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Biomedical subjects

C M Shewan

Publications and source records attributed to C M Shewan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Quality is not a four letter word....

There are causes for both celebration and reflection when viewing the results of the 1989 Omnibus Survey. In ASHA member and consumer satisfaction and quality of service, survey results are positive. Most ASHA members think that the Association is doing a good job and members are asking for client's opinions on the quality of services received. Most clients are also receiving all services deemed necessary by speech-language-hearing professionals. ASHA members also appear to be adapting to technological advances, suggested by the substantial increase reported in computer use at work. With the clinical service populations changing to include greater numbers of infants/toddlers and multilingual/multicultural individuals, speech-language pathologists and audiologists need the skills to serve these groups. That only 10% of our professionals can provide services bilingually and that half of our professionals report no professional education in some areas of practice with multilingual/multicultural groups highlights an area needing our attention. Nearly half our professionals report that they do not feel qualified to serve preschoolers and their families in one or more ways. So, we see that there are challenges ahead; we can rise to meet them; and simultaneously, we can be proud of the quality we maintain.

Audiology

The Shewan Spontaneous Language Analysis (SSLA) system for aphasic adults: description, reliability, and validity.

The Shewan Spontaneous Language Analysis (SSLA) system is designed to describe and quantify aphasic subjects' connected language using a picture description task. The 12 SSLA variables measure the three components of the linguistic system and additional general parameters of verbal output. Intrajudge, interjudge, and test-retest reliability are within acceptable psychometric standards. The SSLA correlates significantly with clinical judgments of the severity of connected language impairment. The system differentiates aphasic from normal performance, using both clinical and statistical methods. SSLA performance data for a group of aphasic subjects and a group of normal controls will be presented.

Adult

Analysis of spontaneous language in the older normal population.

Language sample data from normal subjects, spanning an age range of 40-79, were collected in order to determine how normal aging might affect performance on a picture description task, routinely used for assessment of aphasic individuals. The Shewan Spontaneous Language Analysis system was used to analyze each sample. For most variables, performance was stable across the age span studied, with no significant changes indicated with aging. However, a significant increase in the number of paraphasias and a significant decrease in communication efficiency were observed with an increase in age. Establishing normative data is necessary to separate aging effects from the communication impairment in the older population.

Adult

Expressive language recovery in aphasia using the Shewan Spontaneous Language Analysis (SSLA) system.

The oral expressive language of a group of aphasic subjects was measured on two occasions approximately one year apart to determine what changes took place during this period and whether these changes were significant. The SSLA system was used to evaluate the aphasic language samples obtained from a picture description task. Positive changes toward normal language functioning occurred for several variables. Type of aphasia affected the outcome of several variables. The rank ordering of aphasia types from most to least impaired was similar across these variables, thereby suggesting similar outcome patterns. Initial severity of aphasia also influenced the outcome of several SSLA variables. However, the degree of concordance of the severity groups across variables was not statistically significant. Treatment had a positive effect on the outcome of only one SSLA variable. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.

Adult