The recommended protocols for instrumental assessment of voice using laryngeal endoscopic imaging, acoustic, and aerodynamic methods will enable clinicians and researchers to collect a uniform set of valid and reliable measures that can be compared across assessments, clients, and facilities.

Results provide evidence for selected acoustic, laryngeal imaging-based, auditory-perceptual, functional, and aerodynamic measures to be used as effective components in a clinical voice evaluation. However, there is clearly a pressing need for further high-quality research to produce sufficient evidence on which to recommend a comprehensive set of methods for a standard clinical voice evaluation.

The National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of People with Severe Disabilities (NJC) reviewed literature regarding practices for people with severe disabilities in order to update guidance provided in documents originally published in 1992. Changes in laws, definitions, and policies that affect communication attainments by persons with severe disabilities are presented, along with guidance regarding assessment and intervention practices. A revised version of the Communication Bill of Rights, a powerful document that describes the communication rights of all individuals, including those with severe disabilities is included in this article. The information contained within this article is intended to be used by professionals, family members, and individuals with severe disabilities to inform and advocate for effective communication services and opportunities.

This literature review was conducted to evaluate the current state of evidence supporting communication interventions for individuals with severe disabilities. Authors reviewed 116 articles published between 1987 and 2007 in refereed journals meeting three criteria: (a) described a communication intervention, (b) involved one or more participants with severe disabilities, and (c) addressed one or more areas of communication performance. Many researchers failed to report treatment fidelity or to assess basic aspects of intervention effects including generalization, maintenance, and social validity. The evidence reviewed indicates that 96% of the studies reported positive changes in some aspects of communication. These findings support the provision of 1 We would like to thank both Youngzie Lee, University of Virginia, and R. Michael Barker, Georgia State University, for their help with the analyses. We also thank the National Center on Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for their assistance in conducting the systematic literature search.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Martha E. Snell, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, P. O. Box 400273, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4273., Snell@virginia.edu. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript Am J Intellect Dev Disabil. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 February 8. Published in final edited form as: Am J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2010 September ; 115(5): 364-380. doi:10.1352/1944. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript communication intervention to persons with severe disabilities. Gaps in the research were reported with recommendations for future research. Keywords communication; mental retardation; severe disabilities; intellectual and developmental disabilities; autism; multiple disabilities; literature review; intervention The ability to communicate effectively with others is essential for good quality of life. Individuals who have severe disabilities include those with severe to profound intellectual disability, autism, deaf-blindness, and multiple-disabilities. For these individuals, the ability to communicate can be substantially compromised. The question of whether and how this ability to communicate can be improved through intervention was the focus of a national consensus conference convened by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, (OSEP) and its Technical Assistance Development System (TADS) in 1985 (OSEP/TADS, 1985). In addition to producing a number of consensus statements, these 1985 conferees called for the formation of "an interagency task force" to disseminate guidelines for the "development and enhancement of functional communication abilities" in individuals with severe disabilities.This recommendation resulted in the establishment of a "National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities" (NJC) in 1986. The present review was con...

The evidence base is too small and weak to provide clear guidance to speech-language pathologists faced with treating children with diagnosed APD, but some cautious skepticism is warranted until the record of evidence is more complete. Clinicians who decide to use auditory interventions should be aware of the limitations in the evidence and take special care to monitor the spoken and written language status of their young clients.

Discrimination was highly prevalent in everyday aspects of life. While healthcare professionals often tend to increase perceived stigma and discrimination, this was only experienced in interactions with general health professionals, while interactions with ACT team members decreased perceived stigma and increased positive discrimination. This indicates that healthcare professionals potentially have a significant role in reducing stigma and discrimination in mental health and that such an effect may be optimised in an ACT team setting.

The landscape of mental health care and service delivery is changing, as is our understanding of the underlying causes for mental distress. It is now apparent that biogenic explanations have been overstated and instead experiences of trauma and adversity constitute the main contributor to people's experiences of mental health challenges. The shortcomings of treatments traditionally used in mental health care are also evident, and with a contemporary focus on person-centred care, the utility of diagnostic labels has been called into question. Taking all this into consideration, this study sought to explore, what should be the future focus of mental health nursing? Three separate focus groups were conducted. One with a sample of senior clinical mental health nurses, one with a sample of consumer representatives and another with allied health professionals. The common theme across all three focus groups was the centrality of the therapeutic role of mental health nurses (MHNs). Consumers and allied health participants, in particular, advocated for a de-emphasis on medications, psychiatric diagnoses, and custodial practices. The MHNs role in health promotion, working collaboratively with consumers, being hopeful, understanding the individual perspective, and appreciating the social determinants of mental health were all highlighted in framing the future focus of MHN practice.

An understanding of pragmatic communication disorders may assist all rehabilitation team members, as impairments in this domain may have significant effects on rehabilitation progress and outcomes. Implications for Rehabilitation Pragmatic communication ability is the ability to use language in context, beyond understanding and expressing basic word meanings (semantics) in the correct grammatical forms (syntax). Pragmatic communication deficits have been documented in many of the populations frequently referred for rehabilitation, and can affect both progress during rehabilitation and outcomes from treatment. A broader understanding of pragmatic communication functions can help team members identify a patient's strengths and limitations, inform treatment planning, and improve communication among healthcare professionals, thereby contributing to improved outcomes for patients and their families.