These results suggest comparable treatment outcomes between traditional service delivery and telepractice for treatment of children exhibiting speech sound disorders. The findings provide support for the use of telepractice for school-age children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement in 2007 urging physicians to screen for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 18 and 24 months. This study sought to identify the screening practices of pediatricians and family physicians (FPs) in following the AAP guidelines for ASD. A survey was mailed to 1,500 pediatricians and FPs in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa. A total of 481 participants (32%) returned surveys. Results revealed 66 (17%) of the respondents routinely screened for ASD according to AAP guidelines and 162 (41%) respondents screened for ASD but did not follow the guidelines. Pediatricians were more likely to screen for ASD than were FPs. Respondents’ pre-professional education in ASD was significantly associated with their tendency to routinely screen and be confident identifying warning signs of ASD. When physicians administer ASD-specific screenings and identify early signs, they can put children and families on the right path for receiving desperately needed services.
The sensory and gastrointestinal changes that occur with ageing affect older adults' food and liquid intake. Any decreased liquid intake increases the risk for dehydration. This increased dehydration risk is compounded in older adults with dysphagia. The availability of a non-invasive and easily administered way to document hydration levels in older adults is critical, particularly for adults in residential care. This pilot study investigated the contribution of bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure hydration in 19 older women in residential care: 13 who viewed themselves as healthy and six with dysphagia. Mann-Whitney U analyses documented no significant between-group differences for Total Body Water (TBW), Fat Free Mass (FFM), Fat Mass (FM), and percentage Body Fat (%BF). However, when compared to previously published data for age-matched women, the TBW and FFM values of the two participant groups were notably less, and FM and %BF values were notably greater than expected. If results are confirmed through continued investigation, such findings may suggest that long-term care facilities are unique environments in which all older residents can be considered at-risk for dehydration and support the use of BIA as a non-invasive tool to assess and monitor their hydration status.
The effectiveness of teaching is expected by an increasingly skeptical public that wants those in higher education to contain costs, increase access, and teach in ways that make sure students learn. An integral and under-used component of documenting teaching effectiveness is peer review. A framework for best practice to ensure a systematic and comprehensive approach to any peer review has been developed and a foundational aspect of this framework is education about the process and its implementation. In the current pilot study, administrators and non-administrators involved in university teaching were surveyed about their knowledge of, and experiences with, peer review. A striking finding was the notable degree of uncertainty about many components of the process on the part of non-administrators. Results verify the critical importance of education prior to and following any peer review, particularly for instructors in non-administrative positions.
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