Biomedical subjects

B Louw

Publications and source records attributed to B Louw.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Identification and follow-up of children with hearing loss in Mauritius.

Early identification of hearing loss followed by a timely and effective intervention programme for children with hearing impairment is necessary to minimise the negative effects of hearing loss on the development of cognition, psychosocial and verbal communication skills. Such early intervention programmes need to be multidisciplinary, technologically sound and most important, it should take cognizance of the specific context (community, country) in which the child and family function. The main aim of this study is to obtain accurate and reliable baseline information regarding current status of the intervention process for children with hearing loss in Mauritius, a developing country. Questionnaire-based interviews were carried out to obtain information from 37 hearing impaired children's parents regarding the median ages of suspicion of hearing loss, diagnosis and placement of hearing aids. The referral process, diagnosis and the management of these children is also described. The findings indicate that children in the study were identified late (median age 24 months) and that the management process is fragmented. The strengths in the current identification and follow-up process namely, parental involvement and established public service structure are highlighted. The weaknesses in the current system are identified, for example, time lapses in the identification process and the provision of hearing aids and the lack of co-ordinated services. The theoretical and empirical research carried out forms the basis of recommendations that have practical implications for an early intervention programme for children with hearing loss in Mauritius and can possibly function as a prototype for other developing countries.

Child↗

PubMed2001

A transdisciplinary conceptual framework for the early identification of risks for communication disorders in young children.

The early identification of infants with communication disorders or at risk for communication delays is still one of the biggest challenges of early communication intervention (ECI) and threatens to compromise its efficacy. Current approaches to the early identification of young children at risk for communication disorders involve strategies aimed at the identification of general developmental delays and may not be sufficiently sensitive and specific enough to detect the early stages of communication disorders. The risks for mortality and health are often identified early in life, but the concomitant risks for communication disorders in the same young children are frequently not identified at that opportune time. The current study involved a descriptive survey, describing the identification of communication disorders in 153 subjects, whose data was stored in and retrieved from a customized ECI database system. The findings revealed that the subjects were assessed at the average age of 18 months, but that identifications of risk conditions occurred prenatally, at birth, after the perinatal period and later in life. The time of identification related to the different communication disorders identified in the subjects and caregivers played a major role in detecting the first signs of communication disorders in their children. In order to provide a guideline for clinical practice, a transdisciplinary conceptual framework towards a coordinated effort for the early identification of risks for communication disorders in young children is proposed.

Caregivers↗

PubMed2000

Early identification of at-risk infants and toddlers: a transdisciplinary model of service delivery.

Traditional models of service delivery prevent speech-language therapists and audiologists from identifying and implementing early communication intervention (ECI) in South Africa. This study utilized the framework of the transdisciplinary team approach to develop a collaborative partnership between community nurses and speech-language therapists and audiologists. An interdisciplinary in-service training programme was implemented with 24 community nurses employed at family health clinics in Kwa-Zulu Natal; with the aim of enhancing their knowledge and attitudes toward the early identification and referral of at-risk children to speech-language therapists and audiologists. Three questionnaires were used to evaluate the nurses' knowledge and attitudes. Results indicated that the training programme significantly improved the nurses' knowledge regarding ECI but not their attitudes. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of service delivery for ECI, and the education and training of early interventionists in the South African context.

Child↗

PubMed1999

Early communication intervention within a community-based intervention model in South Africa.

Infants and toddlers with special needs within the developing context in South Africa are not currently receiving adequate early communication intervention services. The development of a model for service delivery to this population is imperative for the successful implementation of early communication intervention in the developing context in South Africa. The basic model of early intervention service delivery provides a theoretical basis for early intervention service delivery but has certain limitations when applied to the developing context in South Africa. Community-based intervention is proposed as an avenue for the delivery of health care services within primary health care although constraints in the application of community-based intervention exist. An integrated model of early communication intervention service delivery within community-based intervention is proposed and illustrated by presenting a case example.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1998

[Afrikaanse Reseptiewe Woordeskattoets (ARW) : Suitability for a group of non-standard Afrikaans speaking children].

The need for culturally appropriate language tests served as motivation for this study. The aim of the study was to evaluate the suitability and adaptability of the Afrikaanse Reseptiewe Woordeskattoets (ARW) (Buitendag, 1994) for a group of seven and ten year old non-standard Afrikaans speaking children from the coloured community in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Northern Province. In order to achieve this goal the ARW (Buitendag, 1994), and a questionnaire regarding socio-economic deprivation, were administered to a proportionally stratified randomized sample of 960 children. Test bias was evaluated by comparing the psychometric characteristics of the test for the research group to those of the normative group. Various test adaptation procedures were considered, namely adaptations to the rank order of item difficulty, test starting points and test procedures. The results indicated the same degree of confidence in the test results of the two groups. It demonstrated that the original rank order of item difficulty does not need to be changed and that corresponding increase in ARW scores is evident with an increase in age in both groups. The findings imply that the test measures the same ability in the two groups. Although comparison of the psychometric characteristics of the test for the research group to those for the normative group failed to identify test bias, intra-group comparison indicated that the test may be linguistically biased against the socio-economically deprived sub-group. Significant differences in individual ARW scores occurred when a shift in the child's basal or ceiling item occurred as a result of the biased items. The test's cultural validity for the group may be increased by lowering the test starting points, in order to prevent reversed testing. Culturally appropriate responses should be accepted as correct, in order to award equal credit to standard and non-standard language responses and to take intra-group differences into consideration. This research is an important contribution towards the expansion of the speech-language therapist's skills and resources, vitally needed to provide culturally relevant services in South Africa to all individuals with communication disorders.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1998

Early communication intervention with young children with Pierre Robin sequence.

