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 disorder

Dissociation or Neurodegeneration. Problems of Diagnosis, Treatment and Therapy

Differentiation of the symptoms of dissociation and neurodegeneration in adolescent patients causes many problems. Diagnostic criteria unequivocally show that dissociative disorders should be diagnosed only after excluding general‑medical and neurological causes and the results of the effect of psychoactive substances. The diagnosis of dissociation is indicated by the occurrence of conversion symptoms or recurrent somatic complaints temporally connected with a stressogenic factor in the dynamism of their clinical picture. The aim of the paper is to determine the psychopathological picture of neurodegeneration in an 18‑year‑old female student who was erroneously diagnosed as having dissociative disorders. The results of extended genetic tests conducted after eight years of ineffective treatment and therapy showed a hereditary form of neurodegeneration. The disease, although with different intensity, also manifested itself in the patient’s grandmother, mother and in sister at different periods of their lives.
Key words: mild cognitive disorders, dementia, dysarthria, conversion, tetraplegia, extrapyramidal syndrome

Causes and Consequences of Changes in Chewing Organ of the Elderly
The article discusses the phenomena connected with physiological changes occurring in the stomatognathic system of the elderly. It points to their relation with the activities of chewing and swallowing as well as the general state of health and social functioning of older people. The issues addressed in the text are of vital importance not only for dentists and geriatrists, but also for speech therapists and other specialists working with seniors.
Key words: gerontologopaedics, stomatognathic system, chewing organ

The Ambiguity of the Term “Connotation” and Its Applicability
in Speech Disorder Studies
In the article, the author reviews the understanding of the term connotation, taking into account the latest leading tendencies in science. The author points out a very important direction of
development in the description of language disorders in schizophrenia, aphasia and dementia.
Key words: connotation, schizophrenia, aphasia, dementia

Developing Vocabulary in Pre-school Children with Impaired Verbal Expression. Theoretical Problems
The article deals with theoretical problems related to vocabulary development in preschool children with impaired verbal expression. The authoress underlines the significance of the issue, resulting from the role of vocabulary in social, educational and cultural development. She attempts to characterize language competences at the semantic and lexical levels. To this end, she refers to existing speech development studies on child’s vocabulary, then proceeds to discussing the two basic dimensions of child’s vocabulary – quantitative and qualitative – and highlights the importance of both. She places emphasis on examining the qualitative aspect. Therefore, in the light of selected linguistic theories, she examines the notions of: language sign, basic and metaphorical meanings, cognitive definition. She also refers to the concept of semantic categories and parts of speech, addresses the issues of semantic communication, pragmatics and metalinguistic reflection. The aforementioned linguistic phenomena are confronted with examples of possible disorders.
Key words: vocabulary, child speech development, quantitative aspect, qualitative aspect, linguistic sign, meaning, cognitive definition, semantic categories, speech parts, semantic connectivity, pragmatics, metalanguage

Reception of Emotions Expressed in the Prosy by Children with Damaged Hearing System
Hearing damage causes difficulties in perception not only of segmented speech components but also of suprasegmental structures. As a result, many functions performed by the prosody of speech, which are important for the understanding and interpretation of language communication, become unavailable to people with impaired hearing. The article presents the results of own research on perception of emotions encoded in the prosody of speech (happiness, sadness and anger) by children with prelingual hearing damage. The obtained results indicate that children’s ability to perceive emotions expressed prosodically is significantly reduced when compared with normal-hearing children’s. Difficulties in this respect increase proportionally to the hearing loss severity.
Key words: prosody, hearing damage, perception of prosodic phenomena

Support for Deaf People in Understanding Messages by Means of SignWriting
Article discusses how to facilitate communication opportunities for people with damaged auditory system. Focusing on people who use sign language as their first language, the authoress postulates they should master the Polish language at least in writing to be able to function independently in society. The research discussed here is aimed at verifying the effectiveness of support provided by means of SignWriting in understanding texts written in the Polish language system. A quasi-experimental method was applied in two groups of deaf people (the experimental and control groups), while descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests were used to verify the effects. As a serious deficit of the ability to use the Polish language phonetic system in deaf people has been observed, every effort should be made to make it easier for them to acquire and use the national language. SignWriting may turn out to be a good alternative to traditional methods or an auxiliary means of teaching the Polish language to deaf people.
Key words: Polish Sign Language, SignWriting, development support, deaf people, rehabilitation education

Examination of Alalia Prolongata – a Methodological Proposal

The issue of delayed speech development requires extensive and in-depth research. It is estimated that about 10% of children are affected by delayed speech development. It is therefore a common but still insufficiently examined and described disorder. Within the field of study connected with delayed speech development, one can distinguish a disorder known as alalia prolongata which includes cases of language development delays without concrete reasons for their incidence. The present article puts forward a methodological proposal for examining language skills of 6-year-old children with alalia prolongata against children that meet the biological standard. It presents the state of research on delayed speech development and theoretical assumptions adopted for the purpose of the research. The presented method consists in the use of our own tool for assessing the language skills of children with delayed speech development, as well as children who fall into the biological norm category. This research shall make it possible to demonstrate the depth of disproportion in the language development of children at the same age and shall allow for a full diagnosis of children with alalia prolongata.
Key words: delayed speech development, alalia prolongata, language skills testing, communicative and linguistic competence, logopaedic methodology

