International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders最新文献

{"title":"Prevalence and Factors Associated With Pill-Swallowing Difficulties Among Outpatient Pharmacy Attendees at a Malaysian Teaching Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Nur Amira Said Udin, Nik Aisyah Najwa Nik Mustaffa Shapri, Mohammad Suhaidi Sha'ari, Muhammad 'Izzuddin Zamery, Abdul Azim Al-Abrar Ahmad Kailani, Ammar Kamar, Mohd Shahezwan Abd Wahab","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70258","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pill-swallowing difficulty is a common yet under-recognised barrier to effective pharmacotherapy, with potential consequences for adherence, therapeutic efficacy, and patient safety. Malaysian evidence is scarce, particularly in outpatient populations where long-term oral medication use predominates.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To determine the prevalence, identify associated factors, and examine the consequences of pill-swallowing difficulties among outpatient pharmacy attendees in a Malaysian teaching hospital.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at the outpatient pharmacy of Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah (HASA), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), over six weeks in 2025. Adults who received at least one pill (e.g., tablets, capsules or caplets) were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the UiTM research ethics committee. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors, and descriptive analyses summarised reported problems, coping strategies, medication adherence, psychosocial and behavioural consequences, and consultations with healthcare professionals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 446 respondents, 185 (41.5%) reported difficulty swallowing pills. Compared with participants aged 18-29 years, those aged 30-49 years (aOR = 0.351, 95% CI: 0.177-0.695, p = 0.003) and ≥50 years (aOR = 0.208, 95% CI: 0.094-0.458, p < 0.001) were significantly less likely to report swallowing difficulties. Tertiary-educated individuals had higher odds of reporting difficulties (aOR = 1.878, 95% CI: 1.060-3.328, p = 0.031). A self-reported behavioural pattern of taking pills one by one rather than together was independently associated with difficulty (aOR = 1.636, 95% CI: 1.086-2.462). The most frequent complaints were the sensation of a pill being 'stuck in the throat' (87.0%) and difficulty with caplet shapes (78.9%). Reported consequences included medication non-adherence (36.8%) and psychosocial or behavioural consequences (67.0%). Only 9.7% had sought professional advice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Pill-swallowing difficulty is prevalent among Malaysian outpatients, with important behavioural and clinical implications. Systematic screening, counselling, and patient-centred formulation strategies are warranted to improve adherence and safety.</p><p><strong>What this paper adds: </strong>What is already known on this subject Pill-swallowing difficulty, or pill dysphagia, is a common yet under-recognised problem that may compromise medication adherence and treatment outcomes. International studies report that approximately 29%-55% of adults experience difficulty swallowing solid oral dosage forms, sometimes resulting in medication modification, delayed dosing, or non-adherence. Both formulation characteristics and psychological factors influence swallowability. However, most available evidence derives from Wes","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70258"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147845134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) in Minimally Verbal Turkish Children.","authors":"Müge Baykan, Özge Baykan Çopuroğlu, Yasin Yıldız, Nancy C Brady","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70250","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1460-6984.70250","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the Turkish version of the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) for minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 130 children aged 24-60 months (diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria and recruited from developmental podiatric clinics) with fewer than 20 functional words (as verified through caregiver report and direct clinical observation) completed CCS sessions that were video-recorded and independently coded. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Cohen's kappa, and test-retest correlations. Concurrent validity was examined through correlations with the Turkish versions of the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and the Test of Early Language Development (TELD). Construct validity was tested with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Known-groups validity compared Behaviour Regulation (BR) and Joint Attention (JA) scores between ASD and DD groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most children demonstrated intentional non-symbolic communication, confirming the scale's sensitivity to minimally verbal behaviours. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.86-0.91), and test-retest stability was strong (r = 0.88-0.93). CCS scores showed moderate correlations with standardized language measures (r = 0.39-0.42). CFA supported a one-factor model (RMSEA = 0.06; CFI = 0.93). Children with ASD had higher BR scores, whereas children with DD showed higher JA scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Turkish CCS is a reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate tool for assessing communication complexity in minimally verbal children. Its sensitivity to non-symbolic and emerging symbolic behaviours support its use in clinical evaluation, individualized intervention planning, and cross-cultural research.