International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology最新文献

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists need culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools to accurately identify speech and language disorders. Ghanaian speech-language pathologists currently lack appropriate assessment tools to identify both speech and language disorders in children. The aim of this study was to gather the views and perspectives of Ghanaian speech-language pathologists about a prototype of the first Ghanaian-English speech and language assessment tool for school-aged children.

Method: Data were collected via artefact-mediated face-to-face focus groups utilising a prototype Ghanaian-English assessment tool to evoke comments from eleven Ghanaian speech-language pathologists. The tool consists of a caregiver's questionnaire and six subtests that assess the speech and language of children aged 5 to 10 years. Participants were recruited from a range of contexts in Ghana and were all involved in the assessment of children. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Result: Speech-language pathologists identified strengths of the tool and recommendations for change. Participants viewed the tool as comprehensive, innovative, and simple to administer. Participants emphasised the need for the test administration, caregiver's questionnaire, pictures, and test items or stimuli to be culturally appropriate and made suggestions for change.

Conclusion: This study contributes to the development of a culturally appropriate assessment tool for the Ghanaian context. This adds to the growing body of research on the need and process for the development of culturally appropriate assessment tools for children in multilingual contexts.

Purpose: Effective speech and language therapy for multilingual people with aphasia is dependent on the language in which the assessment and therapy are provided to the client. Limited language assessment tools are available for these populations. Translanguaging is an approach that allows for multilingual discourse analysis that encompasses speakers' complete linguistic repertoire. The purpose of this study was to characterise the translanguaging patterns of South African adults with an aim of developing best practices for discourse assessment in multilingual adults with acquired language difficulties.

Method: A modified AphasiaBank protocol was used to elicit narratives and group conversations from 19 multilingual South African younger and older adults. Two bilingual background questionnaires, adapted to the relevant languages of the participants, were also administered.

Result: Result indicated that all participants made use of translanguaging, to varying degrees. Older adults used translanguaging, on average, less than younger adults. Neither topic of narratives and conversations, nor language background histories were associated with translanguaging patterns.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that translanguaging is a useful approach for determining the unique multilingual characteristics of South African discourse. The data can be used as a guide to develop assessment for multilingual adults with acquired language difficulties.

Purpose: The videofluoroscopic swallow study is a specialised procedure, for which speech-language pathologists require additional post-graduate training. To date, little is known about factors impacting paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study service sustainability. Based on available literature, it is anticipated that staff training is one impacting factor. The primary aim of this study was to explore service manager and speech-language pathologist perspectives on factor/s impacting paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study service sustainability. Secondary aims were to investigate current training practices.

Method: Directors/service managers and lead paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study speech-language pathologists from paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study sites across Queensland (Australia) were prospectively recruited to complete a 13-item questionnaire and optional semi-structured focus group. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis.

Result: Six facilities were represented, with 11 questionnaire responses and eight participants across two focus groups. Two main themes were identified to be impacting paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study service sustainability: a) Training & competency and b) service and infrastructure. Participants identified eight recommendations to improve training and subsequent staffing sustainability.

Conclusion: A variety of factors were reported to impact paediatric videofluroscopic swallow study service sustainability, with difficulties with staffing and training reported to underpin many of these issues. Findings highlight the need for structured, flexible, and responsive training opportunities.

Purpose: Limited literature exists on food service professionals' awareness of dysphagia and skills in accommodating consumers' dietary needs, including providing texture-modified meals across settings. As such, the current study aimed to explore food service professionals' awareness of dysphagia and their experiences in accommodating various types of dietary modifications across a range of workplace settings.

Method: An electronic survey was administered to food service professionals to determine self-assessed awareness of dysphagia, experiences of accommodating food/fluid modification requests, and perspectives on available education and training. Convenience and snowball sampling were utilised for recruitment.

Result: Responses (n = 124), primarily from Australia and the US, were analysed using descriptive and qualitative methods. The majority of respondents were aware of dysphagia and reported confidence in accommodating various types of dietary modifications. Content analysis of open-ended responses further illustrated existing challenges and limitations to implementing texture-modified diets within workplaces, strategies for accommodating changes, and attitudes towards lifelong learning.

Conclusion: While high levels of awareness and confidence were reported, barriers continue to limit the translation of these positive attitudes into practice. Improved education and training materials delivered in multiple modalities and targeted at all levels of food service professionals are indicated.

Purpose: A multidimensional assessment of oral language evaluates abilities across different tasks and contexts to provide a comprehensive view of language abilities and functioning. This research aimed to apply this assessment approach to investigate language profiles of children at school entry.

Method: In this cross-sectional study with stratified sampling, we assessed 126 school entrants using assessments of oral language and teacher and parent surveys. A latent profile analysis was used to identify groups with similar language abilities and a multivariate analysis of variance to compare them on outcomes of early academic and psychosocial functioning. Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the link between individual language measures and variability in functioning.

Result: Four distinct oral language profiles emerged: High, average, low, and very low. The two lower profiles (28% of the cohort) displayed language difficulties. Children within higher profiles significantly outperformed those in lower profiles in early academic and psychosocial functioning. Measures of communicative participation and discourse uniquely predicted both outcomes.

