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Introduction: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder frequently associated with subcortical damage. However, the precise roles of the subcortical nuclei, particularly the basal ganglia and thalamus, in the speech production process remain poorly understood. Methods: The present study aimed to better understand their roles by mapping neuroimaging, behavioral, and speech data obtained from subacute stroke patients with subcortical lesions. Multivariate lesion-symptom mapping and voxel-based morphometry methods were employed to correlate lesions in the basal ganglia and thalamus with speech production, with emphases on linguistic processing and articulation. Results: The present findings revealed that the left thalamus and putamen are significantly correlated with concept preparation (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) and word retrieval (r = 0.56, p < 0.01). As the difficulty of the behavioral tasks increased, the influence of cognitive factors on early linguistic processing gradually intensified. The globus pallidus and caudate nucleus were found to significantly impact the movements of the larynx (r = 0.63, p < 0.01) and tongue (r = 0.59, p = 0.01). These insights underscore the complex and interconnected roles of the basal ganglia and thalamus in the intricate processes of speech production. The lateralization and hierarchical organization of each nucleus are crucial to their contributions to these speech functions. Discussion: The present study provides a nuanced understanding of how lesions in the basal ganglia and thalamus impact various stages of speech production, thereby enhancing our understanding of the subcortical neuromechanisms underlying dysarthria. The findings could also contribute to the identification of multimodal assessment indicators, which could aid in the precise evaluation and personalized treatment of speech impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and MethodsResultsConclusion\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo determine what evidence there is for the effectiveness/efficacy of interventions to improve outcomes in adults with Functional Communication Disorders (FCDs).Seven electronic databases were searched via two platforms. The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Population comprised adults with any specific communication diagnosis with a functional aetiology. We included studies of any type of behavioural intervention which targeted FCD, with any comparator. All outcomes related to communication were included. There were no restrictions on year or language of publication.Seven studies were included in the review. Studies used different interventions and outcome measures thus meta-analysis was not performed. Six studies described interventions for functional voice disorders and one for functional stuttering. Interventions tended to include elements of patient education, standard voice or speech therapy, and a psychological support component. Study quality was generally poor.There is a lack of high-quality research to guide clinicians on evidence-based interventions for the full range of FCDs. There were some common themes within the interventions offered, but the overall poor quality of studies makes it difficult to draw conclusions on the effectiveness and efficacy of these interventions.There is a lack of high-quality intervention studies on the full range of Functional Communication Disorder (FCD) presentations.The strongest evidence base is for Functional Voice Disorders.Generalisable evidence regarding the effectiveness and efficacy of Speech and Language Therapy interventions for FCDs is limited.Literature recommends that intervention for FCDs should include patient education, techniques used in standard speech or voice therapy, and psychological support.There is a lack of high-quality intervention studies on the full range of Functional Communication Disorder (FCD) presentations.The strongest evidence base is for Functional Voice Disorders.Generalisable evidence regarding the effectiveness and efficacy of Speech and Language Therapy interventions for FCDs is limited.Literature recommends that intervention for FCDs should include patient education, techniques used in standard speech or voice therapy, and psychological support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech sound disorders (SSD) are associated with difficulties in communication, social participation, literacy, and learning. An early identification process is therefore necessary. Our study was aimed at determining the utility and accuracy of parent’s and teacher’s concerns in screening for SSD. We also aimed to determine whether the accuracy of parent’s and teacher’s concern varied according to kindergarten grades. For this study, 215 French-speaking preschool children were recruited from preschools. Eighty children were classified as SSD and 135 were classified as Typically Developing (TD). Children were assessed by a standardised single-word speech sound test. Parents and teachers expressed their level of concern about each child’s speech development by answering ‘no’, ‘a little’ or ‘yes’ to the same question about their concern. Parents’ and teachers’ concerns were also gathered in a variable called ‘joint concern’ to investigate the utility and accuracy of their combined concern. Analyses included tetrachoric correlations, logistic regressions, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and sensibility/specificity analyses. Analyses were employed across all children and within age groups. Results showed positive and significant correlations between the SSD-TD classification, parent’s concern, teacher’s concern and joint concern. Parents’ and teachers’ concerns both showed fair specificity rates (85.2% and 88.1%, respectively) but remained under 80% on sensitivity. The joint concern was the most sensitive measure of all (87.3%) but showed a low specificity rate (76.3%). In conclusion, parents’ and teachers’ concerns both emerged as useful measures for screening for SSD. The combination of their concern revealed how parents and teachers are complementary for SSD screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder in which the precision and consistency of speech sounds are impaired due to deficits in motor planning and programming. The literature on CAS suggests that the clinical features of CAS cannot be limited to one level of speech processing and that a more comprehensive understanding of how all levels involved in speech production are part of a complex system is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between phonological and speech motor abilities in children with CAS and to determine the extent to which speech motor performance accounts for phonological processing in children with CAS. Croatian children with CAS (n = 30) and typically developing children (n = 28) aged 5–7 years participated in this study. Behavioural measures representing different aspects of the speech production chain were created taking into account the inevitable overlap of linguistic and motor processes underlying each task. The results showed that children with CAS performed significantly worse on all measured tasks. Spearman correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between the speech motor tasks and the expressive and receptive phonological processing tasks. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that both receptive phonological processing and speech motor performance contribute significantly to expressive phonological processing in children with CAS, with monosyllabic MRR emerging as a significant predictor. These results emphasise the interconnectedness of phonological and speech motor skills in CAS and provide valuable insights for assessment and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Speech disorders associated with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) are common. Some require surgical management, while others are responsive to speech therapy. This is related to whether the speech error is obligatory (passive) or compensatory (active). Accurate identification of speech errors is necessary to facilitate timely and appropriate intervention. Recent studies have supported the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment process for VPD. The purpose of this study was to utilize MRI to support differential diagnosis and treatment planning in a child presenting with inconsistent nasal air escape, mild hypernasality, and compensatory speech errors. Method: A nonsedated, fully awake, velopharyngeal (VP) MRI protocol was implemented to acquire anatomic data at rest and during phonation. Segmentations and visualization of the tongue, palate, adenoids, and nasopharyngeal airway were completed. Anatomic linear measurements were obtained for VP variables to assess VP function, establish a baseline, and monitor change over time. Results: VP anatomy was successfully visualized on MRI in multiple imaging planes. All anatomic measurements fell within normative expectations. Elevation and retraction of the soft palate occurred against the adenoid pad. A pharyngeal fricative was documented, resulting a small VP gap during speech. In contrast, adequate VP closure was obtained for vowels and other oral consonant sounds. Conclusions: Quantitative assessment and visualization of the anatomy demonstrated adequate VP closure capabilities and a pharyngeal fricative substitution that had not been adequately perceived during routine clinical assessments. This study suggests a promising additive role for VP MRI for enhanced differential diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in children with VPD and concomitant speech disorders. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27905451 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We currently lack speech testing materials faithful to broader aspects of real-world auditory scenes such as speech directivity and extended high frequency (EHF; > 8 kHz) content that have demonstrable effects on speech perception. Here, we describe the development of a multidirectional, high-fidelity speech corpus using multichannel anechoic recordings that can be used for future studies of speech perception in complex environments by diverse listeners. Design: Fifteen male and 15 female talkers (21.3--60.5 years) recorded Bamford-Kowal-Bench (BKB) Standard Sentence Test lists, digits 0--10, and a 2.5-min unscripted narrative. Recordings were made in an anechoic chamber with 17 free-field condenser microphones spanning 0°--180° azimuth angle around the talker using a 48 kHz sampling rate. Results: Recordings resulted in a large corpus containing four BKB lists, 10 digits, and narratives produced by 30 talkers, and an additional 17 BKB lists (21 total) produced by a subset of six talkers. Conclusions: The goal of this study was to create an anechoic, high-fidelity, multidirectional speech corpus using standard speech materials. More naturalistic narratives, useful for the creation of babble noise and speech maskers, were also recorded. A large group of 30 talkers permits testers to select speech materials based on talker characteristics relevant to a specific task. The resulting speech corpus allows for more diverse and precise speech recognition testing, including testing effects of speech directivity and EHF content. Recordings are publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with speech sound difficulties often require educational psychology services, yet systematic reviews examining the association between these difficulties and language or reading problems are lacking. This metaanalysis examines whether these children are at higher risk of language and reading difficulties compared to their peers. Method: The study analyzed 290 effect sizes from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that compared language and reading skills between children with speech sound difficulties and controls. Additionally, we evaluated 37 effect sizes from correlational studies in general populations to examine the relationship between speech sound skills and language or reading skills. Results: Children with speech sound difficulties showed significant concurrent language (Hedges' g = --0.60) and reading (Hedges' g = --0.58) problems. Correlational studies also demonstrated a relationship between speech sound skills and language (r = .23) and reading (r = .23) skills. Phonological awareness and study quality were significant moderators. Longitudinal studies showed persistent or increasing group differences over time in language (Hedges' g = --0.85) and reading (Hedges' g = --0.50). These findings were consistent regardless of the severity or types of speech sound difficulties, nonverbal IQ, country, age, and publication year. However, a precision-effect test and the precision-effect estimate with standard errors analysis suggested a potential decrease in effect size due to publication bias from small sample sizes in primary studies. Conclusion: Children with speech sound difficulties are at an increased risk of language and reading difficulties, emphasizing the need for broader language assessments and early interventions to mitigate future academic difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the effects of an integrative exercise intervention on the behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and if they were influenced by ASD symptom severity. Sixty-six children (7.56 ± 2.03 yrs.) with ASD were enrolled and categorised as having mild (n = 22), moderate (n = 18) or severe (n = 26) symptoms of ASD by teachers using the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale 2nd edition. Participants completed a school-based, eight-week, integrative exercise intervention, consisting of three, one-hour sessions per week. Teachers rated the symptoms of ASD in each participant pre- and post-intervention using the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist. There were significant improvements in behaviours post-intervention for all children (p < 0.05; r = 0.20–0.33); however, sub-group analysis indicated that participants with severe ASD experienced greater improvements in irritability, social withdrawal, stereotypic behaviour, and inappropriate speech (p < 0.05). The findings highlight the benefits of school-based integrative exercise interventions for improving behaviours in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developmental stuttering, a multifactorial speech disorder with remarkable rate of spontaneous recovery pose challenges for gene discoveries. Exonic variants in GNPTAB, GNPTG, and NAGPA involved in lysosomal pathway and AP4E1, IFNAR1, and ARMC3‐signaling genes reported till date explain only ∼2.1% – 3.7% of persistent stuttering cases. Aim: We aimed to identify additional genetic determinants of stuttering in a multiplex family by exome sequencing (n = 27) and further validation on additional extended family members (n = 21). Materials & Methods: We employed hypothesis‐free and pathway‐based analyses. Results: A novel heterozygous exonic variant NM_016256.4:c.322G > A in NAGPA with reduced penetrance and predicted pathogenicity segregated with the phenotype in a large subset of the family. Reanalysis to identify additional disease‐causing variant(s) revealed exonic heterozygous variants each in RIMS2 and XYLT1 in severely affected members; and IGF2R variant in a small subset of the family. Furthermore, pathway‐based analysis uncovered NM_022089.4:c.3529G > A in ATP13A2 (PARK9) in affected members; and variants in GNPTAB and GNPTG of minor significance in a few affected members. Discussion: Genotype–phenotype correlation efforts suggest that the combined effect of gene variants at multiple loci or variants in a single gene in different subsets of the pedigree (genetic heterogeneity) may be contributing to stuttering in this family. More importantly, variants identified in ATP13A2, a Parkinson's disease gene also implicated in lysosomal dysfunction, and RIMS2 suggests for the first time a likely role of dopamine signaling in stuttering. Conclusion: Screening for these variants in independent stuttering cohorts would be astute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For human infants, producing recognizable speech is more than a cognitive process. It is a motor skill that requires infants to learn to coordinate multiple muscles of varying functions across their body. This coordination is directly linked to ongoing fluctuations in heart rate; a physiological process that can scaffold