Clinical characteristics of acute dysphagia in pediatric patients following traumatic brain injury

Primary Objective: To document the clinical characteristics of acute dysphagia in a group of pediatric patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research Design: Prospective group study. Methods: Fourteen subjects (7 males, 7 females), aged 4 years 1 month to 15 years, with moderate or severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] < 12). Subjects were assessed via clinical bedside examination documenting cognitive status, oromotor function, feeding function, dietary recommendations, and an indication of overall feeding severity Results: A pattern of impaired cognition, altered behavior related to feeding, severe tonal and postural deficits, oromotor, respiratory, and laryngeal impairments, and oral sensitivity issues was revealed. Conclusions: Swallowing impairment was affected by multilevel deficits, which both individually and in combination had a negative impact on swallowing competence and safety. In light of deficits identified, which could not be observed on videofluoroscopic investigation alone, this study highlighted the importance of the clinical bedside examination in assessing dysphagia in pediatric patients post-TBI for identifying targets for intervention.

The performance of South African English first language child speakers on a "low linguistically loaded" central auditory processing test protocol

The lack of standardized tests of central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) in South Africa (SA) led to the formation of a SA CAPD Taskforce, and the interim development of a "low linguistically loaded" CAPD test protocol using test recordings from the 'Tonal and Speech Materials for Auditory Perceptual Assessment Disc 2.0'. This study inferentially compared the performance of 16 SA English first, and 16 SA English second, language adult speakers on this test protocol, and descriptively compared their performances to previously published American normative data. Comparisons between the SA English first and second language speakers showed a poorer right ear performance (p < .05) by the second language speakers on the two-pair dichotic digits test only. Equivalent performances (p < .05) were observed on the left ear performance on the two pair dichotic digits test, and the frequency patterns test, the duration patterns test, the low-pass filtered speech test, the 45% time compressed speech test, the speech masking level difference test, and the consonant vowel consonant (CVC) binaural fusion test. Comparisons between the SA English and the American normative data showed many large differences (up to 37.1% with respect to predicted pass criteria as calculated by mean-2SD cutoffs), with the SA English speakers performing both better and worse depending on the test involved. As a result, the American normative data was not considered appropriate for immediate use as normative data in SA. Instead, the preliminary data provided in this study was recommended as interim normative data for both SA English first and second language adult speakers, until larger scale SA normative data can be obtained.

Rapport-building through call in teaching Chinese as a foreign language: An exploratory study

Technological advances have brought about the ever-increasing utilisation of computer-assisted language learning ( CALL) media in the learning of a second language (L2). Computer-mediated communication, for example, provides a practical means for extending the learning of spoken language, a challenging process in tonal languages such as Chinese, beyond the realms of the classroom. In order to effectively improve spoken language competency, however, CALL applications must also reproduce the social interaction that lies at the heart of language learning and language use. This study draws on data obtained from the utilisation of CALL in the learning of L2 Chinese to explore whether this medium can be used to extend opportunities for rapport-building in language teaching beyond the face-to-face interaction of the classroom. Rapport's importance lies in its potential to enhance learning, motivate learners, and reduce learner anxiety. To date, CALL's potential in relation to this facet of social interaction remains a neglected area of research. The results of this exploratory study suggest that CALL may help foster learner-teacher rapport and that scaffolding, such as strategically composing rapport-fostering questions in sound-files, is conducive to this outcome. The study provides an instruction model for this application of CALL.