Browsing by Author "Dharmarathna, N.I."

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A comparison of errors in languages spoken by Sinhala- English bilinguals with Post-Stroke Aphasia
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2015, 2014) Dharmarathna, N.I.; Bakmeewewa, D.A.
Bilinguals are defined as those who use two languages in daily communication. Aphasia as an acquired language disorder virtually affects all languages of the bilingual speaker, often in varying degrees. The Clinical picture of the bilingual aphasic is of great interest to researchers, as the bilingual population of the world continues to increase. As a multi- ethnic country, bilingualism continues to grow in Sri Lanka. The knowledge of multiple languages has led to the functional elaboration of all languages known especially in Sinhala-English bilinguals. Yet, there is a severe dearth on bilingual aphasic literature in the Sri Lankan Speech & Language Therapy context.
Physiological parameters of breast-feeding in pre-term and full-term infants with feeding disorders
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Prasangi, N.T.P.G.B.; Dharmarathna, N.I.
Background: Breastfeeding is the most effective technique of supplying nutrients to young infants for proper growth and development. This method uses a variety of instruments and procedures, but they all rely on factual observation. The purpose of the study was to describe physiological parameters of breast-feeding in pre-term and full-term infants with feeding disorders, in order to identify physiological manifestations of breast-feeding leading to feeding disorders in infants, as well as to determine the physiological differences of breast-feeding between preterm and full-term born infants. Methods: This research was an observational, cross-sectional study. The study setting was the Feeding/ Swallowing Support Clinic, Ayati Center, Ragama. Fifty-three (n=53) breast feeding infants from 0-12 months were used for this quantitative research study to collect video recordings of breast-feeding sessions. The videos were recorded at the middle of the breast-feeding sessions and the duration was about two minutes. Twenty (20) videos were randomly selected for the Inter-rater reliability test. The physiological parameters were collected after analysing the videos. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 26.0) software. Results: We found excellent inter-rater reliability to obtain the selected set of physiological parameters of breast feeding in infants. Significant differences were reported in oxygen saturation measures (t=2.848, df =14.967, P=0.019), respiratory frequency (t=2.635, df=14.967, P=0.019) and changes in pulse rate (t= 2.933, df=50.967, P=0.005) during feeding between pre-term infants and term infants. Significantly higher oxygen saturation levels were reported in full-term infants compared to that of pre-term infants, which may indicate atypical suck-swallow-breathe coordination in pre-term infants. Pearson correlation test revealed that milk intake per feed significantly increased when the gestational age increased (r (52) = 0.444, P = <.001). Conclusion: This study shows that understanding breast-feeding with objective parameters is feasible and reliable during clinical feeding assessment, with an innovative approach to incorporate video recorded data. These measures are easy-to-obtain and no additional cost is required. This method highlights the importance of understanding the unique suck-swallow-breathe coordination in breast-feeding infants. Further, the significant physiological differences of the breast-feeding mechanism between pre-term and full-term infants will help clinicians to understand whether a preterm infant is ready to be orally fed and to compare their suck-swallow skills over time and over intervention objectively.
Primary caregivers’ satisfaction on the provision of Speech and Language Therapy services for adults via telehealth in Sri Lankan Clinical Context
(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Ginigaddara, S.N.; Panterliyon, N.A.; Dharmarathna, N.I.
Background: With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth services became prominent as the main mode of service delivery, though it was not promptly practiced in Sri Lanka before. Therefore, speech and language therapists have started using social media platforms and social communication applications to deliver their services. In this context, the current study was conducted to determine the feasibility of utilizing telehealth for speech- language therapy services for adults with communication and swallowing difficulties in Sri Lanka. Mostly, adults with communication and swallowing difficulties may require support from a caregiver to facilitate telehealth sessions. Objectives: The study aimed 1-to determine the primary caregivers’ level of satisfaction on receiving speech- language therapy services for adults via telehealth, 2-to determine the socio-demographic factors which influence the primary caregivers’ level of satisfaction and 3- to identify the advantages and the limitations of telehealth from the perception of the primary caregivers. Methods: A mixed method study was conducted with one hundred and seven (n=107) participants who were identified from the two main adult rehabilitation hospitals and one private clinic in Sri Lanka. Study participants were Sinhala or English-speaking primary caregivers who had assisted the clients in receiving speech-language telehealth services. Every participant was asked to complete a self-administered online questionnaire which includes the adapted version of the "TeleMedicine Perception Questionnaire” (TMPQ), which was used as the main data collection instrument. Participants’ perceptions on the advantages and limitations of telehealth practices and the participants’ suggestions to overcome the limitations were collected as qualitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 software. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using a simple thematic analysis to identify the themes of advantages and limitations and suggestions of telehealth practice as perceived by the caregivers. Results: The mean total score (mean=75, SD= +2.76) of the TMPQ scale revealed that most of the primary caregivers were satisfied with the service delivered. A significant negative correlation between the age of the primary caregiver and the TMPQ total score was found (r=-.27, p=.006). When comparing the mean TMPQ scores, a significant difference was reported between caregivers who are siblings of the client and caregivers who are the offspring of the client (F (3.103) = 3.107, p = .030). The satisfaction level was more when the caregiver was an offspring (mean= 75.50, SD= + 2.38) of the client than it was a sibling (mean = 72.43, SD = + 4.392). Qualitative thematic analysis revealed cost-effectiveness, time effectiveness and safety of the client due to minimum exposure to COVID were the most common advantages perceived by the primary caregivers in Sri Lanka. Conclusion: According to the researchers’ understanding, this is the first study conducted to evaluate caregivers’ perceptions on telehealth in speech-language therapy in Sri Lanka. As in any other challenging situation, there are novel and innovative approaches that people develop to continue their lifestyle. During this pandemic, the world has witnessed the utilizing of modern technology for improved healthcare provision, including various telehealth practice modes. Even in an under-resourced country like Sri Lanka, the families are satisfied with the care they received for their loved ones through telehealth modes.