Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

"Please Don't Assess Him To Destruction": The R.A.I.S.E. Assessment Framework For Primary Progressive Aphasia, Jeanne Gallée, Jade Cartwright, Anna Volkmer, Anne Whitworth, Deborah Hersh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess people with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) through measurements of speech, language, communication, and well-being, with the aims of identifying challenges and strengths, monitoring change, and informing treatment directions and supports. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to highlight the necessity for person-centered assessment specific to PPA and to conceptualize a framework that acknowledges the multifaceted nature of assessment for this population. In this framework, the unique challenges posed by a diagnosis of PPA are addressed with the aim to provide practical guidance for clinicians and to support reflection on current practices. Method: In …

Plasma Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Is Associated With 18f-Smbt-1 Pet: Two Putative Astrocyte Reactivity Biomarkers For Alzheimer's Disease, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Vincent Doré, Steve Pedrini, Natasha Krishnadas, Rohith Thota, Pierrick Bourgeat, Milos D. Ikonomovic, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Samantha C. Burnham, Christopher Fowler, Kevin Taddei, Rachel Mulligan, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Jürgen Fripp, Christopher C. Rowe, Ralph N. Martins, Victor L. Villemagne, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Astrocyte reactivity is an early event along the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), posited to reflect astrocyte reactivity, is elevated across the AD continuum from preclinical to dementia stages. Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) is also elevated in reactive astrocytes observed using ¹⁸F-SMBT-1 PET in AD.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the abovementioned astrocyte reactivity biomarkers.

Methods:

Plasma GFAP and Aβ were measured using the Simoa^® platform in participants who underwent brain ¹⁸F-SMBT-1 and Aβ-PET imaging, comprising 54 healthy control (13 Aβ-PET+ and 41 Aβ-PET-), 11 …

A Scoping Review: Identifying Targeted Intervention Strategies For Workers With Occupational Hearing Loss, Adelle Liebenberg, Melinda Gardner, Valerie M. Nie, Carole L. James, Sue Reed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An apparent disconnect exist in workplaces regarding identification of occupational hearing loss (OHL) and implementation of specific strategies to prevent progression of OHL, evident through continued high incidence of OHL. This scoping review aimed to identify evidence regarding targeted intervention used by industry, specifically to prevent the progression of OHL for workers. The scoping review was undertaken using the PRISMA-ScR methodology. Search terms were based on three broad categories, hearing loss, workplace, and intervention. Initially 1309 articles were identified for screening and 1,207 studies not meeting the criteria were excluded. Full text reviews of 102 articles were completed and a …

Development And Validation Of The Montreal Cognitive Assessment For People With Hearing Impairment (Moca-H), Piers Dawes, David Reeves, Wai Kent Yeung, Fiona Holland, Anna Pavlina Charalambous, Mathieu Côté, Renaud David, Catherine Helmer, Robert Laforce, Ralph N. Martins, Antonis Politis, Annie Pye, Gregor Russell, Saima Sheikh, Marie-Josée Sirois, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Chyrssoula Thodi, Kathleen Gallant, Ziad Nasreddine, Iracema Leroi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Hearing impairment is common among older adults and affects cognitive assessments for identification of dementia which rely on good hearing function. We developed and validated a version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for people with hearing impairment. Methods: We adapted existing MoCA 8.1 items for people with hearing impairment by presenting instructions and stimuli in written rather than spoken format. One Attention domain and two Language domain items required substitution by alternative items. Three and four candidate items respectively were constructed and field-tested along with the items adapted to written form. We used a combination of individual item …

Principles And Philosophies For Speech And Language Therapists Working With People With Primary Progressive Aphasia: An International Expert Consensus, A. Volkmer, J. Cartwright, L. Ruggero, A. Beales, J. Gallée, S. Grasso, M. Henry, R. Jokel, J. Kindell, R. Khayum, M. Pozzebon, E. Rochon, C. Taylor-Rubin, R. Townsend, F. Walker, S. Beeke, Deborah Hersh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a language-led dementia associated with Alzheimer’s pathology and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration. Multiple tailored speech and language interventions have been developed for people with PPA. Speech and language therapists/speech-language pathologists (SLT/Ps) report lacking confidence in identifying the most pertinent interventions options relevant to their clients living with PPA during their illness trajectory.

