Pragmatic Language Level in Autism Spectrum Disorders from the Perspective of Speech and Language Therapy in the Czech Republic

The objective is an overview of the partial research outcomes aimed at evaluating the pragmatic level of communication (PCL) in persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of speech and language therapy (SLT) in the Czech Republic, where the SLT system is divided into three different sectors bringing specific views on their concept. A partial objective is to highlight the need to create specific SLT diagnostic materials for national- relevant use and outline their concept. It is based on a brief theoretical analysis of the current state of knowledge, and presents the quantitative and qualitative outcomes based on a mixed research design. Partial results confirm the lack of practical SLT´s focus on the area of PCL diagnosis in ASD, the lack of relevant diagnostic materials as well as effective options of SLT  intervention in PCL of people with (ASD) focusing on selected individually impaired factors.

Rola logopedii w przekształcaniu systemu nauczania i interwencji w przypadku specjalnych potrzeb edukacyjnych (i nie tylko)

The paper aims at discussing the major issues relating to the current transformation of special education systems to an inclusive system which has an impact on the area of speech and language therapy (SLT) intervention, conceived as a collaborative discipline that focuses not only on isolated speech disorders, but also on symptomatic speech disorders and related problems. It also describes the role of universities in the undergraduate education of speech and language therapists in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration and working with people with special needs.Praca skupia się na dyskusji poruszającej kwestie związane z aktualnie odbywającą się transformacją społeczno-pedagogicznych systemów na system edukacji inkluzywnej, a w efekcie oddziałującej na interwencję logopedyczną oraz postrzeganie logopedii jako dyscypliny kolaboracyjnej, ukierunkowanej nie tylko na dziedzinę zajmującą się izolowanymi zaburzeniami mowy, ale także klinicznymi zaburzeniami mowy i związaną z nimi problematyką. Podkreślona została rola odgrywana przez uniwersytety w kształceniu przeddyplomowym logopedów w kontekście współpracy interdyscyplinarnej i pracy z osobami ze specjalnymi potrzebami edukacyjnymi

TASK OF SPEECH THERAPIST IN THE CARE OF NEWBORN BABIES WITH SUCKING PROBLEMS

This article points to the importance of speech therapy already in the neonatal period. When a baby is born, he should be equipped with primary reflexes that allow us to survive (e.g. sucking and swallowing).Food intake and physiological sucking is a prerequisite for adequate development of oral motor functions. If baby is no able to suck or suction is insufficient, we stop the breastfeeding and the baby is feeding by alternative method like nursing bottle, syringe or nasogastric tube. Mother often will not return to the breastfeeding. The task of the speech therapist is using stimulation to active sufficient sucking reflex and using the child to swallow properly. When baby has no problem with swallowing, he constitutes a prerequisite for the proper development of oral motor functions and consequently speech. In the introduction of this article we deal with the theoretical definition of the problem- the classification of newborn, development of sucking and swallowing, the importance of breastfeeding. In the second part of this article we write about stimulation of sucking and swallowing in high birth weight infants and low birth weight infants. Data were obtained through interviews with parents, they completed anamnestic questionnaire, therapists observed and works with babies

The Current Role of Speech-Language Therapists in the Diagnosis and Complex Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Czech Republic

AbstractThe main objective was to map the current state of providing interdisciplinary speech and language therapy (SLT) intervention to persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Czech Republic. Findings: SLTs’ knowledge of the basic issues on ASD and awareness of the individual nosologic units ranges on a medium level, even insufficient. Parents were the most satisfied with information from and cooperation with special educators, but not SLTs, and paediatricians. Conclusions: Many professionals, even counselors, still do not see this interdisciplinary collaboration with SLTs as a priority; many SLTs are dissatisfied with what they were taught about ASD at university

Aphasia in the Cognitive Disorders Context – Preliminary Study

Purpose: The aim of the article is to analyse cognitive disorder in persons with aphasia of various aetiology pursuant to brain damage, emphasizing the interdisciplinary cooperation between the professionals of speech therapy and psychology.Methodology: Seven persons with stroke related aphasia of different aetiology participated in the research. For data processing, psychological, neurological and speech therapeutic detailed reports were applied.Results: We observed higher incidence of ischaemic stroke than haemorrhagic stroke. Expressive aphasia occurred in 6 of the 7 clients. Attention disorder and thinking disorder occurred in almost all 6 of the clients. Executive functions were impaired in 5.Conclusion: Given our findings, we tend to aphasia therapy in terms of cognitive rehabilitation. We perceive the interdisciplinary cooperation with specialists from the field of psychology as absolutely necessary. The results of psychological examination of persons with aphasia can significantly influence the effectiveness of speech therapy intervention.

