NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS (NIDCD) Comprehensive Strategic Plan and Budget to Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities

It is estimated that one of every six Americans, people of both genders and of all ages and races, experiences some form of communication disorder (e.g., hearing impairment, dizziness, balance problems, smell and taste disorders, and voice, speech or language disturbances). Such disorders often compromise social, emotional, educational and vocational aspects of an individual's life. The cost of these disorders in terms of quality of life and unfulfilled potential is substantial

Establishing diagnostic criteria: the role of clinical pragmatics

The study of pragmatic disorders is of interest to speech-language pathologists who have a professional responsibility to assess and treat communication impairments. However, these disorders, it will be argued in this paper, have a significance beyond the clinical management of clients with communication impairments. Specifically, pragmatic disorders can now make a contribution to the diagnosis of a range of clinical conditions in which communication is adversely affected. These conditions include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the autistic spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and the dementias. Pragmatic disorders are already among the criteria used to diagnose some of these conditions (e.g. ADHD), although they are not described in these terms. In other conditions (e.g. the dementias), pragmatic disorders have potential diagnostic value in the absence of reliable biomarkers markers of these conditions and similar initial presenting symptoms. Using clinical data, and the findings of empirical studies, the case is made for the inclusion and/or greater integration of pragmatic disorders in the formal classificatory systems that are used to diagnose a range of disorders. A previously unrecognised role for pragmatic impairments in the nosology and diagnosis of clinical disorders is thereby established

Physical Activity Health Communication for Adults with Mood Disorders in the United States

Using national representative data, this study sought to examine receipt of physical activity communication and counseling among adults with mood disorders in comparison to the general population in the United States. The sample consisted of adult primary-care visits in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care and National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between mental health status and receipt of physical activity communication and counseling. Overall, less than 20% of visits included physical activity communication and counseling. Controlling for covariates, visits for adults with a mood disorder diagnosis were associated with an increased odds of including physical activity communication and counseling, odds ratio = 1.25, 95% confidence interval = [1.08, 1.45]. Although adults with mood disorders were more likely to receive physical activity communication and counseling, most primary-care visits for adults in the United States did not include physical activity communication and counseling

January 9, 2013

Meeting minutes of the January 9, 2013 Faculty Committee meeting

November 4, 2015

Meeting minutes of the November 4, 2015 Faculty Committee meeting