</p><p><strong>What this paper adds: </strong>What is already known on this subject Minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay often communicate through non-symbolic behaviours such as gestures, eye gaze, and coordinated actions rather than spoken language. Conventional language assessments primarily target verbal output and therefore underestimate early communicative competence in this population. The Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) is an observational measure designed to capture hierarchical communicative behaviours from pre-intentional to emerging symbolic levels and has demonstrated strong reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change in English- and Mandarin-speaking populations. What this study adds to the existing knowledge This study provides the first culturally adapted and psychometrically validated Turkish version of the Communication Complexity Scale. The Turkish CCS demonstrated excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability, strong construct","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70250"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147730575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to 'Risk Factors Associated With Swallowing Complaints and Oral Sensory Problems in Children With a History of Preterm Birth'.","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70259","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70259"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Potential of Matching-to-Sample-Based Training Protocols to Enhance Language Abilities in Individuals with Language Impairments: A Scoping Review.","authors":"J H R Maes, A R Scheper, D Hermans, C T W M Vissers","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70260","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Interventions for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) span explicit and implicit approaches, yet Matching-to-Sample (MTS) protocols, a well-established method for fostering equivalence-based learning, remain unexamined in this population. The partly incidental and implicit nature of these protocols may align more closely with the way language skills are acquired in everyday contexts.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To assess their potential for use in individuals with DLD, we conducted a scoping review of MTS-based language interventions in individuals with language impairments.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and using Web of Science and PsycINFO, sixteen studies (N  =  81, primarily children and adolescents) met inclusion criteria, the key requirement being evidence of language difficulties. In most studies, these difficulties co-occurred with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability.</p><p><strong>Main contribution: </strong>The review revealed that most interventions targeted foundational receptive and expressive skills and reliably produced untrained (derived) stimulus relations, underscoring the efficacy of implicit learning mechanisms. However, small sample sizes, varied MTS formats, and a dearth of long-term follow-up constrain generalizability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings position MTS as a promising framework for DLD but highlight the need for controlled trials with standardized protocols, larger and DLD-specific cohorts, and measures of sustained, functional language gains.</p><p><strong>What this paper adds: </strong>What is already known on the subject Matching-to-sample (MTS) training protocols have been successfully applied to teach a wide range of skills across diverse populations. However, systematic reviews specifically evaluating the potential of MTS-based language interventions for individuals with language impairments, and for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in particular, are lacking. What this study adds to existing knowledge This scoping review identified a relatively small number of studies involving individuals with language difficulties, most of whom also presented with co-occurring neurocognitive conditions. No studies were found that focused specifically on individuals with DLD. Across the available studies, outcomes were generally positive, with evidence not only for gains in explicitly trained language skills but also for the emergence of untrained foundational language skills. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this study? If positive findings are replicated in larger, well-controlled trials that also address more advanced language abilities, MTS-based language interventions may represent a promising approach for the sustained improvement of language skills in individuals with DLD.</p>","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70260"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147136/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147845067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Predominant Focus Is Still on Teaching Children to Make Requests: A Systematic Review of AAC for Autistic Adults and Children.","authors":"Selena Mifsud, Donna Thomas, Ruth Bowron, Rebecca Sutherland","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70251","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1460-6984.70251","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Autistic people with communication support needs can benefit from the use of augmentative and alternative communication. While research has considered the use of AAC to supplement communication and improve communication effectiveness, less is known about other potential outcomes across the lifespan such as wellbeing and social interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise current research regarding the use of AAC for autistic adults and children; exploring how AAC supports the individual's communication, adaptive functioning and quality of life.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A systematic search was conducted across six databases; PsychINFO, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), and Google Scholar. Eligibility criteria included experimental design, peer-reviewed publications and papers published in English after 2013. Relevant papers were exported to Covidence; screening, full text review and data extraction were conducted in duplicate and quality appraisal was completed for all papers using the Scientific Merit Rating Scales (SMRS). Included studies were grouped by age, intervention types, AAC types and reported outcomes, and described qualitatively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Main contribution: &lt;/strong&gt;The 69 included papers focused on a range of AAC types. The majority investigated speech-generating devices and low-tech picture exchange. Most used behavioural intervention techniques. Most papers focused only on children, with only three papers investigating outcomes of AAC use with adults. The results were largely descriptions of proximal outcomes, such as simple requests, with few considering generalisation of skills or distal outcomes such as quality of life. The quality of the papers was generally low, with limitations in study design and diagnostic ascertainment noted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;AAC has the potential to be an important support for autistic people, however, evidence regarding the impact on the broad range of communication functions and quality of life is very limited. A greater focus on the impact of AAC on these areas is needed in both research and practice along with a stronger focus on adults and a greater range of AAC types.