A descriptive survey with 19 Speech-Language Therapists from public health and four from private health was used to obtain an overview of Speech-Language Therapy services for children with cleft lip and/or palate from birth to three years in the KwaZulu-Natal Health Sector. Results are presented for public health, as none of the four private based respondents worked with cleft lip and/or palate from birth to three years. The number of Speech-Language Therapists (9) working with cleft lip and/or palate (0-3 years) in KwaZulu-Natal appears not to have changed significantly over the past two to three years, similar to the incidence of cleft lip and/or palate births. Reasons for Speech-Language Therapists not working with this population included poor referrals and caseloads comprising of clients older than three years. A team approach to cleft care appears challenging but showing development. There are currently four institutions where professionals function as multidisciplinary teams, consisting mainly of Speech-Language Therapists, doctors and nurses. Speech-Language Therapists’ assessments include case history taking, oral peripheral examination, observational feeding assessment and speech-language assessment. Most therapists are consulted within a few days of the birth, which is consistent with international guidelines. Audiological assessment and assessment of resonance were mentioned by a minority of participants. Feeding devices for cleft lip and/or palate are not always available immediately, and hence appears contradictory to the National Rehabilitation Policy. Recommendations include undertaking similar research in other provinces, so as to build a nationwide overview of services for South African children with cleft lip and/or palate. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The increased prevalence rate of autism has immense implications for speech language pathologists (SLPs) who are directly involved in the education and service delivery for students with autism. However, few studies have documented the effectiveness of the knowledge and confidence of SLPs regarding autism. The purpose of this study was to measure the knowledge and confidence of SLPs regarding autism and the extent to which their educational and professional training prepared them to work effectively with this population. An online survey was administered to and returned by 336 SLPs nation-wide. Two multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine the variables that explained overall knowledge and confidence. The number of students with autism on one's caseload explained most of the variance. Independent sample t-test results depicted knowledge and confidence scores of SLPs who were behaviorally trained versus those who were not behaviorally trained. SLPs who were behaviorally trained had higher mean scores on measures of knowledge and confidence when compared to those without formal behavioral training. Finally, a bivariate correlation was conducted to explore the relationship between knowledge and confidence of SLPs, however, results were not statistically significant.

Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med kunskap om och ge perspektiv på barns talsvårigheter i relation till hur arbetet på förskolan utförs och kan vidareutvecklas, via utsagor från förskollärare, specialpedagog och logopeder. Studien utgår från tre frågeställningar: på vilka sätt kan arbetet med barns talsvårigheter vidareutvecklas, enligt förskollärare, specialpedagog och logopeder, hur resonerar förskollärare, specialpedagog och logopeder om samarbete och dess betydelse mellan de olika yrkesgrupperna samt vilka perspektiv på talsvårigheter synliggörs i förskollärares, specialpedagogs och logopeders utsagor?  Den metod som används för denna studie är kvalitativa intervjuer med två förskollärare, två logopeder och en specialpedagog. Den data som samlades in genom intervjuerna kodades och kategoriserades i fem olika kategorier. Dessa kategorier tar upp förskolans arbete, barns talsvårigheter, kontakter och samverkan, briser i arbetet samt hjälpsamma arbetsmetoder.  Studiens resultat visar på vilka sätt logopeder ansvarar för att hjälpa barn med talsvårigheter. Resultatet visar också på förskolans ansvar att ge barn goda möjligheter till utveckling oavsett barnens förutsättningar, enligt förskollärarna i studien. Dessutom visar resultatet på de brister som respondenterna tar upp i arbetet med barns talsvårigheter och dessa är: okunskap, brist på personal, ekonomisk brist samt bristen på stöd från skollagen.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Speech Pathology and Audiology, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p.33-34).