Two-pronged Programming of Speech Therapy with the Application of AAC Methodsy
Two-pronged (simultaneous) programming of language and communication skills consists of both improving production and comprehension of speech as well as learning of the augmentative communication methods. It is an important element of speech therapy. The introduction of alternative means of communication is part of a process aimed at developing speech. It can become a unique basis for building a language in one’s mind. The article seeks to highlight the legitimacy of two-pronged programming of speech therapy. Providing children with a means of communication early enough does develop their communication and language skills.
Key words: two-pronged programming of therapy, speech and language therapy, AAC methods, simultaneous communication

Narrative Abilities in Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol dependence is a chronic disease causing multiple‑system and multiorgan damage. Toxic effects of alcohol on the central nervous system lead to a permanent decrease in the number and size of neurons and neuronal connections, especially in the frontal structures, limbic system and cerebellum, and consequently to cognitive disorders, including executive functions and memory, as well as disorders in the processing of emotional information. The resulting cognitive dysfunctions affect the way in which reality is understood and the ability to present it in linguistic behaviour. Speech disorders in alcohol addicts can be diagnosed by assessing the narrative skills that reflect human knowledge of the world, i.e. the cognitive representation of the world.
Key words: alcoholism, cognitive functions, executive functions, cognitive function disorders, narration, narrative efficiency

Diagnosis of Communication Skills of Adults with Multiple Disabilities. A Case Study
The article discusses the communication development of a man with linked disability, namely: autism and moderate intellectual disability. Moreover, disability‑related speech deficits have
been analysed. The theoretical basis for the problem have been outlined in the introduction section of the article.
Key words: autism, deficits, visual contact, concentration, communication

“I Imitate, Therefore I Am” – A Few Remarks on the Key Process of Language Acquisition in the Light of the Gemiini Video Modelling Method as a Tool Supporting Speech Development
The article contains considerations on the importance of imitation in language development. The authoress puts forward the thesis that language deficits may be caused by the malfunction of human brain sensory systems. She also describes Gemiini Video Modelling Method as a proposal of a therapy designed to overcome these difficulties.
Key words: imitation, brain sensory system, brain motor system, mirror neurons, canonical neurons, sensory hypersensitivity, language development disorders, video modelling, Gemiini system

Influence of Music and Movement Exercises on the Development of Prosodic Competences in Five‑ and Six‑year‑old Children
This article presents the results of my study of the effect of music exercise and music and movement exercise on the development of prosodic competencies among five‑ and six‑year‑old children whose phonetic and phonological system is at the end of its dynamic development. This period is marked with very intensive development of the ability to perceive specific characteristics of prosodic speech units. The aim of the study was to evaluate this effect. The main objectives of conducted experiment were to examine the prosodic competences in terms of perception as well as to develop and implement a treatment program connected with shaping perception skills in terms of elements common to speech and music (such features as: height, volume, time and duration; and such phenomena as: speed, rhythm, melody, intonation), which in turn would lead to an increase in the level of prosodic competences. An experimental research method with the selection of a parallel group was applied in the experiment. The test procedure included a study on physiological hearing and an examination of the perception of prosodic speech in children from experimental and control groups.
Key words: prosodic speech, prosodic competences, logorythmics, ways of improving prosody

Ankyloglossia – Its Influence on the Pronunciation in Six‑year‑olds
The authoress’s main objective was to observe the relationship between the structure of frenulum in 6‑year‑olds and the children’s pronunciation based on the carried‑out research. The article discusses the influence of shortened lingual frenulum on the examined children’s pronunciation, depending on the degree of shortening. What follows, the pronunciation of all the basic variants of Polish language phonemes as well as of consonant groups has been evaluated; moreover, the motility of speech organs has been studied as well as the phonemic hearing of the examined children. The results of own research have been presented against the background of various researchers’ views on the influence of ankyloglossia on pronunciation.

Key words: dyslalia, ankyloglossia, six‑year‑old children

Voice in Teacher’s Work. Significance, Issues, Prophylaxis and Proposal of Speech Therapy Exercises
Care for the vocal apparatus and ability to use it are prerequisites for maintaining its good condition for a long time. The article discusses issues related to the correct voice emission in the educator’s work and draws attention to the threats the voice is exposed to in this profession. The importance of preventive measures to avoid voice‑related problems and diseases among teachers has been demonstrated and logopaedic exercises have been proposed to allow this group of professionals to keep their voices and articulation apparatuses in good condition.
Key words: voice emission, voice hygiene, voice diseases, teacher, educator, speech therapy

Diagnostic tool for use in early neurologopedic intervention – questionnaire to assess the functioning of a small child up to 12 months of life based on an interview with parents
The aim of the article is to submit a diagnostic proposal for use in early neurologopedic intervention. The questionnaire presents a diagnostic procedure, which is based on a detailed interview
with parents regarding the motor, cognitive, social and communication development of the child.
Key words: early intervention, questionnaire for the assessment of a small child, interview, diagnostic tool