International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders最新文献

{"title":"Establishing Norm of Connected Speech Measures for Descriptive Discourses in Cantonese-Speaking Adults","authors":"Anthony Pak-Hin Kong,&nbsp;Chester Yee-Nok Cheung,&nbsp;Cherie Wan-Yin Wong","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background and Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Normative reference of the connected speech measures (both micro-structural and macro-structural) for descriptive discourse is fundamental to systematic discourse analysis because it provides an anchor for comparison. This study aims to establish a comprehensive normative reference for connected speech measures in Cantonese by analysing a wide array of micro- and macro-structural measures, investigating the impact of age and education on these measures, and examining potential performance differences across various genres of descriptive discourse tasks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The sample included 149 healthy Cantonese-speaking adults who were categorized into three age groups (young, middle-aged, and old) and two education levels (high and low). Speech samples were collected, transcribed, and analysed based on five descriptive discourse tasks in the Cantonese AphasiaBank, including two single-picture descriptions (Flood and Cat rescue), two sequential picture descriptions (Broken window and Refuse umbrella), and one procedural description (Egg and ham sandwich).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Normative reference of multiple connected speech measures (such as type, token, noun-verb ratio, Information Content Units [ICU] and Main Concepts [MC]) and lists of standard scoring criteria for the ICU and MC for the five tasks were presented. For age effect, statistical analysis revealed that the old group demonstrated less informativeness and fluency than younger groups across genres. Specifically in procedural description, the middle-aged group showed superior verbal productivity compared to the other groups and informativeness compared to the old group. For education effect, the high-education group outperformed the low-education group in verbal productivity and informativeness across genres. Age-education interaction was found in syntactic complexity measures across genres.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings contribute to building a comprehensive normative reference for the evaluation of connected speech, providing a complementary tool for systematic and objective assessment.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <div><i>What is already known on this subject</i>\u0000 \u0000 <ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>In the clinical context of assessment, discourse analysis is a cruci","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144085427","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":"‘To Know That You Are a Link in the Chain’: A Realist Evaluation to Explore How Digital, Intensive, Parent-Implemented Interventions Work for Children With Speech Sound Disorder, Why, and for Whom","authors":"Naomi Leafe,&nbsp;Emma Pagnamenta,&nbsp;Mark Donnelly,&nbsp;Laurence Taggart,&nbsp;Jill Titterington","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70049","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Introduction&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Children with moderate to severe speech sound disorder (SSD) need intensive therapy to increase intervention effectiveness and efficiency. However, worldwide speech and language therapists (SLTs) report that it is difficult to implement recommended intervention intensities in clinical practice. Supporting parents/carers to deliver home-intervention, facilitated through digital tools, has the potential to circumvent these difficulties and increase practice intensity. This realist evaluation builds on our earlier realist review on intensive, digital, parent-implemented interventions for children with SSD through exploring the experiences of stakeholders to optimally understand what might work best, for whom, and why in clinical practice.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;We undertook a realist evaluation to test and refine our initial programme theories developed in our earlier realist review through focus groups with key stakeholders. Five focus groups were conducted with SLTs (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 22), and two focus groups with parents/carers of children with SSD aged 4–5 years (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 6). A realist methodology approach was used to collect and analyse the data, including the development of context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Middle-range theories of adult-learning, self-efficacy and parenting styles were used to develop our theoretical thinking.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Programme theories from the earlier realist review about how the intervention works were refined, refuted, or confirmed. The refined theories are presented across three areas to demonstrate the journey of engaging in a digital, intensive parent-implemented intervention: (1) Readiness to engage; (2) Implementation of the intervention; and (3) Sustaining momentum. The theories offer insight into mechanisms that support and train families to engage in home-practice through digital tools, including important contextual factors needing consideration in implementation.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Digital, intensive, parent-implemented interventions for children with SSD have the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SLT services in certain contexts and improve children's outcomes worldwide. Mechanisms of change, and impactful contexts at each point of the journey of involvement need consideration to successfully empower and support parents/carers and their children with SSD.