The impact of Hanen More Than Words Programme on parents of children with ASD in Malaysia

This study aims to investigate the viability and effectiveness of the Hanen More Than Words (HMTW) programme amongst parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This quassi-experimental study involved 31 children (27 boys, 4 girls; M = 34.58 months, SD = 3.67) who met criteria for ASD and their parents. The measurement was conducted in three phases; Time 1 (prior to intervention), Time 2 and Time 3 (at three and five months after the intervention begins). The outcome measures were assessed based on: (1) changes in parental facilitative strategies; (2) the children’s growth in vocabulary and (3) the progress of communication and social skills. The paired t-test were used to analyze the pre and post findings within the intervention and control group with p-value <.01. Results showed that there was an increase in using the facilitative communication strategies by parents in the HMTW group during parent-child interaction. The children showed an increased in vocabulary, communication and social skills. The parents agreed that their mastery of facilitative communication strategies increased and they provided positive feedback about the HMTW approach. The results suggested that the HMTW program could be implemented well by Malaysian parents. The training was supported by Malaysian parents and had measurable effect on both parents and children

The introduction of a secondary reinforcer during therapy based on the ABA model for children with autisme

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a technique used to teach children with autisme a variety of skills. In ABA, children with autisme often do not receive reinforcers because they have difficulty performing their targeted behaviors, which consequently leads to challenging behaviors. Objectives of this study are to increase spontaneous request and decrease challenging behavior among children with autisme by introducing a secondary reinforcer during therapy based on ABA model. Secondary reinforcer has lower reinforcing value than the primary reinforcer. When the children tried but were unable to produce their targeted behavior, they were given the secondary reinforcer. The children were divided into two groups, five children in the intervention group and four children in the control group, and they were taught specific target requesting behavior (TRB) to request for a preferred item. Three children in the intervention group recorded an increase in spontaneous request and a reduction in challenging behaviors. Only two children from the control group recorded an increase in spontaneous request and a decrease in challenging behaviors. However, only children from the intervention group were able to maintain their performance during the generalization sessions. The results suggest that children respond differently to specific prompts and interventions. Future studies should focus on how prompts affect children’s performance and also on reinforcer selection. Bigger scale studies are still needed to further determine the effectiveness of a secondary reinforcer in assisting the learning of requesting skill and in reducing challenging behaviors among children with autisme during therapy based on ABA model

Online social participation among older malaysian living with dementia during the pandemic COVID-19: the ‘take the purple pledge’ project

The ‘Take the Purple Pledge’ project a collaborative project between UKM and the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) was conducted. The undergraduate students from the Speech Sciences, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Audiology programs organized this event as part of the Community Based Rehabilitation course requirement. The program’s main objective was to engage with individuals with dementia and their caregivers. The ‘Take the Purple Pledge’ project consisted of two parts: (i) an interactive session with individuals with dementia and (ii) posting posters and materials on social media to spread awareness about dementia among the public. The first part of the program was conducted via Zoom on 14th August 2021 from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, while the second part of the program was completed on the same date. For the interactive session, 99 participants comprising students, ADFM staff, individuals living with dementia, and their caregivers attended the Zoom session, filled with virtual activities such as exercises, memory games, gamebooks, checklists, and tours. Individuals with dementia, their caregivers and staff from ADFM provided positive feedback about the program. The ‘Take the Purple Pledge’ program not only allowed individuals with dementia and their caregivers to interact with other people, it also provided an opportunity for them to participate and be included in a social event during this challenging time

Interactions of pre-symbolic children with developmental disabilities and their mothers and siblings