behavior. We investigated whether ongoing fluctuations in heart rate coincide with vocal production and word formation in 24-mo-old infants. Infants were most likely to produce a vocalization when heart rate fluctuations reached a peak (local maximum) or trough (local minimum). Vocalizations produced at the peak were longer than expected by chance. Functionally, vocalizations produced just before the trough, while heart rate is decelerating, were more likely to be recognized as a word by naive listeners. Thus, for the developing infant, heart rate fluctuations align with the timing of vocal productions and are associated with their duration and the likelihood of producing recognizable speech. Our results have broad and immediate implications for understanding normative language development, the evolutionary basis and physiological process of vocal production, and potential early indicators of speech and communication disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meningiomas are some of the most prevalent primary brain tumors in adults, and are typically non-neuroglial in nature. A variety of symptoms may be observed, including headaches, fluctuations in mental status, ataxia, muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, seizures, visual changes, speech disorders, and sensory abnormalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a grading system for meningiomas based on histological criteria, which is as follows: Grade 1 meningiomas are considered benign; Grade 2 meningiomas have a moderately aggressive nature and usually present with histological atypia; and Grade 3 meningiomas exhibit aggressive malignant behavior. Grade 3 meningiomas are distinguished by aberrant and accelerated cellular proliferation, which increases the probability of invasion and recurrence within the central nervous system relative to the other grades. Malignant meningiomas are further classified by tumor size. For example, WHO grade 3 meningiomas with diameter >5 cm are designated giant meningiomas. Giant meningiomas are complicated by their potential for compression of the brain tissue, which can lead to increased intracranial pressure and hemodynamic changes. In many cases, these changes induce vasogenic edema in the adjacent brain tissue. This article details a rare case of rapidly growing atypical giant meningioma that progressed to an anterior-posterior diameter of 13 cm within 3 years, occupying the majority of the left hemisphere of the brain and encroaching upon the right intracranial structures. Through recent advances in medical diagnostics and heightened public awareness of health issues, cases with such large meningiomas have become exceedingly rare. Fortunately, the tumor in the present case was successfully resected using advanced surgical techniques that employed microscopy in conjunction with sodium fluorescein, resulting in complete removal of the tumor and restoration of the patient's muscle strength postoperatively. The value of fluorescence-guided surgery in this type of procedure is support in the present case report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Non-fluent variant of primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a predominantly speech and language impairment. Apraxia of speech and expressive agrammatisms along with decreased speech fluency and impaired grammar comprehension are the most typical disorder manifestations but with the course of the disease other language disturbances may also arise. Most studies have investigated these symptoms individually, and there is still no consensus on whether they have similar or different neuroanatomical foundations in nfvPPA. In addition, only few works have focused on the functional connectivity correlates. The aim of our study was to simultaneously investigate functional and structural brain-language associations in one group of nfvPPA. Methods: Twenty eight patients were enrolled and underwent brain MRI and language assessment. Apraxia of speech, expressive and receptive agrammatisms, repetition, naming and single word comprehension correlates were identified using voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional MRI (ROI-to-ROI analysis). Results and discussion: Among the structural correlates, the most common were inferior frontal gyrus (was associated with fluency, both expressive and receptive agrammatisms) and supramarginal gyrus (apraxia of speech, receptive agrammatisms, naming and repetition). Apart from that, neuroanatomical foundations were different for each of the core nfvPPA language domains, including superior parietal lobule involvement in fluency, temporoparietal areas in receptive agrammatisms and supplemental motor area in apraxia of speech. Functional correlations were even more diverse. In general, connectivity decrease between temporoparietal structures was more typical for expressive and receptive agrammatisms, single word comprehension and naming, while apraxia of speech, fluency and repetition showed connectivity disruption mainly among the frontoparietal region and subcortical structures. Overall, extensive structural and functional changes are involved in the development of language and speech disturbances in nfvPPA with distinctive neuroanatomical foundations for each domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Action observation treatment (AOT) is a novel rehabilitation approach aimed to the recovery of both motor and linguistic deficits in subjects with brain lesions. The aim of the present randomized controlled study was to assess the benefits of AOT treatment in the activities of daily living (ADLs) and in the linguistic abilities of the patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) at mild–moderate stage (Hoehn & Yahr's stage scale: 2–3). Methods: Twenty patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to an experimental group (submitted to AOT) or to a control group. The experimental group (AOT-group) underwent the vision of a video containing 6 complex ADLs, while the control group (C-group) was subjected to a video-clip regarding semantic information of a geographical-naturalistic type without motor content. The treatment duration was 4 weeks. All patients underwent assessment before and after the treatment by the following tools: Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-Part III), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADCS-ADL), Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS) and subtest Verb Naming of Analysis of Aphasic Deficit Battery (BADA). Paired samples t test was performed to compare all the variables of interest in the time, dividing by groups. p -value<0.05 was considered significant in all analyses. Results: AOT-group showed an improvement from baseline to the end of study in ADCS-ADL (p = 0.001), BADA (p = 0.011) and DAFS (p = 0.005), while C-group did not change significantly in the time. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest the potential efficacy of AOT in rehabilitation of ADLs and verb retrieval in people with PD. Further studies will be necessary to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in non-English speaking countries face challenges when assessing children for speech sound disorders (SSD). Exploring their clinical challenges in service delivery–along with their problem-solving approaches–may contribute to the development of instruments for clinical use in such settings. Aim: The study aimed to explore assessment methods used by Iranian SLPs to identify children with SSD. Methods: A cross-sectional survey took place with 113 SLPs working with children with SSD. The survey comprised 36 items grouped into four main themes–service delivery, types of assessments procedures, challenges of evaluating SSD, and ways of keeping up to date. Results were analysed based on participants' levels of education and experience. Results: Participants used Persian as the primary language in their work, and over 70% provided services in a private setting. Most participants reported having between 10–30% of clients with SSD in their caseload. Most (73.5%) SLPs involve parents in completing the history form. They favour informal traditional articulation tests, with approximately half the sample selecting this approach from the 14 options presented to them, especially