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; W","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70049","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074331","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":"Evaluating a Targeted Language Intervention for Children Aged 4–6 Years—Applying an ‘Information Carrying Words’ Approach","authors":"Sarah Spencer,&nbsp;Laura Pearce,&nbsp;Karlene Calder,&nbsp;Alice Woods,&nbsp;Abigail Andrews,&nbsp;Judy Clegg","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70047","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Very little research has investigated the use of the information carrying words (ICW) construct within language interventions, despite its very widespread use in speech and language therapy in the United Kingdom. The Language Enrichment Activity Programme (LEAP) is an intervention programme that applies the ICW construct to differentiate children's level of need and structure play-based learning activities. LEAP sessions are designed to be child-led, building language skills through application of communication supporting strategies (CSS) such as modelling, recasting and inviting communicative participation via choices and expectant pausing.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study aims to evaluate the impact of trainee speech and language therapists (SLTs) delivering LEAP on the language skills of primary school children (aged 4–6 years).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods and Procedures&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;One hundred eighteen children were selected by their teachers. Participating children were semi-randomly allocated to either a control group (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 48) or to a group that received 12 sessions of LEAP over 6 weeks (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 70). A smaller sub-cohort was followed up 8 weeks following the end of LEAP (received LEAP &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 41, control group &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 46). LEAP was delivered by trainee SLTs to small groups of children. Assessments were carried out blind to group allocation pre- and post-intervention in order to evaluate the impact of intervention on receptive and expressive language skills. Outcome measures were a bespoke comprehension and expression outcome measure and the Renfrew Action Picture Test (RAPT; Renfrew 2019).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Children who received LEAP had improved scores on both the RAPT assessment and the bespoke outcome measure. There was a significant interaction between time (pre- and post-intervention) and group (those who received LEAP vs. the control) for the RAPT grammar score, and the LEAP vocabulary and expressive ICW score. LEAP had less of an impact for a sub-cohort followed up 8 weeks following the intervention, with only the LEAP expressive score showing significant interaction between the three assessment time points and group (those who received LEAP vs. the control).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions and Implications&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The LEAP was successfully delivered to small groups of children and supported them in developing their ","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70047","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143939361","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":"Communication Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Adults With Communication Disorders: A Systematic Review of Content Validity","authors":"Lizet Van Ewijk,&nbsp;Katerina Hilari,&nbsp;Analisa Pais,&nbsp;Anna Volkmer","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70050","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Content validity is a key measurement property that should be considered when selecting or reviewing a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). In the field of communication disorders, there are several PROMs available, most of which are disease specific. It is unknown what the quality of the content validity of these PROMs is.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study aimed to evaluate the content validity of existing communication PROMs used with adults with communication disorders.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study evaluated PROMs drawn from a previously published systematic literature review. Of 31 measures, 25 measures were included in this review, covering a range of communication-related constructs in different communication disorders. The process of rating followed the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology for assessing the content validity of PROMs. There were three stages to the evaluation process comprising Step 1: evaluating the quality of the PROM development, Step 2: evaluating the quality of content validity studies on the PROM (if available) and Step 3: evaluating the content validity of the PROM overall, based on the quality and results of the available studies and the PROM itself.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Main Contribution&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Step 1: With regards to the quality of the PROM development, 21 of 25 PROMs were rated as inadequate. Step 2: Content validity studies were available for five of the PROMs. All of these studies were rated doubtful or inadequate. Step 3: The quality of the available evidence on content validity of the included PROMs was overall very low. Only the evidence on the content validity of the Communication Participation Item Bank (CPIB) and the Neuro-QoL (Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders) was rated as of moderate quality.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Results of this study highlight the scarcity of high-quality evidence on the development and content validity of PROMs that aim to capture the construct of communication. This review is a call to action for future PROMs to include both the target population and professionals in development and content validity testing, using rigorous methodology in the process.