IN FOCUS: Explore the future of profession - 2022
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/25599
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Item Knowledge and attitudes toward children with specific learning disabilities among primary school teachers in the Mathugama Educational Zone; a preliminary study(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Kumari, H.R.G.M.; de Silva, M.D.K.Background: The teachers’ role in identifying Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in primary grades is significant, and teachers play a unique role in this process. To make the education for the students with SLD successful, teachers require knowledge of different types of SLD and an understanding of their students with SLD.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate primary school teachers’ knowledge and attitudes toward children with specific learning disabilities (SLD).Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 248 primary school teachers. The self-selection sampling method was used to select participants from the Mathugama Educational Zone in Sri Lanka. An online questionnaire was used to collect data, and the questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: demographical details, teachers’ knowledge, and their attitudes toward children with SLD. Results: Most primary school teachers are conversant on some aspects of children with SLD such as characteristics of SLD and handling a child with SLD in the regular class. Teachers’ knowledge of SLD significantly changed according to gender (p < .05). This indicated that males have more knowledge about SLD than female teachers. However, there was no significant association between teachers’ knowledge with other demographical details such as age, teaching experience, educational level, teaching grade, training in special education, and having a student with SLD in the class. Overall, participants have positive attitudes about training programs.Conclusion: Overall, most of the study participants had average knowledge levels in areas such as management of children with SLD, risk factors, and some symptoms about SLD. However, knowledge level in some symptoms such as IQ level and aetiology of SLD were inadequate. Attitudes regarding their responsibilities in managing children with SLD were positive. On the contrary, a majority of teachers do not have positive attitudes to raise the quality of life of children with SLD and they reported that they felt more sympathy toward the student with SLD than the student without SLD. The study further revealed that most participants had not attended the training programs on teaching children with SLD. Therefore, the relevant institutes or authorities should implement frequent workshops to improving the above aspects regarding the knowledge and attitudes of SLD.Item Mobile applications for auditory verbal therapy: review of content and quality(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Dharmawardana, M.G.N.W.; de Silva, M.D.K.Background: The number of mobile health (mHealth) applications has been rapidly increasing recently (apps). Finding high-quality apps that are therapeutically beneficial is a challenge for health professionals and their families. We undertook a comprehensive search and evaluation of Auditory Verbal Therapy mobile apps. Also offered is an evidence-based strategy for locating appropriate apps in the Google Play and Apple app store. Objectives: This study mainly focused on assessing the quality appraisal of the mobile applications for auditory-verbal therapy. Methods: This study used the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.” Between October 2021 and March 2022, we did a thorough scan of the Google Play and Apple app store app marketplaces. Results: A total of 1076 apps were found using eight predefined search criteria. After a thorough review, 39 apps were selected for further consideration. The Mobile Application Rating scale was used to assess them by two reviewers. None of them were very good. Six apps had good quality, 32 had mediocre quality, and three had bad or extremely poor quality. Conclusions: The rapid rise of mHealth emphasizes the importance of developing rigorous and efficient mechanisms for finding and retrieving apps, as well as evaluating their therapeutic effectiveness. Due to the difficulty in accessing auditory-verbal therapy services around the world, mHealth promises therapy benefits when apps are dependable, valid, and easy to find.Item Central Auditory Processing Skills in children with a history of early-onset Otitis Media: A scoping review(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Damayanthi, T.G.J.L.; Umesha, T.; de Silva, M.D.K.; Jayasena, B.N.Background: Central auditory processing is characterized by the perception and processing of neural information related to the auditory inputs through the human ears and it is vital for speech perception, language skills, and complex learning functions. Auditory deprivation in the early years of life impacts neural maturation of the central auditory nervous system and lowers the ability to process neural information related to aural inputs. Otitis media is known to be the most frequent middle ear infection and a common reason for auditory deprivation among the paediatric population worldwide. Hence, this study focused on auditory deprivation due to otitis media during the early years of life. Many primary pieces of research have been conducted to assess the long-term influence of auditory deprivation due to otitis media on central auditory processing, which lasts over years even after the resolution of the middle ear condition. This study reviewed literature where the long-term effect of otitis media is assessed through behavioural and electrophysiological measures, in children with a history of otitis media within the first five years of their lives. Objectives: To summarize Audiological assessments used to evaluate central auditory processing and to describe central auditory processing skills in children with a history of early-onset otitis media. Methods: This review followed the methodological framework outlined by Arksey & O̕̕Mally (2005) and developed by Levac et al. (2010). Studies conducted from 2000-2020 involving human participants aged ≤18 years, belonging to any gender or geographical context, having a history of otitis media within the first 5 years of life, having normal hearing and normal middle ear condition by the time of study conducted, were included in the review. Studies involving participants with any type of hearing loss before the age of 05 years due to other reasons except otitis media, comment/text literature, and studies with no free accessibility to the full text, and an English translation were excluded. Literature was searched in PubMed, EBSCO host, and Scopus databases, and eligibility was assessed by two reviewers independently. Included studies were critically appraised using standard tools. Extracted data were reported following the systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews checklist.Results: The review resulted in 13 eligible articles. Some have used behavioural measures only (08), and electrophysiological measures only (03) while 02 have used both. Poor auditory processing skills and alterations in electrophysiological measurements were reported in children with a history of otitis media within the first five years of their lives, compared to children without a history. Conclusion: As per the reviewed studies, there is a negative association between central auditory processing and the history of otitis media within the first five years of life, which persists beyond its resolution.Item Development and validation of a documenting tool for an Instrumental Feeding Assessment; Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)(University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2022) Amunugama, E.M.D.W.H.L.; de Silva, M.D.K.Background: Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is an emerging assessment in speech therapy practice in Sri Lanka. However, the absence of an appropriate documentation system has been a major issue due to a lack of consensus on the format of reporting the findings of FEES among different clinical settings and missing essential areas of assessment. The study focused on developing and validating a documentation system for FEES, which can assess people who have no prior clinical examination history.Methods: For this validation study (action research), the modified Delphi method with 2 rounds was conducted with 7 speech therapists who are involved in conducting FEES in government hospitals and in the private sector. Two independent rounds through online questionnaires were conducted to finalize and validate the developed tool. The first round focused on finalizing the developed tool and round two considered content face validation of the finalized tool. Results: The record sheet for FEES was finalized with the accepted components and suggestions from both Delphi panels. The Delphi panels agreed with the content with an excellent content validity index score for face validation of the tool. The finalized tool consisted of 3 subsystems: pre-FEES, FEES findings and post FEES. Conclusion: A comprehensive record sheet was developed during the study to address the lack of a proper documentation system for FEES in clinical settings in Sri Lanka. The tool was designed in a clinician-friendly manner where a clinician can evaluate an outpatient who has not gone through a bedside evaluation. The content and face validity reflected user-friendliness and reliability of included items.