The use of augmentative and alternative communication by children with developmental disability in the classroom: a case study.

Purpose: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems are often introduced to children with disabilities who demonstrate complex communication needs. As attending school is an essential part of these children's lives, it is important that they use their AAC system to communicate in the classroom. This study aimed to describe the nature of the use of AAC by students with developmental disabilities in the classroom.

Malaysian speech-language pathology students' reflections about their participation in an AAC training program.

Most speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Malaysia practice with an undergraduate degree, which provides them with limited knowledge about and training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This limited knowledge and training may affect their confidence and competence when introducing and using AAC with individuals for whom it is required. This study aimed to obtain feedback, via semi-structured interviews, from a group of 11 Malaysian university students who participated in an AAC training program about their experiences participating in and the effectiveness of the training program.

The relationship between affiliate stigma, stress, and quality of life for parents of individuals with cerebral palsy in Malaysia.

Objective: To examine the relationship between affiliate stigma, stress, and perceived quality of life among parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Surveys (Study 1) and semi-structured interviews (Study 2) were used to collect data. Thirty-eight respondents completed the Affiliate Stigma Scale (ASS), Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), and Care-related Quality of Life (CarerQol) scales (GMFCS).

Parents' perception on the use of augmentative and alternative communication by children with complex communication needs in Malaysia.

Purpose: Children with developmental disabilities who have complex communication needs (CCN) frequently need to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate effectively and efficiently. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) often work closely with parents and other professionals when deciding on the best AAC system to introduce to these children. This study aimed to describe the use of AAC by children with CCN in Malaysia as reported by their parents.

Association Between Symbolic Play and Language: A Comparison Between Typically Developing Children and Children with Down Syndrome.

Objective: Language and symbolic play require the same underlying symbolic ability and develop parallel to one another. The aim of this study was to determine the association between symbolic play and vocabulary in typically developing children and children with Down syndrome in Malaysia.

Methods: Twenty-five typically developing children and 25 children with Down syndrome aged between 12 and 36 months were involved in this study.

Malaysian teachers' experience using augmentative and alternative communication with students.

Teachers play an important role in the successful implementation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with complex communication needs. The goal of this two-phase, mixed-methods study was to explore Malaysian teachers' use of, experience with, and perceptions about AAC. Phase 1 involved 252 teachers who completed a questionnaire that was aimed at collecting nationwide data about their use and overall perceptions of AAC.

Reflections of Malaysian parents of children with developmental disabilities on their experiences with AAC.

Parents play an important role in the successful implementation of AAC. Previous research has indicated that parents in different countries have varying perceptions about the use of AAC and face different challenges in its implementation. To date, there is limited information about the use of AAC by children in Malaysia or parents' views about its use.

Practise patterns of Malaysian speech-language pathologists in managing children with speech and language delay/disorder.

Purpose: Children with speech and language delay/disorder (SLD) in the developing language stage (DLS) are one of the largest populations served by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in paediatric settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the practise patterns adopted by Malaysian SLPs when managing these children.

Method: A web-based questionnaire was developed to obtain information about SLPs' practises during assessment, planning and treatment.

Interactions of pre-symbolic children with developmental disabilities with their mothers and siblings.

Background: Depending on the severity of their disabilities, children with Down syndrome (DS) and with cerebral palsy (CP) may remain pre-symbolic for prolonged periods of time. When interacting with pre-symbolic children, communication partners have a role in identifying which of their behaviours are communicative, to be able to respond to those behaviours and maintain reciprocal interaction. To date, most research on these children's communication development has been conducted within the context of mother-child interaction.

A comparison of Malaysian and Australian speech-language pathologists' practices with children with developmental disabilities who are pre-symbolic.

The aim of this study was to explore the assessment, intervention, and family-centred practices of Malaysian and Australian speech-language pathologists (SLPs) when working with children with developmental disabilities who are pre-symbolic. A questionnaire was developed for the study, which was completed by 65 SLPs from Malaysia and 157 SLPs from Australia. Data reduction techniques were used prior to comparison of responses across questionnaire items.