Materials and methods:

The aim of this study was to establish a consensus amongst 15 clinical-academic SLT/Ps on best practice in selection and delivery of speech and language therapy interventions for people with PPA. An online nominal group technique (NGT) and consequent focus …

Understanding The Relationship Between Age-Related Hearing Loss And Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review, Hadeel Y. Tarawneh, Dona M. P. Jayakody, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Ralph N. Martins, Wilhelmina H.A.M. Mulders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evidence suggests that hearing loss (HL), even at mild levels, increases the long-term risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia. Hearing loss is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia, with approximately 4 million of the 50 million cases of dementia worldwide possibly attributed to untreated HL. This paper describes four possible mechanisms that have been suggested for the relationship between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia. The first mechanism suggests mitochondrial dysfunction and altered signal pathways due to aging as a possible link between ARHL and AD. The …

Results Of The Compare Trial Of Constraint-Induced Or Multimodality Aphasia Therapy Compared With Usual Care In Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia, Miranda L. Rose, Lyndsey Nickels, David Copland, Leanne Togher, Erin Godecke, Marcus Meinzer, Tapan Rai, Dominique A. Cadilhac, Joosup Kim, Melanie Hurley, Abby Foster, Marcella Carragher, Cassie Wilcox, John E. Pierce, Gillian Steel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

While meta-analyses confirm treatment for chronic post-stroke aphasia is effective, a lack of comparative evidence for different interventions limits prescription accuracy. We investigated whether Constraint-Induced Aphasia Therapy Plus (CIAT-plus) and/or Multimodality Aphasia Therapy (M-MAT) provided greater therapeutic benefit compared with usual community care and were differentially effective according to baseline aphasia severity.

Methods:

We conducted a three-arm, multicentre, parallel group, open-label, blinded endpoint, phase III, randomised-controlled trial. We stratified eligible participants by baseline aphasia on the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Aphasia Quotient (WAB-R-AQ). Groups of three participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 30 hours of CIAT-Plus or M-MAT or to …

Differential Effects Of Speech And Language Therapy And Rtms In Chronic Versus Subacute Post-Stroke Aphasia: Results Of The Northstar-Ca Trial, Anna Zumbansen, Heike Kneifel, Latifa Lazzouni, Anja Ophey, Sandra E. Black, Joyce L. Chen, Dylan Edwards, Thomas Funck, Alexander Erich Hartmann, Wolf Dieter Heiss, Franziska Hildesheim, Sylvain Lanthier, Paul Lespérance, George Mochizuki, Caroline Paquette, Elizabet Rochon, Ilona Rubi-Fessen, Jennie Valles, Susan Wortman-Jutt, Alexander Thiel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background & objective: Contralesional 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right pars triangularis combined with speech-language therapy (SLT) has shown positive results on the recovery of naming in subacute (5–45 days) post-stroke aphasia. NORTHSTAR-CA is an extension of the previously reported NORTHSTAR trial to chronic aphasia (>6 months post-stroke) designed to compare the effectiveness of the same rTMS protocol in both phases. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with left middle cerebral artery infarcts (28 chronic, 39 subacute) were recruited (01-2014 to 07-2019) and randomized to receive rTMS (N = 34) or sham stimulation (N = 33) with SLT for …

An Aphasia Research Agenda – A Consensus Statement From The Collaboration Of Aphasia Trialists, Myzoon Ali, Efstathia Soroli, Luis M. T. Jesus, Madeline Cruice, Jytte Isaksen, Evy Visch-Brink, Kleanthes K. Grohmann, C. Jagoe, Tarja Kukkonen, Spyridoula Varlokosta, Carlos Hernandez-Sacristan, Vicente Rosell-Clari, Rebecca Palmer, Silvia Martinez-Ferreiro, Erin Godecke, Sarah J. Wallace, Ruth Mcmenamin, David Copland, Caterina Breitenstein, Audrey Bowen, Ann-Charlotte Laska, Katerina Hilari, Marian C. Brady

