2013 communication disorders assignment b

271.150 ASSIGNMENT 1B

• This is a research-based report on a Communication Disorder, divided into six sections (each with its own heading), together with a brief introduction and conclusion. • Each of the main sections will typically consist of between one and four paragraphs of 4 – 6 sentences each. This will add up to something like 14 – 20 paragraphs in total (giving you your 2000 words).• Because the report is research-based, there should be in-text citations in each paragraph to support the claims which are made there. • The reference list at the end will typically consist of between 10 and 20 references – most of which are academic journal articles, books and book chapters – matching the in-text citations in the body of the report.

ASSIGNMENT 1B

• Every report is different. This is partly because they are about different disorders and partly because there are a wide range of options about what to focus on in each section, how much detail to go into etc. For instance, some excellent reports include a preview as part of the introduction; others have no preview. In the end, it is your decision.

• Use the example extracts below as a general guide to writing style, but avoid over-reliance on them: copying and/or ‘filling in the gaps’ with your own data would be a bad idea!

INTRODUCTION

Some relevant considerations

Aim to start as you mean to go on – clear, concise and evidence-based writing.

The two most typical elements are a definition / explanation of the basic features of the condition and a preview of the rest of the report. In other words, aim to answer these two questions:

• What is the condition?• What is the purpose, scope and structure of this

report?

INTRODUCTION: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

Syndrome A describes a group of xx difficulties arising from injury to xx (Smith & Jones, 1994; Singh, 2009). This injury damages xx, affecting the individual’s ability to xx. Physical manifestations range from xx to xx. Some individuals with Syndrome A may only have difficulties in xx, while others may be unable to xx. Syndrome A is classified according to the type of movement disorder: B, C, or D (Adams, 2011). This report focuses on the most common of these: Disorder B. The key features of the condition itself, its impact on individuals and major approaches to speech-language therapy interventions are summarised in the sections of the report which follow.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INFORMATION


• Is there agreement in the literature regarding issues such as incidence, prevalence and age of onset?

• Are there relevant differences between genders, ethnicities, ages or any other social or cultural groupings?

• Where is your data from? Is it NZ-based? Is it universally applicable? If not, provide the given country.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INFORMATION: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

A number of sources cite a prevalence rate for Syndrome A of xx among North American children (Brown & Gill, 2003; Marley, 2007), but no prevalence data is available for New Zealand children (Broughton, 2011). The condition appears slightly more often in boys than in girls (a ratio of X:Y) (Smith, 2005). Another identifiable risk factor is family background: siblings of children with Syndrome A are three times more likely to develop Syndrome A than children without this family connection (Brown & Gill, 2003).

AETIOLOGY


• Is there agreement in the literature about the cause(s) of the disorder – e.g. genetic abnormalities, environmental factors, traumatic events etc?

• What is the relationship between the different causal factors – e.g. predisposition, co-occurrence, trigger etc?

• What are the neurological, physiological, anatomical features underlying the disorder?

• Consider a logical way of organising the different causal factors, so that it doesn’t end up as an undifferentiated ‘laundry list’ of factors.

AETIOLOGY: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

There is no known cause of Syndrome A. However, several studies have provided evidence of a hereditary genetic component in Syndrome A (Dean, 2002; Xiang, 2005; Plowright, 2009), which may predispose some individuals to develop the condition in a number of specific contexts . Hays (2006) categorises these contexts as birth-related (e.g. perinatal trauma), environmental (e.g poor diet) and illness-related (e.g. rubella). In addition, a number of studies have highlighted the co-occurrence of Syndrome A with Condition B (Anderson, 2008; Palmer, 2010), though it is unclear whether there is a common chromosomal abnormality underlying both conditions, or whether it is more logical to consider Syndrome A and Condition B as part of one single disorder, as recently argued by Warrender (2012).

COMMUNICATION PROFILE


• As in other sections, organise your information into logical sub-sections. These will depend on the nature of the disorder you’ve chosen – for some conditions, there’ll be more to say about phonology; for others, the semantic area will predominate, while for others there will be more to say about use.

• Consider the degree of impairment in different domains of language and whether these affect receptive and expressive use of language differently.

• Also consider whether the impacts of the condition vary in the early, mid- and late stages – or in any other systematic way (for instance, according to age).

