Speechmag

Animation Therapy videos to improve narrative in older children with language impairment

Readers of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice will be interested to see these short videos accompanying an article about Animation Therapy in the Winter 11 issue. 

Animation Therapy is a hybrid of skill based and naturalistic activities aimed at improving narrative in older children with language impairment. Speech and language therapist Ravit Cohen-Mimran developed the approach over the past two years. In the Winter 11 issue she describes the rationale, stages, and its use with 11 year old 'Ben'.

The first video shows Ben's traffic jam animation, while the second is by another child. Ravit plans to submit a research proposal to get funding for a larger study with more participants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identifying and supporting 'Other ways of speaking' to ensure everyone can have a voice

Gesure, signing, symbols, boards and books, adapted computers and Voice Output Communication Aids -  in the words of the Hello campaign, 'Other Ways of Speaking' that ensure everyone can have a voice.

My final year project 23 years ago was on 'Using computers with people with aphasia'. Technology has moved on unimaginably since then, and people with communication difficulties are benefiting as AAC (Alternative & Augmentative Communication) becomes ever more adaptable, portable and affordable.

Speech and language therapists have a crucial role in ensuring the 'other ways' are appropriate to the individual's needs and functional in real life situations. The difference matters between aphasia and dysarthria, a physical disability and intellectual disability, or a language impairment that may or may not involve comprehension, as does the age, personality and interests of the client. The right choice of 'other ways of speaking' and support to establish their use in everyday communication is vital.

Manufacturers of voice output communication aids are taking their role seriously. Euan Robertson is Clinical Application Specialist at DynaVox Mayer-Johnson. He says, "I strongly believe a manufacturer's job is not over when a device is sold. Implementation is the difficult part, and AAC manufacturers have a responsibility to help this process. As such, DynaVox have created the Implementation Toolkit and run free workshops across the country. Although DynaVox InterAACt software is demonstrated, the strategies can be used with any form of high or low tech AAC system."

The recently launched MyChoicePad is making impressive use of its website and social media to spread the word about appropriate and functional use through short videos. Developed with the full support and collaboration of the Makaton charity, 'chief juggler' Zoe Peden says, "The angle we've taken is not just that of a low cost AAC device, but more about building the skills for communication using symbols and signs."  

The Makaton charity has also been involved in the production of the free 'Other Ways of Speaking' resource, along with 1Voice, ACE Centre, ACE Centre North, Scope and Signalong, as member organisations of Communication Matters. Anna Reeves from ACE Centre North says, "It is imperative that the needs of children and young people who have difficulties speaking are identified at an early age. Finding the right method of communication can have a dramatic impact on a child or young person's life - helping them to express themselves, participate in decisions, and improve their self esteem, which will ultimately impact on their contribution to society at large."

For proof of this, you only need to watch this video, produced by the ACE Centre for Hello, as part of the National Year of Communication:

 

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.

SpeechQuest takes speech and language therapy online

The internet is now an integral part of our everyday lives. We take it for granted that if we want answers we will get them online. But virtual speech and language therapy as a form of service delivery? Could that help ensure children with communication difficulties get the right help at the right time?

Speech and language therapists Rosy Bostock and Suki Ahsam clearly believe this is possible. They have launched SpeechQuest, a web-based venture aimed at giving parents, carers and early years practitioners a new level of access to assessment and advice.

As their website explains, the SpeechQuest user selects and completes a short online multiple choice questionnaire, then receives an immediate summary of results along with activity ideas and any recommendations for referral. The user can return to the online questionnaires at regular intervals to check on progress, with new activities provided according to the age and stage of the child suggested by their responses.

SpeechQuest is aimed at carers of children from 3 months to 5 years and costs £19.95 per child. The developers believe that it "complements existing NHS and Independent Sector services, empowering parents and practitioners to get involved in supporting the child without delay." A free month's trial is currently available. I will be interested to hear what readers think.

SpeechQuest will also be reviewed in a future issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice.

Speechmag blog is Speechwoman's 'Site of the Month'

What a great start to my day - an e-mail from Caroline Bowen telling me that the speechmag blog has been awarded the Speechwoman 'Site of the Month' award for January 2010!

Along with speechmag, Caroline's renowned website is one of the most enduring speech and language therapy related presences on the internet. Since June 1998, her alter ego Speechwoman has selected "an outstanding speech-language-pathology related website" as her site of the month. The variety of winners is testament to Caroline's super powers in finding and sharing good practice around the globe.

Speechwoman notes that the "immensely readable" Speech & Language Therapy in Practice magazine is supported by the speechmag website, a presence on Facebook and the editor's blog.  Explaining why she has chosen to recognise this blog with the first Speechwoman award for 2010 she says, "As well as being a skilled editor Avril has a lively and engaging writing style, so it comes as no surprise that her blog is interesting, informative and entertaining."  

The blog gets a maximum triple plus 'excellent' rating for quality, usability and design and a double plus for authority, reflecting the Speech & Language Therapy in Practice aim of bridging the gap between academia / research and practice.

Thank you Speechwoman, my blog will wear your logo with pride!

Speech and language therapy using Skype - research update

Reader Rebecca Matthews has sent me her annual newsletter, which includes a report on progress with her PhD research into delivering therapy to children over the internet via Skype.

Rebecca was motivated to investigate service delivery by videoconferencing to save fuel and make the most of clinical time and says so far opinions are "positive and encouraging". Now in the third year of her research at UCL, she is looking to identify what makes the provision of speech and language therapy via Skype acceptable to people. She is collecting the views of children and parents as well as analysing the activity in both face-to-face and Skype sessions.

Importantly, Rebecca is also looking at video recordings of both types of sessions to see what differences there may be in speaking and working. She has already noted that, as children have to give her instructions via Skype rather than pointing as they can do in a face-to-face session, they are automatically encouraged to do more talking.

Rebecca's review of the TinyEye videoconferencing system for Speech & Language Therapy in Practice is in our Autumn 08 issue (p.28). In a different field of the profession, Susan Howell has reported positively on a feasibility study into the use of the internet, a webcam and broadband to deliver Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) to people with Parkinson's disease.

Online communication community

I recently heard about an ambitious online venture called icommunicate.This global online community provides free information and resources around communication skills, written by speech and language therapists / pathologists. As well as sharing within the profession, the site aims to help clients, parents, teachers and other professionals.

icommunicate leading light Johan Langfield explained to me that his motivation came from seeing "a lack of resources for many people that really needed them." Working for a time in the public sector, he saw children "who were not getting sufficient help because they were not deemed severe enough to fit the criteria for funding. This really bothered me." He says that, as icommunicate evolved, "the more we felt we could create something really great, that people could use, that would help people."

The success of icommunicate will depend ultimately on the number of speech and language therapy professionals who choose to send in their activities, ideas, videos and stories for inclusion and participate in the forum. This video link explains how it all works.