Background and aims: This longitudinal study investigated the language skills, phonological working memory and lexical-tone perception of Mandarin-speaking late-talkers (LTs) and those with typical language development (TLD) at 27 months, while also examining their connections with novel word-referent mapping (W-R mapping) through eye-tracking at 33 months.
Methods and procedures: Participants included 22 Mandarin-speaking 27-month-old LTs and 22 toddlers with TLD. Data on expressive and receptive language abilities, as well as phonological working memory and lexical-tone perception, were collected when participants were 27 months old. An eye-tracking paradigm was further employed during the word-learning tasks, which included W-R mapping and word-identification test (W-I test) phases at 33 months. Multilevel models were used to analyse participants' gaze pattern trajectories.
Outcomes and results: At 27 months, LT toddlers exhibited poorer language skills (receptive: p = 0.015, expressive: p < 0.001), lexical-tone perception (p < 0.001) and phonological working memory (p < 0.001) compared to those with TLD, even after considering maternal educational level and participants' fine motor ability. During the W-I test phase, we observed that LT toddlers showed a slower increase in fixations on the novel target image while listening to the corresponding novel word over time, compared to TLD toddlers (linear: p = 0.011, quadratic: p = 0.007) after adding confounders. Further, expressive language ability at 27 months old was a predictor of their newly established W-R mappings at 33 months old (p = 0.016). Additionally, the toddler's phonological working memory and lexical-tone perception were associated with their expressive language ability (p = 0.001 and < 0.001).
Conclusions and implications: These findings indicate that the novel W-R mapping is not as robust in LTs as in TLDs, and the skills necessary for word learning share similarities with a wide range of expressive language abilities. Moreover, poor expressive language abilities were associated with deficits in lexical processing abilities; that is, phonological working memory and lexical-tone perception. These findings suggest the need for interventions aimed at improving LTs' lexical processing abilities to strengthen their lagging word-learning skills at toddlerhood.
What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject Late-talkers (LTs) exhibit delays in expressive vocabulary development. Furthermore, they also perform poorly in word learning. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The eye-tracking paradigm was employed and found that novel word-referent mapping (W-R mapping) is not as robust in LTs as in those with typical language development. Toddlers' early expressive language ability could predict their ability to establish novel W-R mappings. Furthermore, the bette
Background: People with communication disability after stroke experience low rates of return to vocational roles. Vocational rehabilitation is recommended; however, there are no clear guidelines informing vocational rehabilitation for people with communication disability. Understanding the needs and experiences of this population is critical to improving vocational stroke rehabilitation outcomes.
Aims: This study aimed to: (1) investigate the experience of vocational rehabilitation for people with communication disability after stroke, (2) identify gaps and, (3) provide preliminary recommendations for tailored service delivery.
Methods: Seven participants with an identified communication impairment following stroke were recruited from a larger clinical trial of early vocational rehabilitation (20% of total sample, n = 34). To address the study aims, a qualitative design was employed. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Data were integrated with demographic and intervention audit data to contextualise participant experiences, identify vocational rehabilitation gaps and inform preliminary recommendations.
Results: Participants were five men and two women aged 24-69 years whose communication profiles included difficulties with auditory comprehension and information processing, reading comprehension, thinking, executive function and self-regulation, as well as difficulties with verbal and written expression. Vocational rehabilitation was perceived as beneficial but participants identified gaps including limited access to psychological and peer-based support during early rehabilitation, limitations to accessing specialist vocational rehabilitation programs, barriers to accessing ongoing rehabilitation after resumption of vocational activity, and limited preparedness for the degree of impact that their communication changes had on execution of vocational roles and responsibilities.
Conclusion: Vocational environments are communicatively demanding and people living with acquired communication difficulties face a range of vocation-related participation barriers even when communication difficulties are mild. Greater emphasis on evaluating the vocational communication environment and targeted communication training and preparation for colleagues within the workplace is recommended to reduce barriers faced. Interdisciplinary rehabilitation, inclusive of psychological care, may support working-age stroke survivors to recognise and acknowledge changes in their communication function, lead to improved engagement in the rehabilitation process, and ensure early identification of factors likely to influence successful return-to-vocational activity.
