1/326. teaching partner-focused questions to individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication to enhance their communicative competence.A single-subject, multiple-probe experimental design was used to investigate the effect of instruction on the acquisition, generalization, and long-term maintenance of partner-focused questions (i.e., questions about communication partners and their experiences) by individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Six participants who had severe speech impairments and used AAC participated in the study; they ranged in age from 10 to 44 years, had a variety of disabilities, and used a range of AAC systems. Instruction used a least-to-most prompting hierarchy in real-world interactions and during simulations. All of the participants successfully learned to ask partner-focused questions spontaneously in social interactions; they required an average of approximately 6 hours of instruction (range: 3-11 hours). The participants generalized the use of partner-focused questions to new situations in the natural environment and maintained use of partner-focused questions at least 2 months postinstruction; one participant required some "booster" instructional sessions 4 weeks postinstruction to maintain her long-term use of partner-focused questions. The participants all reported high levels of satisfaction with the outcomes of the instructional program, as did their facilitators. Members of the general public, blind to the goals of the study, judged the majority of the participants to be more competent communicators after instruction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/326. Acquired and isolated asymmetrical palatal palsy.Benign acquired and isolated asymmetrical palatal palsy is a rare condition in childhood. We report on three cases. Typical features include: sudden onset, abnormality of the palatal components of speech (rhinolalia), nasal escape of fluids from the ipsilateral nostril. It is supposed to be caused by viral infection, but attempts at viral isolation were unsuccessful. Complete spontaneous recovery is usual, taking a few weeks. Our paper seems to be the first report of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in this condition. It did not disclose any abnormalities in the 2 cases in which it was performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/326. child with velocardiofacial syndrome and del (4)(q34.2): another critical region associated with a velocardiofacial syndrome-like phenotype.We report on a child with congenital heart disease (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, pulmonic stenosis), submucosal cleft palate, hypernasal speech, learning difficulties, and right fifth finger anomaly manifestations, consistent with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS); however, cytogenetic analysis demonstrated a small terminal deletion of the segment 4q34.2 to 4qter. Fluorescent in situ hybridization did not identify a deletion of the critical region associated with VCFS. In previously reported 4q deletions with a breakpoint distal to 4q34.2, no cardiac defects or cleft of palate were reported. Our patient has a deletion of 4q34.2 to 4qter and has palate and cardiac involvement and minor learning difficulties, which implies that genes involved in heart and palate development lie distal to 4q34.2, and that the critical region for more severe mental retardation on 4q may reside proximal to 4q34.2. These results suggest that a distal 4q deletion can lead to a phenotype similar to VCFS and emphasizes the importance of searching for other karyotype abnormalities when a VCFS-like phenotype is present and a 22q deletion is not identified.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/326. Lessons to be learned: a case study approach. Primary hyperparathyroidism simulating an acute severe polyneuritis.The case is presented of a 65 year old lady with recent onset of neuromuscular manifestations, comprising paraparesis, areflexia and unsteady gait, along with episodes of slurring of speech and diplopia, later confirmed to be due to severe hypercalcaemia--which itself was caused by primary hyperparathyroidism. Restoration of normocalcaemia, by means of rehydration and bisphosphonate therapy, resulted in clinical improvement--whilst subsequent parathyroidectomy was followed by complete resolution of all symptoms. In order to make prompt differentiation between the neurological sequelae of hyperparathyroidism and a primary neurological disorder, a high index of suspicion is required. An urgent serum calcium assay, as part of a bone profile, is mandatory in patients who present with neurological symptoms--especially the elderly, amongst whom hyperparathyroidism is especially common.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/326. A refinement of the concept "reticence".This report has 1. Made a distinction between speech disorders involving defects and those that are primarily reticence, but in any case identified speech disorders as negotiated states as opposed to fixed disease states. 2. Argued that there is a clear analytical separation between speech disorders and speech behaviors which are indicative of neurotic disorders. 3. Attempted to remove anxiety as a component of the communication process by according it its rightful place, which is central in human personality. Furthermore, we have attempted to dispel the notion that anxiety is evil and the perennial (and sole) cause of speech disorders. 4. Identified a specialist known as the rhetoritherapist (a specially trained speech teacher) as the particular king of professional qualified to deal with speech disorders (in conjuction with speech pathologists and/or psychotherapists where necessary). We have accorded to the rhetoritherapist the province of instruction and training in all aspects of invention, delivery, and reception of rhetorical speech without reference to its moral intent. 