Parents' perceptions of their children's participation in home reading activities

The interaction between parent, child and book during story-book reading is considered as one of the fundamental instruments required for children to acquire the important elements needed to learn how to read. Parents of grade one children are unsure of their new role in the reading development of their children because their children enter a new phase in their literacy development and reading becomes the centre of their learning activities. The main aim of this research is to compare and describe how parents of grade one children without learning disabilities and parents of children with learning disabilities, perceive their children’s participation in home reading activities. Thirty biological parents or legal guardians of grade one children without learning disabilities and ten of grade one children with learning disabilities were used to complete a questionnaire. The results indicated that although children without learning disabilities and children with learning disabilities have similar exposure to home literacy activities, children without learning disabilities become more fluent and efficient readers than their peers with learning disabilities. Children without learning disabilities prefer to be actively involved in the story-book reading act with their parents, whereas children with learning disabilities tend to be more passive and they prefer to engage less in reading activities due to their reading difficulties. The study highlights the importance of story-book reading for grade one children in both groups, as well as independent reading of story-books by these children. Suggestions for further research are provided.Dissertation (MA (Augmentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2008.Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC)MAUnrestricte

Supporting Communication Vulnerable Children to Communicate Their Pain

Communication vulnerable children need an alternative way to express their pain to receive appropriate pain management. In this chapter, the concept of communication vulnerability will be explained by using the social-communication model of pain as a theoretical framework. The concept of pain is difficult to describe due to its subjective nature and individuals’ different experiences to pain. Clinicians and researchers find it challenging to understand the dynamic interplay between the biological, psychological and social determinants of pain. Understanding any episode of acute or chronic pain therefore necessitates considering the holistic pain picture to analyse the essentials at biological, psychological and social levels. The chapter concludes with suggestions to use augmentative and alternative strategies to support communication vulnerable children to communicate their pain

Critically ill patients' experiences of nursing care and the effect on their personhood : a retrospective study

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Research data is not shared.AIM : This study aims to report patients' experiences of nursing care in the critical care unit and the resulting effect of such care on the personhood of patients. DESIGN AND METHOD : The study adopted a qualitative design and aimed to include both descriptive and exploratory information. It involved a single participant group comprising ten previously critically ill patients with whom retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a natural setting during 2018. Private hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa, were targeted for data collection. RESULTS : The findings of this study were categorised and described according to Kitwood's conceptualisation of person-centred care. Five categories were identified by patients as impacting their personhood and perceived person-centred care. CONCLUSION : Nurses ability to support perceived personhood of patients during person-centred care is integral to the betterment of the patient. Patient's experiences of nursing care can often be affected if they perceive their personhood as not being valued by nurses. This study creates increased awareness of these components to ensure that patient-nurse relationships are established adequately to meet both the patients' and the nurses' needs.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/nop2hj2024Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC)Non

Professionals’ perceptions about the need for pain management interventions for children with cerebral palsy in South African school settings

Pain is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and may have negative consequences for children's success in their studies. Research has shown that pain in childhood negatively influences individuals' participation and quality of life in later years. This study investigated how professionals in South African school settings respond to children's need for pain management in an attempt to enable the children to be active participants in school activities, despite their pain. The study was descriptive and followed a qualitative design (i.e., focus group interviews with semistructured questions and a conventional content analysis). Five government schools for children with special education needs in South Africa's Gauteng province participated. Participants/Subjects: Thirty-eight professionals who represented eight professions. Professional statements on the topic were collected from five focus group sessions conducted during one week. Qualitative content analysis of the data was performed. Similar statements were combined, coded, and sorted into main categories and subcategories. The analysis identified three main categories for pain management: environmental, treatment, and support strategies. In addition, four groups of statements emerged on how contextual factors might affect pain in children with CP and their participation in school settings. It is important to train professionals in pain management and to implement structured models for pain prevention and management to ensure that best practices are adhered to for children with CP who suffer from acute or chronic pain.http://www.journals.elsevier.com/pain-management-nursing2017-08-31hb2016Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC

The Children's Action-Reaction Assessment Tool (CARAT) as an observational technique for assessing symptom management : an initial validation study with children aged 3–7 years undergoing needle procedures

