1,988 research outputs found
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An International Perspective: Supporting Adolescents with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs in the United Kingdom
This article provides an overview of the education system in the United Kingdom, with a particular focus on the secondary school context and supporting older children and young people with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCNs). Despite the pervasive nature of speech, language, and communication difficulties and their long-term impact on academic performance, mental health, and well-being, evidence suggests that there is limited support to older children and young people with SLCNs in the United Kingdom, relative to what is available in the early years. Focus in secondary schools is predominantly on literacy, with little attention to supporting oral language. The article provides a synopsis of the working practices of pediatric speech and language therapists working with adolescents in the United Kingdom and the type and level of speech and language therapy support provided for older children and young people with SLCNs in secondary and further education. Implications for the nature and type of specialist support to adolescents and adults with SLCNs are discussed
Preregistration research training of speech and language therapists in the United Kingdom: a nationwide audit of quantity, content and delivery
AIM: To carry out an audit of the quantity and content of research teaching on UK preregistration speech and language therapy (SLT) degree programmes.
METHOD: Lecturers delivering research teaching from each higher education institution providing preregistration training were invited to complete an online survey.
QUESTIONS INCLUDED: Amount of research teaching, content of research teaching (including final-year projects), perceived confidence by staff of graduates in research awareness, research activity and leading research. Responses were received for 14 programmes (10 undergraduate and four postgraduate), representing 73% of all undergraduate courses and 44% of all postgraduate courses in the United Kingdom.
RESULTS: Fifty percent of courses included over 30 h of research teaching, with wide variability across both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in number of hours, modules and credits devoted to research. There was no association between quantity of research teaching and perception of adequacy of quantity of teaching. Critical appraisal, statistical software and finding literature were the most common topics taught. Conversely, service evaluation and audit was the least common topic covered. All institutions provided a final-year project, with 11/14 requiring empirical research. Perceived confidence of graduates was higher for research awareness than active research and leading research, but this varied across institutions. There was a strong correlation between lecturers' perceived confidence of graduates in research awareness and number of hours of research teaching.
CONCLUSION: Despite the requirements for healthcare professionals to engage in evidence-based practice, the amount and nature of research training in preregistration courses for SLTs in the United Kingdom is highly variable. Levels of perceived confidence of graduates were also variable, not only for active participation in research, and for leading research, but also for research awareness. This has implications for the ability of SLTs to use and embed research in their routine clinical practice
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Children with phonological problems: a survey of clinical practice
Background: Children with phonological problems are a significant proportion of many therapists' caseloads. However, little is known about current clinical practice with these children or whether research on the effects of therapy have influenced this practice.
Aims: To investigate the methods of assessment and remediation used by therapists working in the UK.
Methods & Procedures: A questionnaire was sent to therapists working with pre- and primary school-aged children.
Outcomes & Results: Ninety-eight clinicians of varying experience responded. Most used the South Tyneside Assessment of Phonology to assess children, were confident in choosing therapy, and were aware of evidence that therapy is beneficial. They used a variety of therapies. Auditory discrimination, minimal contrast therapy, and phonological awareness were popular and often used in combination. Most involved parents. In planning therapy, clinicians were more influenced by children's language and cognitive abilities and the motivation of parents than by the nature of the impairment.
Conclusions: Constraints upon clinicians make it difficult for them to convert research findings to practice. In particular, assessments that allow more individualized and targeted interventions appear little used. Clinicians are aware of research but there is a danger that clinical practice and research are diverging
Connecting with strangers in the city: A mattering approach
The evidence that social relationships are associated with well‐being is so strong that it is taken as a ‘fact’ (Kushlev et al., 2018, Journal of Research in Personality, 74, 124). The bulk of the existing evidence derives from research examining social relationships with close others, such as family, romantic partners, and friends (Dolan et al., 2008, Journal Economic Psychology, 29, 94; Li & Kanazawa, 2016, British Journal of Psychology, 107, 675). However, less is known about how connecting with strangers is associated with well‐being, how such connections are represented by people, and what motivates people’s desire to connect with strangers. This study aims to examine representations and motivations for social connectedness with strangers in contemporary British cities. To do this, an interview study of 52 city‐dwellers living in Britain’s two largest cities, London and Birmingham, was conducted. The Grid Elaboration Method (GEM) (Joffe & Elsey, 2014, Review of General Psychology, 18, 173), a free association and interview technique, was applied. Thematic analysis revealed that representations of strangers vacillate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’, are built upon the ‘self/other’ thema, are shaped by the contextual factors place, time, and technology, and are motivated by a desire to ‘matter’. This work makes a key contribution to the study of social connectedness in cities and can inform effective urban policy
Inclusive and exclusive measurements of B decays to χ_{c1} and χ_{c2} at Belle
