Articles from the Winter 2004 Issue
Signing the way?
Allen, T. (2004)
Having developed her department’s Accelerating Babies’ Communication Programme, Tania Allen is clear that classes in baby signing should be part of our SureStart provision.
Classes in signing for babies are becoming more common. Are they a fad for pushy parents, or do they sign the way to enhanced parent-child relationships? As a service manager with a particular interest in using positive interaction techniques to develop delayed language, Tania Allen presents the case for making baby signing part of Sure Start provision. The observed benefits of her department’s Accelerating Babies’ Communication Programme are described: signing allows an infant to communicate accurately their thoughts, needs and feelings before they can speak; signing reduces frustration for babies; signing lets an infant communicate outside of the here and now; signing enhances parent-child bonding; signing promotes excellent interaction; signings facilities an adult’s ability to interpret early attempts at words and to assign meaning to them; signing children tend to be more interested in books.
The client voice.
Bowie, L., Dey, J. & Long, R. (2004)
Using the Voice Handicap Index with a real caseload leads the authors to call for further investigation of its diagnostic and evaluation potential.
Ultimately the best person to measure the impact of therapy is the client. The emotional and functional disability associated with a voice disorder cannot be recorded using clinician-based tools. This study used the Voice Handicap Index (Jacobsen et al., 1997) questionnaire on 30 consecutive clients (2 exclusions are explained). 20/28 clients (71%) had statistically significant lower voice handicap index scores in the post-treatment period. The authors therefore recommend the index as an outcome measure of therapy effectiveness from the client’s perspective. They suggest its diagnostic and evaluation potential merits further investigation.
Mind Map™ IT.
Buchanan, S. (2004)
When IT specialist Sheila Buchanan developed symptoms including auditory memory difficulties, she discovered the power of computer based Mind Maps™ as an organisational tool and for emotional and practical support.
Sheila attends a Multiple Sclerosis Therapy centre in Glasgow, although her diagnosis is under review. Until 2002 she worked as an information technology (IT) lecturer. Since 1972 she has had developing symptoms, now including sensory and balance difficulties, headaches, fatigue and cognitive-linguistic problems including auditory memory, but her IT skills and creative streak are otherwise intact. Having felt her ability to control her life was slipping away, Sheila tells her story of discovering the power of computer based Mind Maps™ as an organisational tool and for emotional and practical support. Background information from speech and language therapist Lyn Steven is included.
Feature: Grand designs – or just changing rooms?
Nicoll, A. (2004)
A massive programme aims to replace old and crumbling clinics and hospitals with customised, multi-purpose spaces. How can you be ready for the opportunity to influence your working environment?
A massive programme aims to replace old and crumbling clinics and hospitals with customised, multi-purpose spaces. No regular viewer of Channel 4’s Grand Designs could imagine that a conceptually challenging new build is easy. So, when the opportunity comes around to influence your working environment, how can you be ready?
Speech and language therapy professionals contributing to this feature are Sally Byng, Elizabeth McBarnet, Maria Luscombe, Helen Pearson, Mary Heritage, Belinda Walker and a therapist with the pseudonym Barbara Mutch. In addition there is input from Angela Harding of Christopher Place and quantity surveyor Allen Skinner.
The feature summarises practical points if you are involved with new builds: 1. Concentrate on ‘intellectual access’; 2. Plan thoroughly and be very specific; 3. Make clients and staff feel valued and independent; 4. Think about the informal as well as the formal space; 5. Balance privacy with accountability; 6. Give attention to detail; 7. Consider flexibility and adaptability; 8. Note that storage is always a problem!; 9. Weigh up initial costs and running costs; 10. Remember that new builds are ultimately about improving client care.
Winning Ways: The awareness key.
Middlemiss, J. (2004)
Life coach Jo Middlemiss considers awareness, the key to understanding yourself and others.
What is key to understanding yourself and others? Life coach Jo Middlemiss begins a series of articles to encourage reflection and personal growth with a consideration of awareness – being present in every moment.
Sound sense.
Delvin, S. (2004)
Stephanie Delvin compares a semantic with a semantic + phonological approach to therapy for word-finding in children with a language disorder.
“Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves,” wrote Lewis Carroll – but Stephanie Delvin begs to differ. Her comparison of two groups of children in language units, one receiving a semantic method of word-finding therapy and the other having combined semantic + phonological therapy, suggests to her that taking care of the sense and the sounds is the key to progress. The journey of two girls, one from each group matched for age and language profiles, is described. Stephanie concludes that, while the links between sense and sounds lead to greater word-finding skills, investigation is needed into the precise profiles of children for whom this approach is most beneficial.
How I advance total communication
(1) – Reaching out
Brown, L., Muir, M., Grant, K., Clark, L. & Fletcher, J. (2004)
A baseline audit of the implementation of a total communication strategy and standards leads to the formulation of an action plan.
Total communication promotes effective and inclusive communication for all individuals, whatever their abilities or disabilities. The approach recognises that each individual has the right to communicate using the method of their choice. It challenges the belief that individuals with communication difficulties need ‘fixing’. Instead, emphasis is placed on changing and developing the communication environment by carers adopting a full range of communication methods, such as simplified language, touch, gestures, signing, objects, pictures, symbols and writing.
Having agreed a total communication strategy and standards, the authors conducted a baseline implementation audit. Recurrent themes were: 1. Communication must be seen as a basic need; 2. All communication methods must be valued; 3. Service managers must support and be supported; 4. Training must be improved; 5. The strategy must extend to supported living; 6. Accessible information must be coordinated. The audit results have informed an action plan to reach the whole learning disability service.
(2) – Extending the reach.
Hartley, K., Gray, R. & Edmonstone, A. (2004)
The progress of a long-term inclusive communication strategy for public services in Lothian.
Total communication promotes effective and inclusive communication for all individuals, whatever their abilities or disabilities. The approach recognises that each individual has the right to communicate using the method of their choice. It challenges the belief that individuals with communication difficulties need ‘fixing’. Instead, emphasis is placed on changing and developing the communication environment by carers adopting a full range of communication methods, such as simplified language, touch, gestures, signing, objects, pictures, symbols and writing.
The authors report on the progress and challenges of a long-term inclusive communication strategy to establish a total communication approach throughout public services in Lothian.
My Top Resources – adult learning disability dysphagia.
Crawford, H. (2004)
Hannah Crawford offers ten tips for adult learning disability dysphagia.
In her role as clinical lead for dysphagia and adult learning disability for County Durham & Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, Hannah Crawford provides support and supervision to other speech and language therapists, and is responsible for developing departmental guidelines, policies and strategies for dysphagia. She has a clinical MSc in swallowing from NewcastleUniversity and is also a lecturer in adult learning disability dysphagia with undergraduate and post-qualification students. Her ten top resources reflect all these roles.
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