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Coordination of international aphasia research would minimise duplication of effort, support synergistic international activities across languages and multidisciplinary perspectives, and promote high-quality conduct and reporting of aphasia research, thereby increasing the relevance, transparency, and implementation of findings. The Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists (CATs) sought to develop an aphasia research agenda to direct future research activities, based on priorities shared by people with aphasia, family members, and healthcare professionals. Our established international research network spanning 33 countries contributed to this activity. Research literature reporting the priorities of stakeholders was reviewed and synthesized (phase 1). Representatives from Working Groups on Aphasia Assessment …

Patients’ Experiences Of A Communication Enhanced Environment Model On An Acute/Slow Stream Rehabilitation And A Rehabilitation Ward Following Stroke: A Qualitative Description Approach, Sarah D'Souza, Deborah J. Hersh, Erin Godecke, Natalie Ciccone, Heidi Janssen, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Patients in hospital following stroke express a desire to continue therapy tasks outside of treatment activities. However, they commonly describe experiences of boredom and inactivity. An enriched environment aims to provide opportunities for physical, cognitive and social activity and informed the development of a Communication Enhanced Environment (CEE) model to promote patient engagement in language activities.

Purpose

Explore patient perceptions of a CEE model, and barriers and facilitators to engagement in the model.

Methods

A qualitative description study from a larger project that implemented a CEE model into acute and rehabilitation private hospital wards in Western Australia. Semi-structured interviews …

Creating A Novel Approach To Discourse Treatment Through Coproduction With People With Aphasia And Speech And Language Therapists, M. Cruice, S. Aujla, J. Bannister, N. Botting, M. Boyle, N. Charles, V. Dhaliwal, S. Grobler, Deborah Hersh, J. Marshall, S. Morris, M. Pritchard, L. Scarth, R. Talbot, L. Dipper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Although spoken discourse is an outcome prioritised by all stakeholders in aphasia rehabilitation, assessment and treatment of discourse are not routine clinical practice. The small evidence base, varied clinical expertise, multiple barriers in the workplace, and challenges for clients in understanding their altered language abilities all contribute to this situation. These factors need serious consideration when developing a new treatment. Involving intended stakeholders as partners in the development process is recommended. This assists with future implementation by ensuring assessment and treatment are practical, feasible, and acceptable to those who will deliver and undertake it.

Aims:

This paper reports on …

Comparison Of Auditory Steady-State Responses With Conventional Audiometry In Older Adults, Hadeel Y. Tarawneh, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Wilhelmina H. A. M. Mulders, Ralph N. Martins, Dona M. P. Jayakody

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Behavioral measures, such as pure-tone audiometry (PTA), are commonly used to determine hearing thresholds, however, PTA does not always provide reliable hearing information in difficult to test individuals. Therefore, objective measures of hearing sensitivity that require little-to-no active participation from an individual are needed to facilitate the detection and treatment of hearing loss in difficult to test people. Investigation of the reliability of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) for measuring hearing thresholds in older adults is limited. This study aimed to investigate if ASSR can be a reliable, objective measure of frequency specific hearing thresholds in older adults. Hearing thresholds …

Speaking Of Online Learning: Alternative Practice-Based Learning Experiences For Speech Pathologists In Australia, Ghana And Hong Kong, Jemma Skeat, Josephine Ohenewa Bampoe, Susan Booth, Emily Brogan, Maya Conway, Rachel Davenport, Simone Howells, Peggy Kan, Michelle Krahe, Sally Hewat, Abigail Lewis, Alex Little, Joanne Walters, Gwendalyn Webb, Nikki Worthington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Speech Pathology programs usually send students to workplaces to learn clinical skills necessary for practice. During COVID-19, programs needed to respond quickly to ensure that students continued to gain the necessary experiences and skills required to progress through their program and graduate as clinicians, while simultaneously complying with COVID-19 requirements. Case studies from seven different universities in Australia, Ghana and Hong Kong described the diverse ways in which placements were adapted to be COVID-safe, taking into account local needs. Some practices which had been included in placement education prior to the pandemic, such as telepractice and simulation-based learning, were extended …

The Ethics Of Patient And Public Involvement Across The Research Process: Towards Partnership With People With Aphasia, Deborah Hersh, Mark Israel, Ciara Shiggins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Conducting Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in health research is a way of building knowledge that incorporates the experience of service users, adds research impact, and helps avoid wasting resources on findings that have little relevance to people or cannot be implemented. We argue that there is a need to extend ethical considerations currently focused on research participants with aphasia to encompass and guide expectations of involvement in partnerships with people with aphasia across the research lifecycle.