PURPOSE : For many children, needle procedures are fearful events that are often painful. The first step in symptom management is to assess the child's pain and fear, and the next step is to use coping strategies to provide symptom relief for children who experience or feel pain and fear during procedures. The Children's Action–Reaction Assessment Tool (CARAT) is built on action–reaction strategies. This study aimed to determine the inter-rater reliability of the CARAT when used during needle procedures with 3- to 7-year-old children. DESIGN AND METHODS : We used a quantitative approach in which 21 children were observed by two independent observers during needle procedures to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the CARAT. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, and the observation scores were calculated with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) test on SPSS for Windows, version 25. RESULTS : The completed CARAT indicated the use of action–reaction strategies. Neither action nor reaction strategies were frequently used. The parents were seldom involved in the procedure. The inter-rater reliability showed a sufficient correlation between the observers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS : This study showed promising results for the inter-rater reliability of the CARAT, which can be used to facilitate care for children. The observational tool can be used to assess the use of action–reaction strategies in conjunction with needle procedures in children aged 3–7 years.The Swedish Research Council; The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare; The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education and The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation.https://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jspnhj2021Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC

What Accommodations Do Courts Provide for Abused Children with Communication Disabilities? A Legal Scoping Review

Children with disabilities are at higher risk for becoming victims of violence and sexual abuse than peers without disabilities. Despite this, very few of these cases are heard in court due to a plethora of reasons. In the rare event that they do, the court appears to be unaware and unable to efficiently provide accommodations that would allow these children to testify and obtain justice. The aim of this legal scoping review was to identify the range of documented court accommodations to enable abused children with communication disabilities to testify in court. The legal scoping review methodology developed by White et al. (2021) was used to search the extant evidence related to court accommodations for children with communication disabilities across electronic social sciences databases (i.e., PubMed, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library and PscyInfo) and law databases (i.e., Hein Online, Lexis Nexis, Sabinet and Saflii). Results describe the available accommodations used across different countries and jurisdictions

Revue parapluie de revues systématiques : caractéristiques des formations des partenaires de communication qui favorisent l’apprentissage chez les interlocuteurs d’adultes atteints d’un trouble acquis de la communication d’origine neurologique

Communication partner training is typically designed to equip communication partners of adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders with the necessary skills to create communication opportunities. Communication partner training allows for opportunities for expression, language expansion, enhanced interaction, participation, and well-being in these adults. However, successful implementation of communication partner training programs is not guaranteed as various factors, such as adult learning principles, the teaching style of the trainer, and trainee engagement, impact on the quality of training, and training outcomes predict training transfer. An umbrella review of systematic reviews was employed for this article. Initially the searches yielded 75 systematic reviews, in which 40 duplicates were identified. The remaining reviews (n = 35) were then screened on title, abstract, and full-text levels, resulting in a final inclusion of eight systematic review studies. A deductive approach to narrative synthesis was used to analyze the data based on previous theory. First, codes were identified, then themes, subthemes, categories, and subcategories were listed based on six adult learning principles and three trainee engagement components. This review highlights the importance of adult learning principles and trainee engagement when designing and implementing communication partner training within natural, real-life communication settings.Les formations des partenaires de communication sont généralement conçues pour outiller les interlocuteurs d’adultes atteints d’un trouble acquis de la communication d’origine neurologique avec les habiletés nécessaires à la création d’opportunités de communication. Ces formations sont donc conçues pour générer des occasions où les personnes atteintes d’un trouble acquis de la communication peuvent s’exprimer, améliorer leurs habiletés de langage, ainsi qu’augmenter leurs interactions, leur participation et leur bien-être. Cependant, le succès de la mise en oeuvre de ces programmes de formation n’est pas garanti; divers facteurs, tels que les principes de l’apprentissage chez l’adulte, le style pédagogique du formateur et le degré d’engagement des apprenants, ont une incidence sur la qualité et les résultats des formations. Ces facteurs sont également prédictifs de la rétention des acquis chez les apprenants. Une revue parapluie de revues systématiques a été réalisée dans cet article. Parmi les 75 revues systématiques initialement recensées, 40 se sont finalement révélées être des doublons. Les revues restantes (n = 35) ont ensuite été analysées à différents niveaux (titre, abrégé ou texte intégral) et le résultat de ce processus a abouti en l’inclusion de huit revues systématiques. Une approche déductive s’appuyant sur des théories précédemment publiées a été utilisée pour analyser les données et créer une synthèse narrative. Spécifiquement, des codes ont d’abord été identifiés, puis des thèmes, des sous-thèmes, des catégories et des souscatégories ont été établis en tenant compte de six principes de l’apprentissage chez l’adulte et de trois composantes liées à l’engagement des apprenants. La présente revue souligne l’importance de tenir compte des principes de l’apprentissage chez l’adulte et de l’engagement des apprenants aux moments de la conception et de la mise en oeuvre de formations des partenaires de communication dans des contextes de communication naturels et représentatifs de la vie réelle.https://www.cjslpa.caam2024Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC)Non

Testifying in court as a victim of crime for persons with little or no functional speech : vocabulary implications

