International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology最新文献

Objective: Children with nonsyndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip are at risk of speech production and language delays. In typical development, a strong relationship exists between speech and expressive language development. However, the understanding of this relationship in children with nonsyndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip is incomplete. The objective of this study was to determine the average correlation between consonant inventory and two expressive language skills in children with NSCP ± L.

Design: The study used a random effects meta-analyses design. Articles were included by searching PubMed, APA PsycINFO, and ERIC.

Main outcome measures: Correlations between consonant inventory and (1) expressive vocabulary and (2) mean length of utterance.

Result: Based on eight studies representing 187 children with nonsyndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip, consonant inventory was positively correlated with expressive vocabulary size (k = 8, z = 0.74, SE = .16, p < .001, [0.424, 1.052]). Using data from four studies, representing 83 children with nonsyndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip, consonant inventory had a positive nonsignificant correlation with mean length of utterance (k = 4, z = 0.513, SE = 0.293, p = .081, [-0.063, 1.088]).

Conclusion: Results support a connection between consonant inventory and expressive vocabulary size in children with nonsyndromic cleft palate with or without cleft lip across four languages. Small consonant inventories are often associated with expressive language delays.

Purpose: To discuss whether stuttering causality matters to clinicians during clinical practice, and how and why it might matter. Additionally, to provide early-career clinicians and students with entry-level assistance with this complex topic.

Method: The issue was discussed by two academics and two experienced speech-language pathologists in private practice. Written conversational turns in an exchange were limited to 100 words each. When that written dialogue was concluded, the moderator summarised the discussion.

Result: All participants agreed that the cause of stuttering does matter to speech-language pathologists during clinical practice.

Conclusion: The following three key points emerged from the conversation. Firstly, no-one referred to a formally stated theory or model when explaining cause to clients. Instead, all in the conversation stayed on the solid ground of current facts about the cause of stuttering. Secondly, explaining the cause of stuttering can benefit clients and parents. It can support them and give them confidence and empowerment during clinical management and increase the credibility of a management plan. Finally, in essence, this topic relates to evidence-based practice, for which there are no fixed rules. Different clinicians may make different judgments about what is and what is not true, useful, and important.

Purpose: We asked whether children with developmental language disorder can learn vocabulary or grammar targets and curricular content simultaneously. We replicated prior work integrating two language interventions into a first-grade science curriculum and extended it by testing delivery via teletherapy.

Method: A parallel arm randomised controlled trial was conducted using telehealth approaches. Children aged 4-7years with developmental language disorder were randomly assigned to one of three arms, science-only (n = 13), science plus grammar (n = 11), and science plus vocabulary (n = 10), with fidelity documented for both science and language instruction. The primary outcome measures were changes in the taught language targets and science content, with secondary outcome measures including distal measures of language and science.

Result: Complete data for 32 participants were analysed with mixed effects regression. All arms improved on science and grammar targets, with gains in the vocabulary arm exceeding those in the control arm. There were no gains on the distal measures.

Conclusion: Similar to the findings in the replicated study, children with developmental language disorder can learn language targets in the context of curricular instruction. Enhanced rich vocabulary instruction holds promise as an approach that can be embedded in the curriculum and produces gains both in person and via telehealth method of instruction.

Purpose: Evidence suggests that people with minor stroke can experience multiple post-stroke impairments. This study explored the communication skills of people with minor stroke one week and three months post-stroke.

Method: A longitudinal cohort mixed method design was used. Participants completed the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised, Boston Naming Test, La Trobe Communication Questionnaire-Self, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale, along with semi-structured interviews and conversation samples 1 week and 3 months post-stroke.

Result: Fourteen participants were recruited. Five experienced aphasia according to Western Aphasia Battery-Revised scores at one week. Boston Naming Test scores improved significantly between one week and three months (p = .020). There were no significant changes in Western Aphasia Battery-Revised, La Trobe Communication Questionnaire-Self, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale scores between one week and three months (all p > .05). Word finding difficulties were noted in most participants' conversation samples, but rarely led to conversation breakdowns. Qualitative content analysis revealed eight categories, including communication changes and their impact, the impact of other post-stroke impairments, strategies used, and services received.

Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that a subset of people with minor stroke experience post-stroke communication changes. Future research should explore the optimal speech-language pathology support for this potentially under-serviced patient cohort.

Purpose: The study aimed to explore speech-language pathologists' practices regarding image selection and use in the treatment of people living with aphasia. Images are widely utilised with people living with aphasia, however, supporting their communication optimally remains challenging.

Method: Ninety-two speech-language pathologists from South Africa, Australia, USA, and the UK completed a custom-designed online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics, with structured-tabular thematic analysis were used.

Result: Sixty-two (82.7%) of the 75 participants who conduct assessments with people living with aphasia mostly use images. Sixty-seven (72.8%) of the total sample include images during treatment. South African respondents reported using black-and-white line drawings (28.1%) less frequently than speech-language pathologists from other countries (9.8%). Coloured images were preferred overall. South African participants significantly reported culture (62.5%) and religious orientation as "always important" (63.3%) compared to their counterparts (34.1%, 12.2%). Respondents use images to support learning and language; and less frequently in discourse with people living with aphasia. The more experienced a respondent was, the more knowledgeable and confident they felt incorporating images. Themes of client considerations and clinical settings for images emerged. Speech-language pathologists' perceived barriers were time, larger caseloads, people living with aphasia's variable responses to images, and lack of resources.

Conclusion: Speech-language pathologists in this sample have a knowledge base of image types and factors that may contribute to image interpretation in people living with aphasia. However, further research globally is needed. A structured approach to image selection is lacking in both low and middle-income, and high-income countries. Considering people living with aphasia's skills, preferences, and communication partner involvement may optimise image use. Development of a framework for systematically organising image features for people living with aphasia is warranted.