What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject Stroke is common amongst people of working age yet fewer than half of st
Background: A growing body of research indicates that music-based interventions show promising results for adults with a wide range of speech, language and communication disorders.
Aims: The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize the evidence on how speech-language therapists (SLTs) use music and music-related elements in therapeutic interventions for adults with acquired neurogenic communication impairments.
Methods: This scoping review was completed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A systematic search of three databases (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and OVID Medline) was conducted and articles were included if they (1) incorporated adult human participants; (2) received an assessment or intervention facilitated by an SLT; (3) incorporated techniques and interventions which included music-related elements (e.g., rhythm, melody, harmony and dynamics); (4) were written in the English language; and (5) were peer-reviewed full-text articles. Data were extracted using the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System framework.
Main contribution: A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included participants with neurogenic communication impairments secondary to stroke, Parkinson's disease, dementia and traumatic brain injury. Musical interventions identified in the studies were Melodic Intonation Therapy, Modified Melodic Intonation Therapy, choral singing, singing therapy and songwriting. The majority of the studies reported interprofessional collaboration between SLTs and at least one other healthcare clinician and/or musician. Many studies also included music-based interventions lead and facilitated by musically trained SLTs.
Conclusion: The results of the studies included in this review indicate that SLTs are using music-based interventions to target therapeutic goals to improve speech, language, voice and quality of life in collaboration with other clinicians and professional musicians.
What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject A growing body of research indicates that interventions using music (i.e., choirs and songwriting) and musical elements (i.e., rhythm and dynamics) show promising results for adults with neurogenic communication impairments. Currently, however, there is no clear indication of how speech-language therapists (SLTs) are using music in their clinical practice. What this study adds This scoping review collates the current evidence on how SLTs use music and musical elements in their clinical practice. SLTs are using music and musical elements for individuals with neurogenic communication impairments in populations such as Parkinson's disease, dementia and traumatic brain injury. Common interve
Background: Accessibility of data visualization has been explored for users with visual disabilities but the needs of users with language disabilities have seldom been considered.
Aim: This scoping review synthesised what is known about data visualization for adults with language disabilities, specifically the acquired language disability, aphasia and Developmental Language Disorder. It sought to extract key findings and identify what practices support effective visualization for decision making for people with language disabilities.
Method: Papers were included if they investigated visualization of data, and the consumers of the data visualization were people with aphasia or developmental language disability. Seven databases were searched: CINAHL, Academic Search, Medline, PsychINFO, Ovid, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore. Included studies were charted to extract title, author(s), year, country, paper type, scientific field, participant number(s), participant group(s), main topic, subtopic, method, task description, task category, data visualization, summary, key findings relevant to the review question, and guidelines or recommendations. Narrative synthesis was used to describe how people with language disability have interacted with data visualization from a range of literature.
Main contribution: Six studies (seven publications) were included in the review. One study came from the field of health, one from a disability rights collaboration and four studies from computer science. No studies satisfying the review criteria explored data visualization for Developmental Language Disorder; however, five studies explored participants with cognitive disabilities that included impairments of language, so these were included. A range of visualization designs were found. Studies predominantly explored understanding of visualization (4/6). One study explored how to express data visually, and one explored the use of the visualization that is, for an action, choice, or decision. Cognitively accessible data visualization practices were described in four papers and synthesized. Supportive practices reported were reducing the cognitive load associated with processing a visualization and increasing personal relevance of data visualization.
Conclusion: Accessible data visualization for adults with aphasia and Developmental Language Disorder has only minimally been explored. Practices to specifically support users with language disability are not yet apparent. As data use in making everyday decisions is widespread, future research should explore how people with language disabilities make use of data visualization.
What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject Visual resources are used widely to support people with language disabilities in understanding of language. That is, icons, maps timelines and so forth, are