Conclusion: A multidimensional assessment profiled using latent profile analysis offers a parsimonious approach to classifying language abilities. It may identify children with discourse-level difficulties that narrower approaches overlook. Communicative participation should be evaluated independently to capture its unique contribution to functioning.

Purpose: With increased access to telehealth platforms and considering the heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease, understanding the contributors of patients' satisfaction with online group speech rehabilitation programs becomes essential for patient retention and adherence with continuous practice. The purpose of this study was to examine elements of an existing online group speech treatment program that contribute to participant satisfaction and determine patient-centred considerations for further growth.

Method: Ten individuals with Parkinson's disease enrolled in Speech for PD, an online university- and community-based program, participated in focus groups. The semi-structured interviews were video-recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed qualitatively following reflexive thematic analysis.

Result: Three themes were constructed: The importance and power of social connectedness, voice and cognitive-linguistic exercises as essential elements, and recommendations for growth; which emphasised the role of biofeedback and self-management techniques, as well as continued practice and in-person social gatherings.

Conclusion: Online group speech treatment programs may significantly contribute to increased social connectedness in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Participant satisfaction may also be enhanced through targeting not only the reported voice and speech deficits in Parkinson's disease but also cognitive-linguistic skills in group format. Elements of success and considerations for growth of an existing program, Speech for PD, are discussed.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the views of Ghanaian speech-language pathologists about the development of a culturally appropriate speech and language assessment tool for children.

Method: The study used qualitative methods with data collected in two focus groups. A total of 11 Ghanaian speech-language pathologists discussed questions about the purpose, scope, target group, and target skills of a speech and language assessment tool for children. Discussions were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Result: Findings indicated that Ghanaian speech-language pathologists currently have challenges in accurately assessing the speech and language of children given the lack of culturally appropriate tools available. Speech-language pathologists stressed the importance of developing a culturally appropriate tool and shared their views on the purpose, scope, target group, and target skills of the tool. There were similarities and differences between the focus groups. The majority of speech-language pathologists stated that ideally they would prefer a diagnostic tool for both speech and language disorders.

Conclusion: This study contributes to the growing body of research that sheds light on the importance of using culturally appropriate tools to assess children in culturally diverse contexts.

Purpose: There is limited evidence regarding which clinical assessment tools are best utilised to assess feeding skills in Paediatric Feeding Disorder. This systematic review aimed to identify and assess the quality of clinical assessment tools designed to measure feeding skills.

Method: A search was conducted (up to 31 July 2023). Assessment tools were included if they: (a) targeted the feeding skills domain for Paediatric Feeding Disorder; and (b) were appropriate for children >6 months-18 years. Psychometric properties for each tool were extracted and assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the Selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist.

Result: In total, 12 clinical assessment tools were reviewed across 19 studies. These tools were found to be appropriate for a wide age range, of variable length, and mostly freely available. Variable methodological quality was observed, with most tools demonstrating adequate reliability but having limited information on validity. None of the reviewed tools used testing to demonstrate whether the tool could capture change over time.

Conclusion: There are limited clinical assessment tools available to measure paediatric feeding skills, and none of the reviewed tools demonstrated sensitivity to change in function over time. No tool was suitable for universal application in children with Paediatric Feeding Disorder.

Purpose: A variety of assessment tools (e.g. questionnaires) measure the type and degree of bilingualism in children in both research and clinical settings. Although these tools are often assumed to evaluate the same constructs and be interchangeable, this may not be the case, as indicated by other recent reviews. This review critically evaluated existing measures of child bilingualism, focusing on item-content overlap, measure development, and pragmatic quality.

Method: A database and manual search identified studies on child bilingualism measure development, which were then appraised using the Psychometric and Pragmatic Evidence Rating Scale and the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments.

Result: Analysis across the six identified measures showed weak between-measure content overlap, with less than one quarter of items shared on average, suggesting they assess different constructs. Ratings indicated varied pragmatic quality, especially in assessor burden (training, interpretation). Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments evaluations also highlighted shortcomings in measure design and development.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for improved content validity and better pragmatic criteria for the clinical use of these tools. We offer recommendations for measure selection dependent on use case (e.g. setting-specific needs) and suggestions for future bilingualism measure development, prioritising a pragmatic approach.

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are often the first point of contact for families of children with autism. Despite this, little is known about SLPs' understanding of autism and its early indicators. This study sought to investigate what Australian SLPs know about autism, the early indicators, and the actions they take when they identify these characteristics.

Method: A 34 question cross-sectional online survey was distributed through professional networks, social media channels, and industry contacts to Australian SLPs. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed.

Result: The 70 participants worked in various contexts around the country. The majority of participants demonstrated sound knowledge of the main characteristics of autism, and some early indicators. Quantitative analysis identified a significant correlation between participant age and confidence talking to parents about possible autism. Overarching themes were identified: (a) caution may delay or prevent SLPs from taking action, (b) some factors may influence SLPs' action, and (c) SLPs take action.

Conclusion: Australian SLPs working with children have the knowledge and understanding of the main characteristics of autism and some early indicators. However, they demonstrate a cautious approach around the subject of autism, and this caution may cause delays for children requiring diagnostic services.