The article explores the transformation of the oral phase of swallowing in children, with a focus on its timing and the different patterns involved. It outlines the characteristics of four distinct types of the oral swallowing phase – infantile, atypical-1, atypical-2, and mature. The article also examines the timing of changes in the swallowing pattern based on recent research findings and compares different transformation pathways, including their respective timeframes. The novelty of this approach lies in distinguishing four types of the oral swallowing phase, whereas the existing literature primarily identifies only two: infantile and mature. As a result, previous studies have described only a single pathway for the transformation of the oral phase. The overview of the modes and timing of transformation presented in this article is intended to support speech therapists in diagnosing the oral phase of swallowing as a foundational function that significantly influences the development of articulation in children.

This paper presents different techniques for working with children in special education in the conditions and environment of the Czech Republic. Attention is paid in particular to the context of speech-language therapy, the context of the pragmatics of communication, the impact and influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and new trends in working with the child client in the Czech Republic and abroad. The paper presents the possibilities of work in speech-language therapy and special education intervention, especially for Czech preschool and younger school children. It also describes the importance of monitoring certain aspects, preventing deepening the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need for a multidisciplinary approach and further preventive action in selected areas. It also provides a summary of some other possible findings on the topic.

This study examines bilingualism’s impact on preschoolers’ psychomotor development, considering parents’ age, upbringing, and environment. A total of 183 surveys were administered to 183 children (95 boys and 87 girls), including 101 bilinguals and 82 monolingual Polish speakers. The data were analyzed via STATISTICA 10.0. The results indicate that monolinguals achieve speech milestones faster. Both groups vocalize before saying the first sentence. The time when children say their first word and sentence is significantly affected by the week of pregnancy when the baby is born. This correlation was found only in bilingual children.

A case study of a male patient with Parkinson’s disease who experienced complications and a hemorrhagic stroke involving subcortical structures following a second neurosurgical operation for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) application is presented. The dynamics of the resolution of individual linguistic and motor symptoms were assessed. Five periodic diagnoses were performed in the subacute stroke phase. Gradual resolution of linguistic disorders resulting from the neurological incident was identified. Despite confounding variables such as therapeutic care, the dynamics of changes were significant enough to characterize them in the context of thalamic subcortical aphasia and co-occurring hypokinetic dysarthria. In cases of complex neurogenic speech disorders resulting from subcortical structure damage in the subacute stroke phase, it is reasonable to assess the dynamics of symptom progression correlated with neurostructural and physiological analysis.

The aim of the study was to provide a reliable tool for identifying feeding problems in children from the first month of life up to three years old. This tool is the Scale for Assessing Sensitivity of the Oral-Facial Complex (SASOFC), which consists of two subscales: Sensory Hypersensitivity and Oral Functions, Anatomy, and Functioning of Articulatory Organs. The first subscale is completed by a specialist based on an interview with the child’s parents or caregivers. The assessment using the second subscale is conducted through a physical examination of the child. Construct validity was established in a study of 305 children aged 0–3 years. The normative sample (n = 153) and the clinical sample (n = 152) were recruited from daycare centers. Comparison of the mean scores between the normative and clinical samples achieved high significance in both subscales. The scale also demonstrates high reliability indices (test-retest 0.99; α = 0.96) and validity (Fleiss’ κ 0.65). Based on the obtained results, percentile norms corresponding to the sample were constructed. We conclude that the Scale for Assessing Sensitivity of the Oral-Facial Complex (SASOFC) is an important and reliable tool suitable for assessing sensory-based feeding problems in young children, in both research and diagnostic settings.

Voice and prosody disorders are among the abnormalities that accompany selected systemic diseases, including lifestyle diseases. In this second group of dysfunctions, circulatory system diseases occupy a high position. Attempts to determine not only primary, but also secondary disorders and their causes are part of activities providing highly specialized cardiological care, but also support the implementation of possible rehabilitation activities – currently largely including physiotherapy. One of the basic disorders coexisting with cardiovascular diseases are breathing dysfunctions, which in turn reduces the quality of communication – voice formation and the use of the prosodic layer of speech. The text presents the results of a survey conducted on a group of 90 people diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the procedure was to determine whether the respondents had voice, prosody and breathing disorders, which of them occurred during the course of the disease and whether they constitute a factor that, according to the respondents, reduces the quality of their expression and communication. The survey results allow for the identification of the dominant and less frequently occurring disorders in people with cardiovascular diseases.

The article presents a quantitative study of how parents assess the communication attitudes of early school-age children who stutter compared to parents of fluent-speaking peers, using a questionnaire adapted from the Communication Attitude Test (CAT) within a quasi-experimental design. The results show that the vast majority of parents of children who stutter perceive clearly negative communication attitudes in their children, while almost all parents of fluent children report no such difficulties. Statistical analysis (Student’s t-test) confirms a significant difference between groups, underscoring the impact of stuttering on parental perception and highlighting the need to systematically involve caregivers in diagnosis and therapy as well as to provide them with evidence-based education and support.

This article addresses the issue of supporting the development of children diagnosed with speech disorders, while also providing information on speech therapy prevention for children who do not exhibit speech-related difficulties. The aim of the article is to outline how teachers can support the development of their students, both those with speech disorders and those without any difficulties. The article emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to child development, in which the child’s immediate surroundings, including the teacher, play an essential role. Speech development is a crucial aspect of human life, beginning in the prenatal period. To effectively support a student with speech difficulties, it is necessary to understand the process of speech acquisition, the pathomechanisms underlying common speech disorders in children, and the basic therapeutic interventions used by speech therapists.