those with bachelor's degrees and minimal experience. More experienced SLPs (62.7%) chose the Polysyllabic Words Test. Assessment, whether formal or informal, was found to be time-consuming by the majority of respondents (18.6% always, 42.5% often). Self-study (65.5%) and taking part in workshops/webinars/journal clubs (60.1%) were ways to keep their knowledge current. Conclusion: Our findings are similar to other international survey results on SSD evaluation. Although many Iranian SLPs use informal traditional articulation tests, such assessments are limited in their analysis and the diagnostic information provided. The findings emphasise the need for clear phonological assessment guidelines, valid and reliable 'clinician friendly' instruments, equitable distribution of tools across the country, and suitable tools for bi/multilingual communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic assessment is typically used for diagnostic and baseline purposes; however, the current study explored expanding the use of dynamic assessment as a curriculum-based measure to additionally capture teaching moments and observe intervention elements during treatment of speech sound disorder (NCT06075303). Teaching moments occur when an SLT presents an antecedent, the child produces a behaviour, and the SLT responds with a consequence related to accuracy; yet, little is known about the characteristics of these elements that are the most essential for improving treatment outcomes. To address this gap, we used the Glaspey Dynamic Assessment of Phonology’s scoring system to establish the goal, code teaching moments, describe procedural issues, and evaluate children’s skill development. The participants included two English-speaking boys, ages three and six, with speech sound disorder. A modified cycles approach was administered by an SLT and a student clinician with two blocks of targets (minimally and moderately adaptable). Results indicated that coding with dynamic assessment was successfully used for tracking changes within the teaching moments and provided a more complete perspective of treatment efficacy when combined with outcome measures, yet more research is needed to establish goals with dynamic assessment. Both children demonstrated progress in a short period of time, though Participant 1 made more significant gains, which may be attributed to many elements including treatment intensity, target selection, clinician variables, or client variables. Overall, this preliminary research supports that dynamic assessment may lead to dynamic intervention, thus bridging assessment and treatment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stuttering is a complex speech disorder characterized by disruptions in the fluency of verbal expression, often leading to challenges in communication for those affected. Accurate identification and classification of stuttering types can greatly benefit persons who stutter (PWS), especially in an era where voice technologies are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and integrated into daily life. In this work, we adapt a simple yet effective Siamese network architecture, known for its capability to learn from paired speech segments, to extract novel features from audio speech data. Our approach leverages these features to enhance the detection and identification of stuttering events. For our experiments, we rely on a subset of the SEP-28k stuttering dataset, initially implementing a single-task model and gradually evolving it into a more sophisticated multi-task model. Our results demonstrate that transitioning the network from a single-task learner to a multi-task learner, coupled with the integration of auxiliary classification heads, significantly improves the identification of stuttering types, even with a relatively small dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder caused by neurological damage, significantly hampers speech intelligibility, creating communication barriers for affected individuals. Voice conversion (VC) systems have been developed to address this, yet accurately predicting phonemes in dysarthric speech remains a challenge due to its variability. This study proposes a novel approach that integrates Fuzzy Expectation Maximization (FEM) with diffusion models for enhanced phoneme prediction, aiming to improve the quality of dysarthric voice conversion. Methods: The proposed method combines FEM clustering with Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DPM). Diffusion models simulate noise addition and removal to enhance the robustness of speech signals, while FEM iteratively optimizes phoneme boundaries, reducing uncertainty. The system was trained using the Saarland University Voice Disorder dataset, consisting of dysarthric and normal speech samples, with the conversion process represented in the Mel-spectrogram domain. The framework employs both subjective (Mean Opinion Score, MOS) and objective (Word Error Rate, WER) metrics for evaluation, complemented by ablation studies. Results: Experimental results showed that the proposed method significantly improved phoneme prediction accuracy and overall voice conversion quality. It achieved higher MOSs for naturalness, intelligibility, and speaker similarity compared to existing models like StarGAN-VC and CycleGAN-VC. Additionally, the proposed method demonstrated a lower WER for both mild and severe dysarthria cases, indicating better performance in producing intelligible speech. Discussion: The integration of FEM with diffusion models offers substantial improvements in handling the irregularities of dysarthric speech. The method's robustness, as evidenced by the ablation studies, shows that it can maintain speech naturalness and intelligibility even without a speaker-encoder. These findings suggest that the proposed approach can contribute to the development of more reliable assistive communication technologies for individuals with dysarthria, providing a promising foundation for future advancements in personalized speech therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Deficits in the processing and production of emotional cues are well documented in the Parkinson's disease (PD) literature; however, few have ventured to explore how impairments may impact emotional language use in this population, particularly beyond the word level. Emotional language is an important multidimensional manner of communicating one's wants and needs; thus, the current study sought to explore how various aspects of language production may be impacted by the emotionality of a stimulus. Method: Eighteen persons with PD and 22 healthy adults completed a constrained emotional sentence production task in which the affective target word was either a noun or a verb. Output was analyzed for fluency, grammaticality, completeness, and response initiation times. Cognitive (i.e., working memory [WM], inhibition, and switching) and mood (i.e., depression and apathy) measures were examined as factors influencing performance. Results: Individuals with PD produced fewer fluent responses than healthy controls. Furthermore, they had fewer grammatical responses in their production of negative sentences and exhibited reduced information completeness when producing sentences containing positive stimuli. Group differences could not be wholly attributed to individual differences in WM or apathy. Conclusions: Our results support those of others that document language production deficits in individuals with PD above and beyond those impairments that can be explained by the select cognitive abilities explored here. Moreover, the emotionality of the topic may impact various aspects of communicative competence in persons with PD. For instance, disease processes associated with degeneration of neural substrates important for processing negative stimuli may also impact the grammaticality of productions containing negatively valenced content. Thus, it is important to consider how individuals in this population communicate during emotional circumstances. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.2728941 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Speakers with primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) have an insidious onset of motor speech planning/programming difficulties. As the disease progresses, the apraxia of speech (AOS) becomes more severe and a co-occurring dysarthria often emerges. Here, longitudinal data from speakers with phonetic- and prosodic-predominant PPAOS are used to characterize the progression of their motor speech impairment, including the development of dysarthria and mutism. Method: Data are presented from 52 speakers who had PPAOS at enrollment (i.e., progressive AOS in the absence of aphasia, cognitive, or other neurologic symptoms). Twenty-one had predominantly phonetic features, whereas 31 had primarily prosodic features. All participants underwent a comprehensive motor speech evaluation at their enrollment visit and each annual return visit, with a median of three visits per participant. Results: Almost 25% of the speakers with PPAOS presented with dysarthria at their enrollment visit (median disease duration of 3.65 years), whereas more than 70% of them had developed dysarthria by their last visit (median disease duration of 6.85 years). Neither the likelihood to develop dysarthria nor the disease duration at which it was detected differed significantly between the phonetic and prosodic groups. However, muteness emerged sooner for speakers with phonetic-predominant PPAOS; the median disease duration at which they became mute was 1.5 years shorter than for their prosodic counterparts. Conclusions: Clinically, these results facilitate more accurate prognostication of motor speech symptoms in speakers with PPAOS, allowing for timely introduction of alternative means of communication. The results also support the differentiation between progressive AOS and dysarthria as distinct motor speech disorders that often co-occur in these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prior research introduced quantifiable effects of three methodological parameters (number of repetitions, stimulus length, and parsing error) on the spatiotemporal index (STI) using simulated data. Critically, these parameters often vary across studies. In this study, we validate these effects, which were previously only demonstrated via simulation, using children's speech data. Method: Kinematic data were collected from 30 typically developing children and 15 children with developmental language disorder, all spanning the ages of 6-8 years. All children repeated the sentence "buy Bobby a puppy" multiple times. Using these data, experiments were designed to mirror the previous simulated experiments as closely as possible to assess the effects of analytic decisions on the STI. Experiment 1 manipulated number of repetitions, Experiment 2 manipulated stimulus length (or the number of movement units in the target phrase), and Experiment 3 manipulated precision of parsing of the articulatory trajectories. Results: The findings of all three experiments closely mirror those of the prior simulation. Experiment 1 showed consistent underestimation of STI values from smaller repetition counts consistent with the theoretical model for all three participant groups. Experiment 2 found speech segments containing fewer movements yield lower STI values than longer ones. Finally, Experiment 3 showed even small parsing errors are found to significantly increase measured STI values. Conclusions: The results of this study are consistent with the findings of prior simulations in showing that the number of repetitions, length of stimuli, and amount of parsing error can all strongly influence the STI independent of behavioral factors. These results further confirm the importance of closely considering the design of experiments, which employ the STI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a comparative mixed methods study of the accessibility and usability for disabled people of four video conferencing tools, Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet and Skype. Useable responses were obtained from 81 disabled people with diverse characteristics, mainly in the UK, though some groups had low representation. None of the tools was considered fully accessible and useable. Zoom was both the most commonly used and the most frequently preferred (56.1%) tool, with MS Teams second in usage and a trailing second in preferences (15.9%). It was considered to have better captioning, but otherwise to generally be a poor second to Zoom. Skype was the most commonly used before lockdown, but was considered dated and its limited use was mainly social, whereas the other tools were also used in work and education. The results were used to draw up separate lists of recommendations for developers and meeting organisers and hosts, as the study also identified actions for organisers and hosts to improve meeting accessibility. Developer recommendations include several easy to set customisation and user friendly interface features, involving disabled people and specific accessibility features, including compatibility with assistive technology, keyboard shortcuts for all functions and automatically-on high quality captions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the ways that coherence emerged as an ableist norm within a systematic review of literature around broken narratives. It was undertaken as part of a larger programme of research investigating the experiences of those with impaired speech. The review identified 34 sources, within which we explored the ways that coherence was discussed. Throughout the review we argue that these texts draw on, and in many cases re-enact, coherence as an ableist norm. Discussions of broken narratives were often built upon the concept of coherence, a concept which has been naturalised and rendered essential to the formation of meaning and personhood. This norm is then employed to fuel a constitutional divide between broken and unbroken narratives. However, some of the texts provide the impetus to question the usefulness of normative ideals of coherence, and to re-evaluate how we can ensure the voice of impaired speakers is heard. Points of interest: This study examined 34 articles and book chapters about broken narratives. These texts came from many different disciplines and talked about many different types of illness and disability. Many of these texts talked about the importance of coherence in peoples' lives. Coherence was discussed not merely as an element of communicative success, but rather as a prerequisite to a healthy and functioning self. However, the stories of disabled people often do not follow cultural expectations of what a narrative should be. As a result disabled narratives are thought of as broken. When we try to enforce coherence on narratives or voices which do not fit our expectations we can end up silencing disabled people. These texts demonstrate the need to rethink the ways we understand coherence, allowing space to discover new ways of listening to disabled narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between the use of nouns and verbs, and other word classes have been well established in the typical language development literature. However, questions remain as to whether the same relationships are seen in the language use of individuals who use graphic symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The aim of the study was to examine relationships between the use of verbs and nouns, and the use of prepositions, adverbs, and adjectives through a secondary analysis of language transcripts taken from 12 children and adolescents who used aided AAC in conversation with an adult. A series of multiple linear mixed-effect regression analyses showed a positive predictive association between the use of verbs and the use of prepositions and adverbs, as well as a positive predictive relationship between the use of nouns and the use of adjectives. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores vocal development as an early marker of autism, focusing on canonical babbling rate and onset, typically established by 7 months. Previous reports suggested delayed or reduced canonical babbling in infants later diagnosed with autism, but the story may be complicated. We present a prospective study on 44 infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder compared with 127 infants later identified as typically developing who were followed longitudinally with day-long recordings from 0 to 13 months. Eight 5-min segments from each of their recordings were coded for canonical and noncanonical syllables. The results confirmed many reports that canonical babbling is a robust feature of human vocal development in the first year of life, with small overall mean differences in canonical babbling rates between the autism spectrum disorder and typically developing groups beginning around 9 months, primarily in males. Our findings highlight the importance of considering sex differences in vocal communication as part of the early detection and diagnosis of autism when determining the need for communication supports to maximize outcomes. Our study examined how babies develop their ability to talk to help identify early signs of autism. We looked at babies' production of babbling with mature syllables across the first year of life. Babies usually start producing mature babbling at 7 months of age before they say their first words. Some studies have suggested that babies who are later diagnosed with autism produce this kind of babbling less frequently in their first year of life, but other studies have shown complicated outcomes. In this new study, we followed 44 autistic babies and compared them to 127 typically developing babies. We recorded the babies once every month, all day long, from the time that they were born until they were around 13 months old. Then, we studied their mature babbling from segments of these recordings. We found that the rate at which babies used mature babbling was lower in boys with autism, and higher in girls with autism, compared to babies without autism. This research helps us understand how babies with autism learn to talk. It also raises important questions about differences between boys and girls with autism. Our study can help us improve how scientists and clinicians can identify autism earlier, which could lead to better communication supports for autistic children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the current study was to identify and analyze the most significant clinical and sociodemographic predictors of parents' perceptions regarding their child's stuttering. 139 parents, with at least one child who stutters, completed both the Persian version of the Palin Parent Rating Scale (P-Palin PRS) and a sociodemographic and clinical checklist. To investigate the relationships between scores on the Palin PRS factors and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, we conducted univariable analyses using Pearson correlation coefficients, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The study analyzed the P-Palin PRS factors: Impact of Stuttering on the Child, Severity of Stuttering and Impact on the Parents, and Parent's Knowledge and Confidence in Managing it. Mean scores were 5.37, 3.87, and 5.42, respectively, with correlations ranging from 0.371 to 0.507. Higher stutter severity negatively correlated with Impact on the Child (r=-0.364, P < 0.001). History of speech therapy (ST) failure and family history of speech and language disorders (SLDs) showed lower Impact scores (P = 0.053 and P = 0.057). Severity of Stuttering and Impact on the Parents negatively correlated with stutter severity (r=-0.546, P < 0.001) and positively with parents' ages. Parent's Knowledge and Confidence correlated negatively with stutter severity (r=-0.242, P = 0.004) and was lower in those with family history of SLDs (P = 0.008). The high stutter severity, ST failure, and family history of SLDs were associated with lower scores across all PRS factors. In conclusion current study identified key predictors influencing parents' perceptions of their child's stuttering, including stutter severity, speech therapy history, and family background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adenoid hypertrophy alters the posture of the oro-facial structures by obstructing the upper airways and restricting nasal breathing. These postural changes may eventually have an impact on facial skeletal development and dental occlusion. The postural adjustments may negatively impact a child's life by affecting a number of speech-production factors. Objective: This study aimed to detect the speech sound disorders in school aged Egyptian children with adenoid hypertrophy and if they were related to structure changes in the airway that caused by adenoid hypertrophy. Methodology: 300 school-aged Egyptian children aged from (5–15) years old with speech sound disorders (SSD). They were divided into 2 groups; Group 1 consisted of 150 children with speech (SSD) and adenoid hypertrophy, and Group 2 consisted of 150 children complained from (SSD) without adenoid hypertrophy. All children were evaluated by protocol of language assessment and articulation test used in Assiut University Hospital. Results: Speech sound disorders (SSD) mainly the omission and distortion are more frequent in (group 2) while, the substitution errors are more prominent in (group 1). The interdental sigmatism was the most frequent speech sound disorder in (group 1) especially those with adenoid hypertrophy occupying more than 50% of the airway, whereas, devoicing, gliding and back to front are more frequent in (group 2). Conclusion: Adenoid hypertrophy can affects only the /s/ sound production which needs precise placements of the articulators especially the tongue, and seems to be vulnerable due to the structural alteration of the oral cavity caused by adenoid hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores missed pediatric speech and language pathology (SLP) appointments to identify barriers for patients with speech disorders. Data from 839 referrals at Boston Medical Center, including demographics, appointment details, COVID-19 lockdown, and number of items on patient problem lists, were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression. The findings revealed that lockdown status, appointment timing, appointment type (in-person vs telemedicine), referral department (ear, nose, and throat [ENT] vs non-ENT), sex, race, primary language, birthplace, and primary care provider presence had no significant impact on attendance. However, the number of patient-listed problems, prior cancelations, and missed appointments were significant predictors of patients who did not keep appointments. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the patient's problem list and past appointment behavior as critical factors in predicting missed SLP appointments for pediatric speech disorder patients. These insights can guide targeted interventions to improve attendance and enhance SLP engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To present the sensitivity and specificity and establish cutoff points (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve) for the PraxiFala Battery. Method: The sample included 308 Brazilian-speaking children aged 3;0–7;11. Twenty-one children had motor speech disorders (MSD), 58 children had phonological disorder (PD), and 229 had typical speech (TS) development. Participants were administered the PraxiFala Battery, which contains verbal (word and sentence production), nonverbal (orofacial praxis), and diadochokinetic tasks. The sensitivity and specificity of items in each task were then calculated using ROC curves. Result: Total scores on the verbal (word production), nonverbal (orofacial praxis), and diadochokinetic tasks had good sensitivity and specificity. The only scores with poor sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between TS, PD, and MSD were consistency and prosody in the verbal tasks (sentence production), and item /ta/ in the diadochokinetic task. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were greater than 0.7 for most items in the comparison between TS vs. MSD and PD vs. MSD. AUC values were poor or fair among children with TS and PD, suggesting that this instrument may not be accurate in identifying these groups. Conclusion: The verbal, nonverbal, and diadochokinetic tasks in the PraxiFala Battery had good sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : Challenges providing cleft/craniofacial care in rural communities are often reported, leading to disparities in resources available to clinicians. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of rurality on caseloads and practice patterns of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding speech and velopharyngeal function for children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Design : A national, survey of US-based SLPs (N = 359 respondents) investigated resources, comfort level, caseloads, and practice patterns for children with CL/P. Sub-county classifications that delineated levels of rurality were utilized. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine the impact of population density on assessment and referral decisions. Results : Nearly 83% of SLPs reported providing care for a child with CL/P and 41.4% of these SLPs reported five or more children with CL/P on caseload throughout their career. There were no significant differences in rurality of practice setting and the likelihood of treating a child with CL/P. Significant differences were present between rural, town, suburban, and metropolitan-based SLPs regarding available resources (p = 0.035). SLPs in rural settings reported feeling uncomfortable treating children with CL/P compared to those in metropolitan settings (p = 0.02). Distance to the cleft/craniofacial team and comfort levels impacted referral decisions. Conclusions : Most SLPs report having children with CL/P on caseload regardless of practice location. Rurality impacted assessment and referral decisions, especially surrounding access to resources and comfort levels engaging in team care. Findings have implications for developing support systems and reducing barriers for rural SLPs working with children born with CL/P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study is part of a larger study that explores the beliefs and attitudes of Haitian parents in the United States regarding heritage language maintenance. The study sought to understand Haitian parents' perspective of heritage language maintenance when the parent has a child with a communication disorder. Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven Haitian parents of children who have or had a speech-language disorder. The interviews were conducted virtually through videoconferencing. A thematic analysis was used to explore the data and determine recurring themes. Results: Participants desired to preserve the heritage language; however, fear of further language delay and sociolinguistic factors influenced their language choice. Furthermore, the results revealed that the lack of Haitian Creole language maintenance led to a communication breakdown with family and parental regret on the missed opportunity to pass on the heritage language. Conclusion: The findings from this study demonstrate a need for continued education with physicians, SLPs, and other related service providers on the issues related to bilingual language development, language maintenance, and counseling families regarding home language practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to offer an evaluation of speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') experiences with and knowledge of functional speech disorders. Functional speech disorders occur as a part of functional neurological disorders, a complex disorder that is often overlooked and misdiagnosed. Through an assessment of experience with and common myths about functional speech disorders among SLPs, the importance of providing education to SLPs about this patient population is discussed. Method: As a part of the presentation about functional speech disorders during the 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Health Care Summit, 122 participants were asked to anonymously respond to a series of questions that outlined their demographics, training in functional speech disorders, and experiences with this patient population. Descriptive data are presented. Results and Conclusions: Among attendees, 58% were exposed to functional speech disorders in graduate school while 75% had seen a patient with a functional speech disorder, most of whom had also diagnosed the patients' communication disorder. This study highlights the role of the SLP in identifying and managing functional speech disorders and the increased attention this patient population has received over time, as well as the work yet to be done. Functional speech disorders are a legitimate clinical entity, for which a diagnosis can be made based on positive clinical features (i.e., is not a diagnosis of exclusion). The call to action includes guidance for clinicians, educators, and academic training programs to support this patient population. See the Appendix for a plain language summary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Clinical Neuroscience / Ideggyógyászati Szemle is the property of LifeTime Media Kft. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Cluttering is a speech disorder distinct from stuttering. Despite this distinction, there is no established method to clearly differentiate the two disorders. This study aimed to use objective criteria to differentiate cluttering from stuttering in Japanese speakers. Methods: Participants were 32 consecutive native-Japanese speakers who visited the Keio University Hospital between July 2020 and January 2023 with a chief complaint of speech disfluency. One physician and two speech-language-hearing therapists concurred on a stuttering or cluttering diagnosis of the 32 patients based on recordings of the Kitsuon kensa-ho test. The frequencies of stuttering-like disfluencies (SDF) and normal disfluencies (NDF) were calculated from the Kitsuon kensa-ho, and the ratio of disfluencies (RDF) was calculated as the ratio of SDF to NDF. Differences between the cluttering and stuttering groups in the RDF and the mean articulatory rate (MAR) for oral reading and a monologue task were tested using the Mann–Whitney U test. ROC curves were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity that well-distinguished subjects with cluttering from those with stuttering; the experts' diagnosis was the gold standard. Results: Of the 32 participants, 12 (38%) were diagnosed with cluttering and 20 (62%) with stuttering. The cluttering and stuttering groups were comparable in demographic characteristics. The RDF on monologue task had the highest sensitivity in diagnosing cluttering, and the MAR on monologue task had the highest specificity. Adopting provisional criteria of a monologue RDF greater than 1.2 and a monologue MAR greater than 7.5 produced a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.95. Conclusion: We conclude that combining monologue RDF and monologue MAR well-distinguished cluttering from stuttering. This method provides new objective diagnostic criteria, which can aid clinicians, therapists, and basic researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods and Procedures Outcomes and Results Conclusions and Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this study adds to existing knowledge What are the clinical implications of this work? Gesture and speech collaborate in conveying meaning, and gesture is often leveraged by people with neurogenic communication disorders, such as aphasia, cognitive‐communicative impairments and primary progressive aphasia, when words fail them. Because gesture is imagistic, transitory and holistic, there are inherent challenges when assessing and treating it.The survey had three primary research questions: (1) what gesture assessment practices, and (2) what gesture treatment practices, are employed by speech and language therapists (SLTs) internationally; and (3) what are the factors that influence these practices?An online survey of practice using Qualtrics was piloted and then disseminated to practising SLTs working with people with neurogenic communication disorders. In addition to descriptive statistics summarising across the three research questions, statistical comparisons were made for two independent groups: primary work setting (research versus clinical), and primary work setting considering years of experience specific to neurogenic communication disorders (research, high; research, low; clinical, high; and clinical, low).A total of 130 international SLTs completed the first two parts of the survey. A total of 107 completed all four sections of the survey. Fifty percent of respondents reported assessing gesture sometimes/for some clients, with only 5% reporting that they never assessed gesture. Nearly 70% of respondents reported never using a published test to evaluate gesture, with qualitative results suggesting a lack of formal assessments. This was further highlighted by the most prominent barrier being a lack of published tests (50% of respondents said this). The primary reason for evaluating gesture was to assess nonverbal communication. There was no significant difference in gesture assessment practices across comparison groups. The research group, and those within the research group with most years of experience, tended to target gestures during treatment and write treatment goals containing gesture more than other respondents. The most common facilitator to assessing or treating gesture was that the family or individual prioritised gesture for enhancing communication (53.1% of respondents). No group differences were identified for barriers/facilitators.Findings indicate that whilst gesture is a critical nonverbal communicative behaviour, there is an unmet need for empirical and standardised methods for assessing gesture in speech and language clinical practice and there is a lack of gesture‐specific treatment resources. SLTs working in research settings may feel more able, or have more resources, to include gesture during treatment. Essential next steps include creating empirical and standardised methods for assessing gesture in speech and language clinical practice. Gesture is a complex and crucial aspect of communication. It is a key part of the role of speech and language therapists (SLTs), as described in clinical guidelines, to assess people with aphasia's use of gesture and consider whether it could be enhanced through treatment. This is the first international survey of practice focusing on gesture assessment and treatment. It highlights the variety of methods used by SLTs to assess and treat gesture, the importance they attach to this area and the need for standardised assessment tools and treatment resources. This study provides a comprehensive overview of practices for assessing and treating gesture in neurogenic communication disorders, as well as a list of gesture resources being actively used by clinicians and researchers. These may be useful for clinicians looking to expand their understanding of approaches and resources for assessment and treatment in this domain. The study also reports on the reasons clinicians assess gesture and the barriers and facilitators they encounter which may inform clinical practice in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare de novo heterozygous loss-of-function SETBP1 variants lead to a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by speech deficits, indicating a potential involvement of SETBP1 in human speech. However, the expression pattern of SETBP1 in brain regions associated with vocal learning remains poorly understood, along with the underlying molecular mechanisms linking it to vocal production. In this study, we examined SETBP1 expression in the brain of male zebra finches, a well-established model for studying vocal production learning. We demonstrated that zebra finch SETBP1 exhibits a greater number of exons and isoforms compared to its human counterpart. We characterized a SETBP1 antibody and showed that SETBP1 colocalized with FoxP1, FoxP2, and Parvalbumin in key song nuclei. Moreover, SETBP1 expression in neurons in Area X is significantly higher in zebra finches singing alone, than those singing courtship song to a female, or non-singers. Importantly, we found a distinctive neuronal protein expression of SETBP1 and FoxP2 in Area X only in zebra finches singing alone, but not in the other conditions. We demonstrated SETBP1´s regulatory role on FoxP2 promoter activity in vitro. Taken together, these findings provide compelling evidence for SETBP1 expression in brain regions to be crucial for vocal learning and its modulation by singing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Special Education & Rehabilitation (2314-8608) is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Aims: Methods & Procedures: Main contribution: Conclusions & Implications: WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this paper adds to the existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are broadly defined as difficulty producing speech sounds in childhood. Reported prevalence of SSD varies from 2.3% to 24.6%, depending on how SSD is defined and the included age range. SSDs that do not resolve before age 8 can have a lasting impact on a child's academic achievements. The intensity of intervention for SSD is important to ensure effectiveness. However, there is a gap between the evidence base for intensity and speech and language therapists’ (SLTs) clinical practice. One way that SLTs try to bridge this gap is by working with parents. SLTs believe that working with parents/caregivers is vital for a child with SSD to make progress.To conduct a scoping review of the literature to provide a comprehensive picture of the perceptions, experiences and strategies underpinning collaborative working between SLTs and parents/caregivers of children (aged ≤ 5 years 11 months) with SSD to increase intervention intensity at home.This scoping review was completed in accordance with PRISMA‐ScR guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycInfo, CINHAL, Web of Science, EBSCOhost and EThOS was conducted using synonyms of three key terms: SSD, Therapy, Parents. Key journals and papers were hand searched for unique papers. A total of 29 papers were included for review. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis to develop themes. These themes are discussed using the PAGER framework to identify advances, gaps, evidence for practice and areas for future research.Seven key themes were identified: individualization, setting expectations, daily life, parental knowledge, parental involvement, therapeutic relationships and supporting parents to deliver home practice. There has been an acceleration of research around working with parents of children with SSD, with increased consideration of effective adult coaching techniques. Parents value the parental and child relationship with the SLT and feel this supports the success of home practice. There is a need for further research, and guidance for SLTs working with parents of children with SSD to enable them to support parents to deliver home practice effectively.Emerging evidence supports the value of SLTs and parents working together to support home practice for children with SSD. The review highlighted the importance of SLTs allocating time to build positive therapeutic relationships with parents to support engagement in therapy. Approaching intervention, in particular, home practice, flexibly and in collaboration with parents, allows parents to fit home practice into their daily lives. Providing clear information to parents supports the fidelity of, and engagement in, home practice. There is a gap between what is recommended in the evidence base for intervention intensity for children with SSD and current clinical practice worldwide. SLTs try to bridge this gap through home practice and believe that working with parents/caregivers is vital for children with SSD to make progress. However, little is known about the best ways for SLTs to work with parents for this population. Training parents to be implementers of intervention in a personalized and flexible way is important and valued by parents and SLTs. Parents value understanding the clinical rationale behind the intervention approach and benefit from explicit instructions for home practice, including discussion, written information, observation and feedback. Therapeutic relationships take time to develop and impact parental engagement in home practice. The findings of this study highlight existing knowledge which will support SLTs to work optimally with parents to implement home practice for their child with SSD. It highlights the importance of taking time to foster working relationships with parents to support effective home practice. The review identifies gaps in the current skills and knowledge of SLTs, highlighting the need for further research, support and guidance for SLTs in their work with parents, as well as implications for the development of the SLT pre‐registration curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]