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trial registration: &lt;/strong&gt;PROSPERO number: CRD42023473247 WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject The use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with autistic adults and children is an established practice. Previous research has shown some effectiveness related to the specific goals being studied but it has centred mostly on children, and most research has focused on making requests, rather than broad communication or life outcomes. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study explores the literature about autism and AAC and seeks to specifically examine the range of outc","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70251"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13130861/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring How Social Communication Ability Is Affected by Disability, Context and Experience for Adolescents Transitioning to Adulthood.","authors":"Gerard H Poll, Samrawit Getachew, William J Boone, Janis Petru","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70261","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1460-6984.70261","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Effective social communication is adapted to the context, the setting and the people involved. It is less clear how measures of adolescent social communication ability reflect these aspects of context. Social communication ability emerges from children's early experiences in varied contexts. Evidence is mixed on whether prior experience in the workplace, post-secondary education or independent living, is associated with social communication ability for those settings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;The purpose of the study was to empirically evaluate the associations between measures of adolescents' social communication ability, the context of assessment, and the examinee's prior experience in the context.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and procedures: &lt;/strong&gt;One-hundred fifty 14-21-year-old adolescents, 59 with developmental disabilities, participated in a cross-sectional study. Researchers administered instruments to measure social communication for four post-school settings. They also collected reports of prior experience in those settings. Rasch analysis was used to derive both item difficulty and social communication ability measures. Researchers evaluated the association between experience in a context and social communication ability for that context using regression models.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Outcomes and results: &lt;/strong&gt;Social communication measures were highly correlated across contexts. Social communication ability was associated with experience in post-secondary education, as was experience living independently for participants reporting disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions and implications: &lt;/strong&gt;The results support conceiving of social communication as the ability to adapt one's communication to a context, an ability that is not bound to any one context. The varied findings on the association between prior experience in a context and social communication in that context can be interpreted as reflecting how difficult it is to learn the cues of that setting and generalize that learning to new situations, leading to potential differences in the amount and quality of experience required to successfully communicate in a context.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What this paper adds: &lt;/strong&gt;What is already known on this subject For adolescents with communication disorders, developing social communication skills is important to their outcomes in adulthood. According to developmental models, social communication emerges from children's experiences in varied contexts. Different contexts elicit different language, but child measures of social communication ability from different contexts are correlated. What this study adds to existing knowledge Adolescent social communication ability measures for four post-school contexts were highly correlated. Experience in the post-secondary education context was associated with greater social communication ability for all adolescents, but only adolescents with developmental disabilities benefite","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70261"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13148118/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147845110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Working With School-Aged Children With Neurodisability and Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Who Require Mealtime Assistance: A Survey of Speech and Language Therapists' Clinical Practice.","authors":"Sally Morgan, Kathleen Mulligan, Kelly A Weir, Katerina Hilari","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70254","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1460-6984.70254","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;School-aged children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia who need mealtime assistance have an increased risk of premature death. Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs) provide assessment and recommendations to optimise mealtime nutrition and hydration, but little is known about current clinical practice including mealtime recommendation provision and carer adherence support strategies. Before developing any intervention, the context needs to be known.