The Role of Speech and Language Therapist in Autism Spectrum Disorders Intervention – An Inclusive Approach

The chapter describes the possibilities of involving a speech-language therapist in the assessment of the pragmatic level of communication in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), where one of the most frequently impaired areas is communication pragmatics. These difficulties lead to a disruption of social interaction, which might be one of the obstacles to speech-language intervention in these children. The text is based on an originally developed testing material aimed at selected pragmatic-oriented communication situations relating to everyday activities and real life. Based on a comparison of domestic and international resources in this area, as well as mediated and own empirical experience, our assessment approach is based on the conclusion that pragmatics can be understood in different contexts and perspectives. The text presents the results of a partial survey comparing the performance of children with ASD and children with typical development. The assessment focused on the children’s election of the correct picture of a pair of pictures that represent usual communication and social situations. The results of the research suggest fewer incorrect responses in children with ASD and in different areas compared with children with typical development. However, the results of a qualitative analysis indicate a necessity to expand the assessment of communication pragmatics by adding an individually specific qualitative analysis of children’s performance

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Import 17/07/2007Prezenční118 - Katedra regionální ekonomik

Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci

The objective is the analysis of examinations (evaluated by means of subjective and objective criteria) focused on identifying voice and speech problems experienced by interpreting students as a specific group of vocal professionals in relation to the prevention of voice disorders and voice hygiene. Methodology: Students who are studying interpreting and whose vocal and overall communication expression has been analysed through direct observation and through the analysis of video records have been evaluated by means of a questionnaire focused on identifying voice and speech problems and by means of subjective evaluation of the possible impact of these problems on their profession. The resultant analysis shows, among other things, that vocal professionals experience objective problems in the use of their voices, which are chronic in some cases. Most students have subjectively evaluated their vocal expression as average and as significantly influenced by the psychosomatic factors disrupting their performance in the sphere of executive and cognitive functions and by the dialect. Some of the subjective feelings are strongly related to the possible exhibitions of vocal disorders. In many cases, the analysis of video records has proven non-compliance of the subjective evaluation of the students’ exhibitions with the objective experience and the idea of voice and speech professionalism. The results have served, among other things, for setting other education and enlightenment objectives in the sphere of vocal and speech prevention and for capturing possible deviations, even based on the comparison of this preliminary data with the results of similarly focused examinations implemented by the speech and language therapy department

Evaluation of Motor and Oral-motor Imitation in the Context of Pragmatic Communication Assessment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mild Intellectual Disability, Specific Language Impairment and Typical Population

Imitation is one of the major components in the development of pragmatic communication behaviour in all individuals. The ability to imitate and its possible impairment might play a significant role in diagnosing pragmatic language disorders in children of various groups with a risk of physiological speech development disorders stemming from their primary health disability, including people with autism spectrum disorders. In the process of designing and verifying a new assessment material for the evaluation of the ability to recognize pragmatic language disorders in people with autism spectrum disorders, the authors used selected items to assess the capability of motor and oral-motor imitation in children with autism spectrum disorders, specific language impairment (developmental dysphasia), mild intellectual disability, and typically developing children. The paper describes partial results of this research and discusses their potential correlations with the assessment of the pragmatic level of language in children with autism spectrum disorders from the perspective of the speech-language therapist.Key words: Communication pragmatics, options of pragmatic communication level, pragmatically oriented communication situations, children with autism spectrum disorde

Analýza možností diagnostiky a intervence oromotorické praxie u klientů poruchou autistického spektra

The contribution deals with the possibilities of oromotor praxis diagnosis and intervention in individuals suffering from autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Under the Czech and foreign conditions, this domain is rather neglected. The focal analysis is the analysis of an ASD child’s oromotor ability through the application of a partial task activity from the software programme FONO 2, Section ‘Warm-up’. The results of the longitudinal observation are detected by means of the developed evaluation scale and are recorded in the form of tables and graphs, which are analysed subsequently. According to the analysis of oromotor abilities, it is possible to achieve positive results through systematic speech and language therapy intervention focused on the development of mobility in the orofacial sphere. We are of the opinion that the ability to imitate oromotor skills could interfere with the ability to understand and acquire non-verbal communication elements and, subsequently, influence the correlations with possible pragmatic communication abilities in ASD children, similar to the discovery of mutual correlation among oral praxis, oral gnosis, motor praxis and visual perception (with special emphasis placed on eye movements) in children suffering from hearing disorders. The results of the study constitute partial outputs of a specific research within the IGA (IGA 2014/2015 PDF 2014_016) project and, in part, also the GAČR project implemented by the Institute of Special Education Studies of the Pedagogical Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc