Kissing the Blarney Stone!

While in Cork I had to visit Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone, that is said to give you the "gift of the gab" or the "gift of eloquence". My speech-language pathology colleagues and I thought it was worth the effort to lie on our backs and hang over a sheer drop to kiss the stone so that we increased our ability to talk (although some of our family did suggest that we did not need to). We were thankful for the gentleman who made sure we did not fall. We wondered if early speech therapy in Ireland involved a visit to the castle!

Speech Pathology Australia Conference in Hobart

While I am in Cork, Ireland, the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference is underway in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. My students are presenting papers and posters for the first time - and from all reports have done extremely well. The following presentations have just been completed on the other side of the world to me:

• Lockart, R. & McLeod, S. (2012, June). Australian speech pathologists' assessment of the speech of Cantonese-speaking children (poster)
• Limbrick, N., McCormack, J. & McLeod, S. (2012, June). Designs and decisions: A review of informal measures for assessing children's speech. 

Bek Lockart presenting her poster in Hobart

Planning multilingual assessments in Bristol

While visiting the Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit in Bristol I had the opportunity to speak with staff, students and visitors to the department about a wide range of research projects (current and future).
I enjoyed meeting all of the postgraduate students and research assistants. I found out about the Parent Research Panel that has been formed to inform the Child Talk - What Works research project.

SLTRU staff and students

I also enjoyed discussing ideas for computerised assessments with Dr Yvonne Wren and Dave Rush from Alfiesoft and Mandarin/Putonghua assessments with Dr Zeng Biao. Yvonne, Prof Sue Roulstone and I had many other projects to discuss including ways to use the ALSPAC longitudinal study data to further inform us about children's speech and language skills.

Dave Rush and Dr Yvonne Wren

Dr Zeng Biao, Sharynne and Dr Yvonne Wren

Features of the Bristol accent

I have spent the week in Bristol and have enjoyed hearing the Bristolian accent. Here is a summary of some of the features, as outlined by Yvonne Wren and colleagues in a paper that is currently in submission for publication:

 
Vowels:

1. Use of [ə] for /ʌ/ (as in ‘putt’).

2. Use of [a] for /ɑː/ (as in ‘bath’)

3. Slightly longer or fuller vowels than RP e.g. mad [maˑd]; job [ʤɑˑb]; also - bucket [bəˑkɪˑʔ] rather than /bʌkɪˑʔ/; goodness [ˈgʊdnɛs] rather than /gʊdnəs/ or /gʊdnɪs/.

Consonants:

1. Post vocalic /ɹ/ as in [fɑɹm]

2. Presence of /l/ following word final /ə/ (as in ‘Americal’) and also medially in e.g. ‘drawling’ and ‘chimley’. (This is a feature known as Bristol ‘l’ and is confined to the local area of Bristol. ‘Eva’ and ‘evil’ would be homonyms in a child who shows this feature.)

3. Use of [f] for /θ/

4. Use of glottal stop for /t/ before a pause e.g. Pete – [piːʔ]

Australian Census data shows changes in Australia’s cultural and linguistic diversity

Australia’s 2011 census data were released today. Here are some interesting statistics:

• Australia's population is now over 21.5 million
• One in four people were born overseas, with the most common places of birth being India (13%) and UK (12%)
• Mandarin is now the second most common language spoken at home other than English, (previously this was Italian).
• Hinduism is the fastest growing religion
• 15% of the population does not hold citizenship
• Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander population is just under 550,000 (an increase of 20.5% since last census), with a third living in capital city areas
• The median age of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is 21 years - 16 years lower than the national figure

 Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-21/census-stats-reveal-australian-population-growing-strongly/4084130?WT.svl=news3

Listening Conference in Bristol

On 20^th June the University of the West of England hosted a 1 day conference titled: Listening to Children and Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Needs. The conference was attended by over 50 speech and language therapists, teachers, psychologists, parents and students. During the conference our Children Draw Talking art exhibition was displayed. I was invited to present the keynote address titled: The importance and challenges of listening to children and young people with speech, language and communication needs

The other presenters were:

• Rena Lyons: Exploring identity in children with speech and/or language impairments
• Ros Merrick: Picture Me: Using illustrations in conversation with children
• Graham Daniel and Sharynne McLeod: Listening to children with speech and language impairment: Implications for teachers of young children  (presented by Graham via video conference from Australia!)
• Mary Wickenden:  See me, not just the chair: Aspects of identity for disabled teenagers who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Helen Hambly: One voice among many – contrasting children’s experiences of their primary language impairment (PLI) with the experiences of their parents, peers and the professionals who support them
• Sue Roulstone: Children’s perspectives from the Better Communication Research Programme
• Linda Lascelles: Chief Executive, Afasic: Tuning in to children and young people with speech and language difficulties.
  

