Audiologist

This paper focused on an ideal special education teacher in Nigeria. Concept of an ideal special education teacher was discussed. The works and roles of an ideal special education teacher were examined. Different types of disabilities that qualify an individual with special needs for special education programme were spelt out. Similarly, qualities of an ideal special education teacher were discussed. Also activities and skills expected of an ideal special education teacher were examined. The characteristics required of a special education teacher to help persons with special needs maximise their potentials were also stated. Consequently, fruitful and useful recommendations that will aid special education teachers work with persons with special needs successfully were also discussed.

This paper examined the importance of early identification and intervention programme for children with hearing impairment in Nigeria. The paper is an expository paper which focuses on the concept of hearing impairment, identification and intervention programmes for children with hearing impairment. Effects of hearing impairment on a child were also discussed. Behavioural signs and symptoms of children with hearing impairment were identified. The paper also stressed the importance of early identification and intervention programme for children with hearing impairment. Problems facing early identification and intervention were highlighted. Various methods of identification and assessment of hearing impairment were mentioned. The paper concludes that children with hearing impairment can adjust well both in school and in the society if hearing impairment is identified early with the support of special intervention programme. Useful recommendations that will motivate governments in sponsoring research projects into incidence, prevalence and prevention of hearing impairment at the local and state level were proffered.

This paper focused on an ideal special education teacher in Nigeria. Concept of an ideal special education teacher was discussed. The works and roles of an ideal special education teacher were examined. Different types of disabilities that qualify an individual with special needs for special education programme were spelt out. Similarly, qualities of an ideal special education teacher were discussed. Also activities and skills expected of an ideal special education teacher were examined. The characteristics required of a special education teacher to help persons with special needs maximise their potentials were also stated. Consequently, fruitful and useful recommendations that will aid special education teachers work with persons with special needs successfully were also discussed.

Speech-related professionals such as speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists make use of neuro-advancements including neurotechnologies such as cochlear implants (CIs), brain-computer interfaces, and deep brain stimulation. Speech-related professionals could occupy many roles in relation to their interaction with neuro-advancements reflecting the roles expected of them by their professional organizations. These roles include: service provider, promoter of neuro-products such as CIs, educator of others, neuro-related knowledge producer and researcher, advocates for their fields and their clients in relation to neuro-advancements, and influencers of neuro-policy, neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Lifelong learning, also known as professional development, is used as a mechanism to keep professionals up to date on knowledge needed to perform their work and could be used to support the fulfillment of all the roles in relation to neuro-advancements. Using 300 Engl...

Speech-related professionals such as speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists make use of neuro-advancements including neurotechnologies such as cochlear implants (CIs), brain-computer interfaces, and deep brain stimulation. Speech-related professionals could occupy many roles in relation to their interaction with neuro-advancements reflecting the roles expected of them by their professional organizations. These roles include: service provider, promoter of neuro-products such as CIs, educator of others, neuro-related knowledge producer and researcher, advocates for their fields and their clients in relation to neuro-advancements, and influencers of neuro-policy, neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Lifelong learning, also known as professional development, is used as a mechanism to keep professionals up to date on knowledge needed to perform their work and could be used to support the fulfillment of all the roles in relation to neuro-advancements. Using 300 English language Canadian newspapers and academic articles from SCOPUS and the 70 databases of EBSCO-Host as sources, we found that the neuro-advancement content linked to speech-related professionals centered around CIs and brain computer interfaces, with other neuro-technologies being mentioned much less. Speech-related professionals were mostly mentioned in roles linked to clinical service provision, but rarely to not at all in other roles such as advocate, researcher or influencer of neuroethics and neuro-governance discussions. Furthermore, lifelong learning was not engaged with as a topic. The findings suggest that the mentioning of and engagement with roles of speech-related professionals linked to neuro-advancements falls short given the expectations of roles of speech-related professionals for example. We submit that these findings have implications for the education of speech-related professionals, how others perceive the role and identity of speech-related professionals, and how speech-related professionals perceive their own role.

Fluency is that the effortless production of long continuous utterances at a rapid rate. Disfluency or non-fluency suggest disruptions within the timing and flow of non-stuttered speech like interjections and phrase repetitions that are often perceived as being a part of the traditional interruptions of speech. Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the occurrence and pattern of disfluencies in Tamil and English medium children. Participants: This study consisted of two groups. Group 1 and group 2 consisted of 40 children from English and Tamil medium children. Children were in the age range of 4 to 6 years. Method: Speech samples were collected using narration of a story and analysed the total number of disfluencies. Result: The results revealed that there is a significant difference in the mean percentage of total disfluencies between Tamil and English medium children. The children of English medium children show significantly more number of disfluencies when compared to Tamil medium children. The results also revealed there is no significant difference in occurrence of disfluencies between male and female children. In this study the percentage of disfluencies is more in English medium when compared to Tamil medium children. This is because of their communicating language preference in school, their medium of school and the duration of language exposure for both English and Tamil medium children.

This paper examined the importance of early identification and intervention programme for children with hearing impairment in Nigeria. The paper is an expository paper which focuses on the concept of hearing impairment, identification and intervention programmes for children with hearing impairment. Effects of hearing impairment on a child were also discussed. Behavioural signs and symptoms of children with hearing impairment were identified. The paper also stressed the importance of early identification and intervention programme for children with hearing impairment. Problems facing early identification and intervention were highlighted. Various methods of identification and assessment of hearing impairment were mentioned. The paper concludes that children with hearing impairment can adjust well both in school and in the society if hearing impairment is identified early with the support of special intervention programme. Useful recommendations that will motivate governments in sponsoring research projects into incidence, prevalence and prevention of hearing impairment at the local and state level were proffered.

Introduction: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive, fatal disorder that makes muscles stiff (rigid) and causes problems with movement, loss of coordination , and malfunction of internal body processes such as blood pressure and bladder control. The Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach to care for people with chronic disease/disorder or end-of-life conditions. The study was aimed to provide a documentation of a case with mixed dysarthria secondary to multiple system atrophy and to provide palliative care perspective of the case with reference to Speech Language Pathology. Methods: A Patient of 63 years/Male had the complaint of speech problem, difficulty in swallowing and movement problem. He was already diagnosed with MSA. In the diagnostic department, after all the assessment, the patient was diagnosed as mixed dysarthria with moderate pharyngeal dysphagia secondary to multiple system atrophy and referred for speech and swallowing therapy. Speech therapy was carried out in a palliative care domain within the patient's limit of participation. After 7 sessions the patient couldn't be able to continue therapy as the patient was admitted in ICU under medical condition. Discussion: In this MSA patient even after continuous 7 sessions of therapy, no such significant improvement observed although no such deterioration. And that was the main reflection of the goal oriented therapy techniques, that patient's condition was not fall drastically as it was before. Conclusion: When an SLP is brought into work with a patient nearing end of life, swallowing and communication should be the main concern.