Vale Dr Lucie Shanahan

Dr Lucie Shanahan was a valued colleague during my time at CSU in Albury while we established the new speech pathology program (1989-2003). I learned this week that she has recently passed away. We are thankful for her immense contribution to rural speech pathology. She will be missed by many https://www.awh.org.au/latest-news/news/artmid/450/articleid/342/remembering-dr-lucie-shanahan

Vale Lawrence D. Shriberg

I am so sad to hear that my mentor and friend Larry Shriberg has passed away. He has had such a profound influence on my work, and on children with speech sound disorders (SSD) throughout the world. I was to be his PhD student at the University of Wisconsin Madison; however, grant funding fell through the year I was to study with him - so I was unable to move to the USA. Larry had an ongoing interest in my work and we met up at each ASHA convention. 

Sharynne, Larry Shriberg and Helen Blake - ASHA 2017

Larry Shriberg, Greg Lof, Sharynne McLeod, Peter Flipsen - ASHA 2014

 

A few of his influential papers include:

1. Shriberg, L., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1980). Natural process analysis. John Wiley. 
2. Shriberg, L. D., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1982a). Phonological disorders I: A diagnostic classification system. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 47, 226–241.
3. Shriberg, L. D., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1982b). Phonological disorders II: A conceptual framework of management. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 42, 242–256.
4. Shriberg, L. D., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1982c). Phonological disorders III: A procedure for assessing severity of involvement. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 47, 256–270.
5. Shriberg, L. D., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1990). Self-monitoring and generalization in preschool speech-delayed children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 21, 157–170.
6. Shriberg, L. D., Kwiatkowski, J., Best, S., Hengst, J., & Terselic-Weber, B. (1986). Characteristics of children with phonologic disorders of unknown origin. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 51, 140–161.
7. Shriberg, L. D., Kwiatkowski, J., & Hoffman, K. (1984). A procedure for phonetic transcription  by consensus. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27, 456–465.
8. Shriberg, L. D., Kwiatkowski, J., & Snyder, T. (1986). Articulation testing by microcomputer. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 51, 309–324.
9. Shriberg, L. D., & Lof, G. L. (1991). Reliability studies in broad and narrow phonetic transcription. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 5(3), 225-279. https://doi.org/10.3109/02699209108986113
10. Shriberg, L. D., Strand, E. A., Jakielski, K. J., & Mabie, H. L. (2019). Estimates of the prevalence of speech and motor speech disorders in persons with complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 33(8), 707–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2019.1595732
11. Shriberg, L. D., Tomblin, J. B., & McSweeny, J. L. (1999). Prevalence of speech delay in 6-year-old children and comorbidity with language impairment. Journal of Speech Language & Hearing Research, 42(6), 1461–1481. https://doi.org/10.1044/jslhr.4206.1461
12. Shriberg, L. D., & Wren, Y. E. (2019). A frequent acoustic sign of speech motor delay (SMD). Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2019.1595734
13. Shriberg, L. D., Austin, D., Lewis, B. A., McSweeny, J. L., & Wilson, D. L. (1997a). The percentage of consonants correct (PCC) metric: Extensions and reliability data. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 40, 708–722. https://doi.org/10.1044/jslhr.4004.708 
14. Shriberg, L. D., Austin, D., Lewis, B. A., McSweeny, J. L., & Wilson, D. L. (1997b). The speech disorders classification system (SDCS): Extensions and lifespan reference data. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 40, 723–740. 
15. Shriberg, L. D., Aram, D. M., & Kwiatkowski, J. (1997). Developmental apraxia of speech: I. Descriptive and theoretical perspectives. Journal of Speech Language, and Hearing Research, 40(2), 273–285. 