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;This survey aimed to explore the practice of UK SLTs working with school-aged children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia that require mealtime assistance. This included describing workforce and service delivery; assessment practices; mealtime recommendations targeted for example, carer use certain pace, specific utensil; current approaches used to provide mealtime recommendations including the people worked with, delivery modality and adherence support techniques.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and procedures: &lt;/strong&gt;An online ethically approved survey was developed using research literature, with SLT stakeholder consultation and piloted prior to dissemination. The survey comprised 36 questions focusing on demographic and caseload information, typical assessment and intervention practice. Questions were multiple choice and free text responses with an upload option for intervention implementation documents. The survey was disseminated using professional networks and social media (summer 2021). Descriptive statistics were used with qualitative analysis for free text and submitted documents.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Outcomes and results: &lt;/strong&gt;SLT participants consented and completed demographic and assessment practice questions (n = 139) with 102 continuing to the final question. Participants worked across all UK regions, with different employers (NHS, education, independent) and in acute, school and community settings and frequently shared care. Some SLTs had no access to instrumental assessment; videofluoroscopy (n = 5, 4%) or FEES (n = 88, 63%), and there was limited published assessment use. Participants (n = 122) commonly used 17 different mealtime recommendations, most frequently targeting carers to change pace, environment, food consistency (n = 120-121, 98%-99%, sometimes-often). Qualitative analysis identified two practice styles: 'collaborative creation' or 'informative prescription'. 37 SLTs provided 59 intervention documents, (n = 39, 66%) were accessible information mealtime mats. There were 28 unique mat templates with 19 different names. Formats and recommendation target frequency differed for example, drink texture (n = 27, 96%), pace (n = 14, 50%).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions and implications: &lt;/strong&gt;This work provides contextual information on UK SLT practice with school-aged children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia who require mealtime assistance. Further work is required to support research into","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13129504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the SWAN Game-Based Approach to Re-Building Numeracy Skills in Aphasia: Feasibility and Preliminary Findings.","authors":"Caroline Newton, Vanessa Meitanis, Carolyn Bruce, Chris Donlan","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70256","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Numeracy difficulties are common in individuals with post-stroke aphasia, yet assessments and therapies addressing these are limited. This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of SWAN, a game-based digital intervention targeting foundational number language skills: counting and transcoding.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>(1) To explore rates of recruitment, retention and adherence to SWAN; (2) To assess whether SWAN improves numeracy skills.</p><p><strong>Methods & procedures: </strong>Eighteen individuals with aphasia were given SWAN to play at home for 15 minutes per day over three weeks. Outcome measures included assessments of transcoding, counting, calculation and functional numeracy. Linear mixed-effects models evaluated intervention effects, with the Smallest Detectable Change (SDC) calculated to identify individuals who responded to the intervention.</p><p><strong>Outcomes & results: </strong>SWAN was feasible to deliver remotely, with high adherence. Significant group-level improvements were observed for transcoding, counting and calculation, although counting was the only outcome where no improvement was observed at baseline. Twelve participants demonstrated meaningful gains in at least one outcome measure, exceeding their individual SDC. Functional numeracy did not improve, though participants reported increased confidence in skills.</p><p><strong>Conclusions & implications: </strong>The findings suggest that SWAN is effective in motivating users and providing intensive practice for number sequences. However, further research is required which explores individual response to intervention in order to determine those most likely to benefit.</p><p><strong>What this paper adds: </strong>What is already known on this subject Numeracy deficits are prevalent in aphasia, impacting daily living and independence. Limited previous research involving tailored intervention delivered individually suggests these difficulties may be responsive to intervention. However, intervention to address them clinically appears rare. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of a game-based intervention to improve foundational numeracy skills in aphasia, including counting, transcoding and simple arithmetic (addition and subtraction). However, further exploration of SWAN's effectiveness at individual level is required to determine those most likely to benefit from the intervention. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings highlight the importance of considering numeracy in aphasia assessment and intervention. Digital therapies like SWAN can offer accessible and engaging solutions for addressing this largely unmet need.</p>","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70256"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13111786/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Narrative Ability in Swedish Children Treated for Posterior Fossa Tumours: Macro- and Microstructural Performance Before and 1-4 Weeks After Surgery.","authors":"K Persson, D Boeg Thomsen, K Andersson, I Tiberg, C Castor, J Grønbæk, R Mathiasen, Å Fyrberg","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70248","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Posterior fossa tumours (PFT), among the most common childhood brain tumours, place children at risk of speech, language, and communication difficulties, often described in relation to cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) but also seen in children without mutism. Narrative ability refers to the capacity to understand, create, and share stories. Narratives can be analysed at the macrostructural level, capturing structure and content, and the microstructural level, reflecting, for example, morphosyntax and lexicon. Narrative ability has not previously been investigated in children with PFT at both levels, including pre- and postoperative data, or in relation to CMS or dysarthria.