Trajectory and outcomes of speech language therapy in the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS): case report

The aim of this study was to describe the trajectory and the outcomes of speech-language therapy in Prader-Willi syndrome through a longitudinal study of the case of an 8 year-old boy, along four years of speech-language therapy follow-up. The therapy sessions were filmed and documental analysis of information from the child's records regarding anamnesis, evaluation and speech-language therapy reports and multidisciplinary evaluations were carried out. The child presented typical characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome, such as obesity, hyperfagia, anxiety, behavioral problems and self aggression episodes. Speech-language pathology evaluation showed orofacial hypotony, sialorrhea, hypernasal voice, cognitive deficits, oral comprehension difficulties, communication using gestures and unintelligible isolated words. Initially, speech-language therapy had the aim to promote the language development emphasizing social interaction through recreational activities. With the evolution of the case, the main focus became the development of conversation and narrative abilities. It were observed improvements in attention, symbolic play, social contact and behavior. Moreover, there was an increase in vocabulary, and evolution in oral comprehension and the development of narrative abilities. Hence, speech-language pathology intervention in the case described was effective in different linguistic levels, regarding phonological, syntactic, lexical and pragmatic abilities.

Leitura em uma criança surda após equivalência de estímulos

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a systematic teaching of relation between printed words and Brazilian Sign Language on the emergence of reading in one child with deafness, user of Brazilian Sign Language, diagnosed with deafness bi-lateral deep user of hearing, with 9 years and 4 months of age, enrolled in 4th year elementary school. Baseline evaluation selected nine words and their signs and figures to compose the teaching steps and tests that consisted of: (a) relationship between a sign and figure teaching, (b) the relationship between sign and printed word, (c) test of relationship between figure and the printed word and its symmetric (d) test signal in front of picture and the printed word. The participant learned the relationship between sign, figure and printed word and demonstrated reading. This procedure was effective for the participant to emit signals, verbally agreed with the community of Libras in front of textual stimuli, which is characterized as reading.

Levels of phonological awareness, working memory, and lexical knowledge in elementary school children

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Does the acute cerebellitis play a role in the neurocognitive profile of a child after its onset?

This study aimed to present the neuropsychological assessment of MC, a seven-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with acute viral cerebellitis. The protocol included cognitive tests, stress and mood scales, behavioral observation, and interviews with family and school. In the neuropsychological assessment, difficulties in crystallized skills, especially in language and numerical cognition domains, were observed. The results of the neuropsychological assessment were discussed to detail her neurocognitive profile and verify to what extent her impairment could be attributed to the acute viral cerebellitis.

Desenvolvimento da linguagem infantil à luz da Teoria Histórico-Cultural: contribuições de práticas literárias na primeira infância

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desempenho de pré-escolares com queixa de Distúrbios da Comunicação no Preschool Language Assessment Instrument (Plai-2)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Precise Mathematical Language: Exploring the Relationship Between Student Vocabulary Understanding and Student Achievement

In this action research study of my classroom of fifth grade mathematics, I investigate the relationship between student understanding of precise mathematics vocabulary and student achievement in mathematics. Specifically, I focused on students’ understanding of written mathematics problems and on their ability to use precise mathematical language in their written solutions of critical thinking problems. I discovered that students are resistant to change; they prefer to do what comes naturally to them. Since they have not been previously taught to use precise mathematical language in their communication about math, they have great difficulty in adapting to this new requirement. However, with teaching modeling and ample opportunities to use the language of mathematics, students’ understanding and use of specific mathematical vocabulary is increased.

Differentiation in the Content-Area Classroom for English Language Learners

This paper explores the idea of using differentiation strategies in the content-area classroom to improve reading skills and comprehension. In particular, this thesis explores methods and strategies that can be used in the classroom to help address the individual needs of English language learners (ELLs). A broad range of experts in curriculum, differentiation, and English language acquisition were consulted in the development of this review, which synthesizes the research on ELLs’ needs, differentiation, and differentiation strategies for ELL readers. The models for best teaching practices are then placed within a ninth grade language arts unit.

Desempenho de pré-escolares com queixa de Distúrbios da Comunicação no Preschool Language Assessment Instrument (Plai-2)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of children's oral health-related quality of life on school performance and school absenteeism

Objective: This study assessed the relation of child oral health-related quality of life with school performance and school absenteeism. Methods: We followed a cross-sectional design with a multistage random sample of 312 12-year-old schoolchildren living in Brazil. The participants completed the child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ1114) that provides information about psychological factors, while their parents or guardians answered questions on their socioeconomic status measured by parents' education level and household income. A dental examination of each child provided information on the prevalence of caries and dental trauma. Data on school performance, which included the results of baseline Brazilian language (Portuguese) tests, and school absenteeism (school days missed) were obtained from the school register. Multilevel linear regression was used to investigate the association among psychological and socioeconomic status and children's school performance. Results: In the multiple model, after adjusting for individual covariates, being a girl was associated with higher school performance (P < 0.05), whereas low household income (P < 0.05), higher mean of CPQ1114 (P < 0.05), and higher school days missed (P < 0.001) were identified as individual determinants of lower school performance. When the school-level covariates were included in the model, the association between subjects' level characteristics and school performance still persisted. Conclusion: Children's school performance and absence were influenced by psychological and socioeconomic conditions.

