a language sample analysis (LSA). This study investigated drawings as a tool for use with multilingual children. The participants were 19 children aged 3 to 5 years who used Jamaican Creole and Jamaican English with either typical development (TD, n = 10) or developmental language disorder (DLD, n = 9). Children drew themselves talking, completed the Speech Activity and Participation Assessment of Children (SPAA-C), and provided language samples in both language contexts. Drawings were examined for themes and focal points, the SPAA-C was coded for emotion types, and language samples were analyzed using LSA measures (e.g., mean length of utterance, Index of Productive Syntax). The TD group represented themes more often within their drawings compared to the DLD group. Responses on the SPAA-C were generally positive for both groups. The TD group achieved higher scores across almost all LSA measures compared to the DLD group. The findings suggest that drawings, in concert with LSAs, may be a useful tool in understanding multilingual children's unique communication experiences.

Multilingualism is the norm, not the exception, with most children speaking more than one language daily. These factors have motivated an increased need to better understand language use in the growing population of children whose cultural and linguistic background evidence language variation by way of Creole languages and dialects of American Englishes. Within speech-language pathology in the United States, however, a cultural and linguistic mismatch exists with only 8% of speech-language pathologists self-identifying as multilingual service providers. A variety of publications have documented speech-language development and disorders in speakers of majority language pairings (such as Spanish-English) to address this mismatch and the potential for misdiagnosis of speech-language function. However, there is a shortage of information on speakers of minority language pairings (such as a Creole language and its lexifier) for supporting culturally responsive practices in speech-language pathology. This clinical seminar considers multilingualism for speech-language pathology with the goal of offering a historical context. In so doing, this clinical seminar aims to address the need for distinguishing between dialect and disorder, and offer practical considerations that reduce the risk of misdiagnosis in children who speak minority languages such as Creoles (e.g., Gullah/Geechee, Jamaican Creole) and dialects of American Englishes (e.g., African American English), as examples in the context of the United States.

This tutorial aimed to bridge the gap in the literature by presenting historical and contextual backgrounds on Caribbean Creoles and their speakers while examining the potential benefits and practical implications of incorporating translanguaging into speech-language intervention for children from Caribbean Creole-speaking backgrounds. Utilizing the principles of translanguaging, this tutorial introduces the Translanguaging Speech-Language Intervention Framework (TSI Framework) for clinical speech-language-hearing intervention. The TSI is proposed as a useful tool for working with Caribbean Creole children, though it is applicable to other groups as well. Incorporating TSI into intervention with Caribbean Creole speakers allows for bilingual children to develop and grow their unitary complex language system, equips service providers with a tool to provide culturally responsive service, fosters a strength-based approach for bilingual intervention and assessment, supports families and encourages home language maintenance, and promotes and advocates for linguistic justice.

It is no secret that the overwhelming majority (91%) of certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify as White, while Black SLPs make up less than 4% of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) member and affiliate profile (ASHA, 2022). On the other hand, Black students are disproportionately represented in special education programs (17%; NCES, 2024) and the majority (64%) qualify for services with speech-language (or related) diagnoses as of the 2022-2023 school year (NCES, 2024). These statistics suggest that Black students will likely encounter clinicians whose racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds differ from their own. Undoubtedly, the data have sparked conversations in the literature regarding the importance of cultural competence, cultural humility, and cultural sensitivity among therapists who serve racially and ethnically diverse clients. For instance, the discussion of SLPs' roles in addressing educational disparities for under-represented populations requires a level of self-awareness and cultural sensitivity that not every practitioner claims to possess. Further discussion regarding the pursuit of cultural competence is needed to contribute to a deeper understanding of clinical outcomes associated with cultural incongruence in SLPs.

This article explores the linguistic and cultural significance of Gullah Geechee, an English-based Creole language, and its speakers as bilingual users. It examines the historical roots, linguistic features, and sociocultural importance of Gullah Geechee, which emerged from the interaction of African languages and English during the transatlantic slave trade. The study highlights Gullah Geechee's role as a linguistic variety used by African Americans, focusing on its phonological, syntactical, and lexical traits while challenging the marginalization of both Gullah Geechee and African American English as "broken" English. This article also looks at generational shifts in language use and identity among Gullah Geechee speakers, from historical stigmatization to a modern revival of cultural pride. It advocates for recognizing Gullah Geechee and African American English as legitimate languages, promoting culturally responsive teaching and bidialectal education. Emphasizing the need for systemic change, this article calls for the validation of heritage languages to support linguistic justice, academic success, and cultural preservation. Through its exploration of language structures, educational frameworks, and social attitudes, this work contributes to discussions on bilingualism and the preservation of marginalized dialects in American society.

The study aimed to cross-linguistically adapt the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire in Malayalam (MSSQ) and to determine its psychometric properties. The objectives of our study were to document the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity of MSSQ. The SSQ was translated from English to Malayalam, and was administered to 55 Malayalam-speaking participants with oropharyngeal dysphagia and 55 age- and gender-matched Malayalam speakers with normal swallowing ability. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was performed to check the normality of the data. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the test-retest reliability. Internal consistency was measured through split-half reliability using the Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient. The discriminant validity was documented using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The Cronbach's alpha value for the total MSSQ scores was 0.99, indicating a strong positive correlation between the test and retest scores. The Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient was 0.97, indicating that the MSSQ had excellent internal consistency. Mann-Whitney U-test revealed that Group 1 participants had significantly higher MSSQ scores than Group 2 participants, exhibiting excellent discriminant validity. It was concluded that the MSSQ was a valid and reliable tool to assess the symptoms of dysphagia among Malayalam speakers.