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Thesis (MSc (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injury is a devastating sudden cause of disability which renders a person paralyzed and dependent on care immediately after the incident. A person who has suffered a spinal cord injury requires an intensive rehabilitation program to achieve physical independence as well as reintegration into the community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rehabilitation program for patients with complete paraplegia at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital, a 120 bed private rehabilitation facility in Johannesburg, where rehabilitation for patients with physical disabilities is offered by an interdisciplinary team. The rehabilitation program was evaluated in terms of effectiveness including the degree of physical independence the patients achieved and how well the program prepared patients for successful integration into the community. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), a standardized outcome measure that measures certain physical and cognitive functions and the Needs Assessment Checklist (NAC), an instrument designed to assess if the rehabilitation program is geared towards the patients’ individual needs were used as outcome measure. FIM scores were determined on admission and discharge and NAC scores were determined at discharge. A convenient, consecutive sample of sixteen patients with complete paraplegia (ASIA A), with a neurological level between T1 and T12, formed the study population. Consistently high FIM and NAC scores in the area of physical functioning suggested that the rehabilitation program at Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital was effective in terms of providing patients with physical independence. However, NAC results showed that the patients were not completely ready to reintegrate back to their communities. Areas that were identified as particularly problematic were knowledge on follow up health care services in the community, readiness for work and accessibility of the home and work environments. Therefore it is recommended that the rehabilitation team re-evaluate the program and incorporate strategies with the aim to improve it’s effectiveness in terms of preparing patients for community reintegration. It is also recommended that further research is conducted to assess the current success rate with regards to community reintegration and determine challenges to re-integration in order to assist with program panning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Spinaalkoordbesering is ‘n skielike oorsaak van gestremdheid wat die persoon verlam en afhanklik van sorg laat direk na die voorval. ‘n Persoon wat ‘n spinalkoordbesering opdoen benodig ‘n intensiewe rehabilitasie program om weer fisies onafhanklik te wees en ook om hom/haar voor te berei om weer by die gemeenskap in te skakel. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die rehabilitasie program by die Netcare Rehabilitasie Hospitaal, ‘n 120 bed private rehabilitasie fasiliteit in Johannesburg, waar rehabilitasie vir fisies gestremde persone deur ‘n interdissiplinere span aangebied word, te evalueer. Die program is geevalueer in terme van twee uitkomste naamlik, die graad van fisiese onafhanklikheid wat die pasiënte behaal en tot watter mate die program pasiente voorberei vir herintegrasie in die gemeenskap Die “Functional Independence Measure” (FIM), ‘n gestandaardiseerde uitkoms skaal wat sekere fisiese en kognitiewe funksies meet en die “Needs Assessment Checklist” (NAC), `n instrument wat ontwikkel is om te evalueer of rehabilitasie programme pasiente se spesifieke behoeftes aanspreek. Is gebruik om the rehabilitasie program te evalueer. Die FIM is met toelating en ontslag voltooi en die NAC is met ontslag voltooi. ‘n Steekproef van sestien pasiente met volledige spinaalkoordletsels (ASIA A) tussen T1 en T12 het die studie populasie gevorm. Deurgans hoë FIM en NAC tellings vir fisiese funksionering het daarop gedui dat die rehabilitasie program by die Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital effektief is in terme van fisiese onafhanklikheid van pasiente. Aan die ander kant het die NAC tellings daarop gedui dat die program minder suksesvol is wat betref die voorbereiding van pasiente vir gemeeskapsintegrasie. Spesifieke probleem areas sluit in kennis van waar om opvolg gesondheidssorg in die gemeenskap te bekom, gereedheid vir werk en toeganklikheid van die huis en werksomgewing. Daar word aanbeveel dat die rehabilitasie span by Netcare Rehabilitasie Hospitaal die program herevalueer om die effektiwiteit van die program in terme van die voorbereiding vir gemeenskaps herintegrasie te verbeter. Dit word ook aanbeveel dat ‘n opvolg studie gedoen word om die huidige sukses ten opsigte van gemeenskaps herintegrasie te evalueer en sruikelblokke te identifiseer ten einde die span the help met program beplanning.

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the voice onset times (VOTs) of healthy individuals using a normal and breathy voice in an effort to determine if VOT can be used as a noninvasive clinical indicator of laryngeal function. Recordings were made of 20 adults between the ages of 20-48 with normal laryngeal function, each using a normal (Group 1) and breathy voice (Group 2). The participants’ productions were designed and collected in such a manner to control for speaking rate, vowel context, pitch, and loudness; all of which have been shown to influence VOT. A mixed analyses of variance showed that hypofunctional productions demonstrated longer VOTs across all stop consonants when compared to normal productions. Within the stops, a significant difference between the voiced and voiceless stops was noted, although no gender differences were found. It was concluded that VOT can be used as an indirect clinical indicator of laryngeal function.

Learning Objectives: (1) Summarize current FDA guidelines for cochlear implantation candidacy for pediatric and adults with hearing loss (2) Describe the components and unique function of a cochlear implant (3) List medical assessments (imaging, blood analysis, etc) for potential cochlear implant candidates (4) Discuss the multidisciplinary nature of Auditory Rehabilitation following cochlear implantation

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This study examined whether metalinguistic frequency increases or utterance type changes with age in children with typical language. Overt metalinguistic productions of 32 children, 3;0-5;7, were collected during recast intervention. Overall, the data showed changes in frequency and proportion of types with age.

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