The expressive vocabulary of children with Down Syndrome (DS) is generally measured with parental reports, such as the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI), given that standardized tests for assessing vocabulary levels may be too difficult for most young children with DS. The CDI provides important insight into the parents’ perception of their child’s vocabulary development. The CDI has proven to be a valid measurement of expressive vocabulary, spoken and gestural, in typical and atypical populations. The validity in children with DS is not well established and signed vocabulary is often not included. This longitudinal study examined the concurrent and predictive validity of the Dutch version of the CDI (N-CDI) in children with DS between 2;0 and 7;6 years old to assess spoken and signed vocabulary. N-CDI scores were assessed on strength of association with mental age,an expressive vocabulary test and spontaneous language analyses in a play setting with parents at T1 and T2 (1.5 years later), and a therapy setting with speech language pathologists at T1. The results of the present study show that the N-CDI is a valuable and valid measurement of expressive vocabulary in children with DS. Strengths and weaknesses of several assessment methods for expressive vocabulary are discussed.
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Background: Early and effective treatment for children with developmental language disorder (DLD) is important. Although a growing body of research shows the effects of interventions at the group level, clinicians observe large individual differences in language growth, and differences in outcomes across language domains. A systematic understanding of how child characteristics contribute to changes in language skills is still lacking. Aims: To assess changes in the language domains: expressive morphosyntax; receptive and expressive vocabulary; and comprehension, in children in special needs education for DLD. To explore if differences in language gains between children are related to child characteristics: language profile; severity of the disorder; being raised mono- or multilingually; and cognitive ability. Methods & Procedures: We extracted data from school records of 154 children (4–6 years old) in special needs education offering a language and communication-stimulating educational environment, including speech and language therapy. Changes in language were measured by comparing the scores on standardized language tests at the beginning and the end of a school year. Next, we related language change to language profile (receptive–expressive versus expressive-only disorders), severity (initial scores), growing up mono- and multilingually, and children’s reported non-verbal IQ scores. Outcomes&Results: Overall, the children showed significant improvements in expressive morphosyntax, expressive vocabulary and language comprehension. Baseline scores and gains were lowest for expressive morphosyntax. Differences in language gains between children with receptive–expressive disorders and expressive-only disorders were not significant. There was more improvement in children with lower initial scores. There were no differences between mono- and multilingual children, except for expressive vocabulary. There was no evidence of a relation between non-verbal IQ scores and language growth. Conclusions & Implications: Children with DLD in special needs education showed gains in language performance during one school year. There was, however, little change in morphosyntactic scores, which supports previous studies concluding that poor morphosyntax is a persistent characteristic of DLD. Our results indicate that it is important to include all children with DLD in intervention: children with receptive–expressive and expressive disorders; monoand multilingual children, and children with high, average and low non-verbal IQ scores. We did not find negative relations between these child factors and changes in language skills.
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Many affective experiences and learning processes including attachment patterns from early developmental phases manifest during psychotherapy. The first 15 min in art therapy can potentially reveal clients’ preferred ways of processing information or Expressive Therapies Continuum components, attachment patterns in the material handling process, and emotion regulation strategies during art making. This article discusses how, through clients’ choice of materials and manner of interaction with those materials, information about attachment patterns and preferred emotion regulation is available in art therapy. Paying close attention to the first image and material interaction provides crucial information that will guide the goals and course of art therapy. Two case vignettes demonstrate that within the first 15 min of art therapy information is readily gathered about attachment styles, Expressive Therapies Continuum components, emotion regulation, and the course of art therapy.
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Practical experience and research reveal generic spoken language benefits after cochlear implantation. However, systematic research on specific language domains and error analyses are required to probe sub-skills. Moreover, the effect of predictive factors on distinct language domains is unknown. In this study, outcomes of 70 school-aged children with cochlear implants were compared with hearing peers. Approximately half of the children with cochlear implants achieved age-adequate language levels. Results did not reveal systematic strong or weak language domains. Error analyses showed difficulties with morphological and syntactic rules and inefficient narrative skills. Children without additional disabilities who received early intervention were raised with one spoken language, and used a second cochlear implant or contralateral hearing aid were more likely to present good language skills.