Larry in his office in Madison, 2006

Prof Yvonne Wren acknowledging Prof Shriberg's international contributions at the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit Annual Lecture - 30 April 2024

Vale Professor Anne Cutler

A tribute to Professor Anne Cutler appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald last week. https://cloudstor.aarnet.edu.au/plus/s/ecoHm38wlQ1fSq0

"She supported twin goals of research excellence and social equity in Australia and was proud to be associated with Western Sydney University and with its flagship research institute The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development."

James Law's contributions to IJLCD

A virtual issue of all of James Law's publications to IJLCD has just been published. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1460-6984.James-Law-Tribute 

It contains 29 articles:

1. Adams, C., Lockton, E., Freed, J., Gaile, J., Earl, G., McBean, K., Nash, M., Green, J., Vail, A., & Law, J. (2012). The Social Communication Intervention Project: a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for school-age children who have pragmatic and social communication problems with or without autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(3), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00146.x 
2. Beecham, J., Law, J., Zeng, B., & Lindsay, G. (2012). Costing children's speech, language and communication interventions. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(5), 477-486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00157.x 
3. Buckeridge, K., Clarke, C., & Sellers, D. (2020). Adolescents’ experiences of communication following acquired brain injury. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(1), 97-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12506 
4. Cronin, P., Reeve, R., McCabe, P., Viney, R., & Goodall, S. (2020). Academic achievement and productivity losses associated with speech, language and communication needs. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(5), 734-750. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12558 
5. De Barbieri, Z., Fernández, M. A., Newbury, D. F., & Villanueva, P. (2018). Family aggregation of language impairment in an isolated Chilean population from Robinson Crusoe Island. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(3), 643-655. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12377 
6. Dockrell, J., Lindsay, G., Roulstone, S., & Law, J. (2014). Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs: an overview of the results of the Better Communication Research Programme. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 49(5), 543-557. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12089 
7. Ellis Weismer, S., Tomblin, J. B., Durkin, M. S., Bolt, D., & Palta, M. (2021). A preliminary epidemiologic study of social (pragmatic) communication disorder in the context of developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(6), 1235-1248. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12664 
8. Gallagher, A. L., & Chiat, S. (2009). Evaluation of speech and language therapy interventions for pre-school children with specific language impairment: a comparison of outcomes following specialist intensive, nursery-based and no intervention. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 44(5), 616-638. https://doi.org/10.1080/13682820802276658 
9. Hopkins, T., Clegg, J., & Stackhouse, J. (2018). Examining the association between language, expository discourse and offending behaviour: an investigation of direction, strength and independence. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(1), 113-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12330 
10. Kouba Hreich, E., Moitel Messarra, C., Martinez-Perez, T., Richa, S., & Maillart, C. (2020). Supporting language development in Lebanese preschools: SLT and pre-KT practice and perception of roles. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(6), 988-1004. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12576 
11. Law, J. (1995). Efficacy of speech and language therapy with children. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 30(S1), 484-484. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.1995.tb01738.x 
12. Law, J. (1997). Evaluating intervention for language impaired children: A review of the literature. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 32(2s), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.1997.tb01621.x 
13. Law, J., Clegg, J., Rush, R., Roulstone, S., & Peters, T. J. (2019). Association of proximal elements of social disadvantage with children's language development at 2 years: an analysis of data from the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the ALSPAC birth cohort. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(3), 362-376. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12442 
