Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the vocal characteristics of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and anarthria using the stage model of vocal development. Method: Vocal characteristics of 39 children with CP and anarthria around 4 years of age were analyzed from laboratory-based caregiver--child interactions. Perceptual coding analysis was…

Purpose: Dysarthria is common among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and results in poor speech intelligibility and subsequently low communicative participation. Neuroplasticity evidence suggests that adherence to principles of motor learning (PML) improves motor speech intervention outcomes. Motor speech interventions aim to improve speech…

A 36-year-old female with severe spastic dysarthria participated in this study. She received 4 weeks of individual, intensive voice-focused treatment. Voice recordings were conducted at three baseline points, immediately posttreatment, and at a 4-month follow-up. The primary outcome variables were selected acoustic measures of vocal function:…

Programmes which offer integrated services were analysed to identify model international and domestic programmes serving adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. Programmes were assessed according to 11 need domains identified in a previous study: supervision, transportation, housing, communication, finances/employment opportunities, activities…

The etiological significance of neurological disorders in autism is debated, but it is clear that they complicate support provision and clinical management, and can have negative impact on outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the full range of co-occurring neurological disorders in autism. We estimated the odds of having…

Members of Korean American communities have displayed an increasing interest in volunteering opportunities with individuals with severe disabilities that promote social interaction and community engagement among them. However, little is known about community volunteer experiences and how Korean American volunteers can be better supported. In this…

Background: There are many children with neurodisability who are unable to rely on speech to communicate and so use a range of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods and strategies to get their message across. Current instruments designed to measure the outcomes of speech and language therapy interventions lack specific attention…

In this article, the authors identify possible indicators of cerebral visual impairments (CVI) in young children. Noticing the signs of cerebral visual impairment can assist occupational therapists in the early detection and therapy planning for preschoolers in early intervention programs. Several instructional models are described to meet the…

The Oral Motor Assessment Scale (OMAS) is a diagnostic tool used to assess the oral motor skills in individuals with neurological and neuromuscular disorders. This assessment was developed by Brazilian researchers and for the first time, its validity and reliability was examined in Brazil. The purpose of the present study was to examine the…

Purpose: This study examined the effects of Speech Intelligibility Treatment (SIT) on intelligibility and naturalness of narrative speech produced by francophone children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy. Method: Ten francophone children with dysarthria were randomized to one of two treatments, SIT or Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy…

A growing literature highlights the need to develop communication partner-based interventions for individuals with dysarthria. Identifying listener characteristics that facilitate speech understanding is a necessary step in designing communication partner interventions. Musicianship enhances speech understanding in adverse listening conditions…

Purpose: Children with dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy may experience reduced speech intelligibility and diminished communicative participation. However, minimal research has been conducted examining the outcomes of behavioral speech treatments in this population. This study examined the effect of Speech Intelligibility Treatment (SIT), a…

Purpose: To compare vowel acoustics and intelligibility in words produced with and without contrastive stress by speakers with spastic (mixed-spastic) dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy (DYS[subscript CP]) and healthy controls (HCs). Method: Fifteen participants (9 men, 6 women; age M = 42 years) with DYS[subscript CP] and 15 HCs (9 men, 6…

Background: The speech intelligibility of children with dysarthria and cerebral palsy has been observed to increase following therapy focusing on respiration and phonation. Aims: To determine if speech intelligibility change following intervention is associated with change in acoustic measures of voice. Methods & Procedures: We recorded 16…

Background: Commissioners and providers require information relating to the number of people requiring a service in order to ensure provision is appropriate and equitable for the population they serve. There is little epidemiological evidence available regarding the prevalence of people who could benefit from augmentative and alternative…