International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology最新文献

Purpose: This study investigated international speech-language pathologists' self-perceived research skills and workplace research culture, as well as any influencing factors.

Method: The Research Capacity and Culture tool was used to survey speech-language pathologists in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, and US.

Result: A total of 253 speech-language pathologists completed the survey. Organisations were rated as highly successful at promoting clinical practice-based evidence, but least successful for ensuring research career pathways are available and providing research software programs. Teams were rated as highly successful in evidence-guided planning, but least successful for having mechanisms to monitor research quality, providing research software, and applying for external funding for research. Individual respondents reported finding relevant literature as their most skilled research activity; and securing research funding as their least skilled. Regional differences were also found. Age, experience, and qualifications were associated with higher research skills; medical and university settings reported more supportive research culture.

Conclusion: Speech-language pathologists are more skilled in the consumption of research than activities related to the production of research evidence. They viewed their work environments as supportive of research engagement, but reported that these work places did not consistently provide the resources for them to engage with research.

Purpose: Camp Dream. Speak. Live. is an intensive, strengths-based, manualised treatment program for children who stutter, with no indirect or direct fluency goals. This study determined the effectiveness of a virtual adaptation of Camp Dream. Speak. Live. in reducing the adverse impact of stuttering and increasing communication competence.

Method: Sixty-one children who stutter (ages 3 to 17 years) participated in Virtual Camp Dream. Speak. Live. pre- and post-treatment measures were identical to previous in-person administrations: (a) Self- and caregiver-report of cognitive and affective impact of stuttering (Communication Attitude Test for Children who Stutter, Overall Assessment of Speaker's Experience of Stuttering, PROMIS Paediatric Peer Relationship, and PROMIS Parent Proxy Relationships) and (b) unfamiliar clinician ratings of communication competence of impromptu presentations.

Result: Significant post-treatment gains observed one week after treatment were reported for the Communication Attitude Test for Children who Stutter (p < .05), Overall Assessment of Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (p < .001), and PROMIS Peer Relationships Parent Proxy (p < .05). Significant gains in post-treatment communication competence were observed for seven of nine competencies (p-value range: .01 to .02). Pre-treatment stuttering frequency did not significantly predict changes in communication competence.

Conclusion: Findings from Virtual Camp Dream. Speak. Live. demonstrate that the administration of the adapted telepractice format of this manualised program yields comparable findings as when administered in-person, suggesting promising implications when in-person provision and/or access is not feasible.

Purpose: The Ageing Voice Index is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the impact of changes in the voice of older adults. Our aim is to adapt the Aging Voice Index with Turkish older adults and test its reliability and validity to create the Turkish Aging Voice Index.

Method: A total of 206 participants were included in the study. Construct validity, criterion validity, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis were investigated. Finally, the sensitivity and specificity of the Turkish Aging Voice Index were calculated using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis.

Result: The Turkish Aging Voice Index has excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha= 0.971). A high intraclass correlation for test-retest reliability was found (ICC = 0.953, p < 0.001). Construct validity of the Turkish Aging Voice Index was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001) by comparing the mean Turkish Aging Voice Index scores between the study and control groups. For criterion validity, a statistically positive high correlation was found between the mean scores of the Turkish Aging Voice Index and the Turkish version of the Voice Handicap Index-10 (r = 0.854, p < 0.001). The cut-off value of the Turkish Aging Voice Index was 15.50 with a sensitivity of 85.01% and a specificity of 84.8%.

Conclusion: The Turkish Aging Voice Index is a valid and reliable tool for elderly patients with voice disorders. A score >15.50 is an indicator of voice problems in the older population.

Purpose: Navigating the feeding journey of medically complex infants on long-term high flow nasal cannula support can be challenging for caregivers, especially given inconsistencies in clinical practice for oral feeding on high flow nasal cannula support. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of caregivers who have experienced this journey, to inform best practice care.

Method: This study used a generic qualitative inquiry approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven caregivers of children who had been on long-term high flow nasal cannula support as infants during 2021. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate meaning-united stories.

Result: All caregivers reported oral feeding difficulties that persisted beyond hospitalisation, resulting in demanding mental loads and care arrangements. Caregivers described how these difficulties were often exacerbated by complex medical needs and the strategies they experimented with to support oral feeding. Caregiver's experiences in the healthcare system were characterised by inconsistencies in care pathways and variable access to specialist feeding services. The importance of a collaborative relationship with healthcare professionals and a conducive hospital environment were also highlighted.

Conclusion: The oral feeding journey for families with infants on long-term high flow nasal cannula support was characterised by multifaceted challenges and implications. Further research is required to establish and provide consistent, family-centred, and evidence-based care for this population.

Purpose: To establish proof of concept of a student-led, telepractice-delivered communication partner training towards enhancing communication between people with aphasia and their informal caregivers in everyday conversations.

Method: Two dyads were recruited, each consisting of a person with aphasia and their caregiver. A pre-training questionnaire was completed by caregivers, followed by a weekly communication training session delivered by graduate student clinicians via telepractice to each dyad over 12 weeks. The caregivers then completed a post-training questionnaire. Both questionnaires included 13 Likert-scale questions and one open-ended question requiring an extended response.

Result: Pre- to post-training improvements for both dyads were identified on two domains of the questionnaire: (a) frustrations of the caregiver and person with aphasia and (b) caregivers' knowledge and confidence in using communication strategies. This quantitative data was supported by additional extended responses regarding informal caregivers' current communication strategies when communicating with the person with aphasia.