Method:

We use the 2018 revision of the Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research as the framework for this …

Hearing Threshold Levels Of Australian Coal Mine Workers: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Of 64196 Audiograms, Adelle Liebenberg, Alan M. Brichta, Valerie M. Nie, Sima Ahmadi, Carole L. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective

This study examined the hearing threshold levels (HTL) of workers commencing employment in Australian coal mines in the State of New South Wales (NSW). The aim was to establish if some degree of hearing loss was identifiable in the mandatory pre-employment audiograms of workers.

Design

This was an observational, retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study. Study Sample De-identified audiometric records of 64196 employees entering NSW coal mining in three representative five-year periods between 1991–2015 were utilised

Results

Although HTLs were lower (better) in more recent years, the results showed clinically significant hearing loss ( ≥ 25dBHL) for older workers, 45–60 years. …

Therapeutic Relationships In Aphasia Rehabilitation: Using Sociological Theories To Promote Critical Reflexivity, Felicity Bright, Stacie Attrill, Deborah Hersh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 The Authors. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Background: Therapeutic relationships are fundamental in aphasia rehabilitation, influencing patient experience and outcomes. While we have good understandings of the components of therapeutic relationships, there has been little exploration of how and why therapists construct and enact relationships as they do. Sociological theories may help develop nuanced understanding of the values, assumptions and structures that influence practice, and may facilitate critical reflexivity on practice. Aims: To explore the potential for theoretical approaches …

Creating A Theoretical Framework To Underpin Discourse Assessment And Intervention In Aphasia, Lucy Dipper, Jane Marshall, Mary Boyle, Deborah Hersh, Nicola Botting, Madeline Cruice

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Discourse (a unit of language longer than a single sentence) is fundamental to everyday communication. People with aphasia (a language impairment occurring most frequently after stroke, or other brain damage) have communication difficulties which lead to less complete, less coherent, and less complex discourse. Although there are multiple reviews of discourse assessment and an emerging evidence base for discourse intervention, there is no unified theoretical framework to underpin this research. Instead, disparate theories are recruited to explain different aspects of discourse impairment, or symptoms are reported without a hypothesis about the cause. What is needed is a theoretical framework that …

Predictors Of Poststroke Aphasia Recovery: A Systematic Review-Informed Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, The Rehabilitation And Recovery Of People With Aphasia After Stroke (Release) Collaborators

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background and Purpose: The factors associated with recovery of language domains after stroke remain uncertain. We described recovery of overall-language-ability, auditory comprehension, naming, and functional-communication across participants’ age, sex, and aphasia chronicity in a large, multilingual, international aphasia dataset. Methods: Individual participant data meta-analysis of systematically sourced aphasia datasets described overall-language ability using the Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia-Quotient; auditory comprehension by Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT) Token Test; naming by Boston Naming Test and functional-communication by AAT Spontaneous-Speech Communication subscale. Multivariable analyses regressed absolute score-changes from baseline across language domains onto covariates identified a priori in randomized controlled trials and all …

Communicating Simply, But Not Too Simply: Reporting Of Participants And Speech And Language Interventions For Aphasia After Stroke, Release Collaboration, Marian C. Brady, Myzoon Ali, Kathryn Vandenberg, Linda J. Williams, Louise R. Williams, Masahiro Abo, Frank Becker, Audrey Bowen, Caitlin Brandenburg, Caterina Breitenstein, Stefanie Bruehl, David A. Copland, Tamara B. Cranfill, Marie Di Pietro-Bachmann, Pamela Enderby, Joanne Fillingham, Federica Lucia Galli, Marialuisa Gandolfi, Bertrand Glize, Erin Godecke, Neil Hawkins, Katerina Hilari, Jacqueline Hinckley, Simon Horton, David Howard, Petra Jaecks, Elizabeth Jefferies, Luis Mt Jesus, Maria Kambanaros, Eun Kyoung Kang, Eman M. Khedr, Anthony Pak-Hin Kong, Tarja Kukkonen, Marina Laganaro, Matthew A. Lambon-Ralph, Ann Charlotte Laska, Béatrice Leemann, Alexander P. Leff, Roxele R. Lima, Antje Lorenz, Brian Macwhinney, Rebecca Shisler Marshall, Flavia Mattioli, İlknur Maviş, Marcus Meinzer, Reza Nilipour, Enrique Noé, Nam-Jong Paik, Rebecca Palmer, Ilias Papathanasiou, Brigida F. Patricio, Isabel Pavão Martins, Cathy Price, Tatjana Prizl Jakovac, Elizabeth Rochon, Miranda L. Rose, Charlotte Rosso, Ilona Rubi-Fessen, Marina B. Ruiter, Claerwen Snell, Benjamin Stahl, Jerzy P. Szaflarski, Shirley A. Thomas, Mieke Van De Sandt-Koenderman, Ineke Van Der Meulen, Evy Visch-Brink, Linda Worrall, Heather Harris Wright