We report inclusive and exclusive measurements for χc1 and χc2 production in B decays. We measure B(B → χc1X)= (3.03 ± 0.05(stat) ± 0.24(syst)) × 10−3 and B(B → χc2X)= (0.70 ± 0.06(stat) ± 0.10(syst)) × 10−3 . For the first time, χc2 production in exclusive B decays in the modes B 0 → χc2π −K+ and B + → χc2π +π −K+ has been observed, along with first evidence for the B + → χc2π +K0 S decay mode. For χc1 production, we report the first observation in the B + → χc1π +π −K+, B 0 → χc1π +π −K0 S and B 0 → χc1π 0π −K+ decay modes. Using these decay modes, we observe a difference in the production mechanism of χc2 in comparison to χc1 in B decays. In addition, we report searches for X(3872) and χc1(2P) in the B + → (χc1π +π −)K+ decay mode. The reported results use 772 × 106 BB events collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e +e − collider
First observation of the decay B 0 → ψ ( 2 S ) π 0
We report a measurement of the B 0 → ψ(2S)π 0 branching fraction based on the full Υ(4S) data set of 772 × 106 BB¯ pairs collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e +e − collider. We obtain B(B 0 → ψ(2S)π 0 ) = (1.17 ± 0.17(stat) ± 0.08(syst)) × 10−5 . The result has a significance of 7.2 standard deviations and is the first observation of the decay B 0 → ψ(2S)π 0
Rotational Corrections to and Isovector Magnetic Moment of the Nucleon
The rotational corrections to the axial vector constant and the
isovector magnetic moment of the nucleon are studied in the Nambu --
Jona-Lasinio model. We follow a semiclassical quantization procedure in terms
of path integrals in which we can include perturbatively corrections in powers
of angular velocity . We find non-zero order
corrections from both the valence and the Dirac sea quarks. These corrections
are large enough to resolve the long-standing problem of a strong
underestimation of both and in the leading order. The axial
constant is well reproduced, whereas the isovector magnetic moment
is still underestimated by 25 \%.Comment: (Revtex), 10 pages (3 figures available on request), report
RUB-TPII-53/9
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The working practices and clinical experiences of paediatric speech and language therapists: a national UK survey
Background: The majority of speech and language therapists (SLTs) work with children who have speech, language and communication needs. There is limited information about their working practices and clinical experience and their views of how changes to healthcare may impact upon their practice.
Aims: To investigate the working practices and professional experiences of paediatric SLTs working in the UK through an online survey.
Methods & Procedures: The survey was conducted online using Survey Monkey. Therapists were alerted to the survey through the Bulletin of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and by e-mails to national special interest groups.
Outcomes & Results: A total of 516 clinicians completed the survey. A large majority worked in the National Health Service (NHS). A varied pattern of working was revealed. Most worked in several settings and saw a range of clients. A typical clinician spends less than one-quarter of their time giving direct therapy and more than one-quarter training parents and other professionals. Nearly half of respondents felt that their time could be better used. Too little time for direct therapy and the time required for administration emerged as their principal concerns. Most clinicians have specialist knowledge of particular client groups and spend more time with them than do non-specialists. Nevertheless, clients are more likely to be treated by a therapist who does not claim to have specialist knowledge of their condition than by one who does. The only clients for whom this is not the case are those with dysphagia. Eighty per cent of respondents felt that proposed changes to the NHS would not benefit the children they treat and there was widespread concern about cuts and the effects of general practitioner commissioning. Despite this, a large majority expected to remain speech and language therapists 5 years from now.
Conclusions & Implications : This survey provides an overview of the working practices of paediatric speech and language therapists. Its findings have significant implications for training and workforce development in the profession
Search for C P violation in the D + → π + π 0 decay at Belle
We search for CP violation in the charged charm meson decay D+→π+π0, based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 921 fb−1 collected by the Belle experiment at the KEKB e+e− asymmetric-energy collider. The measured CP-violating asymmetry is [+2.31±1.24(stat)±0.23(syst)]%, which is consistent with the standard model prediction and has a significantly improved precision compared to previous results
Improving storytelling and vocabulary in secondary school students with language disorder: a randomized controlled trial
Background: Although language and communication difficulties are common in secondary school students, there has been limited research into the efficacy of interventions for adolescents with language and communication difficulties. Aims: To investigate the efficacy of teaching assistant (TA)-delivered narrative and vocabulary interventions to mainstream secondary school-aged students with language disorder. Methods & Procedures: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a language and communication intervention was used to evaluate the efficacy of vocabulary and narrative interventions to improve the vocabulary and narrative performance of adolescents (mean age = 12.8 years) with language disorder. The language and communication programmes (narrative, vocabulary and combined narrative and vocabulary) were delivered by TAs in the classroom, three times per week, for 45–60 min each, over 6 weeks, totalling 18 sessions. Standardized and intervention-specific measures were used as outcomes. Outcomes & Results: Twenty-one schools with 358 eligible participants were recruited. The three intervention groups showed significant improvements (d =.296) on a narrative latent variable defined by a standardized narrative assessment (the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument—ERRNI), but there were no significant improvements on an overall vocabulary latent variable compared with the waiting control group. Differential effects were found on some non-standardized intervention-specific measures with the narrative group making significantly more progress on narrative tasks compared with the waiting control group, the vocabulary group showing the same pattern on specific vocabulary tasks, and the combined narrative and vocabulary group making significantly more progress on some of the intervention-specific narrative, and all the intervention-specific vocabulary outcomes compared with the waiting control group. Conclusions & Implications: It is possible to improve narrative but not vocabulary skills, as assessed by standardized measures, in secondary school students with a relatively brief group TA-delivered intervention. There were differential effects for both narrative and vocabulary with intervention-specific measures. Future work is required to explore whether more intensive and longer lasting interventions would be more effective and to identify which students in this age group are most likely to benefit from such interventions
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