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Children with DLD in special education show improvement in language performance. No differences in improvement between: • Children with receptive expressive disorders and expressive disorders • Children with low and high IQs • Mono and multilingual children Intervention is important for all children with DLD. Contact: gerda.bruinsma@hu.nlThere is a paucity of information on the effects of special education provisions on the language skills of children with DLD. Specifically , it is unclear 1. if (and how ) school based intervention impacts various language domains 2. to what extent child characteristics modulate outcomes Method We traced the trajectory of 154 children with DLD at 18 schools for special education that provide systematic language oriented interventions . Mean age 4;10 at the start of the study; range 3;11 5;7 yrs
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BackgroundThe importance of learning to create an expressive performance is a consistently discussed topic in music education. However, how musicians develop “expressiveness” is still understudied. Recent investigations have shown that musicians’ motor behavior is a significant source of perceptual information during performances (Davidson, 2007), as it helps audiences differentiate musicians’ expressive intentions and it often serves as aperformance quality indicator (Waddell & Williamon, 2017). Nevertheless, most current teaching approaches in Higher Music Education focus mainly on acoustic characteristics of performance, and they lack clear goals and systematic teaching patterns (Karlsson & Juslin, 2008; Meissner, 2021).For centuries, some of the most influential theater methods have used physical exploration (motion) to stimulate imagination and create affective states (emotions) in actors. These approaches are rooted in embodied cognition theories, which claim that physical experience shapes conceptual thought, and this is contingent upon the body’s interactions with its environments (Kemp, 2012). Drawing inspiration from theater practices, the method “Frommotion to emotion” for enhancing expressiveness was developed by this author, using improvisational theater as a basis.AimsThis workshop is designed to acquaint participants with the method. We will share insights and reflections from previous participants to demonstrate its effects and will foster discussion around teaching approaches. Short outline of the activities to be undertaken by the presenters/audienceAfter an oral introduction to improvisational theater, participants will engage in practical exercises to experience it firsthand, exploring how to acquire a “physical vocabulary” applicable to music performance. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences during debrief moments. This workshop is accessible to individuals with no previous theater experience. The total duration would be 90 minutes.Implications for practiceThis contribution emphasizes the importance of integrating visual characteristics of performance in teaching approaches, increasing musicians’ body awareness, and strengthening body-mind connection. These efforts can positively impact individuals’ development, enabling them to create convincing performances while boosting self-confidence.Specific value of the workshop for the conferenceThis method merges embodied cognition theories with theater techniques to innovate educational approaches to expressiveness, making it relevant for musicians wanting to enhance this skill, music educators aiming to teach it, and experts from the field of psychology interested in how it develops.
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Background: Early detection and remediation of language disorders are important in helping children to establish appropriate communicative and social behaviour and acquire additional information about the world through the use of language. In the Netherlands, children with (a suspicion of) language disorders are referred to speech and hearing centres for multidisciplinary assessment. Reliable data are needed on the nature of language disorders, as well as the age and source of referral, and the effects of cultural and socioeconomic profiles of the population served in order to plan speech and language therapy service provision. Aims: To provide a detailed description of caseload characteristics of children referred with a possible language disorder by generating more understanding of factors that might influence early identification. Methods & Procedures: A database of 11,450 children was analysed consisting of data on children, aged 2–7 years (70% boys, 30% girls), visiting Dutch speech and hearing centres. The factors analysed were age of referral, ratio of boys to girls, mono‐ and bilingualism, nature of the language delay, and language profile of the children. Outcomes & Results:Results revealed an age bias in the referral of children with language disorders. On average, boys were referred 5 months earlier than girls, and monolingual children were referred 3 months earlier than bilingual children. In addition, bilingual children seemed to have more complex problems at referral than monolingual children. They more often had both a disorder in both receptive and expressive language, and a language disorder with additional (developmental) problems. Conclusions & Implications: This study revealed a bias in age of referral of young children with language disorders. The results implicate the need for objective language screening instruments and the need to increase the awareness of staff in primary child healthcare of red flags in language development of girls and multilingual children aiming at earlier identification of language disorders in these children.
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We give a refinement of the well known business model canvas by Osterwalder and Pigneur by splitting the basic blocks into further subblocks to reduce confusion and increase its expressive power. The splitting is used in an online tool which in addition comes with a set of questions to further structure the business modelling process and help doing thought experiments.
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Teacher education enables students to grow from ‘novice’ into ‘starting expert’ teachers. In this study, students’ textual peer feedback on video recordings of their teaching practice was analysed to determine the growth of their expertise in relation to blended curriculum design. The degree to which curriculum and literature influenced their feedback was assessed by semantic network analysis of prominent words from the literature that was studied, as well as the lexical richness andsemantic cohesion of students’ peer feedback and reflections. The lexical richness and the semantic cohesion increased significantly by the end of the semester. This means that students incorporated new vocabulary and maintained semantic consistency while using the new words. Regarding the semantic network analysis, we found stronger connections between the topics being discussed by the students at the end of the semester. Active use of video and peer feedback enhances students’ activeknowledge base, thus furthering effective teaching.
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Social work is a profession that is very much part of and contributes to an ever changing and evolving society. It is therefore essential that social work is able to respond to the diverse and dynamic demands that it may encounter in that society and in the future. The critique of social work is, however, present and growing. The profession can no longer deny or ignore the need to legitimize its value and effectiveness. In this article, a research project – entitled Procivi – aimed at developing a method of legitimizing social work is presented. The method developed in Procivi proposes a way of legitimizing social work through the development of reflective professionals. The method teaches professionals to take a research frame of mind towards their own practice and helps them develop a vocabulary to describe their work to different audiences. The paper discusses whether and how this method forms a viable way of legitimizing social work and as such could be an alternative for the growing demand for social work based on scientific evidence (evidencebased practice, EBP).
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