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;The aims were to investigate narrative ability at macrostructural and microstructural levels in children with PFT compared with typically developing (TD) peers, to investigate pre- to postoperative changes at both levels in children with PFT, and to examine relations between macro- and microstructure and the presence of CMS and dysarthria.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A story-generation task from the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI) was administered pre- and postoperatively, in the early postoperative phase (1-4 weeks after surgery). Macrostructure was analysed using ideascore, and microstructure using mean length of utterance in words (MLUw), grammaticality (GY), subordination index (SI), lexical diversity (MATTR), and words per minute (WPM). Group comparisons and associations with CMS and dysarthria were analysed using linear regressions, and changes over time with mixed-effects models.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with PFT scored significantly lower than TD peers on the macrostructural measure ideascore and on several microstructural measures, including MLUw, GY, and WPM, both pre- and postoperatively (all p &lt; 0.05). SI and MATTR did not differ between groups. Difficulties were most pronounced among older children. No significant pre- to postoperative changes were found, although individual variability was evident. The small group of children with CMS did not differ significantly from other children with PFT, while those with postoperative dysarthria showed a decline in both macro- and microstructure (p &lt; 0.05).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with PFT showed pre- and postoperative difficulties at macro- and microstructural levels, producing narratives with fewer story elements, shorter utterances, and more grammatical errors compared with TD peers. The age-related differences suggest that narrative difficulties become more prominent as language and cognitive demands increase. The findings underline the clinical importance of including narrative tasks encompassing macro- and microstructural aspects, together with motor-speech evaluation, in assessment and follow-up of children treated for PFT to guide appropriate interventions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What this stu","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107501/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pragmatic Language Use and Parent-Child Interaction Among Children at Risk for Developmental Language Disorder and Typically Developing Peers.","authors":"Mısra Kolbaşı, Namık Yücel Birol","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70253","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Pragmatic language skills, which enable children to use language effectively for social communication, develop rapidly during early childhood and are closely intertwined with parent-child interaction patterns. Children at risk for developmental language disorder (rDLD) often exhibit early difficulties not only in structural language abilities but also in pragmatic language use and social interaction, which may adversely affect their social-emotional development. Although parent-child interaction is recognized as a critical environmental factor shaping early language and communication outcomes, studies simultaneously examining pragmatic language use and parent-child interaction in young children at risk for DLD, particularly within the Turkish context, remain limited.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;The aim of this study was to compare pragmatic language use and parent-child interaction behaviours in Turkish children with rDLD and typically developing children, and to examine the relationships among these variables.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This cross-sectional comparative study included a total of 54 children aged 24-48 months (27 rDLD, 27 typically developing) and their parents. Pragmatic language use was assessed using the parent-report Language Use Inventory-Turkish (LUI-Turkish). Parent-child interaction behaviours were observed during structured free-play sessions using the Maternal Behaviour Rating Scale (MBRS) and the Child Behaviour Rating Scale (CBRS). Independent samples t-tests were used for between-group comparisons, and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine associations among variables.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The LUI-Turkish results indicated that the rDLD group demonstrated significantly lower performance than the typically developing group in early verbal communication and word use, long sentence production and complex pragmatic language use, as well as in the total score (p &lt; 0.001). Parental responsiveness and emotional expressiveness were higher in the typically developing group (p &lt; 0.01), whereas directive parental behaviours were significantly more frequent in the rDLD group (p = 0.011-0.033). Typically developing children showed higher performance on attention, initiation, and total scores on the CBRS (p &lt; 0.001). Correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations among TEDIL verbal language, LUI-Turkish total, and CBRS total scores, and showed that parental responsiveness and emotional expressiveness were associated with these variables (p &lt; 0.05).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The findings indicate that pragmatic language difficulties in children at risk for DLD are closely associated with parental interaction styles and child interaction behaviours. Early assessment and intervention processes should address pragmatic language, parental behaviours, and child interaction skills within a holistic framework.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What this paper adds: &lt;/","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"61 3","pages":"e70253"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147786915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}