INTRODUCTION: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

Syntactic and morphological deficits are strong markers for Syndrome A. Syntactic development may be delayed for children with Syndrome A, resulting in reduced xx and shorter yy (Sleziwicki, 2004). One recent study found that seven year old children with Syndrome A were significantly less able to interpret xx than typically-developing children – and this impaired their ability to infer causation and sequencing in texts (Redwood, 2011). At a morphological level, children with Syndrome A have few problems recognising xx receptively, but frequently omit them in productive use, leading to a lack of precision in relation to xx and yy (Sleziwicki, 2004).

IMPACT ON THE PERSON’S FUNCTIONING


• Which relevant activities (e.g. educational, professional, social) are affected?

• To what degree is participation in these activities affected?

IMPACT ON THE PERSON’S FUNCTIONING: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

Syndrome A has significant and long-lasting impacts on children’s xx and yy. Children with Syndrome A have difficulties with xx as a result of yy. Their reduced xx affects these children’s performance in (and enjoyment of) yy (Pearson and Gomez, 2008), while their difficulties with zz affect the pace and clarity of their aa (Gomez, 2009). These difficulties become particularly marked as they enter secondary education as yy becomes increasingly critical to zz (Briggs, 2010).

PROGNOSIS


• Is this a degenerative disease?

• What is the likelihood of the improvement / stabilisation in the condition?

• How will any changes impact their future in terms of speech / language / communication?

PROGNOSIS: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

Syndrome A is a persistent disorder. Recent research has shown that over 60% of children diagnosed with Syndrome A between the ages of xx and yy continued to present with Syndrome A at the age of 18 (Dickens, Noone, & Forsell, 2011). One indication of the persistent effects of the condition is an English study which found that 76% of adolescents with Syndrome A had been issued with a formal statement of educational needs, entitling them to additional learning support; what is more, their performance on standardised assessments of reading and writing was approximately half the national average for all students (Atkinson, 2006).

SLT INTERVENTIONS


• What general approaches to intervention are appropriate?

• What particular issues (e.g. domains of communication, aspects of functioning etc) are the focus of intervention?

• What strategies, activities, resources have been shown to be effective?

SLT INTERVENTIONS: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

SLT intervention for children with Syndrome A begins with an assessment of the child’s xx. This consists of ……. (Wilkins, 2009). Because of xx, most speech-language therapists now recommend a yy approach, which focuses on zz, rather than the more traditional dd approach (Rayburn, 2008). A yy approach incorporates ___ For instance, __. In a dd approach, on the other hand, the therapist would __ (Halbin, 2006). While this dd approach may successfully improve an individual’s __, its limited focus on __ means that __ (Alwyn, 2010).

CONCLUSION


• As with the introduction, focus strongly on clarity and conciseness.

• Aim to summarise the key facts about the condition, its impacts and interventions in four or five sentences.

CONCLUSION: EXAMPLE EXTRACT

Syndrome A is the most prevalent xx in young adults. The condition affects the individual’s …. and therefore impairs their participation in …. While there is no cure, a number of treatments and therapies are available which can alleviate the symptoms and allow an individual to xx. Speech-language interventions focus on bb and have been shown to be effective in cc.

SLT WRITING TASK

Sadly, “the impact of xx is not limited to people’s communicative abilities”. It can have a devastating impact on their social lives, and personal relationships can fall apart; according to (Brown, 2002, p. 231).

What’s wrong with example 1?

SLT WRITING TASK

Sadly, “the impact of xx is not limited to people’s communicative abilities”. It can have a devastating impact on their social lives, and personal relationships can fall apart; according to (Brown, 2002, p. 231).

• Avoid emotional and slangy / vague language• Only quote definitions

SLT WRITING TASK

A number of studies have found that the effects of Syndrome A are not limited to communicative abilities, but impact significantly on every area of people’s social life, and in particular, their ability to maintain personal relationships (Brown, 2002; Davies & Kennedy, 2004; Briggs, 2006).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

Embolism happens when a bit of plaque gets broken off and blocks an artery, this prohibits blood from flowing and it’s one of the most common causes of strokes. (Twyford, 2006).


SLT WRITING TASK

Embolism happens when a bit of plaque gets broken off and blocks an artery, this prohibits blood from flowing and it’s one of the most common causes of strokes. (Twyford, 2006).

