This study examined the impact of cognition on young children's ability to navigate a speech-generating device (SGD) with dynamic paging. Knowledge of which cognitive factors impact navigational skills could help clinicians select the most appropriate SGD for children who have complex communication needs. A total of 65 typically developing children aged 48-77 months were assessed using the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R) and the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA). Although significant correlations were found between the ability to navigate an SGD (using a taxonomic organization) and all cognitive factors except for cognitive flexibility, a stepwise linear regression revealed that sustained attention, categorization, and fluid reasoning were the most pragmatic set of factors to predict navigational skills. Future studies are needed to further understand the factors that impact children's navigational skills.

Au Canada, il existe peu de données décrivant les services auxiliaires de santé en français disponibles dans les communautés francophones en situation minoritaire. L’objectif de cette étude était d’examiner l’accès aux services d’orthophonie, de physiothérapie et d’ergothérapie en français dans le Nord-Est de l’Ontario. Un outil mesurant la disponibilité et l’offre active des services a été créé et validé. Ce dernier a été distribué aux personnes fournissant les services et aux personnes les utilisant afin de déterminer leurs perceptions concernant l’offre de ces services en français, ainsi que l’accessibilité aux services auxiliaires de santé en français. Les résultats ont montré un manque de services en français dans cette région.

Core vocabulary is an important component of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for school-aged children who have complex communication needs. One method of identifying core vocabulary for these individuals is to study the vocabulary of speaking children. To date, the use of core vocabulary by speaking bilingual children has not been well documented. The present study compared the core vocabulary used by children who are monolingual (French), and bilingual (French-English; English-French). We also gathered and compared language samples from French-speaking children identified as having primary language impairment (PLI), with the goal of better understanding the language differences demonstrated by children with this disability. Language samples were collected from a total of 57 children within a school setting, in a region where French is a minority language. Contrary to the hypothesis, the analysis of language transcripts revealed that there were no important differences between the core words from the groups studied.

Purpose: The developing brain of a premature infant is vulnerable to injury. As a result, the long-term consequences of a premature birth include motor deficits, cognitive and behavioural problems. It is crucial to identify motor dysfunction during the preschool period because it interferes with a child's ability to explore the world. The goals of this study were to (1) provide preliminary data on the gross motor outcomes of children born prematurely and (2) determine the proportion and characteristics of the children who had maintained delays over the course of follow-up. Method: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all infants monitored by a neonatal follow-up programme. Each child was assessed by a single physiotherapist from birth until age 2 years. Of the 107 cases identified, 97 individuals were retained for analysis; they had a mean gestational age of 31.1 (SD 2.9) weeks and a mean birth weight of 1.66 (SD 0.53) kilograms. Results: The majority of children assessed were found to have gross motor outcomes in the average range. Children with scores below the average range were most often born very preterm (VPT) or moderately preterm (MPT), with very low or low birth weight, respectively. A total of 17 participants were referred to physiotherapy to address the gross motor delays identified in the follow-up programme; 14 of these 17 had previously been identified as delayed and were being monitored. Late preterm (LPT) children (n=6) were most often referred, followed by those born extremely preterm (EPT) and VPT (n=4). In total, 56 children were identified as delayed at one assessment point but were found to be within normal limits by the end of the follow-up period. Conclusion: It is important to periodically monitor premature children. A longitudinal, population-based study is also needed to provide more data on the predictors and long-term motor outcomes of MPT and LPT children.

Cet article présente la démarche d’analyse et les résultats d’une recherche sur les stages et la réalité des professionnelles et professionnels en santé et services sociaux dans un contexte francophone minoritaire en région arctique. Une démarche méthodologique d’étude de cas à multiples niveaux a été choisie pour permettre de comprendre le vécu des différents acteurs et actrices de la communauté francophone vivant à Iqaluit, au Nunavut. Douze entretiens ont été effectués auprès de stagiaires et de professionnelles et professionnels oeuvrant dans les services de santé et les services sociaux pour mieux saisir leur contexte de pratique, les défis rencontrés, les compétences développées dans ce milieu et les obstacles quant à l’organisation des stages. Les résultats illustrent les perceptions de participantes et participants non autochtones sur une réalité complexe composée de nombreux défis.