Exploratory study of spoken and sign language comprehension among Deaf and Hard-of-hearing adults in Slovenia

The aim of this study was to explore spoken and sign language comprehension among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) adults in Slovenia. A sample of 116 DHH participants from eleven Slovenian DHH associations completed a series of tasks that were used to measure their comprehension abilities related to spoken and sign language. The instructions were stratified into three groups according to the complexity of the language. Positive correlations were established between the comprehension ability of spoken and sign language. Slovenian DDH participants differed significantly with respect to the following predictors of spoken and sign language comprehension: age at onset of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss, and age of sign language exposure. The findings of this study provide a starting point for further research on the comprehension of spoken and sign language

The Temperamental Characteristic of Extraversion in Slovenian Preschool Children Who Stutter

Different authors agree that stuttering is a multifactorial disorder that manifests itself in verbal, psychological, physiological, physical and social fields and requires corresponding evaluation, diagnosis and treatment (Conture 2001; Logan, Yaruss, 1999; Vanryckeghem, Brutten, 1997; Zebrowski, Kelly, 2002). Contemporary research links the development of stuttering with certain temperamental characteristics, among which extraversion plays an important role. The aim of this study was to investigate one such temperamental characteristic – extraversion – in Slovenian preschool children who stutter and to compare these children with their fluently-speaking peers. Using a parent administered questionnaire (Inventory of Children’s Individual Differences, Zupančič, Kavčič, 2009), extraversion as a temperamental characteristic was assessed in 49 children who stutter and in 75 children who do not stutter. All children were aged between 3 and 6 years. The results demonstrated that preschool children who stutter achieved, on average, a statistically significantly lower score on the dimension of extraversion than preschool children who do not stutter. Accordingly, children who stutter are not as extraverted, active, sociable and open to experience as children who speak fluently

Stuttering and temperament

Different authors agree that stuttering is a multifactorial disorder which requires correspondingly evaluation, diagnosis and treatment (Conture 2001; Logan, Yaruss, 1999; Vanryckeghem, Brutten, 1997; Zebrowski, Kelly, 2002). The process of diagnosing stuttering should take into account the affective, behavioral and cognitive aspects of the stuttering disorder (Vanryckeghem, Brutten, 2007). Researches show that the temperament of the individual is an important factor in stuttering. In children who stutter, compared with children who are fluent different researchers discovered less adaptability, less focused attention/persistence and negativity mood. This paper presents an overview of the various researches on temperament in children who stutter as the importance of knowing the temperament of children who stutter is in its impact on child development and development of the stuttering disorder, resulting that children who stutter require ongoing treatment and personalized therapy

Communication attitude in preschool children who recover from stuttering

Stuttering is multidimensional disorder, which is reflected as fluency disorder (prolongations, repetitions, blocks …) and has three aspects - emotional, behavioral and cognitive. Most often, stuttering occurs in pre-school age and Bloodstein (1995) said that stuttering may recover also three years after the beginning of the phenomenon of stuttering or can be persistent. Communication attitude of preschool children who stutter is statistically more negative than communication attitude of their peers, so the negative communication attitude in preschool children who stutter can be one of the indicators of the persistent stuttering and can show the need for initiation of therapy. The aim of the study was to determine whether the communication attitude in children who stutter and their peers who recover from stuttering differ. Data are based on a normative sample of 49 preschool children who stutter and 75 preschool children who do not stutter. We determine that there is a statistically significant difference in communication attitude among children whose stuttering persists and those who recover from stuttering, which means that a negative communication attitude in children who stutter shows that stuttering recovery is less likely, therefore, negative communication attitude is a factor that affects the persistence of stuttering

Personal characteristics and communication attitude of preschool children who stutter