Young children with Pierre Robin sequence are at considerable risk to develop delayed or disordered communication development. This study investigated the effectiveness of early communication intervention with four young children with Pierre Robin sequence, aged 5 to 28 months. The Proportional Change Index (Wolery, 1983) was used to determine the amount of child progress that took place during the intervention period. The results indicated that regular early communication intervention sessions over an extended period of time produced positive results, especially for expressive language abilities. The presence of a slight hearing loss due to otitis media, seemed to have influenced the effectiveness of early communication intervention. One subject displayed an associated disorder and evidenced the slowest rate of development for receptive and expressive language abilities as well as a limited phonetic repertoire for consonants. All but one subject had limited phonetic repertoires possibly due to velopharyngeal incompetence. Early communication intervention services should be delivered regularly over an extended period of time and the hearing abilities and speech production skills of young children with Pierre Robin sequence should be followed closely during early communication intervention.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1998

An alternative non-traditional approach to learning: the metacognitive-mapping approach.

The current article is a continuation of a previous article (Leaf, Uys & Louw 1997) suggesting that alternatives to the current traditional perceptions of learning and therapeutic methods are essential if learning institutions are to enable learners to move successfully into the next millenium. The need for the speech-language therapist to adopt a non-traditional approach to learning and to change from a language instructor to a learning facilitator within a consultative-collaborative role in the unique South African situation is discussed. Research results, specifically relating to how the speech-language therapist can assist teachers in changing to a non-traditional facilitative role, are presented.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

The development of a model for geodesic learning: the geodesic information processing model.

The current article suggests that alternatives to the current traditional learning methods are essential if learning institutions are to provide people with effective life skills that enable them to be autonomous learners. This suggestion is based on a body of literature on alternative learning which stresses the need for fundamental change and hence, a paradigm shift in the perception of learning in order to cope with the world-wide information explosion. The alternative non-traditional approach proposed is geodesic learning which stresses learning how to learn and self-directed inquiry as essential life-skills which enable systems as well as the people in the systems to bring about their own transformation in response to changing situations and requirements. The current article discusses an alternative service delivery model, the geodesic information processing model, which falls within the realms of the geodesic philosophy. The implications of this alternative approach for the speech-language therapist are discussed.

Child↗

PubMed1996

Early communication functioning of infants with cleft lip and palate.

This study investigated the early communication functioning and hearing abilities of 44 infants with cleft lip and palate, ages 3 to 31 months old. The results revealed that 64% of the subjects had a history of recurrent otitis media with effusion and 33% displayed associated anomalies. 26% of the subjects had mild hearing losses and middle ear pathology at the time of data collection. The subjects as a group displayed average developmental levels for perceptual-cognitive, socio-personal and receptive language skills, but a limited phonetic repertoire and a statistically significant expressive language delay. The results indicated that the subjects experienced a motor developmental delay, but this was not statistically significant. The implications for early communication intervention are to conduct regular hearing measurements and to conduct regular parent-centered therapy with individualized home programmes. Efforts should be directed towards expanding early communication intervention services to include all infants with cleft lip and palate in South Africa.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1996

[Spoken and written language abilities of remedial class children placed back into mainstream education].

Current literature emphasizes the role of the speech-language therapist with regard to language learning disabled children. A lack of research regarding the language abilities of the older language learning disabled child was, however, identified. The possibility of continued spoken and written language problems in aid class children who have been placed back into mainstream education, served as a motivation for this research project. The empirical survey was administered on twenty-eight Afrikaans and English speaking ex-aid class children. According to experimental aims the subjects' level of performance in spoken and written language and scholastic skills were analysed and described qualitatively and quantitatively, through the Test for Oral Language Production and the South African Written Language Test. The findings indicate that a significant percentage of the subjects evidenced spoken and written language problems and moderate difficulties in the school subjects Afrikaans and English. Meaningful correlations were found to exist between spoken and written language, and language skills and scholastic performance. Implications for dealing with the language learning disabled child are discussed, and continuation of speech-language intervention with aid class children who have been placed back into mainstream education, is strongly recommended. A need for further research with regard to the older language learning disabled child is expressed in order to support and expand these results.

Child↗

PubMed1995

[The relationship between spoken and written language in learning impaired people].