Depending on the severity of their disability, children with Down syndrome (DS) and with cerebral palsy (CP) may remain pre-symbolic for prolonged periods. For these children, the absence of symbolic abilities may be evident in both their communication and play. To date, most research on these children’s communication and play development has been conducted within the context of mother-child interaction. Seldom have they been observed interacting with other family members, and in interactions other than dyadic, despite these interactions also occurring daily. The aim of this study was to explore and compare the interaction of pre-symbolic children with DS and with CP with their mothers and siblings, in both dyadic and triadic interactions. A pilot was first conducted to trial procedures and coding systems, and determine the reliability of coding. The main study that followed involved 12 pre-symbolic children with DS (aged 1;10 to 5;04 years), 12 pre-symbolic children with CP (aged 1;09 to 5;07 years), and their mothers and siblings. The study was conducted in Malaysia. Children were observed as they engaged in three play interactions: mother-child, sibling-child, and triadic (mother-sibling-child). These interactions were coded for child communicative behaviours, mother and sibling interactive turns, and child and sibling play. Both groups of children were observed to participate in interaction, characterized by their production of communicative behaviours. They demonstrated significantly more communicative behaviours that could not be assigned intentionality (CAs) than intentional communicative acts (ICAs). Children with DS produced significantly more ICAs than children with CP across all three interactions. Although both groups of children were most reliant on vocalizations when communicating, they did differ in the other modalities used, relying on those most accessible to them in light of their respective disability. Children produced little or no symbolic play across interactions, showing a preference for functional play instead, an expected finding given they were pre-symbolic. The children with DS’s symbolic play was negatively associated with their ICAs, suggesting that unlike symbolic play and language that reflect shared underlying symbolic abilities, symbolic play and ICAs reflect different underlying skills. The physical limitations of children with CP limited their production of not only symbolic, but also other forms of play, in the same way it impeded their ability to demonstrate indicators of coordinated attention required for their communicative behaviours to meet the criteria for ICAs. Children produced the most ICAs during mother-child, followed by triadic and lastly sibling-child interaction, suggesting that the mother’s presence (mother-child and triadic interactions) encouraged children to communicate. Mothers created a more facilitative communication environment for the children than did siblings, by directing high rates of initiations towards them and taking turns that paved the way for the child’s next turn. Although siblings’ low rates of interaction did not provide children with as many opportunities to produce communicative behaviours, it encouraged them to produce high proportions of initiations. The response rates of mothers and siblings to children’s ICAs and CAs did not vary. The theoretical, clinical, and research implications of this study are discussed

Development of a computer-assisted learning courseware for anatomy and physiology of swallowing

Knowledge of normal anatomy and physiology of swallowing is fundamental in the identification of individuals with or at risk for swallowing disorders. Learning anatomy and physiology however, is not an easy task thus, computer-assisted learning (CAL) approaches have been incorporated into the learning of the topics to enhance understanding. Although evidence exists on the benefits of using CAL in education, more studies are necessary in the field of swallowing. While courseware for the learning of anatomy and physiology of swallowing exist, they are not comprehensive. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a comprehensive CAL courseware for anatomy and physiology of swallowing. The current study used a designed-based research following the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) model to create a multimedia courseware, incorporating the use of text, still images, animations, audio narrations, and presented on a simple graphical user interface. The courseware was evaluated by 27 undergraduate students in terms of its usefulness, ease of use, and users’ satisfaction. Results indicate that the participants were satisfied with the courseware and that they perceived the courseware as useful, easy to learn and easy to use. The study represents an initiative to investigate the use of CAL in the subject and to establish the basis for further work which includes assessment on the learning outcomes from the usage of the CAL courseware. It is hoped that the use of this courseware in teaching and learning of anatomy and physiology of swallowing can enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of the area efficiently and effectively

Challenges faced by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Malaysia

Purpose: A limited number of studies have explored the challenges and issues faced by parents with children of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are receiving speech-language services in Malaysia. This study aimed to explore the perceptions, challenges, and experiences of parents whose children with ASD are receiving speech-language therapy services. Methods: Three individual interview sessions were conducted with eight parents of children with ASD. Interviews were transcribed and evaluated using thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes were discovered from the interviews with the parents of children with ASD. These included: (1) a lack of knowledge about ASD, (2) insights into the impacts of ASD on the parents’ lives, (3) their perceived challenges at the time they were seeking speech intervention, and (4) their views about the positive aspects of their children receiving speech therapy. Conclusions: Parents viewed their children’s speech therapy as positive and helpful, but they also perceived barriers and challenges when accessing this therapy. An increase in public awareness about ASD and establishing structured ASD support group could provide helpful resources for parents and may assist them in overcoming these challenges. Future studies should determine coping strategies and solutions for these challenges to provide better support for families of children with ASD