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.