Winter 2007

Articles from the Winter 2007 Issue

Sign, SEAL, deliver

Catherine Williamson & Jenny Maguire

A workshop for parents to complement the SEAL primary emotional literacy curriculum for England

Speech and language therapist turned life coach Catherine Williamson and her life coach colleague Jenny Maguire consider the synergy between the SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) initiative in primary schools and life coaching. They offered workshops to parents at St Joseph’s Primary School in Wrightington to complement what their children are learning and to give them an opportunity to: get their children to take responsibility; talk so children will listen; effectively reward children; manage their time more effectively; build their self-confidence. The article includes Catherine’s views on why her speech and language therapy background was invaluable in running the workshops, and the team’s plans to take the idea forward.

Measuring up

Dianne Webster

A preliminary investigation of outcome measurement by therapists working with people with aphasia in Sheffield

As a recently qualified therapist, Dianne Webster wanted to understand the outcome measurement tools used in her team’s service to people with aphasia. Her project involved a literature review, a baseline audit and a preliminary investigation. While outcome measurement is done routinely by speech and language therapists in Sheffield, Dianne considers the unanswered questions of the project which will form the basis of future developments.

NLP in motion

Maggie Wallis

The difference Neuro-Linguistic Programming is making to a speech and language therapist’s practice, including a group for people living with aphasia.

Maggie Wallis reflects on the speech and language therapy profession’s move away from a medical to a more social model of practice and where NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can fit in. Working together with a palliative care pharmacist, she offers a time-limited monthly group for people living with aphasia in the Highlands. The group’s progress and clinical effectiveness are described.

Team talk

Avril Nicoll with Helen Daly, Christina Barnes, Judith Delve, Kate Evans, Karen Bonham, Gerry Walsh, Hayley Dench & Karen Davies

Speech and language therapists are already skilled multi-disciplinary operators but multi-agency and fully integrated working require a further shift in attitude.

The advent of children’s centres in England heralds a massive structural and attitudinal change for public services in an effort to improve outcomes. While everyone involved will have different hopes and fears, editor Avril Nicoll talks to therapists who are experienced in multi-professional working in education, hearing impairment, stroke, adult learning disability, rehabilitation and community paediatric settings to identify the resources we already have. With Helen Daly, Christina Barnes, Judith Delve, Kate Evans, Karen Bonham, Gerry Walsh, Hayley Dench & Karen Davies.

Assessments assessed (4)

Amanda Compton-Cook; Barbara Milford; Sharmila Bramley, Maggie Wallis, Sandra Hewitt & Iris Clarke

In-depth reviews of Graded Auditory Speech Perception Screen; Assessment of Dysphagia in Adults (A Bilingual Manual); the Verb and Sentence Test (VAST)

  1. Graded Auditory Speech Perception Screen (Amanda Compton-Cook find this modestly priced screen useful with a particular sub-group of people with hearing impairment)
  2. Assessment of Dysphagia in Adults – Resources and Protocols (A Bilingual Manual) (Barbara Milford likes the practical style and breadth)
  3. The Verb and Sentence Test (Sharmila Bramley, Maggie Wallis, Sandra Hewitt and Iris Clarke feel this has a place in specific rehabilitation and research settings)

Beyond impairment

Sylvia Dickson, Marian Brady, Rose Barbour, Alex Clark & Gillian Paton

Following research with clients and carers into the activity and participation elements of dysarthria, participants get the opportunity to reflect on the findings.

Dysarthria is a frequent consequence of stroke but there is little research into the condition to inform practice, in particular the activity (disability) and participation (handicap) elements. Sylvia Dickson, Marian Brady, Rose Barbour, Alex Clark and Gillian Paton carried out research into the impact of dysarthia on 24 clients across Scotland. The participants, their partner / carer and recruiting speech and language therapists were invited to comment on the results of the study. The ensuing discussion has implications for delivery of therapy, information needs, education, carers’ needs and discharge / long-term support.

How I involve students (1): Access-ability

Alison Matthews, Emma Sims, Katie Cowburn, Amy Erwin, Amy Sadowski, Nicola Derbyshire, Lizanne Carter & Linda Collier

Managerial, student and university perspectives on a service centred accessible information project for adults with learning disabilities.

Student speech and language therapists can be an additional resource rather than a burden on already stretched services. This pilot project in Oldham saw six students working on accessible information for a gardening centre, a recycling centre and a woodwork project. The perspectives of the service manager, the students and their university tutor are included.

How I involve students (2): A safe context

Mel Adams, Celia Harding & Andrea Lillystone

Students of speech and language therapy, social work, nursing and medicine explore issues of assessment of clients with complex communication needs.

Students from four disciplines – speech and language therapy, social work, nursing and medicine – are introduced to interprofessional education to explore: issues of client assessment; working with carers of people who have complex communication needs; the clinical reasoning to support strategies for intervention within an interprofessional context. Feedback from teaching staff, carers and students is considered.

How I involve students (3): Everyone can communicate something

Laura Brierley

First year students experience life story work with people with dementia

Life story work is making a difference to communication and self-esteem for people with dementia in Stockport. Laura Brierley and colleagues introduce this to first year speech and language therapy students in a ‘good practice’ project that provides a reason to commuicate as well as an understanding of the person behind the dementia and an appreciation of the impact of the disease on relatives and carers.

My top resources – aphasia

Fiona Buck, Joanna Kerr & Sheena Nineham

10 top resources from a department with an Aphasia Strategy

Fiona Buck, Joanna Kerr and Sheena Nineham are speech and language therapists in the adult team at Portsmouth City Teaching PCT. In 2003 the department formed an Aphasia Action Group to develop and implement an Aphasia Strategy for Portsmouth. These top 10 resources form an integral part of the strategy.