  

  Sharynne presenting the keynote address

  
  

  

  Rachael and Jim, Ros Merrick, Helen Hambly, Sharynne, Sue Roulstone, Linda Lascelles, Mary Wickenden, Rena Lyons

  
  

  

  Year 3 students from Cardiff University with their copies of the Listening book

  
  

  

  Graham Daniel presenting his paper from Australia

  
  

  

  Rosemary Hayhow, and Anna Blackwell

  
  

  

  Jim and Rachael from J&R Press

Launch of the FOCUS: Focus on Outcomes of Children Under Six

The FOCUS team: Nancy Thomas-Stonell (seated), L-R Bruce Oddson, Bernadette Robertson, Karla Washington, Peter Rosenbaum, Joan Walker

This week a new outcome measure of communicative participation was launched in Toronto, Canada.  The FOCUS: Focus on Outcomes of Children Under Six is a parent and clinician-report measure that is framed around the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FOCUS has taken 12 years to develop and has established reliability and validity measures. 

I was invited to open the 2-day conference with a presentation titled: "Children’s speech, language & communication: Learning from the WHO’s focus on functioning & participation". 

Other presentations included: 

• Using the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker
• Development and Validation of the FOCUS© Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Bernadette Robertson & Bruce Oddson
• Outcomes and Predictors of Outcomes for preschoolers with S/LI: A Post-doctoral Research Study Using the FOCUS© Karla Washington
• Measures & Measurement: Do we really need another lecture on this? Peter Rosenbaum
• Knowledge Translation: A great idea but how do we overcome people’s conservatism?  Dr. Peter Rosenbaum & Dr. Virginia Wright
•  What do we know about effective knowledge translation strategies? Dr. Diane Russell
• Opportunities & Challenges with using the FOCUS© Claire Maclean, Judy Meintzer, and Kate Wishart

Planning future research projects

Over the past week I have been working with Dr Karla Washington to plan our upcoming research project in Jamaica in January. We have been working on grants, ethics protocols and papers.

Parents' choices about language mode and use

Kate Crowe is one of my PhD students who is working on a fascinating and important topic. She is examining parental choices about the language mode (speech / signing) and language (English / Arabic / Greek / etc) for children with hearing loss. She has asked over 100 parents using a survey that included both open-ended questions and closed questions. She has been analysing the quantitative data with A/Prof David McKinnon, and the qualitative data with Dr Loraine Fordham. This picture shows the first stage of analysis of the qualitative data - using the old-fashioned technique of reading and sorting meaning statements to create themes. She is now entering the data into NVivo to undertake further analyses of the important insights these parents have given about the factors that influence their choices.

Dr Libbey Murray and Kate Crowe discussing emerging themes from Kate's data (in Brisbane)

UPDATE February 2013:
Here is the link to the published paper from this research
http://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/part-of-our-world-influences-on.html

Disentangling the impact of speech and language impairment from speaking a language other than English

While in Brisbane I have been able to discuss and progress the analysis of data regarding children in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) who speak languages other than English. My colleagues, Dr Sue Walker (Queensland University of Technology), Chrystal Whiteford (QUT), Linda Harrison (CSU) and I have been disentangling the impact of speaking a language other than English from having a speech and language delay in any/all languages.

Here is a summary of our findings to date:
Within Australia educational provisions are made to support children who speak languages other than English (LOTE) as their primary language. For children who speak a LOTE and have speech and language difficulties in each language, additional support services are required. This study aimed to determine the impact of primarily speaking a language other than English at home when 4- to 5-years-old on teacher-rated literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional outcomes at 8- to 9-years-old for children identified with and without overall speech and language concern. Participants were from the Kindergarten cohort of The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) (n = 4983). A matched-case control design (controlled for sex, socio-economic position (SEP), and age) enabled comparison between four groups of children: a) English + typical speech and language (n=109), b) LOTE + typical speech and language (n=109), c) English + speech and language concern (n=109), d) LOTE + speech and language concern (n=109). Next, multiple regression analyses were undertaken for the entire LSAC sample (n=4983) constructed in a hierarchical framework, with variables entered in four steps: child factors (including LOTE), family factors, competencies when 4- to 5-years-old, then competencies when 6- to 7-years-old. Three teacher-rated outcome measures at age 8- to 9-years were considered. The results indicated at 4- to 5-years there were significant differences between groups a) and b) on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), a direct assessment measure, and the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Further, there were significant differences between groups c) and d) on the PPVT. Children speaking LOTE performed more poorly than English speaking children on both these measures. There were no significant differences between groups on the Who am I? (WAI). However, by 8-to 9-years speaking a LOTE did not predict school-age academic and social-emotional difficulties. Significant predictors for Language and Literacy included SEP, parent and teacher reported use of speech pathology services, expressive language concerns, PPVT at 4- to 5-years and children’s competencies at 6- to 7-years. Significant predictors for Mathematical Thinking included child sex, SEP, LOTE, parent and teacher reported use of speech therapy, 4/5 PPVT and children’s competencies at 6- to 7-years. For the SDQ significant predictors included child sex, SEP, receptive language concerns and children’s approaches to learning at 6-7 years. These results indicate that presence of speech and language concern at 4- to 5-years was a greater predictor of school-age academic and social-emotional difficulties than speaking a LOTE.

Sue Walker, Chrystal Whiteford, Linda Harrison & Sharynne

Brisbane: Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network

This week almost 70 people within the Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network met in Brisbane. The CRN includes researchers from Charles Sturt University, Monash University, and Queensland University of Technology. What an inspiring week by the Brisbane River!

Over the week we have gone under, over and around many research ideas and questions

Love the spelling! Actually we are mostly "sisters" not "bro"s

A systematic review of the influence of bilingualism on speech production

The following paper has been accepted for publication this week:
Hambly, H., Wren, Y., McLeod, S., & Roulstone, S. (2012, in press May). The influence of bilingualism on speech production: A systematic review. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders.

ABSTRACT
Background: Children who are bilingual and have speech sound disorder are likely to be under-referred, possibly due to confusion about typical speech acquisition in bilingual children.
Aims: The aim of this review was to investigate what is known about the impact of bilingualism on children’s acquisition of speech in English to facilitate identification and treatment of bilingual children with speech sound disorder.
Methods: A systematic review of studies from the last 50 years was conducted. Studies investigating speech acquisition in bilingual infants and children (where one language was English) were identified through searching 7 electronic databases, bibliographies of relevant articles and emailing authors. Sixty six studies investigating bilingual speech production met inclusion criteria, with 53 describing typically developing children and 13 describing children with speech sound disorder. The 66 studies were analysed thematically and summarised in terms of methods, key findings and underlying theories.
Main Contribution:
There was limited evidence to suggest that bilingual children develop speech at a slower rate than their monolingual peers; however, there was evidence for qualitative differences and increased variation in speech production. Nearly all studies provide evidence for transfer between the two phonological and language structures, although the amount of transfer varied between studies. There was evidence of positive and negative transfer of features from the dominant language (L1) to the second language (L2) as well as from L2 to L1. Positive transfer became more evident with increased age and length of exposure to a second language. More recently researchers have moved away from investigating whether there are one or two phonological systems and accept that there are two systems that interact.  Interest has shifted to examining how phonological systems interact and to identifying factors that influence interactions. The review revealed a number of inconsistencies in the findings of studies due to differences in methodology, languages investigated, and degree of language exposure. Overall, measurement issues were addressed well but most studies provided limited sample information about language experience, schooling and socio-economic status.
Conclusions: There are differences in speech sound acquisition between monolingual and bilingual children in terms of rate and patterns of error, with both positive and negative transfer occurring in bilingual children.

Book review: Listening to children and young people

The following book review has just been published in the RCSLT Bulletin referring to Listening to Children and Young People with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs. Here are some excerpts


"I am a self-confessed train/bedtime reader, so I found this book fantastic for its dip-in-able, engaging and readable style.

The first few pages are a series of short passages...These are heart-warming, sensitively written and very powerful examples of the impact of our work...their voices radiate through the pages.

The rest of the book ... is packed with different ideas and techniques that I have been truly inspired by...

 I would normally recommend taking a thriller to bed but I will put my neck on the line and say that your clinical practice will be enhanced after ‘sleeping on this book’."

Reviewer Kirsty Bui, SLT, Director, SLT Journal Club
Overall rating: 4 out of 5

Walkie Talkies

Kate and Hannah with their pedometres

The job of a researcher requires vast amounts of sitting, thinking, reading, and typing.
As a result, my students and I have decided to conduct a 10 week challenge to walk at least 10,000 steps per day. We live in different cities from one another, so if we find ourselves in the same place, we try to walk (and talk) together. Consequently we have called ourselves the Walkie Talkies and are plotting our steps using Excel spreadsheets.
There are prizes not only for the most steps walked, but also for the largest standard deviation, and the most improved since baseline. We may even use more of the statistical capabilities to explore our results as an exercise in quantitative stats! I will keep you posted on how we are doing.

March-May 2012 summary

AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL FUTURE FELLOWSHIP UPDATE
‘Speaking my language: International speech acquisition in Australia’
Written by Kim Woodland, Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education for the May 2012 RIPPLE Update

Sharynne and Dr Yvonne Wren in Bathurst

Sharynne began March by speaking to over 400 parents and teachers from 30 rural and remote schools throughout New South Wales. Her presentation—Supporting children’s speech and language development—was part of RDE RELATE, a community education initiative from the Department of Education and Communities’ Country Areas Program which aims to support rural and remote communities by using videoconferencing to broadcast important speakers and issues. Work has also continued on the Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network (EYE CRN), including a two-day meeting in Albury where Sharynne worked with colleagues from three universities to analyse data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). She used the wealth of information from her Fellowship experience to focus on children speaking languages other than English. Dr Yvonne Wren from The University of the West of England visited in April, and they worked on a journal article, conference presentation and a grant submission. An international speech assessment project Sharynne has been supervising with Dr Martin Barrett, which involved Masters’ students from East Tennessee State University creating a prototype computer program for the International Speech Assessment, was wrapped up in early May with a final presentation. Sharynne has also continued publishing, with three co-authored journal articles on children's speech and language recently being released.

The RIPPLE Effect is published here: http://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/255163/The-RIPPLE-Effect-Issue-1-2012.pdf

Systematic review of speech assessments

Sarah Verdon and I have been spending each Friday undertaking a systematic review of speech (articulation and phonology) assessments for speakers of languages other than English. The review encompasses the conceptual and operational aspects of the assessments. We have had a lot of fun working out what the manuals are saying by using Google Translate, then asking our colleagues from around the world who speak the languages (and we also try to ask the people who have written the test). There are some very impressive assessments that are available, and I can't wait until it is completed and we are ready to tell the English-speaking world about them.

Sarah with German, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, Cantonese and Norwegian tests

Analysing Vietnamese children's speech with students in Ho Chi Minh City

This afternoon I spent an hour discussing speech analysis with two groups of students from Ho Chi Minh City (via Skype) facilitated by Janella Christie and a Vietnamese interpreter. It is exciting to see how they have been applying my lectures from May 2011 to real children in Vietnam. They have been developing assessments and analyses that are relevant to the different pronunciations from different parts of Vietnam. They have also been finding phonological patterns that are typical for English-speaking children, and not listed in Tang and Barlow (2006). It is a privilege to be a part of developing the profession of speech pathology in VietNam.

Help! My computer is full

We often take our computers for granted.
This week I was copying data (video and audio files as well as images from the children's drawings) from our Talking about Talking research onto my computer -- and received the message that my computer was full! Researching about children's speech does take a lot of computer storage, and is another factor and cost in undertaking research in this field.

International Speech Assessment: Finalization of the ETSU capstone project

Today was the final presentation of the capstone project undertaken by the masters' students from East Tennessee State University. Over the past 18 months they have been working with Dr. Martin Barrett and myself to create a prototype for the International Speech Assessment. During their presentation, the students said that they had completed 2897.5 hours of work on the project! It has been a very an interesting process to learn what is important for creating a working computer program.
An earlier blog posting about the project (May 2011) is here

ISA Capstone Team: L-R Howard Morris, Jim Johnson, Dr. Martin Barrett, Nathanial McConnell, Heather Haley, Chandan Biswas, Eric Barclay, Kris Cunigan, Aaron Stokes

Speech-language pathologists at war?

Two journal articles have been published recently that talk about battles:

1. McCormack, J., McAllister, L. McLeod, S. & Harrison, L. J., (2012). Knowing, having, doing: The battles of childhood speech impairment. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 28, 141-157.
2. Kenny, B. & Lincoln, M. (2012). Sport, scales or war?Metaphors speech-language pathologists use to describe caseload management. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 14(3), 247-259.   

 When we enter the speech-language pathology profession we don't realize we will be engaged in battles (e.g.,  having to fight for our clients, fight for rights within our workplaces, etc); nor do we think about the battles our clients and their families experience (e.g., in order to access services).