• Avoid sentence fragments and run-on sentences

SLT WRITING TASK

An embolism occurs when a detached fragment of plaque blocks an artery, preventing blood from flowing through it. Embolisms are one of the most common causes of strokes (Twyford, 2006).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

The good news is that more than 75% of stroke victims are able to regain sufficient levels of cognitive and communicative skills, many of them return to work or resume studies again (Larby, P., Freeman, L., & Porter, B.D., 2000).


SLT WRITING TASK

The good news is that more than 75% of stroke victims are able to regain sufficient levels of cognitive and communicative skills, many of them return to work or resume studies again (Larby, P., Freeman, L., & Porter, B.D., 2000).

• Aim for evidence-based writing

SLT WRITING TASK

More than 75% of people who have had strokes are able to regain sufficient levels of cognitive and communicative skills to return to work or resume studies (Larby, Freeman, & Porter, 2000).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

Sufferers of this condition may find it hard to communicate or participate in social activities for quite a long period of time (Ryan and Shaw, 2010).


SLT WRITING TASK

Sufferers of this condition may find it hard to communicate or participate in social activities for quite a long period of time (Ryan and Shaw, 2010).

SLT WRITING TASK

People with condition X may find it hard to communicate or participate in social activities for periods ranging from one to six months after onset (Ryan & Shaw, 2010).

Improved version

• Be as precise as you can

SLT WRITING TASK

Children with ASD generally find social situations harder than normal children, that is why “Pragmatic skills are a focus of SLT intervention” (Minnock, 2003, pg. 84).


SLT WRITING TASK

Children with ASD generally find social situations harder than normal children, that is why “Pragmatic skills are a focus of SLT intervention” (Minnock, 2003, pg. 84).

SLT WRITING TASK

Children with ASD generally find social situations harder than typically-developing children, which is why SLT interventions focus on helping them develop their pragmatic skills (Minnock, 2003).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

Also, “The presence of b-methyl-4-phenyl-7,2,4-tetrahydropyridoxide at levels higher than 100 parts per million has been associated with increased levels of Syndrome in clinical trials” (Truss, Ward, Franks, Russell, Harby, Reynolds, & Anderson, 2008, p. 28).


SLT WRITING TASK

Also, “The presence of b-methyl-4-phenyl-7,2,4-tetrahydropyridoxide at levels higher than 100 parts per million has been associated with increased levels of Syndrome A in clinical trials” (Truss, Ward, Franks, Russell, Harby, Reynolds, & Anderson, 2008, p. 28).

• Don’t paste in chunks of gobbledygook, with details which, in the context of your report, are meaningless and/or confusing

SLT WRITING TASK

Recent research has found an association between incidence of Syndrome A and high levels of a specific neurotransmitter, b-methyl-4-phenyl-7,2,4-tetrahydropyridoxide (Truss et al., 2008).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

There is no single cause of Syndrome A. Although genetic predisposition and environmental factors have been identified as attributing to their onset (Plaid et. al, 2004).


SLT WRITING TASK

There is no single cause of Syndrome A. Although genetic predisposition and environmental factors have been identified as attributing to their onset (Plaid et. al, 2004).

• Make sure you check usage of unfamiliar vocabulary in a good dictionary – e.g. http://www.macmillandictionary.com. Otherwise you are asking for trouble (here, the student seems to be confusing ‘attribute’ and ‘contribute)

SLT WRITING TASK

There is no single cause of Syndrome A, although genetic predisposition and environmental factors have been associated with its onset (Plaid et al., 2004).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

Autistic children either repeat words immediately after they hear it or repeat whole lines he or she heard before, known as delayed echolalia (SpeechDisorders.com, 2003).


SLT WRITING TASK

Autistic children either repeat words immediately after they hear it or repeat whole lines he or she heard before, known as delayed echolalia (SpeechDisorders.com, 2003).

• Person-first language!• Make sure the parts of your sentences match (‘he or

she’ can’t refer back to ‘children’ and ‘it’ can’t refer to ‘words’)

SLT WRITING TASK

Children with autism may either repeat words immediately after they hear them or repeat whole lines they heard before (a phenomenon known as delayed echolalia) (Speech Disorders Association, 2003).

Improved version

SLT WRITING TASK

Finally, here’s an example in-text citation and end-of-text reference for a YouTube Video – just in case you end up using an online video sources. This example is based on page 215of the APA Manual (6th ed.).

Smith, P. (2005, April 5). Living with aphasia. [Video file].Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de03KHPNSEz

According to Smith (2005), three communication strategies are particularly effective in this context ….

Documents

2013 communication disorders assignment b