Background: Friendship is a crucial relationship for young adults with disabilities as it offers practical support and enjoyment, and it is essential to well-being and health. The present study examined the friendships of young adults with physical disabilities whose challenges with natural speech necessitate the use of augmentative and…

Communication assessment of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) has seldom been investigated. Here, we explore approaches and decision making in undertaking communication assessments in this group of people. A questionnaire was sent to UK practitioners. The questionnaire elicited information about assessment…

Background: Multiple interventions have been developed to address speech sound disorder (SSD) in children. Many of these have been evaluated but the evidence for these has not been considered within a model which categorizes types of intervention. The opportunity to carry out a systematic review of interventions for SSD arose as part of a larger…

Background: Those supporting children and young people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) contribute to ongoing complex decision-making about communication aid selection and support. Little is known about how these decisions are made in practice and how attributes of the communication aid are described or considered. Aims: To…

Background: Current research investigating collaboration between parents and speech and language therapists (SLTs) indicates that the SLT role is characterized by therapist-led practice. Co-working with parents of children with speech and language difficulties is less frequently described. In order to embrace co-working during intervention, the…

Background: The provision of skilled support is dependent on staff knowledge and understanding (Beadle-Brown J., Beecham J., Mansell J., Baumker T., Leigh J., Whelton R. & Richardson L, unpublished data). Influencing staff knowledge and understanding is an important component of interventions. Materials and Methods: Fourteen individual…

Background: People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PMLD) have communication impairments as one defining characteristic. Aims: To explore speech and language therapists' (SLTs) decision making in communication interventions for people with PMLD, in terms of the intervention approaches used, the factors informing the decisions…

Young people are using digital technology and online social media within their everyday lives to enrich their social relationships. The UK government believes that using digital technology can improve social inclusion. One well-recognized outcome measure for establishing social inclusion is to examine opportunities for self-determination.…

Speech and language therapists' (SLTs) roles include enabling parents to provide intervention. We know little about how parents understand their role during speech and language intervention or whether these change during involvement with SLTs. The theory of conceptual change, applied to parents as adult learners, is used as a framework for…

Little is known about what features of AAC systems are regarded by AAC professionals as more suitable for children with different characteristics. A survey was conducted in which participants rated the suitability of hypothetical AAC systems on a Likert scale from 1 ("very unsuitable") to 7 ("very suitable") alongside a…

Beliefs and attitudes of teachers in Mumbai, India, towards children who stutter were investigated using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were completed by 58 teachers, four of whom were subsequently interviewed. Results from the questionnaires showed that teachers believed that a child's environment influenced…

The journey from playful musical exploration in childhood to an adult identity as a skilled musician is likely to be problematic for people with hearing impairments. Although a number of subjective accounts have been published, there is a lack of empirical research in the area. In this study, twelve musicians with hearing impairments were…

Background: Anecdotal and research evidence suggests that professionals may not fully understand the perspectives of families of children who need or use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). This may impact on the provision of appropriate services. Aims: The aim was to explore the lived experience of parents of children in Britain who…

Background: Parental and speech and language therapist (SLT) explanatory models may affect engagement with speech and language therapy, but there has been dearth of research in this area. This study investigated parents' and SLTs' views about language development, delay and intervention in pre-school children with language delay. Aims: The aims…

Reports were elicited from 56 Bengali parents of children (ages 1-18) with cerebral palsy on activities they engaged in with their child and on the toys the child possessed. The majority reported spending time playing with their child and all respondents named at least two toys belonging to their child. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)