The aim of this study was to explore the interrelationship between spoken language, written language, and phonological processing. The empirical study was administered on nine Afrikaans-speaking, language-impaired children in grade two by means of accidental sampling. Conformable to predetermined objectives, spoken language parameters, written language parameters, and phonological processing parameters were identified. The subjects' level of functioning with regard to each parameter, and the interrelationship between these parameters were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed and described. The results of this study indicated significant correlations between spoken language, written language and phonological processing abilities of the selected language impaired subjects.

Child↗

PubMed1995

Communication skills of biologically at-risk neonates.

Early communication intervention has advanced to include neonatal assessment and management. Currently, however, there are limited diagnostic tools developed from a speech-language pathology and audiology perspective. The purpose of the study was to design a comprehensive neonatal communication assessment protocol and use it to describe the communication skills of 50 biologically at-risk neonates (852 g-3060 g birthweight). The results indicated that the subjects' general development was within normal limits, but their communication abilities displayed a serious delay. A high risk register consisting of 13 factors predicting the subjects' communication abilities was compiled. The length of time before the subjects could successfully take bottle feeds was found to be the strongest predictor of their communication development. The study is of particular relevance to the present South African context which has an increased incidence of low birth weight, thus rendering an enlarged population of biologically at-risk neonates.

Child Language↗

PubMed1994

Editing a scientific journal on communication disorders in South Africa: a unique challenge.

The aim of this article is to describe the challenge of editing a scientific journal in the field of communication disorders in the South African context. An overview of the development of the journal and the current editorial policy is described. The distinctiveness and uniqueness of the journal is highlighted. A discussion of the problems encountered and the challenges posed by the future is supplied. In conclusion the question is posed of whether a scientific publication of this nature is relevant and justifiable. It is concluded that such a publication is indeed important and has the right of existence.

Communication Disorders↗

PubMed1993

Mind-Mapping approach (MMA): a culture and language "free" technique.

Although the roots of the Mind-Mapping approach (MMA) reach back into the depths of psychology, it is our growing understanding of the human brain, how it functions, what affects it, how we can assist it--which has become the real foundation for the model discussed in this paper. By finding ways of creating environments that are brain compatible--or rather--brain enhancing, we can begin to serve the whole person in all his dimensions. In this paper the need for language and culture "free" therapeutic techniques will be discussed. Reference is made to the author's research where the MMA was used very successfully with a closed head injured (CHI) client in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique. The problem of CHI is also discussed. In addition, a brief theoretical review of the brain as it pertains to the concept of the MMA is offered. In the conclusion, it is suggested that global techniques such as the MMA, which are based on fundamental and universal principles, are the route to finding language and culture "free" techniques.

Brain Injuries↗

PubMed1992

[Guidance to parent of black babies with a cleft lip and palate].

There are indications that the parents of babies with a cleft lip and palate often require more information regarding their baby's birth defect than what is given to them. In South Africa shortcomings exist in the literature covering the specific requirements of parents of black cleft lip and palate babies. In this study the unique requirements of parents of black cleft lip and palate babies was determined and, based on these results, an information pamphlet was prepared for this population group. Based on the results obtained with the help of fifteen participants it was established, firstly, that the needs of black South-African parents of children with a cleft lip and palate are similar to the needs of parents of babies with the same birth defect world-wide. Secondly, it was established that the information pamphlet which was compiled as part of the study made a positive contribution to parent guidance conducted with the participants. Important therapeutic implications were also reflected by the results.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1991

Tensor veli palatini muscle tension sling for eustachian tube function in cleft palate. Surgical technique and audiometric examination.

The high incidence of middle ear effusion in cleft lip and/or palate infants and children led to the development of a tension sling for the tensor veli palatini muscle for better Eustachian tube function after intravelar veloplasty.--The surgical technique is outlined in this paper and an audiometric examination was conducted to determine the influence of this surgical modification, performed in the same procedure as the intravelar veloplasty, on the Eustachian tube function. The intra- and intergroup comparisons indicate that this surgical technique has a positive influence on the tube function.

Audiometry↗

PubMed1991

Infants with Down syndrome: description of an early intervention approach.

Children with Down syndrome are particularly at risk for language learning problems for reasons beyond the associated cognitive deficits. An early intervention programme and the application thereof on three Down syndrome infants aged 10 months at the initiation of the programme, is described. The subjects were individually assessed prior to the treatment programme and again at the completion thereof. Comparison of pre- and post treatment levels of functioning indicated that all three subjects made satisfactory progress, although developmental lags were still evident. The intervention programme was found to be clinically successful and verifies that the language development of Down syndrome infants can be facilitated by early intervention.

Communication↗

PubMed1991

[The Afrikaans receptive vocabulary test (ARV): description and psychometric evaluation].

This article focuses on the psychometric characteristics of "Die Afrikaanse Reseptiewe Woordeskattoets (ARW)". The psychometric analysis indicates the test forms (A and B) to be equivalent, reliable and valid and that the ARW can thus be used with confidence as a screening and re-evaluation device for the evaluation of receptive vocabulary as well as intelligence.

Child↗