ACQ Vol 13 No1 2011

Resource reviews

Speech pathology resources

Belafsky, P., Coffey, M., Costello, D., Gilman, M., Lewis-McColloch, N., Sumida, Y., Atkinson, M., McHanwell, S., & Tunstall, R. (2010). 3D anatomy for speech language pathology . London, UK: Primal Pictures. ISBN 978-1-907061-12-7 DVD-ROM; UK £145.00; www.primalpictures.com Nicole Watts Pappas

Woodfine, P. (2009) Word whizzer! Level 1 . Perth, WA: Woodfine; A$80 plus GST plus postage and packaging; www.wordwhizzer.com Roslyn Neilson

Word Whizzer! is a simple game that claims (with a liberal sprinkling of exclamation marks) to “improve children’s ability to understand, use, and remember words so they can succeed with speaking, reading

3D anatomy for speech-language pathology is an electronic resource aimed at speech-language pathologists for use in both clinical practice and student training. The interactive DVD-ROM contains a number of features. For example, the software allows the clinician to display detailed 3D images of various structures of the body. The images are clear and accurate and can be

and writing”. The resource consists of a short, carefully written explanatory manual and a sturdy cardboard spinner; the adult using the game provides the vocabulary words. Given the nature of the semantic questions, all the vocabulary items have to be concrete nouns. The spinner contains six questions, three with a semantic focus and three tapping phonological awareness. The semantic questions at Level 1 (4- and 5-year-olds) are: “What does it look like?”, “Where do you find it?” and “What do you do with it?”. The phonological questions are: “Can you clap it?, What is the first sound?” and “What does it rhyme with?” (The reviewer has not been provided with the Level 2 version, which presumably has more difficult questions.) There is no game board along which participants can move, to give the game a competitive edge or to set limits to its duration; the “fun” of the game resides entirely in the spinning of the wheel and the surrounding discussion. Some extension games are suggested as well. The logic of including both semantic and phonological awareness questions on the spinner is explained quite simply in the manual. It is argued that research shows that consolidating semantic and phonological information in the lexicon facilitates word retrieval in spoken and written language. Adults are required to make sure that the child is able to answer the questions before playing the game. That is, adults are expected, when necessary, to be able to teach children basic phonological awareness skills (often difficult with 4-year-olds), question comprehension, and also the use of relevant descriptive language. Adults are also expected to be competent at choosing, introducing, explaining, and enriching the meaning of new words. Some guidance is given regarding question comprehension, but it may be problematic that Word Whizzer! is presented as suitable for parents and teachers as well as speech pathologists. I see Word Whizzer! (Level 1) as a useful item to be kept on preschool shelves, most safely used with familiar words rather than new vocabulary. As the game values the study of words, it can hopefully increase the metalinguistic awareness of parents and preschool teachers as well as children.

manipulated in a number of ways, including 360 degree rotation and adding or removing layers of anatomy. Holding the mouse over any section of the picture labels the relevant structure and displays information regarding its function. Images included incorporate all areas of the body that would be of interest to speech-language pathologists including head and neck anatomy (incorporating skull, face, ear, oral cavity and infratemporal fossa, oronasal cavities, neck, pharynx and larynx, brain and cranial nerves, and thorax) and systems of the body (incorporating the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, endocrine and respiratory systems). A number of animations show movements of the face, the larynx and pharynx, the temporomandibular joint, and respiration. One of the best features of this software is the inclusion of “movies” of speech sound production, voice production, and swallowing. The production of all English consonant and vowel sounds is provided as separate video files, displaying tongue, teeth and palate movement, and audio. Small movies are also included of the mucosal wave, actions of the larynx, and the swallowing mechanism. These movies would be an excellent teaching tool for clients, provided an important visual aid for learning. As a final feature, the program includes a number of “patient information sheets” which can be viewed in either PDF or word format and printed out for clients. Topics include evaluation procedures of the larynx and swallowing, vocal disorders, structural abnormalities, and swallowing problems. The information provided on the sheets is easy to follow and includes visual representations to aid understanding. However, it would be nice to see this section expanded somewhat, with further information sheets provided on topics such as motor speech disorders. The program is relatively easy to navigate and a tutorial provides a good introduction to the use of the software. Overall, this DVD-ROM provides a number of excellent and innovative features that would be invaluable to the working clinician in the areas of voice, motor speech, and dysphagia. It also has the potential to be an extremely useful teaching tool.

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ACQ Volume 13, Number 1 2011

ACQ uiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing