| 1. |
- de Melo, Maria Emilia, et al.
(författare)
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Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Auditory–Verbal Certification: Self-Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Inform Change
- 2022
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Ingår i: Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. - : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - 2381-4764 .- 2381-473X. ; 7:6, s. 1828-1852
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose:The aim of this study was to explore the path to Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certification from the professional's viewpoint as well as to address motivation, self-perceived gains, challenges, and barriers to certification in an international cohort with the purpose of guiding future change within the existing certification system.Method:Members of the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language (AG Bell Academy) Global Matters Committee created an online survey disseminated by the AG Bell Academy in English and Spanish for professionals who were certified LSLSs, mentees currently pursuing the certification, and professionals interested in the certification. Participants (N = 295) were from different parts of the world. Of the respondents, 48% reported English as their first language, 19% reported Spanish as their first language, and the remaining 33% reported one of 26 other languages as their first language. Approximately 40% of the total respondents were certified LSLSs (n = 117), and 50% of them lived in the United States.Results:The findings indicate that certified LSLSs perceived significant growth in knowledge and skills as a result of the certification process. Personal motivation drove individuals to pursue certification. A common barrier among all participants was limited resources, such as time, funds, and access to a mentor who speaks the same language.Conclusions:There is a need for more awareness of the significant gains LSLS certification can bring to professionals. There is further need to address, minimize, and overcome perceived barriers in the process. Future similar research is warranted to explore the gains and barriers of obtaining the LSLS certification outside the English-speaking countries and in a larger, more population-based sample.
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| 2. |
- Sandgren, Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Employment and Work Task Characteristics of 111 Swedish School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists
- 2023
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Ingår i: Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. - : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - 2381-4764 .- 2381-473X. ; 8:4, s. 782-792
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are a new but rapidly growing addition to the Swedish school work force. This study sought to inventory the employment and work task characteristics of school-based SLPs to assess equitable access to SLP services.Method: We collected questionnaires from 111 SLPs currently practicing in Swedish schools. The respondents were asked for details regarding their employment.Results: Roughly equal proportions of respondents reported to work with intervention and consultation to teaching staff. Almost all reported that the preservice training provided insufficient preparation for school-based practices. The work assignments of school-based SLPs were more similar than 10 years ago, likely a consequence of agreements between the parties caring for students with language disorder, and the vast majority of SLPs now being employed within student health teams. However, differences in workload and assigned tasks affect the nature of the work performed, to the point that current best practice cannot always be upheld.Conclusions: The results indicate that the services provided by Swedish school-based SLPs can be expected to vary because of qualitative and quantitative differences in employment and work task characteristics. The results are discussed in light of reviews of language interventions for children and young people.
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| 3. |
- Brännström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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The Influence of Language Background on Dichotic Listening in Primary School Children
- 2023
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Ingår i: Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. - 2381-473X. ; 8:2, s. 298-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Dichotic speech tests are commonly used in audiological assessments of children with suspected listening difficulties, which may have a range of origins. In Sweden, today, one in four primary schoolchildren has a foreign background, which means that a large proportion of children will be assessed through the medium of a language that they speak at school, but it is not the language they regularly speak at home. This study examines dichotic listening ability among children attending primary schools in two cities in southern Sweden with a high proportion of recent immigrants.Method: In this study, 82 Swedish second and third graders aged 7–9 years with varying Swedish language exposure performed a dichotic listening task, under free recall and directed conditions. They also performed backward digit span as a measure of working memory and crosslinguistic nonword repetition, which is central for language learning.Results: We found no effect of Swedish language exposure on dichotic listening performance. Right ear was not significantly better than the left ear in either free or directed recall indicating no right ear advantage. Dichotic listening performance was significantly better in free recall compared with directed recall. Dichotic listening was related to working memory capacity. After controlling for working memory capacity, nonword repetition showed a significant positive association with dichotic listening under free recall but not directed recall.Conclusions: Test language exposure and knowledge do not seem to influence primary school children's performance on a dichotic digit task. Performance was related to working memory capacity and the complex skill of perceiving, coding, and producing novel words in a nonword repetition task. In clinical practice, both tests of working memory capacity and crosslinguistic nonword repetition may inform the interpretation of dichotic listening results in children with diverse language backgrounds.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Klintö, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Perceptual Assessment of Cleft Palate Speech—Bridging the Gap From Research to Clinical Practice—the Swedish Perspective
- 2023
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Ingår i: Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. - 2381-473X. ; 8:5, s. 986-1002
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose:The purpose of this tutorial is to describe an evidence-based scientifically sustainable perceptual assessment of cleft palate speech and how standardized assessment methods for research on cleft palate speech have been implemented in clinical practice in Sweden, which makes it possible to carry out research on clinical data.Method:This tutorial is based on a literature review and own research on how to perform a valid and reliable perceptual cleft palate speech assessment and the description of clinical practice in Sweden. Perceptual speech assessment of cleft palate speech is discussed in terms of speech material, documentation, perceptual speech analysis, speech outcome measures, cross-linguistic comparisons, calculation of reliability, interpretation of results, and subject selection. We also describe the conditions that have made it possible to integrate research and clinic in cleft palate speech-language pathology in Sweden.Conclusions:Knowledge acquired from national and international research has had a great impact on the development of cleft palate speech assessment procedures in Sweden and has contributed to standardized evaluation of treatment results. This has enabled open comparisons of treatment results from the different Swedish cleft lip and palate (CLP) centers to provide a basis for improved CLP care.
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| 6. |
- Nakeva von Mentzer, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Reading Ability and Working Memory in School-Age Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Using Cochlear Implants and/or Hearing Aids : A 3-Year Follow-Up on Computer-Based Phonics Training
- 2020
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Ingår i: Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. - : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. - 2381-473X. ; 5:6, s. 1388-1399
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThe aim of the current study was to investigate reading ability in children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) using cochlear implants (CI) or hearing aids (HA) 3 years after computer-assisted phonics intervention. Reading ability was examined in relation to cognitive and audiological aspects and compared to a reference group of children with typical hearing (TH).MethodParticipants were 73 Swedish primary school children (Mdn = 9 years). Fifty-five of the children were TH, and 18 children were DHH using CI (n = 10) or HA (n = 8). Twenty-seven of the children (all children who were DHH and nine of the children with TH) had participated in computer-based phonics intervention 3 years earlier. Children were assessed on word and nonword decoding, reading comprehension, and three working memory (WM) tasks. Age at diagnosis, age of amplification, and duration of unaided hearing loss formed the audiological variables.ResultsComparable word decoding skills and reading comprehension were observed in all three groups (CI, HA, and TH). Children with CI showed strong and significant correlations between two aspects of WM capacity (phonological and complex WM) and all aspects of reading. For children with TH, similar but weaker correlations as in children with CI was observed, and correlations with visual WM were also evident. In children with HA only, complex WM correlated strongly and significantly with nonword decoding. Duration of unaided hearing loss was the single audiological variable that was significantly associated with reading.ConclusionsThis 3-year follow-up showed overall positive reading results at the group level in children who are DHH. However, some children still lag behind their peers with TH. Early hearing experience and intervention are stressed as crucial factors in preventing negative outcomes in these children.
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