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143939446","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":"Facilitating Spoken Word Retrieval in Chronic Aphasia: A Case Series Investigation of Orthographic Cues With and Without Phonological Support","authors":"Wei Ping Sze,&nbsp;Jane Warren,&nbsp;Carol Sacchett,&nbsp;Wendy Best","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Current clinical approaches to the treatment of spoken word-finding difficulties in acquired aphasia encourage multimodal cueing, especially the joint application of written and spoken forms. Research that exclusively examines the effects and mechanisms of written cues is limited, with most studies engaging written forms only as part of a multimodal therapy. Parameters for ideal orthographic cue size and mode of delivery have yet to be determined, and the duration of orthographic facilitation effects needs to be clarified.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>(1) What is the optimal unit of orthographic cueing (single letter or the entire word) and how durable are the effects (length of time that naming remains successful post-cueing)? (2) Are orthographic cues alone less effective when compared to orthographic-and-phonological cue combinations?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method and Procedures</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Five English-speaking monolinguals with post-stroke anomia completed a facilitation study, focusing on cued single spoken-word picture-naming. Linguistic unit (initial letter of the word vs. whole word) and cueing medium (‘orthographic-only’ vs. ‘combined orthographic and phonological’) were manipulated, with naming accuracy and response times (RTs) measured. Naming performance was evaluated at baseline and at two post-facilitation time points (15 min and 1 week post-facilitation).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Outcomes and Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three outcome measures—number of items accurately named as initial and final naming responses (accuracy scores), as well as RTs—were analysed for each participant, with effects of repeated exposure (if any) taken into account. Three participants significantly improved following whole word ‘orthography-only’ cues on at least one of the outcomes, whilst one participant improved following initial letter written-only cues. For ‘combined orthographic-and-phonological’ cues, two participants also benefitted when given the entire word, but none significantly improved with initial letter multimodal cueing.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions and Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>(1) This study provides case-level evidence on the efficacy of ‘orthography-only’ cues (both ‘Initial letter’ and ‘Whole word’ levels) to improve spoken naming, extending previously documented effects of a single application of a written cue to potentially 1 week later. This suggests a one-off application of a written cue could potentially be more durable than previously thought. (2) There is also evidence from","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143939445","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":"Towards an Agreed Labelling System and Protocol for the Diagnosis of Speech Sound Disorder Subtypes in the United Kingdom","authors":"Joanne Cleland,&nbsp;Sam Burr,&nbsp;Sam Harding,&nbsp;Helen Stringer,&nbsp;Yvonne Wren","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70052","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;There is no single classification system or diagnostic protocol for speech sound disorder (SSD). This makes it difficult to collect large-scale outcome data and determine which interventions work best for which subtypes of SSD. The United Kingdom is unique in that its publicly funded healthcare system allows the collection of such outcome data across large numbers of children; however, a necessary first step towards this is to agree on a consistent diagnostic protocol and classification system for SSD that is feasible for use in the UK healthcare system.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study aimed to achieve an initial clinician-led UK consensus on a diagnostic protocol and classification system for SSD of unknown origin.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods and Procedures&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;A mixed methods participatory design was used. Five UK health services provided SSD paperwork such as local guidelines and protocols for content analysis. Two participatory workshops were used to agree on: (1) a classification system, (2) subtype labels and definitions, and (3) a feasible diagnostic protocol for SSD. The finalised consensus was presented to a national meeting of 283 SLTs to determine the feasibility of the protocol for clinicians across the whole of the United Kingdom.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Outcomes and Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Workshop participants agreed that the Differential Diagnostic Classification System was preferred for the United Kingdom. A minimum diagnostic protocol, with additional assessment for complex SSD, was agreed. Over 90% of the national SLT meeting agreed that they could implement the definitions and protocol.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions and Implications&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;A preliminary diagnostic protocol, classification system, and subtype names and definitions were agreed upon and are broadly in line with those proposed by Dodd (2014). Future work will trial the consensus protocol and classification system in the United Kingdom to investigate treatment outcomes and refine the protocol.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;What is already known on this subject&lt;/i&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;ul&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;li&gt;There are three main classification systems for speech sound disorder (SSD) that are popular globa","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143930487","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":"Assessing Functional Communication in Persons With Aphasia: A Scoping Review of Formal and Informal Measures","authors":"Lauren Hammond,&nbsp;Thomas Christensen,&nbsp;Julius Fridriksson,&nbsp;Dirk B. den Ouden","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70051","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The communicative effectiveness of persons with aphasia (PWA) has been assessed through a range of functional communication measures. However, variability in interpretations of what is covered by the term “functional communication” may have resulted in challenges to the implementation of appropriate and consistent patient-centred evaluations, with different measures focusing on subsets of the components of functional communication.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This paper aims to examine the current literature on informal and formal evaluation of functional communication in PWA and to identify gaps in currently available assessment tools.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This scoping review included studies published between 1965 and 2024 that assessed functional communication in PWA, excluding studies focused on non-aphasic populations or impairment-based assessments without real-world application. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO using predefined search terms. Of the 541 studies identified, 67 met the inclusion criteria after title/abstract and full-text screening. Measures were categorized as formal (standardized) or informal (non-standardized) and evaluated based on contextuality, multimodality, and interactiveness. Informal assessments also emphasized life participation, quality of life, augmentative alternative communication (AAC) strategies, conversational discourse, the informativeness and complexity of language use, and real-world communicative transactions.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Main Contribution&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;In the 67 studies included in the literature review, 32 functional communication assessments were identified across the categories of informal and formal evaluation. Informal assessments (28) included patient-reported, clinician-reported, observer-reported, and performance-based outcome measures. Formal functional communication assessments (4) included systematically normed instruments provided to PWA under controlled conditions, yielding a diagnosis or level of specified functional communication capability. Of the reviewed informal and formal measures, a limited quantity met all criteria for a comprehensive assessment of functional communication in aphasia, namely, being contextual, multimodal, and interactive.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Existing assessments reveal gaps in the comprehensive ev","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143930488","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":"Development and Real-Time Clinical Application of New Transcription-Less Discourse Assessment Approaches for Arabic Speakers With Aphasia","authors":"Reem S. W. Alyahya","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70043","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Assessing spoken discourse during aphasia clinical examination is crucial for diagnostic and rehabilitation purposes. Recent approaches have been developed to quantify content word fluency (CWF) and informativeness of spoken discourse without the need to perform time-consuming transcription and coding. However, the accuracy of these approaches has not been examined in real-time clinical settings, and they have been developed and validated mainly in English and thus cannot be applied to other languages.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;For the first time: (i) to create and validate CWF checklists and main concept (MC) lists in Arabic; (ii) to examine the application of these two approaches in real-time clinical settings with people with aphasia (PWA) while they are performing the task; and (iii) to investigate whether these two approaches can differentiate discourse responses produced by PWA versus neurotypical adults.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The Arabic Discourse Assessment Tool (ADAT) was used to collect discourse responses on three tasks (composite picture description, storytelling narrative, and procedural discourse) from 70 neurotypical control adults and 50 PWA matched to the control group in age and education. The discourse samples were transcribed, and analysed. For each task, CWF checklists and MC lists were developed and validated using discourse reponses from the control group. Afterwards, the application of these two approaches in real-time clinical settings was examined with the aphasia groups. The psychometric properties of CWF and MC approches were examined.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Novel Arabic CWF checklists and MC lists were successfully developed, validated, and applied clinically for three discourse tasks. The analysis showed significant high accuracy between CWF scores obtained in real-time clinical settings and those identified using the traditional approach of transcribing and analysing discourse samples across all three discourse tasks (ICC = 0.88 to 0.94). Furthermore, significant excellent reliability (&lt;i&gt;ICC&lt;/i&gt; = 0.917 to 0.994) were found for the three tasks in both groups. Most of the MCs were produced accurately and completely by neurotypical control adults, whereas they were mostly absent in PWA. CWF checklists and MC lists showed significant high validity in distinguishing spoken discourse produced by PWA from those produced by neurotypical adults at &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905287","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 Causal Effect of Parent–Child Interactions on Child Language Development at 3 and 4 Years","authors":"Mary E. Brushe,&nbsp;Murthy N. Mittinty,&nbsp;Tess Gregory,&nbsp;Dandara Haag,&nbsp;John W. Lynch,&nbsp;Sheena Reilly,&nbsp;Edward Melhuish,&nbsp;Sally A. Brinkman","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70045","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Language development is critical for children's life chances. Promoting parent–child interactions is suggested as one mechanism to support language development in the early years. However, limited evidence exists for a causal effect of parent–child interactions on children's language development.