Assessment of Developmental Language Disorder in Multilingual Children: Results from an International Survey.

Introduction: The Multilingual-Multicultural Affairs Committee of the International Association of Communication Disorders (IALP) conducted a survey of diagnostic criteria for developmental language disorder (DLD) in multilingual children to discover how clinicians apply terminology and diagnostic criteria to multilingual children in different parts of the world.

Methods: An international web survey was used to survey 354 participants from 44 countries about their assessment practices, and clinical opinions about assessing multilingual children for DLD.

Results: The findings show that most clinicians felt confident in assessing multilingual children, and they applied the DLD terminology and inclusionary criteria to multilingual children with difficulty learning language.

Strategies Utilized by Speech-Language Pathologists to Effectively Address the Communication Needs of Migrant School-Age Children.

Background/aims: The number of migrant children referred to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is increasing in the United States. SLPs need to be competent in distinguishing between a language disorder and language differences associated with children who are learning English as a new language.

Methods: SLPs need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and cultural attitudes to evaluate language of bilingual children to competently assess and intervene with linguistically diverse children and families.

Patient Safety in Audiology.

There is a need to educate audiologists, physicians, and other clinicians about patient safety in audiology. This article addresses the many aspects of patient safety and the applicability to the practice of audiology in health care. Clinical examples of strategies to build a culture of patient safety are provided.

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework to Achieve Interprofessional Functional Outcomes for Young Children: A Speech-Language Pathology Perspective.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework is an excellent tool to facilitate the writing of functional goals for children who exhibit communication disorders and other developmental problems that require services from professionals in multiple therapeutic areas. The holistic view of children provides each professional with an approach that integrates how one's specific health conditions and contextual factors influence a child's functioning and participation in daily activities. This allows the interprofessional team to view the child as a person, recognizing how one need influences another within his or her environment.

Educating globally conscious speech-language pathologists for collaborative professional practice.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) practicing in the US are facing significant changes in reimbursement, billing and practice in both health care and educational settings. Health care professionals need to convey and demonstrate the value of their services, measure functional patient outcomes and assess patient satisfaction. Documentation procedures for patient and student progress are changing, becoming more abbreviated and electronic.

Epilogue: Managing dysphagia in the schools.

Purpose: This epilogue summarizes the contribution of the articles in the clinical forum, "Managing Dysphagia in the Schools" and discusses future trends in pediatric dysphagia and the need for clinical practice and research.

Method: The contribution of each of the 10 articles that make up the forum is summarized briefly.

Conclusion: This clinical forum provides a discussion of numerous issues that need to be considered by clinicians working with children who exhibit swallowing and feeding problems and their families in school settings.

Prologue: Managing dysphagia in the schools.

Purpose: This prologue introduces the clinical forum, "Managing Dysphagia in the Schools," and informs the reader of the scope of the included articles.

Method: The contributing authors are introduced and a brief summary is provided for each of the 10 articles that make up the forum.

Conclusion: The articles address a broad range of issues, with specific reference to children with dysphagia in school settings.

HIV and communication.

Unlabelled: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to plague many countries across the globe, including the United States, Africa, China and India. Children and adults have been infected with HIV, and both populations can present with communication disorders that coexist with the presence of the virus. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of HIV and a discussion of the types of conditions that impact communication in both pediatric and adult populations.