Clare Carroll

Social participation for people with communication disability in coffee shops and restaurants is a human right

Abstract Although Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has a right to freedom of opinion and expression”, for people with communication disability this may not be a reality. This commentary shares a practical example of how people with communication disabilities together with speech–language pathology (SLP) students, academics and clinical staff co-designed and co-implemented a Communication Awareness Training Programme for catering staff to enable communication access in coffee shops and restaurants. This is an example of how SLPs can embrace their social responsibility to break down barriers for people with communication disabilities. This commentary shares the reflections of those involved and how they felt empowered because they had learned new skills and made a difference. This commentary highlights the need for co-design and co-delivery of programs to raise awareness of communication disability among catering staff and how the stories of people with communication disabilities served as a catalyst for change. It also highlights the need to SLPs to move intervention to a social and community space.

Exploring parental perspectives of participation in children with Down Syndrome

The everyday lives of children with disabilities are not well understood, with few studies exploring how participation in everyday life is conceptualized and given meaning. The overall aims of this study were, first, to explore parental views of their children’s participation and, second, to identify barriers and facilitators in relation to participation in everyday activities. A qualitative research strategy was adopted, whereby parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) aged 6–12 years were selected using purposive sampling. Five interviews with seven participants were audio-recorded and analysed using a framework approach whereby the overall research aims guided the analysis. Analysis of the data identified two main themes and seven sub-themes. The first theme was the value of participation. Parents reported that through participation in activities, their children developed skills that in turn enhanced their well-being and sense of belonging. The second theme was barriers and facilitators of participation, which included four subthemes: child factors, attitudes and views of others, modifications to the environment and logistical issues. Findings also illustrate how the child and his/her physical, social and attitudinal environments are inherently intertwined, with parents identifying the influence of several interacting factors on their child’s participation in everyday activities. This study supports the view that while frameworks like the ICF have an important role in understanding disability, they need to be supplemented with personal experiences of children and others in their lives. Speech and language therapists need to consider activities and participation both from the perspective of factors within children themselves and also from the point of view of barriers and facilitators in the children’s environment.

An investigation of hospitality industry students’ awareness and knowledge of aphasia

ABSTRACT Background: Previous studies highlight a lack of awareness of aphasia among the general public. To date, no research has investigated awareness of aphasia among those working in the hospitality service industry. A lack of awareness of aphasia can exacerbate reduced participation in society for people with aphasia (PWA); as lack of awareness has been identified as a core barrier to participation by PWA themselves. Reduced social participation is a central theme which impacts on negative quality of life for PWA. Education on the nature and impact of aphasia has been identified as a precursor to facilitating participation for PWA. However, before education of aphasia can be provided, we must first ascertain the current level of awareness and knowledge of aphasia among this population working in the hospitality service industry. Aims: To investigate the awareness and level of knowledge of aphasia among hospitality industry students in Ireland and identify strategies to improve awareness. Methods & Procedures: The participants, recruited from four third-level institutions in Ireland, completed a validated survey which was adapted for use with the target population. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse responses. Open-ended questions were first analysed using content analysis, followed by descriptive statistical analysis. Outcomes & Results: One hundred and fifty-five hospitality industry students participated in this study. 9.68% of participants were aware of aphasia, whereas 3.23% of participants were found to have adequate knowledge of aphasia. Suggested strategies to improve awareness of aphasia were campaigning, education in college and advertising using print, broadcast, and social media. Conclusions: This study highlights a distinct lack of awareness and knowledge of aphasia among hospitality students. This can have a negative impact on PWA who have reported this as a barrier to their social participation. By raising awareness of aphasia among hospitality students, they will be better equipped to facilitate communication with PWA. This would break down the existing barrier to participation for PWA. All methods identified by participants can be used to raise awareness and, in particular, it is recommended that undergraduate education of aphasia be incorporated into the college curriculum at a policy level. As this is the first study of its kind on this population, further research in this area is warranted, particularly in the area of how best to raise awareness and knowledge of aphasia among this specific population.

Communication as a human right: Citizenship, politics and the role of the speech-language pathologist

Abstract According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The purpose of this paper is to elucidate communication as a human right in the life of a young man called Declan who has Down syndrome. This commentary paper is co-written by Declan, his sister who is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) with an advocacy role, his SLP, and academics. Declan discusses, in his own words, what makes communication hard, what helps communication, his experiences of speech-language pathology, and what he knows about human rights. He also discusses his passion for politics, his right to be an active citizen and participate in the political process. This paper also focuses on the role of speech-language pathology in supporting and partnering with people with communication disabilities to have their voices heard and exercise their human rights.

Exploring academic staff perceptions and experiences in the development and delivery of an undergraduate inter-professional pilot simulation.

Publication Information Summerville, Sarah , Casey, Dympna , McCarthy, Bernard , Hills, Caroline , Carroll, Clare , Costello, Maria , Hunter, Andrew, Burke, Eimear, Kennedy, Kieran, Power, Martin, Byrne, Dara, Donlon, Kate, Hanley, Marion, Ní Chianáin, Linda (2017). Exploring academic staff perceptions and experiences in the development and delivery of an undergraduate inter-professional pilot simulation. Paper presented at the 11th Annual Simulation in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Conference, Simulation Technologies and Education Strategies, Human Patient Simulation Network (HPSN), Nottingham, United Kingdom, 21 -22 June.

'Just wait then and see what he does': a speech act analysis of healthcare professionals' interaction coaching with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND There is evidence indicating that parent training programmes including interaction coaching of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can increase parental responsiveness, promote language development and social interaction skills in children with ASD. However, there is a lack of research exploring precisely how healthcare professionals use language in interaction coaching. AIMS To identify the speech acts of healthcare professionals during individual video-recorded interaction coaching sessions of a Hanen-influenced parent training programme with parents of children with ASD. METHODS & PROCEDURES This retrospective study used speech act analysis. Healthcare professional participants included two speech-language therapists and one occupational therapist. Sixteen videos were transcribed and a speech act analysis was conducted to identify the form and functions of the language used by the healthcare professionals. Descriptive statistics provided frequencies and percentages for the different speech acts used across the 16 videos. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Six types of speech acts used by the healthcare professionals during coaching sessions were identified. These speech acts were, in order of frequency: Instructing, Modelling, Suggesting, Commanding, Commending and Affirming. The healthcare professionals were found to tailor their interaction coaching to the learning needs of the parents. A pattern was observed in which more direct speech acts were used in instances where indirect speech acts did not achieve the intended response. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS The study provides an insight into the nature of interaction coaching provided by healthcare professionals during a parent training programme. It identifies the types of language used during interaction coaching. It also highlights additional important aspects of interaction coaching such as the ability of healthcare professionals to adjust the directness of the coaching in order to achieve the intended parental response to the childs interaction. The findings may be used to increase the awareness of healthcare professionals about the types of speech acts used during interaction coaching as well as the manner in which coaching sessions are conducted.

Exploring the Facilitation of Young Children with Disabilities in Research about Their Early Intervention Service.

While participatory research approaches are being developed and applied within speech and language therapy practice it is not clear that all children are afforded the opportunity to participate in such activities. This study aimed to explore the involvement of young children, aged between two and four years, with developmental disabilities in the research process, focusing on early intervention disability services. Eight young children took part in this qualitative research. Clark and Moss’s (2011) framework for listening was used to structure the multi-method data collection process. The design was iterative; the collection of data from each participant was followed by a review of theoretical ideas to support the emerging data. Findings suggest that the use of an asset based approach to participation in research, focusing on participants strengths through a variety of data collection tools, used by a skilled facilitator, supported by parental expertise enabled the children to be part of the data collection process. The research highlights that speech and language therapists can facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities in research activities about their early intervention service they receive. As members of early intervention teams speech and language therapists need to promote their skills in facilitating the active engagement of children with developmental disabilities in research. Thus making their participation in early intervention research, a reality with potential to promote holistic practice.