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Data from the Language in Little Ones study, an Australian prospective birth cohort study (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 296), was used to determine the sustained effect of parent–child interactions over time on children's language development at 36 and 48 months, measured using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-2 (CELF-P2) language assessment. Marginal structural models and inverse probability of treatment weights were used to allow observational data to emulate a randomised controlled trial by accounting for time-varying exposures and confounding. These results were then used to estimate the effect of several hypothetical scenarios where the exposure was fixed for the whole population at different levels (5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th percentile) across the observed distribution of parent–child interactions.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Findings supported a causal effect of parent–child interactions from 6 to 36 (or 48) months on children's language development at 36 and 48 months, in a population of children without language impairment. The counterfactual language score at 48 months increased from 97.21 (95% CI 96.86, 97.56) for the scenario fixed at the 5th percentile to 102.15 (95% CI 101.80, 102.50) at the 50th percentile and 111.41 (95% CI 111.06, 111.76) at the 95th percentile.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Although the effects of parent–child interactions on later language were small they do offer one mechanism to support early language development. These findings are discussed within the context of existing interventions to highlight the value of investment into sustained, universal prevention efforts for supporting early language.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;What is already known on the subject&lt;/i&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;ul&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;li&gt;Promoting parent–child interactions within the home environment has been previously suggested as one mechanism to support children's early language development. Nonetheless, there is a lack of causal ","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1460-6984.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905289","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":"Investigation of Rapid Naming and Language Skills in Children With Speech Sound Disorders","authors":"Elife Barmak,&nbsp;Nazmiye Atila-Çağlar,&nbsp;Dilara Söylemez","doi":"10.1111/1460-6984.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70044","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Rapid naming refers to the duration required to swiftly and accurately identify a set of familiar visual stimuli. Rapid naming serves as a significant indicator of the efficiency with which phonological information can be retrieved from memory, playing a crucial role in the advancement of language and literacy competencies.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aim&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This research aimed to thoroughly investigate the rapid naming and language skills of children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) and to explain the correlations between these competencies.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods and Procedures&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Our study consisted of 50 children diagnosed with SSD. The participants were categorized into two groups: those with articulation disorders (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 23) and those with phonological disorders (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 27). The Turkish Test of Language Development-Primary (TOLD-P:4), the Articulation Subtest (AST) and the Auditory Discrimination Subtest (ADT) of the Turkish Articulation and Phonology Test (SST), the Stimulability Test, and the Rapid Naming Test (RNT) were used to test the children's language, articulation, and rapid-naming skills.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Outcomes and Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;In our study, children with articulation disorders exhibited significantly higher scores on picture vocabulary, relational vocabulary, and morphological completion scales from the TOLD-P:4 subtests compared to children with phonological disorders (&lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(48) = 2.504, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.016; &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(48) = 2.249, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.029; &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(48) = 2.744, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.009). Simultaneously, it was determined that the average duration of children with articulation disorders in the object, color, and number tests, which are subtests of the RNT, exhibited significant differences when compared to children with phonological disorders (&lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(48) = −3.567, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001; &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(48) = −2.888, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.006; &lt;i&gt;t&lt;/i&gt;(19) = −3.134, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.005). A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the mean duration of children with SSD in the object subtest of RNT and the scores on the stimulability and morpheme subtests (&lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt; = −0.387, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.005; &lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt; = −0.326, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.021). A notable negative correlation was found between the average duration of the color, letter, and number subtests of RNT and the ADT, as well as the percentage of stimulability (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusion and Implications&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Children with phonological disorders exhibited dif","PeriodicalId":49182,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905288","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}