Speech-Language Pathology Services in Pediatric Cancer: Survey and Interview Data on Caregiver Experiences.

Pediatric cancer and its treatment can cause disruption in typical child development, including the development of speech, language, and swallowing skills. Despite the potential for significant impact on communication and swallowing, speech-language pathologists are not routinely involved in the care teams of children diagnosed with cancer. The goal of this investigation was to enhance the understanding of the speech-language pathology services rendered and caregivers' perspectives on the current needs of children and adolescents who have undergone cancer treatment.

Language, Motor, and Cognitive Outcomes of Toddlers Who Were Born Preterm.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the language, motor, and cognitive abilities of children born preterm in four categories: (a) healthy preterm infants, (b) infants of diabetic mothers, (c) infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and (d) infants with chronic lung disease when the children were 30 months, uncorrected age. Comorbidity of language, motor, and cognitive skills was examined, along with predictor variables. Method A total of 148 children who were born preterm participated and were assessed using bivariate tests and logistic regression on standardized assessment scores.

Using Computer Programs for Language Sample Analysis.

Purpose Although language sample analysis is widely recommended for assessing children's expressive language, few school-based speech-language pathologists routinely use it, citing a lack of time, resources, and training (Pavelko, Owens, Ireland, & Hahs-Vaughn, 2016). The purpose of this clinical tutorial is (a) to describe options for language sample analysis using computer programs and (b) to demonstrate a process of using language sample analysis focused on the assessment of 2 preschool children as case studies. Method We provide an overview of collecting and analyzing child language samples and describe 3 programs for language sample analysis: 2 dedicated software programs (Computerized Language Analysis [MacWhinney, 2000] and Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts [Miller & Iglesias, 2015]) and 1 protocol for using word processing software to analyze language samples (Sampling Utterances and Grammatical Analysis Revised; Pavelko & Owens, 2017).

Expressive Language in Preschoolers Born Preterm: Results of Language Sample Analysis and Standardized Assessment.

Purpose Preschoolers born preterm are at an increased risk for the development of language impairments. The primary objective of this study was to document the expressive language skills of preschoolers born preterm through 2 assessment procedures, language sample analysis, and standardized assessment. A secondary objective was to investigate the role of nonlinguistic factors in standardized assessment scores.

Preterm Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Following Orosensory Entrainment Intervention.

Previous research indicates that the NTrainer, a pressurized pacifier programmed to produce pulsed pneumotactile stimulation during gavage feeds, has been found to facilitate non-nutritive suck development and shorten the length of hospital stay when used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Four groups of children, including infants of diabetic mothers (IDM), healthy controls (HI), and those with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), or chronic lung disease (CLD), were randomly assigned to an NTrainer therapy or sham 'control' condition when in the NICU. At 30 months of age, 113/223 study participants were assessed using standardized language, motor, and cognitive assessments.