Logopedia Silesiana T. 9 (2020).

Logopedia Silesiana T. 9 (2020)

The article presents the results of the research on occupational burnout syndrome and the experience of subjective voice complaints by teachers (n = 112). The research procedure used the VHI (Voice Handicap Index) test to measure voice disability and the MBI (Maslach Burnout Inventory) test to assess the level of occupational burnout. There are statistically significant correlations between burnout syndrome (depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, perceived lack of achievement) and VHI test results. Experiencing burnout syndrome may be associated with increased voice difficulties.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause a child to develop a number of developmental disorders, known as the fetal alcohol syndrome, which affect the physical, emotional, social and cognitive spheres. Among these deficits, phonemic hearing disorders, which negatively affect the mastery of linguistic and communicative competence, play an important role. The collected research material shows phonemic hearing disorders in almost 50% of 6-year-olds with FAS (control group: 12%) and 21% of 10-year-olds with FAS (control group: 5%). The type of difficulty in both groups is the same, because there was a similar system of disturbed phonological categories (fluency: vibration the degree of closeness of speech organs, voicing: voicelessness). In children with FAS, attentional concentration and auditory memory deficits are also noticeable, manifested by problems with remembering and comparing pseudo-words.

The most common diseases causing language difficulties of aphasia type include cerebral vascular diseases, including ischaemic strokes. Speech disorders resulting from brain damage are usually dynamic. The clinical picture, and further on, the effective diagnosis and speech therapy of a patient after a neurological incident, is thus greatly influenced both by the circumstances in which the patient found himself and the time factor. The paper presents the dynamics of aphasic disorders in a patient after ischaemic stroke within the left hemisphere. The aim is to draw attention to the changes in the image of aphasic disorders in a 63-year-old man after a neurological incident in which semantic aphasia was diagnosed, which is the evidence of differences in the occurrence of symptoms (including aphasic disorders) in the patient immediately after the stroke and over a dozen months after the incident, after an of intensive speech therapy.

Difficulties in linguistic communication and cognitive functioning of children, adolescents and adults often result from incorrect processing of auditory stimulus. Nowadays, we can support people with auditory processing disorders by performing properly selected exercises for auditory functions, including auditory training. There are over a dozen auditory trainings available in Poland, e.g. the Tomatis method, the Warnke method, Neuroflow, and the Johansen method of Individualised Auditory Stimulation (JIAS). The article presents a description of the therapy of a thirteen-year-old girl with hearing difficulties administered according to the guidelines of the Johansen Individualised Auditory Stimulation (JIAS) and the results obtained after the therapy.

Problem-based Learning (PBL) has had a significant impact on tertiary education programs around the world in recent years, including programs in speech-language pathology. In Poland, the change from traditional teaching forms, such as lectures and classes, to problem-based tutorials has been a noticeable trend. There is a scarcity of research devoted to PBL adaptations in Poland, including research on student reception of this approach to education. The present study describes the experiences and emotions accompanying a purposive sample of six participants, firstyear students of Master’s speech therapy studies at Jagiellonian University, at the time of enrolling in the PBL program, during their studies and when they consider their future work as speech therapists. The phenomenological analysis of in-depth interview data has made it possible to identify several lead and peripheral themes which can become the basis of actions aimed at improving student response to problem-based learning in speech pathology education.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the functioning of patients with swallowing disorders after total laryngectomy. The study initially included 20 patients who were more than 6 months after total laryngectomy, requiring videofluoroscopy (VFSS) due to reported dysphagia. The final group consisted of 10 people (8 men and 2 women). The examination procedure included conducting an interview, performing a full VFSS examination and completing the MDADI questionnaire by the patient. The most common problems found in the group were the lack of contact of the base of tongue with the posterior wall of the throat, disturbances in bolus formation and pumping movements of the tongue. The patients assessed their quality of life as low. The presence or absence of nasal food regurgitation significantly influenced the functioning of patients. Patients’ reports of swallowing disorders and problems with the production of voice and substitute speech are indications for further diagnosis (e.g. VFSS). The choice of an effective therapeutic method may improve the quality of life of these people.

Although intensive research on autism has been conducted since the second half of the 20th century, the etiology of this disorder and the criteria for its diagnosis still raise many doubts. The available literature on the subject makes it possible to learn about the axial symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, in particular language difficulties, deficits in the sphere of social contacts as well as sensory disorders and motor mannerisms. The present paper presents the results of the research and analysis conducted for the PhD dissertation on the interactive skills of children with autism. The text describes the pragmatic, informational and emotional agility manifested in interactive behavior of autistic children aged 6-9 who cannot speak.