5. Identified "reticence" as the most useful of the various imprecise terms used to refer to people with speech problems, because it is devoid of connotations that go beyond the speech process. Further refinement of specific categories of speech disorders is necessary to order to expand the repertoire of available treatment strategies. Such refinement will probably include reference to the various subprocesses of human speech identified earlier in this paper as they are related to the rhetorical situation. The rhetoritherapist thus emerges as the trouble-shooter, but not the "psychotherapist," of speech pedagogy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 14keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/326. Use of technology in phonological assessment: evaluation of early meaningful speech and prelinguistic vocalizations.Technologies that assist in the assessment of phonological abilities in early meaningful speech and prelinguistic vocalizations are discussed. Computerized assessment of phonological abilities (CAP) software offers significant time savings for basic analyses and makes possible the completion of more detailed analyses. The programs discussed in this article allow flexibility in determining not only the most appropriate analyses for an individual client, but also the design of the optimal symbol system for representing the client's productions. Case studies are included to illustrate the clinical benefits of CAP technology.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/326. CleftNet (scotland): a network for the treatment of cleft palate speech using EPG.Electropalatography (EPG) has proven its effectiveness in changing abnormal articulatory placement in cleft palate speech but clinicians often do not have ready access to such equipment. In order to improve access to EPG therapy, a network has been established which electronically links cleft palate centres throughout scotland with EPG specialists based at Queen Margaret College (QMC), Edinburgh. The network was set up through a collaborative project entitled 'CleftNet scotland', funded by the Scottish Office Department of health. In this paper, the rationale and overarching aims of CleftNet scotland are described and the efficacy of this form of EPG therapy illustrated by descriptions of two cases.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/326. When is a /k/ not a [k]? EPG as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for abnormal velar stops.This case study describes a boy who at the age of eight years did not have consistent or contrastive use of velar stops in his spontaneous speech. The use of electropalatography (EPG) revealed abnormal tongue-palate contact for both velar and alveolar stops, all of which were perceived as normal, there was excess contact in the palatal region for all alveolars and velars in a word initial position and double velar/palatal articulation for velars in a word final position. Therapy using EPG for visual feedback was highly successful and post therapy data showed normal-looking EPG patterns for alveolar and velar stops. The assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic implications are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/326. Diadochokinetic skills: normal and atypical performance in children aged 3-5 years.Although diadochokinetic (DDK) tasks are a popular assessment tool in clinical practice, the interpretation of their results is often limited and obscure. This paper examines the development of DDK skills in normally developing children (age range 3-5 years) for comparison with three case studies of children with specific speech difficulties. The results are presented in terms of accuracy, rate and consistency of response. The normally-developing children increased the accuracy and consistency but not the rate of their responses between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The three case study children (matched on severity of speech difficulty) not only performed differently from control children on some of the measures but also performed differently from each other. The diagnostic value of a developmental DDK profile is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/326. Central deafness in a young child with moyamoya disease: paternal linkage in a Caucasian family: two case reports and a review of the literature.A case of 'central deafness' is presented in a 3-year-old male Caucasian child with moyamoya disease (MMD); a rare, progressive and occlusive cerebrovascular disorder predominantly affecting the carotid artery system. documentation of normal peripheral auditory function and brainstem pathway integrity is provided by acoustic admittance, otoacoustic emission and brainstem auditory evoked potential measurements. The lack of behavioral response to sound, and absent middle and long latency auditory evoked potentials suggest thalamo-cortical dysfunction. magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse ischemic damage in subcortical white matter including areas of the temporal lobes. In addition, there were multiple and focal cortical infarctions in both cerebral hemispheres, focused primarily in the frontal, parietal and temporal areas. Taken together, these structural and functional abnormalities in addition to severely delayed speech and language development are consistent with the diagnosis of central deafness and suggest a disconnection between higher brainstem and cortical auditory areas. The child's father also has MMD, but was diagnosed only recently. The presence of paternal linkage is informative since it rules out x-linked recessive and maternal inheritance. To our knowledge, this represents the first documented case of paternal linkage in MMD with central deafness in a Caucasian child with no apparent Japanese ancestry. Herein, we focus on central auditory dysfunction and consider how lesion-induced changes have contributed to a deficit in basic auditory responsiveness, including a severe disturbance in receptive and expressive auditory-based speech and language skills.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = speech (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |