Speechmag

Family Action praise preventative Home Talk intervention for children at risk of language delay

Family Action have been in touch to let me know about some promising targeted work they are doing with late talking 2 year olds. 

The charity provides over 100 community based services to disadvantaged and socially isolated families across England. This includes managing Children's Centres in Mansfield where they work closely with local health visitors and speech and language therapists. As part of Nottinghamshire's multi-agency Language for Life Strategy a Play and Learning Worker delivers the Home Talk intervention to parents of children at risk of language delay. 

Children are identified by health visitors using a traffic light screening system devised by the children's centres speech and language therapy service. While children with significant needs are offered referral to speech and language therapy, there are a range of other preventative options including Home Talk for those who may benefit from some targeted support. The Family Action Play and Learning Worker in West Mansfield has been going into homes of each identified child once a week for 6 weeks to work with parents to encourage communication around routines, play and the children's interests. Over the past two years she has seen 30 children, and only 4 have needed further referral to speech and language therapy.

There has been increasing interest in primary prevention, and a number of areas with multi-agency strategies including Nottinghamshire (Language for Life), Sheffield (ESCAL) and Stoke on Trent (Stoke Speaks Out) were commended by Communication Champion Jean Gross in her final report, but such initiatives are under-represented in the research literature. An exception is the Babytalk Home Visiting service, a collaborative primary preventative intervention in Portsmouth. This has been written up in Child Language Teaching & Therapy and, following an encouraging evaluation, is due to have a controlled comparative study. 

Aphasia charity needs online votes to Speakeasy

It is sad that, in spite of top level commitment to user involvement and community engagement, funding cuts mean charities including Speakeasy are having to seek income through routes such as the NatWest CommunityForce, where entrants are in competition for public online votes to win £6000.

Speakeasy was established in Bury almost 30 years ago with support from both social services and the NHS. Over the years the social services support was gradually withdrawn, but the primary care trust financed core services to which Speakeasy added a range of project work such as developing employment opportunities, computer therapy and piloting new approaches for people with aphasia.

Gill Pearl, Chief Executive of Speakeasy, wrote an article for the Winter 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice with Gill Jackson of Dyscover, a specialist aphasia charity in Surrey. They described a pilot study of the Personal Development Programme, which promotes volunteering and increased activity among people with aphasia, bringing wide-ranging benefits to the participating individuals and their communities.

Gill explains, "Speakeasy has developed a justifiable reputation as a centre of excellence where people with aphasia from across the North West grow the skills to better navigate their lives with aphasia. In summer 2011, Speakeasy received the devastating news that the PCT had decided to withdraw 100 per cent of its financial support. This loss of funding may close Speakeasy. Although every effort is being made to seek alternative funds, the current financial climate and changes in the health and social care sectors are compounding the difficulties."

I have registered and cast a vote to support Speakeasy's attempts to win £6000 of stop-gap funding and hope other people who have an interest in aphasia will do so too before the closing date of 23 October. This doesn't have to mean that I like the recent trend among big companies to use social media to advertise their products. Such methods certainly will not provide a sustainable approach to funding of charities who provide important services that complement and enhance those offered by health and social care.

Penultimate issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice now out

The Autumn 11 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice has been mailed today, so subscribers can expect it through their door very soon!

Cover star Dan sustained a severe head injury in 2007, and Lindsay King describes how revisiting Melodic Intonation Therapy has helped his recovery. Our second 'How I manage acquired brain injury' contribution comes from Laura Flynn in Jersey and is written in memory of another inspiring client, Suzannah Pemberton.

The client-centred theme continues with Karen Leadbitter's reflection on empowering Rhys, a man in his thirties with Down's syndrome, to participate in training his own staff. Lynsey Paterson also concentrates on training, using a literature review to develop parent training following an autism diagnosis.

In the well received Journal Club, Jennifer Reid tackles critical appraisal of observational studies, and subscribers can download two associated frameworks from the members' area of www.speechmag.com. Sam Simpson & Cathy Sparkes continue their goal negotiation series, and include discussion of the thought-provoking Model of Change by Prochaska and DiClemente (1986).

In 2009, Louise Greenstock wrote an interim report on her PhD research into the use of graphic symbols in schools, and here she shares her final findings. These include a theoretical framework which looks as if it would be very helpful in practice.

Alison Roberts is back with 'Here's one I made earlier'. Her low cost and fun therapy suggestions for groups have proved so popular that Speechmark has released a book of them! Cynthia Pelman tells us about one of her top resources, Stern Structural Arithmetic, and Jan Broomfield explores the ethical issues raised when your new referral is the son of your Trust's Chief Executive Officer... 

As well as reviews and editor's choice from the journals, we have brief contributions from Diana James about Paget Gorman Signed Speech, and a delightful snapshot of Nicola Grove's granddaughters talking about talking. As always there are great reader offers, including a Grow Words resource set, books from Plural Publishing and the recently released New Reynell Developmental Language Scales (NRDLS).

You can sign up for all 4 issues in the final year of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. You will also receive the Winter 10 issue free, and get access to the members' area of www.speechmag.com until 29 February 2012.

Summer 11 Speech & Language Therapy in Practice out now!

The Summer 11 issue  of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice magazine was mailed to subscribers on Friday and Saturday, so should be with you very soon.

As well as the second instalment in the new goal negotiation series and an 'In Brief' contribution that puts the accent on aphasia, we have an uplifting story of the evolution and impact of a total communication project across Devon. In 'Journal Club', Jen Reid provides a framework for critical appraisal of intervention studies, while 'Boundary Issues' looks at the ethics of new professional roles.

We hear about a collaborative project with a children's centre and library service in an area of deprivation, which seems to highlight the benefits of targeting training on selected individuals. We also get a glimpse into the speech, language and communication needs of prisoners completing community sentences.

The cover feature is on using the evidence in dysphagia management. Hannah Crawford and Julie Bake explain why they have moved away from previous practice and introduced oral taster programmes with people with learning disabilities who gain their nutrition via PEG, while Celia Harding and colleagues use a problem solving framework to support appropriate intervention for infants and children with early feeding, eating and drinking difficulties.

We have reader offers for Photosymbols 4, I CAN Secondary Talk narrative and a Grow Words resource set, as well as Editor's Choice, three pages of reviews and 'Here's one I made earlier' on encouraging clients to make their own books. As always it is good to the very last page, where Kate Balzer shares some of the ideas for working with people with dementia from a SIGDOM therapy swapshop.

Enjoy!

Spring has sprung at Speech & Language Therapy in Practice

Mailing of the bumper Spring 11 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice is now complete and, as always, it is blooming with practical and inspiring articles.

We have a new arrival, Whose goal is it anyway?, a series for 2011 on goal negotiation from Sam Simpson and Cathy Sparkes. Journal club continues with a look at critically appraising systematic reviews, Editor's choice is on stammering, and Boundary issues is back with the ethical minefield when work and home life meet.

Other articles are on:

• putting people with learning disabilities in control of where they live and with whom
• introducing TOPICC (Targeted Observation of Pragmatics in Children's Conversations)
• reducing the risk of choking in adults with learning disabilities or mental illness
• training people with aphasia and their carers to communicate effectively beyond therapy
• resources for being an effective national specialist adviser.

And, as you would expect, we have fantastic reader offers (for NDP3 Speech Builder, Grow Words, and Independence Through Communication) as well as reviews of books and resources and more low cost ideas for groups in Here's one I made earlier.

New subscribers to Speech & Language Therapy in Practice should note that, in addition to the 4 issues for 2011, they will get a free copy of the Winter 10 issue.

Happy reading!

Learn with rhyme and help children shine - I CAN's Chatterbox Challenge 2011

I love reading and singing, but there is something uniquely special about books and songs for children. While we're now on to Tolkien's The Two Towers as a bedtime story, it's not so many years since I knew several Julia Donaldson rhyming picture books off by heart! Yet the importance of sharing stories and rhymes to later communication skills is not always recognised.

Julia Donaldon's most famous creation, The Gruffalo, is also a popular stage show, and the cast at The Garrick Theatre (right) is endorsing this year's I CAN Chatterbox Challenge. Now in its 10th year, this sponsored event for children, families, nurseries and other early years settings aims for everyone to have fun while developing their communication skills and raising money to benefit children who have difficulties with speech, language and communication.

The Chatterbox Challenge 2011 is 'Learn with rhyme and help children shine'. To take part in the challenge contact I CAN for your free fundraising pack. This includes songs and activities, stickers and sponsor forms. You can even help in a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest game of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, which will be in multiple venues across the UK.

Chatterbox Challenge is also a key event in Hello, the year-long campaign to help children communicate.

Supporting people with aphasia to volunteer: useful publications

Do you encourage or support people with aphasia to volunteer?