Storytelling, the most common form of shaping both linguistic and cultural texts, is the most frequently repeated pattern in interpersonal communication. The article dwells on the characteristics of this narrative expression, paying particular attention to its specific structure. Further on, the author provides a short description on how the narrative competence has been developing. The article includes the author’s own research designed and performed to elicit challenges hearingimpaired people face when creating a written narrative text (story) based on a picture story, and to find an answer to the question on whether, in the mind of a hearing-impaired person, the storytelling structure exists. Finally, the author deduces that it seems reasonable, on the basis of the collected material, to assume that the integrated education as well as speech therapy of hearing-impaired people should include exercises shaping the ability to create stories as mastering this skill is connected with the level of linguistic and communicative competence.

Efforts to develop verbal expression in children should take into account the multifaceted dimension and complex character of linguistic abilities. The article presents the results of studies on developing the pre-school child’s verbal expression with the use of thematic activities in working with children. The investigations used quantitative-qualitative methods, taking into account the frequency and increase in vocabulary, length of utterance (number of words), and the number and average of words in a sentence-utterance.

The paper describes the research carried out on the group of 33 students of Rehabilitation, Education and Educational Center in Kielce (23 boys, 10 girls), between 9 and 19 years of age. All subjects were diagnosed with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. The aim of the study was to determine the communication level of people with intellectual and motor disabilities as well as the impact of these disabilities on their quality of life. The results showed that the main disruptive factor in the communication process was intellectual disability. Motor dysfunction, the basic symptom of cerebral palsy, primarily affects the way of communication, but not its quality. Communication diagnosis (CFCS) oriented towards the implementation of pragmatic functions in the communication of people with multiple disabilities enables such planning of therapy for people with cerebral palsy to simultaneously improve and control their quality of life.

In the present study, we test whether adult listeners detect phonological contrasts faster and more accurately in non-native infant-directed speech (IDS) than in non-native adult-directed speech (ADS). 21 participants listened to pairs of speech signals and their task was to decide as quickly as possible whether the signals constitute the same or different words. Each pair of signals contained target vowels or consonants representing a certain category of contrast that was phonologically relevant in a given language but not in Polish, i.e., the native language of the participants of the listening test. The signals were presented in a random order, and each pair occurred in the material twice. Although we demonstrated significant acoustic-phonetic differences between the utterances realized in the IDS and ADS speaking styles, the listeners in our study were not significantly more accurate or faster in the identification of contrasts in either IDS or ADS stimuli.

The article presents issues related to speech and the more widely understood process of communication of children with the autism spectrum disorder. The determinants of speech development and communication of children with ASD were characterized. Efforts were also made to show the consequences of disturbed speech development translating into psychosocial functioning. The paper explains the notions of the alternative and augmentative communication and describes the most frequently used methods in the treatment of children with the autism spectrum disorder.

The present paper aims, on the basis of the literature on the subject and the surveys carried out among parents/caregivers, at defining the pre-oral phase of swallowing and its course in people with severe intellectual disability. The definitions are presented, the course of this phase and the determinants influencing its disorders are characterized. The paper also indicates the possibility of improving feeding by changing behaviour in its earliest pre-oral phase. In order to collect data to assess the most important behaviours used by caregivers when initiating feeding, surveys were conducted among the caregivers of Rehabilitation, Educational and Pedagogic Center in Pruszcz Gdański. The research is based on the group of people with a certificate of severe disability, with various dysfunctions concerning eating.

This paper aims to investigate the level of naming skills of children between four and six years of age and to check if pre-schoolers, while naming new toys on the ad-hoc basis, do it randomly or whether the process is systemic. The methods, as well as the elements of extra-linguistic reality, used in the creation of names by children are analyzed. Moreover, efforts were made to deepen the study by analysing the influence of socio-cultural factors such as age and gender on nomination skills of children.

Alcohol dependence is a chronic disease that causes multi-system and multi-organ damage, including damage to the central nervous system. The toxic effects of alcohol on the brain tissue lead to the development of cognitive and language disorders. The author’s study of language behavior in a group of 15 alcohol-dependent men undergoing alcohol addiction therapy and maintaining abstinence has made it possible to define linguistic strategies to compensate for the disintegration process and to determine the spectrum of language disorders in alcoholism.