Jecljanje je multidimenzionalna motnja, ki zahteva temu primerno ocenjevanje, diagnostiko in obravnavo. Proces diagnosticiranja jecljanja mora upoštevati afektivne, vedenjske in kognitivne vidike motnje jecljanja (Vanryckeghem, Brutten, 2007). Cilj dela je bil s slovensko različico testa KiddyCAT© (Vanryckeghem in Brutten, 2007) analizirati odnos predšolskih otrok, ki jecljajo, do lastnega govora. Prav tako je bil cilj analizirati osebnostne lastnosti predšolskih otrok, ki jecljajo. Primerjan je bil odnos do lastnega govora in osebnostne lastnosti med predšolskimi otroki, ki jecljajo, in njihovimi vrstniki, katerih govor je fluenten. Odnos do lastnega govora smo ugotavljali s Testom odnosa do lastnega govora – KiddyCAT© – Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children Who Stutter (Vanryckeghem in Brutten, 2007), osebnostne lastnosti pa z Vprašalnikom o medosebnih razlikah za otroke in mladostnike (VMR-OM), katerega avtor je Halverson, za slovensko populacijo sta ga priredili M. Zupančič in T. Kavčič (2009). Podatki temeljijo na vzorcu 49 otrok, ki jecljajo, in 75 otrok, ki govorijo fluentno in prihajajo iz različnih krajev po Sloveniji. Vzorec otrok, ki govorijo fluentno, sestavlja 39 dečkov in 36 deklic, vzorec otrok, ki jecljajo, pa predstavlja 32 dečkov in 17 deklic. Otroci obeh skupin so bili razdeljeni še na dve podskupinimlajši predšolski otroci stari od 3,0 do 4,5 leta in starejši predšolski otroci stari od 4,6 leta do 6,0 let. Rezultati so pokazali, da imajo predšolski otroci, ki jecljajo, statistično pomembno bolj negativen odnos do lastnega govora kot otroci, ki govorijo fluentno. Odnos do lastnega govora postaja z leti pri otrocih, ki jecljajo, bolj negativen, vendar ne statistično pomembno. Obratno pa pri predšolskih otrocih, ki govorijo fluentno, negativen odnos do lastnega govora z leti upada, razlika med mlajšimi in starejšimi ni statistično pomembna. Spol na odnos do lastnega govora nima vpliva. Pri otrocih, ki jecljajo, na odnos do lastnega govora statistično pomembno vpliva jakost jecljanja. Bolj negativen odnos do govora imajo predšolski otroci, katerih jakost jecljanja je večja. Visok Cronbach alfa koeficient zanesljivosti potrjuje, da je test zanesljiv in občutljiv in ga lahko uporabimo za ugotavljanje odnosa otrok do lastnega govora. Med skupino predšolskih otrok, ki jecljajo, in njihovimi vrstniki, ki govorijo fluentno, so se pokazale tudi razlike v osebnostnih lastnostih. Na dimenziji ekstravertnosti, vestnosti in nevroticizma se otroci, ki jecljajo, statistično pomembno razlikujejo od vrstnikov, ki govorijo fluentno. Na dimenziji nesprejemljivosti pa statistično pomembnih razlik med skupinama ni. Otroci, ki jecljajo, so manj odprti za izkušnje, manj iščejo stike z drugimi, so bolj boječi kot njihovi vrstniki in nagnjeni k tesnobnosti, zaskrbljenosti. Otroci, ki jecljajo, se od svojih vrstnikov statistično pomembno razlikujejo na lestvici inteligentnosti, kjer so dosegli manj točk na področju govora, besednjaka, razumevanja in mišljenja. Pomembnost poznavanja dimenzij osebnosti pri otrocih, ki jecljajo, je v njihovem vplivu na otrokov razvoj in na potek motnje jecljanja, zaradi česar otroci, ki jecljajo, potrebujejo sprotno obravnavo in prilagojeno terapijo. Raziskava je prva v Sloveniji, ki ugotavlja odnos predšolskih otrok, ki jecljajo, do lastnega govora, njihove osebnostne značilnosti in te povezuje z jecljanjem. Prispevek raziskave je tudi prirejen KiddyCAT – Test odnosa do lastnega govora za predšolske otroke, ki je umerjen za slovensko populacijo in bo logopedom omogočil zgodnje odkrivanje otrokove predstave o lastnem govoru in zgodnjo vključitev v obravnavo, kar pa bo posledično vplivalo na boljšo prognozo glede odprave motnje.Being multi-dimensional in nature, stuttering requires corresponding assessment, diagnosis and treatment. In the diagnostic process, affective, behavioral and cognitive aspects of the disorder have to be taken into account (Vanryckeghem and Brutten, 2007). The purpose of this study was to investigate the communication attitude of preschool children who stutter by using the KiddyCAT © (Vanryckeghem and Brutten, 2007), to analyze their communication attitude and to assess their personality traits. Communication attitude and personality traits among preschool children who stutter and among their peers who speak fluently were compared. Communication attitude of preschool children was measured with Test odnosa do lastnega govora KiddyCAT © - Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children Who Stutter (Vanryckeghem and Brutten, 2007), whereas personality characteristics were assessed with Halverson’s Vprašalnik o medosebnih razlikah za otroke in mladostnike (VMR-OM). The Slovenian version was translated and adapted by M. Zupančič and T. Kavčič (2009). Data are based on a sample of 49 preschool children who stutter (CWS) and 75 preschool children who do not stutter (CWNS) from different areas of Slovenia. The sample of CWNS consisted of 39 boys and 36 girls, and that of CWS contained 32 boys and 17 girls. The children were then divided into two subgroups according to age – ‘’younger’’ (3,0 – 4,5 years old) and ‘’older’’ (4,6 – 6,0 years old). The results showed that preschool children who stutter report a more negative attitude toward their own speech than preschool children who do not stutter. With the years communication attitude becomes more negative, but not statistically significant. An opposite observation was made of children who do not stutter. It was found that negative attitude toward their own speech decreases with the years. The difference between younger and older children was not statistically significant for either group. Gender did not affect the test scores. Severity of stuttering has significant impact on communication attitude. Preschool children with severe stuttering have more negative communication attitude. A high Cronbach alpha coefficient for both groups indicates that the KiddyCAT – SLO is an internally reliable instrument that can be used to compare the communication attitude of preschool children who stutter and children who do not stutter. There are also differences in personality traits among the group of children who stutter, and their peers who speak fluently. On the dimensions of extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism, children who stutter statistically differ significantly from their peers who speak fluently. Statistically, there were not significant differences between the two groups on the dimension of the agreeableness. Children who stutter are less open to experience and looking for contacts with others, they are more apprehensive and concern than their peers and prone to anxiety. Statistically, children who stutter differ significantly from their peers on the scale of intelligence, where they reached fewer points on the areas of speech, vocabulary, comprehension and thinking. The importance of knowledge of the personality dimensions in children who stutter is in the impact on children\u27s development and progress of stuttering disorder, resulting in the requirement of ongoing treatment and personalized therapy for children who stutter. This study, which determines communication attitude and personality characteristics and their connection to stuttering in preschool children who stutter and those who do not, is the first of that kind in Slovenia. The contribution of the research is well adapted KiddyCAT, which is adapted for the Slovenian population and will allow speech and language therapists early detection of children\u27s perceptions of their own speech and early integration into the therapy, which will in turn affect a better prognosis with regard to the elimination of disorder