Questionnaire for monitoring auditory and language development in the first year of life

Purpose: To validate a monitoring questionnaire about hearing and language development applied by community health agents in the first year of life. Methods: Seventy six community health agents, previously trained on infant hearing health, administered a questionnaire to the families of 304 children with ages from 0 to 1 year. The questionnaire contains questions regarding hearing and language development and, for all age groups, the question “Does your child hear well?” was presented. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by analyzing false positive and false negative rates of the identified children. A double-blind study was conducted so that all children assessed by the questionnaire were submitted to hearing evaluation performed by audiologists. Results: Four children (1.32%) were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss (two unilateral), and 69 (22.7%) with conductive hearing loss. The monitoring questionnaire showed specificity of 96% and sensitivity of 67%, with a false-negative rate of 33% for not identifying the unilateral hearing loss, and a false-positive rate of 4%. Conclusion: The questionnaire used has shown to be feasible and relevant to actions of the community health agents of the Family Health Strategy program, with high specificity and moderate sensitivity. The use of the validated instrument should be considered to complement Newborn Hearing Screening Programs, in order to identify late onset or acquired hearing loss.

The design of a syllabus for translation students: learning outcomes in the subjects of spanish language

[EN]In the new design of educational programs in European Higher Education Area (EHEA), what defines a subject it is Learning Outcomes (LO). These LO, as explicit and precise declarations, turn into the center of teaching and learning process. Keeping this change is mind, our research examines the Educational Guides (EG) of Spanish Language (SL) through a list of verbs, according to the graduation of educacionational objectives of Bllom's Taxonomy (2014-2015)

The universal language of Freemasonry

Freimaurer verwenden eine spezielle Art von Kommunikation: Zeichensprache, Metaphern, Symbole, Neologismen, Fachsprachen, rituelle 'Reisen' usw. Untersucht werden soll hier der masonische Anspruch, eine 'Universalsprache' zu besitzen. Das Gerüst dieser Dissertation ist ein Vergleich der ganzen Bandbreite der Freimaurerei - Orden für Männer, Frauen, Jugendliche, Farbige, sowie quasi-masonische Freizeitclubs - mit nachahmerischen Fraternitäten, wie z.B. den frühen amerikanischen Versicherungsgesellschaften und deren Kommunikationsmodellen. Die experimentelle Methode der Autorin schließt die Erforschung freimaurerischer und anderer bruderschaftlicher Quellen der letzten drei Jahrhunderte ein, sowie Besuche freimaurerischer Institutionen und Interviews mit Freimaurern. Diese Aktivitäten führten zu dem Ergebnis, daß - während die Symbole allgemein anwendbar sind - die schriftliche Freimaurersprache nicht in allen Ländern uniform ist. Die ethischen Lehren, die aus der symbolischen Freimaurerkommunikation gezogen werden sollen, haben einen internationalen Standard erreicht. So ist die Freimaurersprache seit der offiziellen Gründung der Freimaurerei im Jahre 1717 immer noch lebendig. Die rituelle Phraseologie der frühen nordamerikanischen Gewerkschaften und Versicherungsgesellschaften hingegen ist entweder verloren gegangen oder stellt nur noch pompöse Worthülsen dar, die sich um ein weltliches Thema - wie Versicherungen - ranken.

The Process and Factors of Language Shift and Maintenance: Sociolinguistic Research into the Romanian Minority Community in Hungary

This study of the process of language shift and maintenance in the bilingual community of Romanians living in Hungary was based on 40 tape-recorded Romanian sociolinguistic interviews. These were transcribed into computerised form and provide an excellent source of sociolinguistic, contact linguistic and discourse analysis data, making it possible to show the effect of internal and external factors on the bilingual speech mode. The main topics considered were the choice of Romanian and Hungarian in community interactions, factors of language choice, code-switching: introlanguage and interlanguage, reasons for code-switching, the relationship between age and the frequency of code switching in the interview situation, and the unequal competition of minority and majority languages at school.

The Process and Factors of Language Shift and Maintenance: Sociolinguistic Research into the Romanian Minority Community in Hungary"

This study of the process of language shift and maintenance in the bilingual community of Romanians living in Hungary was based on 40 tape-recorded Romanian sociolinguistic interviews. These were transcribed into computerised form and provide an excellent source of sociolinguistic, contact linguistic and discourse analysis data, making it possible to show the effect of internal and external factors on the bilingual speech mode. The main topics considered were the choice of Romanian and Hungarian in community interactions, factors of language choice, code-switching: introlanguage and interlanguage, reasons for code-switching, the relationship between age and the frequency of code switching in the interview situation, and the unequal competition of minority and majority languages at school.