Changes in speech and communication are seen in both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study aimed at delineating differences between two groups in terms of lexical and syntactic aspects of connected speech. 12 patients with DLB and 13 patients with AD participated in the study. Transcriptions of patients’ recordings documenting the performance of the picture description task were analysed, with emphasis on the first minute of the recording. DLB patients used fewer words and definite pronouns than AD patients. Individuals with AD produced longer utterances and used more words per minute. The results are interpreted in the context of cognitive profile typical for DLB and AD. Discourse inefficiency in AD seems to be related to lexical and semantic deficits leading to lower idea density.

Cerebrovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, Bulgaria leads most countries in its incidence of stroke. Furthermore, a substantial number of Bulgarian patients post-stroke present with persisting communication disorders, especially aphasia. The main purpose of the present study is to conduct an evidence-based theoretical review of leading international guidelines for treatment and rehabilitation of adult stroke patients. In particular, this theoretical overview compares the current Bulgarian guidelines with those developed by the United States of America, Europe, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The Bulgarian guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases strongly recommends pharmacological treatment, which is commensurate with international standards. Nationally, a range of different language tests are currently used in post-stroke aphasia.

The study presented here was conducted on post-stroke patients in the years 2014–2017. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire based on single-choice questions, Barthel ADL Index and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). As many as 128 out of 135 respondents (94.8%) were referred for further treatment after initial rehabilitation. Of these, 33.6% did not continue their rehabilitation. Most of the remaining ones chose outpatient (32.9%) or inpatient rehabilitation in a hospital (29.4%). After the second examination of the physical condition of the patients, improvement was noted in those who participated in long-term rehabilitation. This feeling was also declared by the patients themselves. Out of all respondents, 92 people suffered from speech disorders, of which only 21.7% participated in speech therapy, and in this group 90% noticed a significant improvement in verbal communication. A small percentage of patients with aphasia recognize and follow speech therapy recommendations. Patients and their carers should be informed in more detail about the benefits of rehabilitation and speech therapy.

The aim of this article is to emphasise some issues arising from the measures undertaken in the prevention of SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19), as commented from the perspective of a speech and language therapist. The consequences mentioned in the article may affect not only the speech and language therapist’s diagnosis and intervention, but also the everyday activities of educators and special educators, psychologists, or parents engaged in the verbal transmission of information or complex communication behaviour. The article focuses on the connection of the selected phenomena we identify in the context of the multimodal notion of perception, comprehension, and production of speech, which we adopt with regard to the paradigm shift of providing modern speech language therapy in various (educational, clinical, or counselling) environments. In order to do so, this paper employs the scientific results of phoniatrics, audiology, neurology, stomatology and orthodontics, psychology, and other disciplines connected to speech perception and production of verbal and nonverbal communication.

Oral food intake in premature infants has its own specificity, and this is especially true for children diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Respiratory diseases are one of the primary risks factors for the development of aversive eating behavior in early childhood. Eating difficulties in this group of children correlate with the severity of this diagnosis. This article provides an overview of the literature on the subject devoted to abnormalities of the motor component of sucking as well as coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing (SPD) and specific clinical-speech therapy interventions suitable for children with BPD.

The article describes the experience of conducting speech therapy with a bilingual (sequential bilingualism) boy of Vietnamese origin in preschool age. The authors identify main differences between Czech and Vietnamese, and also point to specific linguistic interference occurring in the case of a Vietnamese-speaking person learning Czech. The aim of the authors is to describe the development of the boy’s language skills and the possibilities for his language development in kindergarten and during preparatory classes for school education. Speech therapy aimed at supporting the development of communication skills lasted seven months and involved the inclusion of multi-sensory games and activities to support various language levels. Particular emphasis was placed on auditory differentiation (including vowel quantity), auditory memory and phonological awareness (including the division of words into syllables and the analysis and synthesis of sounds).

Zbigniew Tarkowski, Ewa Humeniuk: Shyness, logophobia, mutism. Diagnosis and therapy [Nieśmiałość, logofobia, mutyzm. Diagnoza i terapia]. New York, Nova Science Publishers, 2020, 221 stron - recenzja publikacji.

Metody terapii logopedycznej. Red. Aneta Domagała, Urszula Mirecka. Lublin, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marie Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2018, 1094 stron - recenzja publikacji

Logopedia Silesiana T. 9 (2020)