This topic was explored in the article 'Any volunteers?' in the Winter 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. Carole Cross of Connect has been in touch to alert readers to two further publications that might be of use: 'How to volunteer - A guide for people with aphasia' and 'Volunteering and aphasia - A guide for organisations recruiting people with aphasia as volunteers'. The titles are self-explanatory, but you can read more and order them via the Connect website. They cost £7.50 each. 

In the article Gill Pearl and Gill Jackson reported on a pilot study of the Personal Development Programme and concluded that it engaged and supported people to do more with aphasia. Identified activities included gardening at the local YMCA sports centre, teaching bowls to new members of the bowls club, helping at the local Citizens Advice Bureau, helping in a charity shop, taking on a new role in a Masonic club, volunteering at Dyscover, and making tea in a residential home. The Personal Development Programme is available to buy at cost from Speakeasy, tel. 01706 825802.

In an accompanying article, 'Actions not words', Rebecca Allwood and Jane Terry found a volunteer placement at Wheelbase for their client Colin. This has enabled him to embark on a journey back to work in spite of his communication difficulties.

 

Autumn 10 issue now out!

The Autumn 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice was mailed on Friday. (My own copy hasn't made it to Scotland yet, but I know some people got theirs as early as Saturday!)

It includes:

• our new series to help you with critical appraisal of the literature
• teaching indirect interaction techniques to education staff
• working with people with aphasia in a community arts venue
• scaffolding opportunities for silent bilingual children to speak out
• How I support TEP (tracheoesophageal puncture) closure
• complementary therapy - exploring our boundaries
• my top resources for working outside the NHS
• what's hot and what's not: book, resource and software reviews
• In Brief - chewing in children with mild cerebral palsy
• Here's one I made earlier - the menu game
• Editor's choice - adolescents, aphasia, intergroup contact
• win our free reader offer for The Communication Toolkit

New subscribers always receive an extra issue FREE in their first year.

Training people with learning disabilities to tell stories

"Stories give meaning to our lives - we are storytelling creatures who are constantly reviewing and interpreting our experiences and making link with what has happened to others" (Storytracks, 2009)

Lesley Johnson used this quote to open an article about a collaborative approach to developing narrative in people with learning disabilities in the Winter 09 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice (see abstract). She explains how a visit from four members of Openstorytellers, including speech and language therapist Nicola Grove and musician Jane Harwood, inspired the development of her own project with "wonderful practical ideas for structure of the sessions, opening and closing activities and stories".

Openstorytellers enables people with learning disabilities to tell stories and build a strong sense of personal and cultural heritage. While it has secured a grant to train people with learning disabilities to manage the organisation, it has at the same time lost business in cancelled projects due to the current financial climate. If you would be interested in commissioning the group to do training or a performance, or in linking as partners in some way email Director Nicola Grove (info@openstorytellers.org.uk).  

Openstorytellers also has a page on Facebook.

Reference
Johnson, L. (2009) 'How I create creativity (2): Defining who I am', Speech & Language Therapy in Practice Winter, pp.26-28.

Going for a coffee - aids, prototypes and service developments for people with aphasia

Back in 2001, Speech & Language Therapy in Practice featured an article 'Imprints of the mind' about a group of people with aphasia from Dundee who had participated in an exciting research project 'Expression'.  

Christine Kingsley (then Farrell), who lectures in Design at the University of Dundee, was one of the staff members involved. I am delighted to hear that her interest in aphasia has continued. She is currently working with second year design students on an aphasia awareness project as part of a 'Design for social inclusion' brief.

You can follow the students' work on their blog. They developed their ideas with the help of the Dundee Speakability group, meeting for coffee at the University's Top of the Tower cafe. The students learned that a cafe - a favourite social setting for many of us - is a challenging environment for people with aphasia given the levels of noise, busy staff, time pressures and limited communication aids. The six teams of students then tackled their brief in a variety of ways. Although delighted with the support of the University catering service, Christine is disappointed that "other high street chains were non-commital and apathetic when approached by Speakability members."

The approaches adopted by the 6 teams were:

• Team 1 - development of a visual talking wallet
• Team 2 - telling an individual story through sequences of photographs (suitable for people in the early stages of aphasia)
• Team 3 - a variety of hand held tools covering signage and menus
• Team 4 - i-phone apps
• Team 5 - a training scheme for the catering community
• Team 6 - an awareness campaign about aphasia using social networking strategies such as blogging.

The students welcome feedback on their work.