Deafness and giftedness

Lately, more and more researchers write about gifted children with disabilities in various fields, about those who are gifted and also have special educational needs. For these children, in foreign literature, terms such as ‘’twice exceptional, double exceptional, uniquely gifted’’ are used. The aim of this kind of research is mostly focused on identifying and proving strong areas, and identifying the talent of children with special needs. Researches related to deafness and giftedness are rare, especially due to the low incidence of this group and the related methodological challenges. Often, giftedness is obscured by a disability, which is a major obstacle to discovering talent. The occurrence of gifted deaf and hard of hearing children varies between 3 % and 5 % in the population of persons with special needs. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that there are 0.5% of talented deaf children in the entire population of children. Talented deaf and hard of hearing people have different needs, so they need appropriate education and treatment, and such activities in which they will be able to express themselves and where their disability can be recognized as an extraordinariness

Communication attitude of Slovenian preschool children who do and do not stutter

Objective: The aim of this paper was to investigate the communication attitude of Slovenian preschool children who stutter by means of the Communication Attitude Test for Preschool and Kindergarten Children who Stutter (KiddyCAT), and to determine whether differences in communication attitude existed among preschool children who stutter, and their peers who are fluent speakers. In addition, the test’s discriminant value, its internal reliability and the factors underpinning the Slovenian version of the KiddyCAT were explored. Methods and Procedure: Data were gathered on a normative sample of 49 preschool children who stutter and 74 who do not stutter. The children were divided into two subgroups according to age: a ‘’younger’’ (3 to 4,4 years old) and ‘’older’’ (4,5 to 6 years old) group. Outcomes and Results: Results showed that preschool children who stutter scored statistically significantly higher on the KiddyCAT than preschool children who do not stutter. The effect size was large. A mean increase in scores among the preschool children who stutter was observed, but was not statistically significant. An opposite observation, again not significant, was made for preschool children who do not stutter. Also gender did not affect the test results. The test is internally reliable and has construct validity. Conclusion and Implications: The KiddyCAT is a useful tool for early detection of negative communication attitude of preschool children who stutter and helps in targeting cognitive-related stuttering intervention goals

Deafness and giftedness

Lately, more and more researchers write about gifted children with disabilities in various fields, about those who are gifted and also have special educational needs. For these children, in foreign literature, terms such as ‘’twice exceptional, double exceptional, uniquely gifted’’ are used. The aim of this kind of research is mostly focused on identifying and proving strong areas, and identifying the talent of children with special needs. Researches related to deafness and giftedness are rare, especially due to the low incidence of this group and the related methodological challenges. Often, giftedness is obscured by a disability, which is a major obstacle to discovering talent. The occurrence of gifted deaf and hard of hearing children varies between 3 % and 5 % in the population of persons with special needs. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that there are 0.5% of talented deaf children in the entire population of children. Talented deaf and hard of hearing people have different needs, so they need appropriate education and treatment, and such activities in which they will be able to express themselves and where their disability can be recognized as an extraordinariness

Tudi mi beremo : različni bralci z različnimi potrebami : zbornik Bralnega društva Slovenije [ob 10. strokovnem posvetovanju v Ljubljani]

Bralno društvo Slovenije širi spoznanja in razvija zavest o pomenu pismenosti med vsemi ljudmi, saj se zavedamo, kako pomembna je ta civilizacijska pridobitev, ki nam omogoča dostop do vsega človeškega znanja. Omogoča nam enakopravno vključevanje v vsa iskanja na vseh področjih in vseh ravneh. Lahko trdimo, da je bralna usposobljenost najtesneje povezana s splošnimi človekovimi pravicami, saj omogoča uveljavljati pravice, ki nam pripadajo. Če so to univerzalne pravice vseh ljudi, potem si ne moremo zatiskati oči, da v življenju niso ne samoumevne, pa tudi uresničene niso ne povsod in ne povsem