JCPSLP Vol 18 No. 1Mar 2016

Prediction and Prognosis

From the editor David Trembath

Contents

I t takes great knowledge and skill to identify and understand the nature of a person’s communication and/or swallowing difficulties. It takes great wisdom to understand the likely impact on his or her life, both now and into the future. For speech- language pathologists, such wisdom is gained through professional preparation studies, then enriched through evidence-based clinical practice and continuing professional development, and sculpted by interactions with clients and personal life experiences. Thus, when it comes to answering questions such as “will my child talk?”, “when can I expect my voice to improve?”, or “what does dementia mean for my partner and me?”, this wisdom enables us to look back, in order to see forward clearly. Across speech-language pathology practice areas, our ability to accurately predict likely outcomes for clients and to offer reliable

1 From the editor

2 Predicting potential for aphasia rehabilitation: The role of judgments of motivation – Deborah Hersh and Natalie Ciccone 7 Are patient expectations and treatment credibility related to outcomes from LSVT®LOUD? – Alexandra Callins, Annie Hill, and Deborah Theodoros 14 Enablers of a positive journey with primary progressive aphasia – Agnes Summers and Jade Cartwright 18 Speech pathology service delivery in the acute hospital setting – Dominique Ferreira, Natalie Ciccone, Asher Verheggen, and Erin Godecke 22 An investigation of social activities of neurologically healthy older adults and relevance of the Social Activities Checklist (SOCACT-2) – Rachel Morton, Bronwyn Davidson, and Madeline Cruice dominance for assessment of bilingual children’s language skills – Chris Brebner, Paul McCormack, and Susan Rickard Liow 33 Phonological awareness skills in children with cleft lip and/or palate – Lilian Anderson, Nerina Scarinci, and Helen Morris 40 Ethical conversations: Prediction and prognosis for SLPs in the age of human genome mapping – Helen Smith and Donna Dancer 28 Implications of language

prognoses is improving rapidly. In large part, progress is due to research moving beyond the identification, understanding, and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders, to also include a sophisticated examination of the factors that influence individual outcomes. In many ways, this evolution in science mirrors what clinicians have always known: that no one size fits all when it comes to the assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders, nor how they influence the lives of the individual and their family, friends, and loved ones. In this issue, we present a series of articles in which authors have tackled issues associated with prediction and prognosis. Hersh and Ciccone consider the influence that clinicians’ judgements regarding client motivation may have on decision-making in aphasia rehabilitation. Callins, Hill, and Theodoris focus on how patient expectations and treatment credibility may impact on outcomes for clients with Parkinson’s disease receiving LSVT®LOUD. Anderson, Scarinci, and Morris examine factors associated with phonological awareness development in children with cleft lip and/or palate. Smith and Dancer discuss the ethical considerations associated with genetic testing and its relevance to current and future Speech- Language Pathology Practice. In related articles, Ferreira, Ciccone, Verheggen, and Godecke consider the impact that clinical decision-making during the early stages of an acquired communication and/or swallowing disorder can have on long term client outcomes. Morton, Davidson, and Cruice present the results of a study aimed at improving the way in which social participation – hence the real life impact of communication and swallowing disorders – is measured. But arguably, the most compelling insights presented in this issue belong to Summers, who shares her personal experience of living with primary progressive aphasia. Bringing together her rich and elaborate professional and personal life experiences, personal beliefs and values, the information she has gleaned from contact with students and clinicians, and an inspiring outlook on life, Summers reflects on the enablers of a positive journey. It takes great knowledge, skill, and wisdom to identify, understand, and predict the influence of communication and swallowing difficulties on a person’s life. It takes even greater courage and generosity to share those with, and for the benefit of, others in pursuit of the best life possible for all.

44 What’s the evidence? Tips for

accessing evidence from research – Sue McAllister

45 Webwords 54: Prognosis,

prediction, pitch, and paradox – Caroline Bowen

47 Top 10 resources: Prediction and prognosis – Wendy-Mae Rapson

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JCPSLP Volume 18, Number 1 2016

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au