Teachers' and speech-language pathologists' perceptions about a tangible symbols intervention: efficacy, generalization, and recommendations.

Twenty-nine special education teachers (n=21) and speech-language pathologists (n=8) were interviewed about a tangible symbols intervention conducted with 51 children (3-21 years) with multiple disabilities and visual impairment. The intervention, which took place over a 7-month period, addressed the use of tangible symbols in the context of a structured protocol for implementing the daily schedule. These educators reported that students learned the meaning of symbols, exhibited improved behavior, and learned part or all of the daily routine, among other benefits.

Standardised speech-language tests and students with intellectual disability: a review of normative data.

Background: Before a school speech-language pathologist (SLP) utilises a standardised speech-language test with a student with intellectual disability (ID), the clinician should carefully consider the purpose of the test and whether the test includes students with ID in the normative group.

Method: This project reviewed 49 tests published between 1994 and 2004 and their applicability to students with ID.

Results: Students with mild ID were included in the norm group for 23 of the tests, but no tests included students with more significant ID.

A preliminary investigation of the efficacy of oral motor exercises for children with mild articulation disorders.

Although oral motor therapy is sometimes used to treat articulation disorders in school-age children, several reports question its efficacy. In this case study, four first-grade students, two boys and two girls, received 15 half-hour sessions of oral motor treatment based on Easy Does it for Articulation: An Oral Motor Approach (Strode and Chamberlain,1997). Pre- and post-test measures of the children's articulation indicated no real differences in speech production.

Pediatricians' opinions about otitis media and speech-language-hearing development.

Unlabelled: Twenty-five pediatricians responded to a confidential survey about their opinions on the relationship between otitis media and children's speech-language-hearing status. Results found that pediatricians did not necessarily agree that otitis media has an impact on speech-language-hearing development. Pediatricians reported that an early otitis media onset (birth to age 2) affects speech-language development, but they also reported that parents and daycare environments could mitigate any otitis media effect.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fludarabine phosphate in patients with renal impairment: a prospective dose adjustment study.

Unlabelled: A significant number of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia patients, treated with fludarabine phosphate (fludarabine), are elderly with diminished renal function. Since the kidney eliminates approximately 60% of fludarabine's primary metabolite (F-ara-A), dose modification is necessary for all patients with impaired renal function including elderly patients. In this study, 22 patients with varying levels of renal function received a single intravenous dose of fludarabine (25 mg/m3), followed one week later by five (one per day) doses that were adjusted according to three predefined creatinine clearance (CLcr) levels.

TBI knowledge and pragmatic assessment among Connecticut school speech-language pathologists.

School-based speech-language pathologists from Connecticut responded to a random survey which had a twofold purpose, (1) to replicate a previous conclusion that clinicians' specific experience with traumatic brain injury (TBI) influences their knowledge of this subject, and (2) to explore the topic of pragmatic assessment and whether it is also influenced by specific TBI experience. Results indicate that Connecticut school clinicians favourably regard both their own knowledge of TBI and the contemporary issue of pragmatic assessment. Connecticut clinicians also report a relatively low degree of prior TBI training and clinical experience.

Communication disorders and children with mental retardation.

Within both the pragmatics orientation and the revised definition of MR, the discussion of communication disorders for children with MR has begun to de-emphasize a developmental content-form protocol for assessment and intervention. Instead, the current model suggests the importance of communication stimulation and support in daily routines, the nature of which includes the perceptions and expectations of communication partners, and the characteristics of the social interaction that affect communication style.

Alterations in integrity of goldfish membrane induced by edetate disodium.

The effect of the chelating agent edetate disodium on the integrity of the goldfish membrane was examined. The time to produce death in goldfish exposed to secobarbital sodium was used as a reflection of membrane integrity. Although a minimum edetate disodium concentration was necessary to induce alterations in integrity, no direct relationship between the effect and concentration of the chelating agent was evident.

Effect of edetate disodium on goldfish membrane.

The effect of edetate disodium on the absorption of secobarbital sodium was examined in goldfish. An inverse relationship was observed between the concentration of edetate disodium to which fish were exposed and the time of death induced by secobarbital sodium. This inverse relationship is postulated to be due to an enhanced absorption of the ionized form of secobarbital in goldfish.

Permeability of everted rat small intestine to lidocaine and derivatives.

The transfer rates of lidocaine and five derivatives were measured across the everted rat intestine. No obvious relationship was observed between the first-order rate constants for transfer and the lipophilicity of the compounds as measured by their apparent partition coefficients. The intestinal mucosal epithelium also did not appear to be the rate-limiting barrier for the passage of these agents across the intestinal membrane regardless of the respective clearance of the compound.

Activity of local anesthetic agents in goldfish.

The activity of procaine hydrochloride, lidocaine hydrochloride, tetracaine hydrochloride, and dibucaine hydrochloride in producing overturn in goldfish was measured in pH 8.0 buffer. Calculation of the apparent minimum effective concentration of local anesthetic necessary to result in overturn of the goldfish showed that the activity of these agents increased in the following order: procaine hydrochloride less than lidocaine hydrochloride less than tetracaine hydrochloride less than dibucaine hydrochloride.