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: Speech and language pathology (SLP) for aphasia is a complex intervention delivered to a heterogeneous population within diverse settings. Simplistic descriptions of participants and interventions in research hinder replication, interpretation of results, guideline and research developments through secondary data analyses. This study aimed to describe the availability of participant and intervention descriptors in existing aphasia research datasets.

Method: We systematically identified aphasia research datasets containing ≥10 participants with information on time since stroke and language ability. We extracted participant and SLP intervention descriptions and considered the availability of data compared to historical and current reporting standards. We developed an …

The Impact Of Stuttering On Development Of Self-Identity, Relationships, And Quality Of Life In Women Who Stutter, Charn Nang, Deborah J. Hersh, Katie Milton, Su Re Lau

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: The experiences of women who stutter have been underresearched. Clinicians have little guidance from the research literature on issues specific to women who stutter and are likely to have less clinical contact with this group than with men who stutter because of the higher prevalence of stuttering in men. This study explored the experiences of a small group of women who stutter with a particular focus on what the main current issues are and how gender may have influenced experiences with stuttering.

Method: This qualitative study involved recruitment of 9 women who stutter (aged 35-80 years) through a support …

The Effects Of Enactment On Communicative Competence In Aphasic Casual Conversation: A Functional Linguistic Perspective, Rimke Groenewold, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Previous research has shown that speakers with aphasia rely on enactment more often than non-brain-damaged language users. Several studies have been conducted to explain this observed increase, demonstrating that spoken language containing enactment is easier to produce and is more engaging to the conversation partner. This paper describes the effects of the occurrence of enactment in casual conversation involving individuals with aphasia on its level of conversational assertiveness. Aims: To evaluate whether and to what extent the occurrence of enactment in speech of individuals with aphasia contributes to its conversational assertiveness. Methods & Procedures: Conversations between a speaker with …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Very Early Rehabilitation In Speech After Stroke, Erin Godecke, Elizabeth Armstrong, Tapan Rai, Sandy Middleton, Natalie Ciccone, Anne Whitworth, Miranda Rose, Audrey Holland, Fiona Ellery, Graeme Hankey, Dominique Cadilhac, Julie Bernhardt

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Rationale:

The efficacy of rehabilitation therapy for aphasia caused by stroke is uncertain.

Aims and hypothesis:

The Very Early Rehabilitation of Speech (VERSE) trial aims to determine if intensive prescribed aphasia therapy (VERSE) is more effective and cost saving than non-prescribed, intensive (usual care-plus) and non-intensive usual care (UC) therapy when started within 15 days of stroke onset and continued daily over four weeks. We hypothesize that aphasia therapy when started very early after stroke and delivered daily could enhance recovery of communication compared with UC.

Sample size estimates:

A total of 246 participants (82 per arm) will provide 80% …

Stick Or Switch: A Selection Heuristic Predicts When People Take The Perspective Of Others Or Communicate Egocentrically, Shane Rogers, Nicholas Fay

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examines a cognitive mechanism that drives perspective-taking and egocentrism in interpersonal communication. Using a conceptual referential communication task, in which participants describe a range of abstract geometric shapes, Experiment 1 shows that perspective-taking and egocentric communication are frequent communication strategies. Experiment 2 tests a selection heuristic account of perspective-taking and egocentric communication. It uses participants' shape description ratings to predict their communication strategy. Participants' communication strategy was predicted by how informative they perceived the different shape descriptions to be. When participants' personal shape description was perceived to be more informative than their addressee's shape description, there was a …

A Comparison Of Aphasia Therapy Outcomes Before And After A Very Early Rehabilitation Programme Following Stroke, Erin Godecke, Natalie A. Ciccone, Andrew S. Granger, Tapan Rai, Deborah West, Angela Cream, Jade Cartwright, Graeme J. Hankey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Very early aphasia rehabilitation studies have shown mixed results. Differences in therapy intensity and therapy type contribute significantly to the equivocal results. Aims To compare a standardized, prescribed very early aphasia therapy regimen with a historical usual care control group at therapy completion (4-5 weeks post-stroke) and again at follow-up (6 months). Methods & Procedures This study compared two cohorts from successive studies conducted in four Australian acute/sub-acute hospitals. The studies had near identical recruitment, blinded assessment and data-collection protocols. The Very Early Rehabilitation (VER) cohort (N = 20) had mild-severe aphasia and received up to 20 1-h sessions …

Carer Experiences With Rehabilitation In The Home: Speech Pathology Services For Stroke Survivors, Katy Stewart, Natalie Ciccone, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Caring for a stroke survivor can be a complex role with carers at an increased risk of mental health difficulties. Early supported discharge from hospital with rehabilitation in the home (RITH) allows stroke survivors to return home at an earlier stage in the recovery process, potentially placing an extra burden on carers. Being involved in intensive therapy,in the home, in the early days post-stroke may be difficult with the role and experiences of carers in RITH being underresearched. This paper identifies the roles, experiences and preferences of ten carers of stroke survivors with dysarthia and dysphagia. Many carers were involved …

Review Of Ear Health And Hearing Among Indigenous Peoples, Jane Burns, Neil Thomson

Research outputs pre 2011

This review of ear health and hearing among Indigenous Australians has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as a part of our contributions to ‘closing the gap’ in health between Indigenous people1 and other Australians. The aim is to make relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers and the general community. The review is an example of the HealthInfoNet’s translational research, defined as ‘comprehensive applied research that strives to translate the available knowledge and render it operational’

The main purpose of the review, which follows the model of …

Reflective Practice: What Is It And How Do I Do It?, Abigail V. Lewis

Research outputs 2013

Reflective practice holds importance for health and education practitioners in Australia, as demonstrated by increased prominence in the revised Competency based Occupational Standards for speech pathologists. This paper explores the topic of reflective practice, in the clinical context, by addressing the following questions: What is reflective practice? Why is it an important skill for speech pathologists? What is the evidence base for reflective practice? How do practitioners and students engage in the process of reflection? In addressing the final question, four methods of facilitating reflection are outlined: journal reflection, reflection on a critical incident, reflection following professional development, and reflection …

Skill Acquisition In Skin Cancer Detection, Craig Speelman, Katie Martin, Steven Flower, Terry Simpson

Research outputs pre 2011

Previous research has shown that the ability to detect potentially dangerous skin lesions is not improved by viewing a pamphlet describing the characteristic features of such lesions. A different approach to improving this skill was investigated in this study. 100 student recruits were tested to investigate the effect of practice at distinguishing between dangerous and nondangerous skin lesions. Around 30 minutes of such practice, viewing 360 pictures of skin lesions, provided a significant advantage in making decisions about a target set of dangerous and nondangerous lesions, compared to no practice or practice with a filler task. Viewing a skin cancer …

Language, Meaning, Context, And Functional Communication, Elizabeth Armstrong, Alison Ferguson

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Phonological Profile For The Hearing Impaired : Manual, Iris Vardi

Research outputs pre 2011

Anyone who deals with the speech of the hearing impaired is only too well aware of the wide range of speech problems that can present. Many of these problems have been thoroughly researched and documented. Toni Gold (1980), detailed the following characteristics of hearing impaired speech as revealed by the literature to that date:

(l) intelligibility problems;

(2) consonant errors relating to voicing, consonant omissions, position of consonant error in word, difficulties with consonant blends, effects of place of articulation;

(3) vowel and diphthong errors;

(4) suprasegmental errors including problems with rate, increased duration of phonemes, timing, pausing; and

(5) …