14. Law, J., Dornstauder, M., Charlton, J., & Gréaux, M. (2021). Tele-practice for children and young people with communication disabilities: Employing the COM-B model to review the intervention literature and inform guidance for practitioners. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 415-434. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12592 
15. Law, J., Huby, G., Irving, A.-M., Pringle, A.-M., Conochie, D., Haworth, C., & Burston, A. (2010). Reconciling the perspective of practitioner and service user: findings from The Aphasia in Scotland study. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(5), 551-560. https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903308509 
16. Law, J., McBean, K., & Rush, R. (2011). Communication skills in a population of primary school-aged children raised in an area of pronounced social disadvantage. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 46(6), 657-664. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00036.x 
17. Law, J., Reilly, S., & Snow, P. C. (2013). Child speech, language and communication need re-examined in a public health context: a new direction for the speech and language therapy profession. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48(5), 486-496. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12027 
18. Law, J., & Riches, N. (2015). The Language Myth: Why Language is Not an Instinct Edited by Vyvyan Evans (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014) [Pp. 304.] ISBN 978-1-107-61975-3. £45.00 (hbk). £18.00 (pbk). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(5), 719-719. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12168 
19. Law, J., Zeng, B., Lindsay, G., & Beecham, J. (2012). Cost-effectiveness of interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN): a review using the Drummond and Jefferson (1996) ‘Referee's Checklist’. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00084.x 
20. Levickis, P., McKean, C., Wiles, A., & Law, J. (2020). Expectations and experiences of parents taking part in parent–child interaction programmes to promote child language: a qualitative interview study. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(4), 603-617. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12543 
21. Lindsay, G., Dockrell, J., Desforges, M., Law, J., & Peacey, N. (2010). Meeting the needs of children and young people with speech, language and communication difficulties. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(4), 448-460. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903165693 
22. Lindsay, G., Soloff, N., Law, J., Band, S., Peacey, N., Gascoigne, M., & Radford, J. (2002). Speech and language therapy services to education in England and Wales. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 37(3), 273-288. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13682820210137204 
23. Mackie, L., & Law, J. (2010). Pragmatic language and the child with emotional/behavioural difficulties (EBD): a pilot study exploring the interaction between behaviour and communication disability. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(4), 397-410. https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903105137 
24. McKean, C., Law, J., Laing, K., Cockerill, M., Allon-Smith, J., McCartney, E., & Forbes, J. (2017). A qualitative case study in the social capital of co-professional collaborative co-practice for children with speech, language and communication needs. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(4), 514-527. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12296 
25. Reilly, S., Tomblin, B., Law, J., McKean, C., Mensah, F. K., Morgan, A., Goldfeld, S., Nicholson, J. M., & Wake, M. (2014). Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom? International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 49(4), 416-451. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12102 
26. Smith, J., Levickis, P., Neilson, R., Mensah, F., Goldfeld, S., & Bryson, H. (2021). Prevalence of language and pre-literacy difficulties in an Australian cohort of 5-year-old children experiencing adversity. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 389-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12611 
27. Snow, P. C., Sanger, D. D., Caire, L. M., Eadie, P. A., & Dinslage, T. (2015). Improving communication outcomes for young offenders: a proposed response to intervention framework. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12117 
28.  Wren, Y., Pagnamenta, E., Peters, T. J., Emond, A., Northstone, K., Miller, L. L., & Roulstone, S. (2021). Educational outcomes associated with persistent speech disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 299-312. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12599 
29. Zwitserlood, R., Wijnen, F., van Weerdenburg, M., & Verhoeven, L. (2015). ‘MetaTaal’: enhancing complex syntax in children with specific language impairment—a metalinguistic and multimodal approach. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(3), 273-297. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12131  