Conclusion: Both informal caregivers reported integrating communication strategies learned as part of the training in their interactions with the person with aphasia and experiencing fewer communication breakdowns during the two weeks following the training. The pilot study offers proof of concept for incorporating telepractice-delivered caregiver communication training as part of aphasia rehabilitation.

Purpose: This study explored the feasibility of implementing an individualised vocabulary intervention for dual language learners through teachers, who leverage their knowledge about their students to address each child's diverse needs.

Method: Participants were 32 Cantonese-English pre-school dual language learners and 16 teacher implementers from eight classrooms of a Head Start Programme. During the 3-week programme, teacher implementers were given an individualised set of 12 target words for each student. Implementation was measured using daily logs, questionnaires, and interviews. Children's immediate word learning was reported by teachers and word retention was measured two weeks after the intervention.

Result: Teacher implementers were able to teach the individual target words to each participant in one-on-one interactive sessions 94% of the time. Various teaching strategies were used along with culturally relevant teaching materials. On average, children learned 92% of the target words and retained 42% of the target words.

Conclusion: The study highlights the practicability of implementing an individualised intervention programme by harnessing teachers' knowledge of the children they work with. The results have implications for building a high-quality and culturally-responsive intervention programme for dual language learners.

Purpose: To explore the thoughts and feelings of novice Australian speech-language pathology students about undertaking their first therapy placement.

Method: Data was collected with Australian novice graduate-level speech-language pathology students immediately prior to their first therapy placement via open-ended responses to two questions on a questionnaire. The data was analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Result: 265 students participated in the study. Data analysis led to the construction of two themes: "I hope that my placement will support me on my way to becoming a confident speech-language pathologist" and "I hope my clients do well, but I fear that I might be inadequate". The analysis of these results led to the development of guidelines for supporting novice students on clinical placement.

Conclusion: Novice speech-language pathology students are keen to apply their knowledge to authentic clinical cases but are concerned about their own personal circumstances and whether they will receive sufficient support during their placement. An enhanced understanding of students' concerns and hopes may help practice educators implement appropriate support strategies.

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to describe various viewpoints expressed in speech-language pathology literature over four decades concerning ethics knowledge in the profession.

Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed. Our sample search encompassed peer-reviewed journal articles sourced from electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, MasterFILE Premier, E-Journals, Africa-Wide Information, and Academic Search Premier, spanning the period from 1980 to 2022.

Result: The initial search of articles identified 139 papers. After applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 full-text papers were deemed suitable for inclusion. We conducted a qualitative, deductive analysis of the relevant data and findings. Studies primarily concentrated on the speech-language pathologist's roles in rehabilitation/management and education, research, and administration. A predominant focus of these papers revolved around moral judgement, a fundamental component of moral behaviour.

Conclusion: Findings suggest an evolving landscape within the speech-language pathology discipline, with an increased focus on moral judgement, professional competency, and rehabilitation/management. The findings highlight a consistent need for further development and emphasis on ethics in education, research, administration, and advocacy/consultation roles. This underscores the necessity for ongoing ethical education and support to ensure practitioners are well-equipped to navigate the complex ethical landscape of their professional practice.

Purpose: Eye-tracking technologies are of great interest to individuals who use them to communicate and their supporters. This review maps and critically evaluates the research on eye-tracking in paediatric communication assessment and intervention, including user perceptions, to guide future clinical practice and identify future practice-related research priorities. In an advance on previous reviews, the study reports on effect sizes, as well as research quality and reproducibility of included studies.

Method: Seven databases were sytematically searched using terms related to eye-tracking, the paediatric population, and communication assessment or intervention. Information on study design and key findings, including effect sizes, were extracted. Research quality and reproducibility were evaluated using validated measures.

Result: Included studies explored the use of eye-tracking in paediatric communication assessment (n = 14) or intervention (n = 10) and/or users' perceptions of eye-tracking technologies in speech-language pathology (n = 7). Eye-tracking was well-received and has been used effectively to measure and support children's communication, though effect sizes varied. Opportunities for improved research quality and reproducibility are identified.

Conclusion: Eye-tracking technologies can be integrated into paediatric communication assessment and intervention and are generally well received by child users and their supporters. Clinical implications and directions for future practice-related research are discussed.

Purpose: Assessment allows speech-language pathologists to identify clients' strengths and needs while laying the foundation for the therapeutic relationship. However, the extent to which parents' experiences with assessment has been explored in the literature is unclear. The purposes of this review were to: a) Identify and summarise the available literature on parents' experiences with speech-language assessment for their preschool-aged children, and b) identify gaps in the literature.

Method: Using an established framework for scoping reviews, the authors conducted a search of seven databases including literature up to April 2024. Two researchers independently reviewed articles for inclusion and discussed discrepancies, and a third researcher provided input when consensus could not be reached. Data extracted included study aims, participant information, and the aspects of the assessment process including the lead-up to the assessment, the assessment itself, receiving a diagnosis, and interim supports following the assessment.

Result: Ten studies met inclusion criteria, however, only three studies were focussed on parents' experiences with speech-language assessment.

Conclusion: In the included studies, aspects of assessment have been addressed but with limited depth and breadth. To date, the perspectives studied have primarily been those of monolingual, English-speaking mothers. Proposed reporting considerations are discussed, and clinical and research implications are explored.