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Šiame darbe nagrinėjami daugiakalbių vaikų kalbos sutrikimų atpažinimo ir pagalbos teikimo metodai. Tyrimo tikslas – išnagrinėti daugiakalbių vaikų kalbos sutrikimus, jų atpažinimo metodus ir parengti logopedinės pagalbos modelį. Atliktas kokybinis tyrimas, iš dalies struktūruoto interviu forma apklausiant daugiakalbių vaikų, turinčių kalbos sutrikimų, tėvus. Interviu metu gauti duomenys išanalizuoti ir jais remiantis sudarytas pasirinkto atvejo logopedinės pagalbos modelis. Pirmajame skyriuje nagrinėjami tipinės daugiakalbių vaikų kalbos raidos ypatumai, aptariamos svarbiausios šios srities sąvokos, daugiakalbystės reiškinio įvairialypiškumas. Darbe analizuojama tipinė daugiakalbių vaikų kalbos raida, gimtosios, antrosios ir užsienio kalbos įsisavinimas, analizuojami dvikalbių/daugiakalbių vaikų kalbos sutrikimai, lyginant juos su vienakalbių vaikų kalbos sutrikimais, atskleidžiama tėvų pagalbos reikšmė ugdant daugiakalbį vaiką. Remiantis psicholingvistiniais tyrimais, teigiama, kad daugiakalbystė yra vienas iš svarbiausių veiksnių, veikiančių vaiko kalbos raidą ir plečiančių jo pasaulio sampratą (Hoff, 2002). Antrajame skyriuje aptariami daugiakalbių ir dvikalbių vaikų kalbos sutrikimų įveikimo modeliai, įvardijami, teikiant lgopedinę pagalbą, kylantys sunkumai, pažymima specialistų ir tėvų bendradarbiavimo būtinybė, logopedų profesinio bendradarbiavimo, ugdymo įstaigų, teikiančių pagalbą dvikalbiams vaikams, turintiems kalbos sutrikimų, reikšmingumas. Daugiakalbystės ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The objective of this master thesis is to examine language disorders in speech-impaired children from multilingual families, and to contribute to the development of intervention methods to improve the language and speech development of these children. The main reason for bilingualism and multilingualism in children and families today is migration and living in new socio-cultural environment. Hypothesis: speech therapist, recognizes multilingual children’s language disorders and focuses using the appropriate methods of assistance, in collaboration with parents and speech therapist’s professionals, not only helping the child to overcome language problems, but also enhancing his communication skills. The work is based on partially structured interviews with eight parents of multilingual children with speech and language disorders using Skype program. Information obtained from these interviews were analyzed and used to develop a language and speech improvement model. The most important empirical conclusions that were drawn are:  The characteristics of speech disorders in bilingual and multilingual children do not differ from speech disorders occurring in monolingual children. However, the speech disorders of bilingual and multilingual children may be more pronounced and more complex than those of monolingual children. Therefore, the treatment of speech disorders of bilingual and multilingual children may be more difficult, more complex, and more time-consuming than the treatment... [to full text]

Healthcare professionals such as speech and language therapists are expected to change their practice throughout their career. However, from a practice perspective, there is a lack of knowledge around what practice change is, what it really takes, and why there are different trajectories. Consequently, therapists, managers and commissioners lack empirical evidence on which to base decisions about enabling practice change. In addition, intervention researchers lack basic sociological research around implementation that could inform their research designs, reporting and impact. This case-based sociological inquiry, underpinned by critical realist assumptions, was designed to address this knowledge gap. It includes a two-stage qualitative synthesis of 53 (then 16) studies where speech and language therapists explained the work of their practice in depth, and a primary qualitative study focused on one professional jurisdiction, children with speech sound difficulties (SSD). Forty two speech and language therapists from three NHS areas and independent practice in Scotland participated in individual interviews or self-organised pairs or focus groups to discuss in depth how and why they had changed their practice with these children. A variety of comparative methods were used to detail, understand and explain this particular aspect of the social world. The resulting theory of SSD practice change comprises six configured cases of practice change (Transforming; Redistributing; Venturing; Personalising; Delegating; Refining) emerging from an evolving and modifiable practice context. The work that had happened across four key aspects of this context (Intervention; Candidacy; Caseload; Service) explained what made each case possible, and how practice had come to be one way rather than another. Among its practical applications, the theory could help services plan more realistic practice change. In addition, the inductively developed layered model of SSD intervention change has the potential to contribute to speech and language therapy education as well as methodological discussions around complex interventions.