Vale Diana Maloney

Last week I attended the memorial service to honour my colleague and friend Di Maloney.

Diana Maloney in 2020

Di was my lecturer for my undergraduate degree and became a close colleague in my years of working at The University of Sydney. We co-authored a book with Lindy McAllister and Michelle Lincoln titled "Facilitating Learning in Clinical Settings".

Prof Michelle Lincoln (UC), Prof Lindy McAllister (USyd), Prof Sharynne McLeod (CSU)

Her memorial service was attended by many people from across her life, including a large group of speech pathologists. Di had a key role in the Australian speech pathology profession as the President of the Australian Association of Speech and Hearing and the Head of the Program of Speech Therapy. Her wisdom, kindness, and insights will be missed.

Standing: Maree Doble, Michelle Lincoln, Jan van Doorn, Caroline Slater, Lindy McAllister, Alison Purcell, Chris Sheard, Tricia McCabe, Cate Madill, Eva Nemeth
Seated: Gwyn Burns, Hilary Roberts, Joan Rosenthal, Sharynne McLeod

Vale James Law

I am so sad to hear of the unexpected passing of James Law this week. 

Professor James Law, who worked at Newcastle University in UK, was awarded Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2018 and was a giant in our field: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/ecls/people/profile/jameslaw.html. He has written many highly influential systematic reviews, meta-analyses and other work that provided thoughtful insights and wise recommendations for working across the lifespan with people with childhood speech and language disorders. His epidemological work has heavily influenced my own. In fact, one year I was the person in the world who quoted him more than any other. He was a lead collaborator with Prof Sheena Reilly on the Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS) in Australia that has influenced Australian policy and practice. He was on the editorial board of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology while I was editor. He also provided encouragement to many of my PhD students (e.g., https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-language-trajectories-of-australias.html).

Here is the obituary written by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: https://www.rcslt.org/news/announcing-the-death-of-professor-james-law-obe/

Prof James Law with Suzanne Hopf and Sarah Verdon in 2014 who were my PhD students at the time

In 2006 my family and I had a wonderful time visiting his family in Scotland and we have had many updates since.

Our families walking in Scotland in 2006

Most recently, I submitted a book chapter to be published in a book he was co-editing: 

McLeod, S., McCormack, J., & Blake, H. L. (2019, in press). Communication, participation and cohort studies. In J. Law, S. Reilly & C. McKean (Eds.). Language development: Individual differences in a social context. Cambridge University Press. 

The other editors of the book, Professors Cristina McKean and Sheena Reilly wrote to us to tell us of the news of James' passing with these words:

We are all very shocked and saddened but we are taking comfort from the outpouring of wonderful messages we have received regarding his generosity and kindness and the legacy of his work for children with language difficulties. Sheena and I wanted to get in touch to reassure you that progress continues on the book and we will be keeping you up to date at this moves ahead and we should be entering the final stages of preparation for publication imminently. We feel the book is a wonderful reflection of James’ work and the huge network of collaborators he influenced and learned from. Sheena and I will also write a tribute to James to accompany the book to commemorate his work and his influence on us and the field.

I am honored to have written a chapter in his final book and to have learned so much from him during his lifetime. His life and legacy will continue to impact children, families and professionals across the globe.

Newcastle University set up the James Law Book of Condolences. My page is here: 

 

James Law participating in academic debate in Melbourne with Sue Roulstone, Sheena Reilly, Cristina McKean and others

 

Vale John Bernthal

Emeritus Professor John E. Bernthal, PhD, a giant in the field of children's speech passed away yesterday. His contribution and encouragement will always be treasured.

Professor John Bernthal was ASHA President in 2001. His textbook (Speech Sound Disorders in Children) with Nicholas Bankson and Peter Flipsen Jnr. is currently in it's 9th edition, he created an assessment (BBTOP) and published many articles in the field. He invited me to write a chapter in the 5th edition of his text, and has continued to invite me to write each new addition. We also wrote an encyclopedia entry together. Every ASHA convention he would seek me out to catch up on our lives. Our last conversation was in September 2020 via zoom. He was widely loved and respected - and will be greatly missed throughout the world. Vale John.

ASHA2019: John Bernthal and Sharynne in Orlando, FL

ASHA2016: John Bernthal with Australian SLPs
Ellie Sugden, Elise Baker, Sharynne McLeod, Steph Hernshaw and Kate Crowe

ASHA2013: John Bernthal and Sharynne

Here are my blogposts that include John: https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/search?q=John+Bernthal

Obituary: https://www.bmlfh.com/obituary/john-bernthal

 

I love these sentences from his obituary "Bernthal crafted a rich personal life. Along with his spouse, Marilyn, he visited every continent except Antarctica. He ate an exceptional amount of ice cream..."