Research

Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience
The Centre has a website which may be useful for parents.

Funding Award for a Research Project
In 2002, Afasic secured a donation of £10 000 from the Toyne Baby Triathlon for a research competition in speech and language impairment. The award went to Victoria Joffe for research into the benefits of narrative therapy for children with speech and language impairments of secondary school age. A report on the outcome of the research has now been published in the Afasic Abstract. An article about the project is also available here.

Language Units Under Threat? - Summary of Responses
Within the space of a few months during spring/early summer 2003, Afasic received several reports of suspected threats to the continued existence of language units. As a result, we decided to appeal to our members and other contacts to let us know what was happening in their area, to enable us to build up a fuller picture of developments around the country. [more info]

Promoting Speech, Language and Literacy Development in Young Children
This was a joint Afasic/British Dyslexia Association project carried out in collaboration with the Department of Human Communication Science at University College London funded by GlaxoWellcome plc. The project aimed to:

• Draw together information and research on the relationship between speech, language and literacy difficulties
• Investigate methods of prevention and early intervention
• Develop and deliver a resource package and training programmes to professionals and parents based on the research.

The research, by Janet Wood MSc, Jannet A. Wright PhD and Joy Stackhouse PhD, resulted in the publication of the training pack for early years professionals Language and Literacy: Joining Together, which is available from the British Dyslexia Association.

Exploring Participation
Afasic Scotland was funded by the Scottish Executive to explore the impact of the policy of Participation on children and young people with speech and language impairments. The research sought the views of parents, teachers, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and young people themselves on the participation of children and young people in the educational decisions affecting them. Exploring Participation, the report about the research can be purchased from our publications page. It includes examples of good practice cited and resources to aid the participation process.

Afasic Abstract
The Afasic Abstract brings accessible information about the latest developments in research and practice to parents and professionals. It is an on-line publication only and is published on our website twice a year. The topics it looks at include:

• The nature of communication difficulties
• Studies of the progress of children with different types of speech and language impairment, or in different provision
• Evaluations of individual/group therapy and treatment
• Investigations into the delivery of services by professionals
• The evaluation of educational provision, including developments towards inclusive education

The Afasic Abstract is edited by Professor Julie Dockrell, Director of Psychology at South Bank University, and Professor Geoff Lindsay, Director of the Psychology and Special Needs Research Unit at the University of Warwick.

External Research
Research into speech and language impairments is also carried out by other organisations. Links to some other current and recent research projects of which we are aware are listed below.

www.languagestudy.man.ac.uk
www.psych.ox.ac.uk/oscci
www.well.ox.ac.uk/monaco

Good Practice
Relevant publications include the following (all of which can be found on our publications section):

• Communication in the Classroom


• Children and young people with speech and language impairments in mainstream secondary schools


• Principles for Educational Provision
  How to identify and support children with speech and language difficulties


• Understanding and supporting children affected by Dyspraxia/DCD in the early years

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