People with disabilities are at a high risk of becoming victims of crime. Individuals with little or no functional speech (LNFS) face an even higher risk. One way of reducing the risk of remaining a victim of crime is to face the alleged perpetrator in court as a witness – therefore it is important for a person with LNFS who has been a victim of crime to have the required vocabulary to testify in court. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the core and fringe legal vocabulary required by illiterate victims of crime, who have little or no functional speech, to testify in court as witnesses. A mixed-method, exploratory sequential design consisting of two distinct phases was used to address the aim of the research. The first phase was of a qualitative nature and included two different data sources, namely in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=3) and focus group discussions (n=22). The overall aim of this phase was to identify and describe core and fringe legal vocabulary and to develop a measurement instrument based on these results. Results from Phase 1 were used in Phase 2, the quantitative phase, during which the measurement instrument (a custom-designed questionnaire) was socially validated by 31 participants. The results produced six distinct vocabulary categories that represent the legal core vocabulary and 99 words that represent the legal fringe vocabulary. The findings suggested that communication boards should be individualised to the individual and the specific crime, based on both the core and fringe legal vocabulary. It is believed that the vocabulary lists developed in this study act as a valid and reliable springboard from which communication boards can be developed. Recommendations were therefore made to develop an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Resource Tool Kit to assist the legal justice system.http://www.sapsac.co.za/carsa.htmlam201

Eina! Ouch! Eish! Professionals’ perceptions of how children with cerebral palsy communicate about pain in South African school settings : implications for the use of AAC

Most children with severe cerebral palsy experience daily pain that affects their school performance. School professionals need to assess pain in these children, who may also have communication difficulties, in order to pay attention to the pain and support the children's continued participation in school. In this study, South African school professionals' perceptions of how they observed pain in children with cerebral palsy, how they questioned them about it and how the children communicated their pain back to them were investigated. Thirty-eight school professionals participated in five focus groups. Their statements were categorized using qualitative content analysis. From the results it became clear that professionals observed children's pain communication through their bodily expressions, behavioral changes, and verbal and non-verbal messages. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods were rarely used. The necessity of considering pain-related vocabulary in a multilingual South African context, and of advocating for the use of AAC strategies to enable children with cerebral palsy to communicate their pain was highlighted in this study.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/iaac20hb2016Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC

Revue exploratoire sur le vocabulaire utilisé par les enfants pour exprimer la douleur : implications pour les systèmes de communication augmentée et alternative

The goal of this study was to conduct a scoping review to determine the words that children use to express pain. In the past, children’s verbal expression of pain was overlooked during pain assessment. A scoping review was conducted of research publications by means of keyword searches in six individual journal databases (CINAHL, Medline ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). A general browser was also used to ensure that all available literature was consulted. Seventeen articles met the selection criteria, and from this literature, two core themes were identified regarding the use of children’s pain vocabulary: description of pain and coping with pain. Original words and phrases from the literature were divided into single words using the ATLAS.ti Word Cruncher. This resulted in a list of 60 pain-related words. These words may assist healthcare staff (e.g., speech-language pathologists), parents, and researchers to select painrelated vocabulary to incorporate into augmentative and alternative communication systems to allow children with severe communication difficulties to express painful experiences.L’objectif de la présente étude était d’effectuer une revue exploratoire de la littérature pour déterminer les mots que les enfants utilisent pour exprimer la douleur. Dans le passé, les expressions verbales utilisées par les enfants pour exprimer la douleur étaient souvent négligées lors des évaluations de la douleur. Une revue exploratoire d’articles scientifiques a donc été effectuée au moyen d’une recherche par mots-clés dans six bases de données (CINAHL, Medline ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus et Web of Science). Un moteur de recherche général a également été utilisé afin de s’assurer que toute la littérature disponible avait été consultée. Dix-sept articles respectant les critères de sélection ont été identifiés et ceux-ci ont permis l’identification de deux thèmes principaux pour décrire le vocabulaire utilisé par les enfants pour exprimer la douleur : description de la douleur et gestion de la douleur. Les mots formant les expressions et les syntagmes provenant des articles scientifiques ont été divisés et isolés à l’aide du logiciel ATLAS. ti Word Cruncher. Au total, soixante mots associés à la douleur ont été identifiés. Ces mots ont le potentiel d’assister le personnel de soins de santé (tel que les orthophonistes), les parents et les chercheurs dans la sélection du vocabulaire associé à la douleur pour que celui-ci soit incorporé dans les systèmes de communication augmentée et alternative d’enfants présentant des difficultés de communication sévères, et ainsi, leur permettre d’exprimer des expériences douloureuses.The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF).https://cjslpa.cahj2018Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC