International journal of language & communication disorders
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Int J Lang Commun Disord · Jul 2005
Comparative StudyEarly lexical and syntactic development in Quebec French and English: implications for cross-linguistic and bilingual assessment.
Although a number of studies have been conducted on normal acquisition in French, systematic methods for analysis of French and normative group data have been lacking. ⋯ The findings have important implications for language assessment involving cross-linguistic comparisons, such as occurs in the assessment of bilingual children, and in the matching of participants in cross-linguistic studies. Given differences in the mean length of utterance and vocabulary scores across the languages, the finding of the same mean length of utterance or vocabulary obtained in the two languages for a given bilingual child or for monolingual speakers of the two languages does not imply equivalent levels of language development in the two languages.
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Int J Lang Commun Disord · Apr 2004
ReviewInteraction training for conversational partners of children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.
Research has shown that children with cerebral palsy have difficulties acquiring communication skills and that conversation with familiar partners follows restricted patterns, which are characterized by high levels of partner control and children's responsivity. Speech and language therapy often includes training for conversational partners to help to them recognize children's communicative signals and to create opportunities for children to take a more equal and independent role in conversation. However, the effectiveness of this indirect therapy has not been demonstrated reliably. ⋯ Research on the effectiveness of interaction training for conversational partners of children with cerebral palsy is in its early stages. Training has incorporated common targets, which are widely acknowledged by clinicians to affect the communication of children with motor disorders. Trends in behaviour change have been suggested by research to date, but further studies that address the methodological inadequacies of the original research are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of intervention. Suggestions of ways to improve the design and reporting of future studies, that will allow the mapping of interventions to clients, are discussed in this review.
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There has been a steady growth in recent years in British higher-degree training in speech and language therapy. But what is the standing of UK research in the subject and its component areas which should underpin and inform such training? How can such research be evaluated? ⋯ The state of British speech and language research appears to be satisfactory, with an above average output in both quantity and quality. However, it is not attracting funding from some types of sponsors and is not being published in general medical journals where it might have a wider influence on general clinical practice. It is also not clear how best such research can be evaluated, although conventional citation counts may be relevant for some subject areas.
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Despite a considerable literature on assessment and treatment issues in aphasiology, little has been written about how therapy ends. We lack detail about how clinicians decide to terminate treatment and about how patients and carers view leaving therapy. ⋯ This case study allows comparison of client and professional narratives to each other and also to the official discharge documentation in the medical file. The discharge process arising from this analysis is discussed.
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Int J Lang Commun Disord · Jan 2001
The efficacy of oro-facial and articulation exercises in dysarthria following stroke.
Although there are many accounts of appropriate oro-facial and articulation exercises and treatment hierarchies for clients with dysarthria following stroke, there is little evidence relating to the efficacy of such therapy and little or no information indicating either the extent or the frequency with which these exercises should be practiced for optimum effect. This study investigates the efficacy of such traditional therapy for eight clients. A clinic-based therapy programme and an exercise routine for home practice was agreed by a group of speech and language therapists. The results indicate not only the value of the therapy but also a realistic and viable programme for clients to carry out at home.