Background: Simulated patients have long been used across various healthcare professions. Research over the past 15 years supports the inclusion of simulation-based learning experiences to train graduate speech-language pathology students to work with various populations. This study explored students' perceptions of three online simulation-based learning experiences within a graduate stuttering course, in which simulated patients portrayed either a caregiver of pre-school-age children who stutter or an adult who stutters.

Method: Two consecutive cohorts of graduate speech-language pathology students enrolled in a stuttering course were recruited to share their perceptions of their simulation-based learning experiences. All three simulations were developed by the instructor and the university's Interprofessional Simulation Centre. The simulations were delivered online (via Zoom) to pairs of students. Students completed five surveys via REDCap, namely, a demographic survey, a survey following each simulation, and a post-experience survey. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric associations and comparisons for student perceptions were conducted.

Result: Twenty-eight students out of 88 eligible students (32% participation) completed the surveys. Survey responses indicated positive experiences for all three simulations and improved students' comfortability when working with similar clients in the future. Simulation realism and student preparedness positively correlated with improved confidence.

Conclusion: Findings support the value of online simulation-based learning experiences with standardised patients within graduate speech-language pathology courses that target working with caregivers of pre-school-aged who stutter and assessing and providing treatment to adults who stutter. Students reported feeling more comfortable about working with similar clients in the future.

Purpose: To assess if the writing performance of presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia mutation carriers differ from that of non-carrier controls in syntactic complexity and productivity.

Method: Using an automated analysis pipeline, average dependency distance and word count were calculated from written picture descriptions and sentences of 42 cohort participants from The Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Initiative across three timepoints. Linear mixed models compared several fixed effects including mutation status with text measures over time.

Result: Genetic status had a positive effect on the number of words in a written picture description, with the presymptomatic mutation carriers producing more words than the non-carrier controls. A significant interaction between genetic status and age was also observed. No effect was found for the models using average dependency distance as the dependent variable.

Conclusion: We found limited evidence for differences in the written language between mutation carriers and non-carrier controls. As previous studies suggest, cognitive changes in genetic frontotemporal dementia manifest nearer to symptom onset and our participants were on average 11.8 years from expected onset, the anticipated changes might be undetectable at this stage.

Purpose: Children with speech sound disorders are at risk of negative social and academic impacts; however, it is unclear whether audio technology used in telepractice is sensitive enough to detect the presence of speech sound disorders. The purpose of the present study was to examine the accordance of two speech sound disorders assessments administered using telepractice and face-to-face assessment procedures.

Method: Four participants age 5-6 years received two standardised assessments and produced two semi-structured speech samples to gather a comprehensive view of their speech productions. For each child, one assessment and one structured speech sample was given in an in-person context, and one assessment and one speech sample was given via telepractice. Standard scores on the assessments and percent consonants correct calculations for each speech sample were compared within participants across modalities.

Result: Results showed scores were consistent between modalities for each participant, with some variability occurring in the identification of distorted phonemes on some trials in two children. This missed identification was not enough to cause a misidentification of the error altogether nor to cause a missed diagnosis of speech sound disorders.

Conclusion: Telepractice technology can be sensitive enough to detect common errors associated with speech sound disorders on both formal and informal assessment measures.

Purpose: While secondary school students attending flexible learning programmes have histories of poor engagement in schooling, little research has examined their oral language skills and psychosocial outcomes. We profiled oral language in students attending flexible learning programmes and explored associations between language and psychosocial outcomes (e.g. emotional problems, conduct problems, prosocial behaviour).

Method: Ninety-seven students (12-18 years) completed a range of oral language assessments, and teachers reported on students' psychosocial outcomes. Latent profile analysis identified groups of young people with similar oral language abilities. A multivariate analysis of variance tested differences among language profiles on psychosocial outcomes.

Result: Sixty-eight percent of the sample scored below the average range on language assessments. Fifty-eight percent scored in the high or very high range on the teacher-reported psychosocial difficulties. Two language profiles were identified ('higher language' n = 54, 'lower language' n = 43). Compared to students in the 'lower' profile, those in the 'higher' profile experienced significantly fewer conduct problems, less hyperactivity, and more prosocial behaviour.

Conclusion: We provide evidence for high rates of language disorder at flexible learning programmes and links with psychosocial outcomes, emphasising the need for speech-language pathology and mental health supports to foster academic engagement and positive wellbeing among students attending flexible learning programmes.

Purpose: Effective design of speech-language pathology services for evidence-based practice requires attention to the needs of consumers and their families. Caregivers of children with childhood apraxia of speech often face challenges ensuring their child's needs are met and may experience anxiety and guilt. However, little is known about their experiences and needs in an Australian context. This study explored Australian caregivers' (a) lived experience of having a child with childhood apraxia of speech and (b) their perceptions of their family's needs.

Method: Online focus groups or interviews were conducted with 13 caregivers. Questions related to the diagnostic process, access to speech-language pathology and other services, and family needs. Data were analysed using reflective thematic analysis.

Result: Themes pertaining to experiences include: (a) Hard for the whole family, (b) not all speech-language pathologists are equal, (c) the system is broken. Themes pertaining to needs include: (a) easier access to funding, (b) increased understanding of childhood apraxia of speech, (c) finding my tribe.

Conclusion: Australian caregivers found it challenging to navigate services and had variable experiences with speech-language pathologists. They identified needs in funding, information, and social connection. Findings suggest speech-language pathologists should better support families and assess their own competence in treating childhood apraxia of speech.