A shared reading intervention: Changing perceptions of caregivers in a semi-rural township.

Background:  Many caregivers from low-middle income (LMI) households consider that preschool children are too young for shared book reading. Thus, many caregivers are unaware of their potentially powerful role in their children's emergent literacy and communication.

Objectives:  To describe (1) caregivers' perceptions of shared reading, (2) caregivers' perceptions of barriers to shared reading and (3) changes in these perceptions following a short intervention.

In pursuit of best practice through contextually relevant, accountable and responsive research.

No abstract available.

The impact of COVID-19 on speech-language and hearing professions in low- and middle-income countries: Challenges and opportunities explored.

Background:  Since the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the speech-language and hearing (SLH) professions globally have been confronted with novel and unexpected challenges.

Objective:  The aim of this article was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on SLH professions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as presented in the Special Issue of the South African Journal of Communication Disorders in the year 2022.

Method:  Divergent from the standard editorial writing style, this editorial adopted a research approach where a qualitative, descriptive scoping review design was conducted to meet the objectives of the study.

Feeding practices in public hospitals' neonatal intensive care units: An exploration into the ways in which COVID-19 affected the best practice in Gauteng.

Background:  South Africa's healthcare system has a multitude of pre-existing challenges prior to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ranging from reduced number of staff, lack of resources and units being at overcapacity both in the adult and paediatric populations. The neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) require a team approach to ensure best practice with vulnerable infants, but little is known about how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown restrictions impacted the feeding practices within the NICU.

Objectives:  This study aimed to explore the impact that COVID-19 had on the feeding practices within the NICU settings in public hospitals in Gauteng.

The application of qualitative approaches in a post-colonial context in speech-language pathology: A call for transformation.

Legacies of colonialism continue to influence the profession of speech-language pathology (SLP) around the world. While there is some literature on ways in which we can decolonise the profession, there is little written on these issues in relation to research and practice in the field. In this paper, we discuss how qualitative approaches can be useful particularly in post-colonial contexts to transform research and practice in the profession.

Life under lockdown for children with autism spectrum disorder: Insights from families in South Africa.

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remain vulnerable during the Covid-19 outbreak due to significant changes to their daily routines, social interactions and diets. In addition, these challenges may be exacerbated for children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) such as South Africa where there are already barriers such as poverty, access to resources and availability of support. Understanding the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on children with ASD is imperative in order to create awareness as well as provide equitable services and support to both children with ASD and their families.

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in South Africa: Clinical Training and Service in the Era of COVID-19.

Introduction And Purpose: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) presented new and unanticipated challenges to the provision of clinical services, from student training to the care of patients with speech-language and hearing (SLH) disorders. Prompt changes in information and communication technologies (ICT), were required to ensure that clinical training continued to meet the Health Professions Council of South Africa's regulations and patients received effective clinical care. The purpose of this study was to investigate online clinical training and supervision to inform current and future training and clinical care provision in SLH professions.

"I was always struggling": Caregivers' experiences of transitioning a child from oral to long-term non-oral feeding at an out-patient hospital clinic in South Africa.

Background: As the prevalence of paediatric dysphagia increases, the need for long-term non-oral feeding has also increased. Despite these developments, little is known about caregiver experiences of transitioning a child onto long-term non-oral feeds, and the factors which influence the process of decision-making and the provision of consent to do so. This paper aims to explore these factors.

A qualitative inquiry into the ways in which space and place influence the lived experiences of adults with disabilities in rural South Africa.

Introduction: The field of disability studies is a contested area of research that has transformed significantly over the past three decades. The move away from the medical model of disability in the early 1980s created opportunities for the voices of people with disabilities to be heard. However, research into the lived experiences of this population has historically relied on proxy accounts and, where first-person accounts have been included, people with disabilities have often been excluded on the basis of cognitive-communicative (dis)ability and language proficiency.

An Exploration into Mothers' Experiences of Feeding Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in South Africa.

Objectives: To explore the experiences of mothers feeding their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in South Africa as well as to better understand the impact of context and culture on feeding disorders.

Participants And Methods: A qualitative research design was employed. Seven mothers of 8 children (1 mother had twins), aged 4-9 years, who were diagnosed with ASD and who had associated feeding difficulties participated in the study.

Beyond physical access: a qualitative analysis into the barriers to policy implementation and service provision experienced by persons with disabilities living in a rural context.

Introduction: Persons with disabilities make up approximately 15% of the world's population, with vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by the incidence of disability. Research reflects that persons with disabilities are vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, social isolation, and have physical barriers to accessing support services, all of which serve to perpetuate a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability within their lives. Recently a number of policies and models of intervention have been introduced intended to protect the rights of those affected by disability, yet limited research has been conducted into the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, particularly in rural contexts.

The Interface Between Violence, Disability, and Poverty: Stories From a Developing Country.

People with disabilities are vulnerable to multiple forms of violence in their everyday lives, including structural violence, deprivation, and physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation. Despite increasing reports of violence against people with disabilities, little is known about this phenomenon, especially in the context of poverty. Furthermore, the various types of violence have traditionally been studied in isolation, which has led to a limited understanding of the nature and persistence of violence in society, and has affected our understanding of the relationship between different forms of violence.