Special Education and Speech & Language Therapy
The Special Education and Speech&Language Therapy Journal (SESLT) is a online Bulgarian academic journal (online ISSN 2683-1384) intended to present advances in science, science-related news and exchange of experience in the fields of education, teaching and training, rehabilitation, therapy and inclusion of individuals with special educational needs and/or communication disorders. This journal is a successor of the print media ‘Journal of Special Education & Speech-Language Therapy’ (ISSN 2367-7821 print) and ‘Journal of Special Education’ (ISSN 1310-7003).
Faculty of Educational Studies and the Arts (Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski")
Copyright (c) 2025 Специална педагогика и логопедия https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Inclusion in Diversity: Equity and Accessibility for All
Copyright (c) 2025 Емануела Стоилова https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Statistical Observation on the Applicability of The Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children`S Version (Aq-Child) in the Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
The article presents a study investigating the feasibility of The Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children`s Version (Baron-Cohen et. al., 2007) as a screening tool for assessing markers associated with autism spectrum disorders in children aged 4–11 years. A two-stage study was conducted by surveying the parents of 39 children divided into 3 groups: the “Autism Spectrum Group” – children with autism spectrum disorders (AGR; n = 19); the “SEN Group” – children with other developmental disorders (SGR; n = 4); and the “Control Group” – typically developing children (CGR; n = 16). Analysis of the data revealed significant differences in outcomes between the different groups of children studied. Children in the autism spectrum group showed higher overall scores in all categories of autism traits with almost proportional patterns ranging from 74 to 130.5 points with a mean coefficient of 2.05. Children with other developmental disorders showed a mean total score of 62.5 points and a median coefficient value of 1.23. The control group had the lowest score, 44.53 points, with a median coefficient of 0.89. In addition, the analysis of variance – ANOVA – of the data showed that the scores of the children in the three groups of the study differed in terms of their skills in the areas covered by the questionnaire, suggesting that the survey instrument used has the potential to correctly reflect these differences. The statistical observation conducted on the AQ-Child`s potential as a screening tool can complement the existing information on individuals with autism spectrum disorder in Bulgaria. In this sense, it would expand the possibilities of the existing assessment toolkit in the work of child development specialists to detect deviations and possible risks in key developmental areas.
Copyright (c) 2025 Силвия Крайчева https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of Social Learning in the Inclusion of Children and Students with Special Educational Needs
Social functioning and inclusion of children and students with special educational needs are critical aspects of their development in society. In recent years, policies in the Bulgarian educational system have outlined real changes for children and students with special educational needs, providing them with the opportunity to be included in the educational environment of kindergartens and schools, to develop their potential, and to realize themselves as full-fledged citizens of society. Inclusive education is aimed at optimal support for individual personal functioning in childhood and adolescence, and at limiting the risk factors within it. A key focus is social functioning and learning, which provide perspective and opportunity for children and students with special needs included in the educational environment to learn and play. Social functioning encompasses the individual's ability to interact successfully with others and to participate actively in public life. For children with special educational needs, this means developing communication, cooperation, and independence skills. Well-developed social functioning improves the quality of life for children, increases their self-confidence and helps them feel accepted and valued. This study analyzes and summarizes scientific theories and models in the field of social learning by examining the special literature from the databases Researchgate Scientific Research Publishing, Scispace, Scholar, drawing attention to the essential role it plays in the educational context. The applications of the considered theories in the education of children and students in the context of inclusive education are studied. International research confirms that social-emotional learning improves academic achievement, social engagement and adaptability of children with special educational needs.
Copyright (c) 2025 Цветомира Ангелова https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Specificity of Articulation in Children with Cleft Lips and/or Cleft Palate
Intelligible articulation represents a primary indicator of speech and language development. It constitutes a critical factor for effective interpersonal communication, social integration, and quality of life, which in childhood is strongly associated with the development of learning skills and academic achievement. Cleft lip and/or palate is a congenital malformation frequently linked to difficulties in speech and, in some cases, language development. Articulation is most profoundly affected, with errors that exhibit distinct characteristics. These are generally attributed to compensatory mechanisms and maladaptive motor patterns of the articulators. The objective of the present study is to determine whether articulation errors in children with cleft lip and/or palate are specific in nature and whether they are related to compensatory articulation. The sample comprised 30 individuals with different forms of the malformation, aged between 3 and 16 years (mean = 9.8; SD = 3.49), who had undergone speech therapy of varying duration. The following instruments were employed: the Diagnostic Test for Articulation and Phonology (DAF) (Boyadzhieva-Deleva, 2023), a diagnostic protocol for articulation analysis developed by the “Trusted Speech Therapists Network” of the “Association for Facial Anomalies” and a set of informal diagnostic tasks targeting oral praxis and speech perception. The results delineate the profile of articulation disorders in children with craniofacial malformations. In more than 50% of the participants, the errors identified were non-specific to cleft lip and/or palate (rhotacism, lambdacism, sigmatism). Compensatory articulatory mechanisms were observed in only 36.7% of the sample. The most frequently identified mechanism involved compensatory tongue movements intended to reduce nasal emission or the likelihood of its occurrence. In conclusion, the study outlines the predominant tendencies and error patterns that should be addressed in order to enhance overall speech quality and intelligibility in children with cleft lip and/or palate.
Copyright (c) 2025 Елена Бояджиева-Делева, Ивана Димитрова https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Review of monograph „Working in an assessment team within an inclusive educational environment. Informal assessment of behaviour patterns“ by Diana Ignatova
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Clinical competences of speech and language therapists in assessemеnt and treatment of dysphagia
Dysphagia is a disorder that has recently been included in the education of speech and language therapy students in our country. Practicing speech therapists also have little knowledge and skills in this field. The present article discusses the requirements for clinical competencies of speech and language therapists, listed in a number of literature sources and guidelines of professional organizations abroad. Specific methods for assessment and treatment are presented that need to be translated into particular knowledge and skills and implemented in dysphagia treatment. The summary is aimed at the fact that in Bulgaria the criteria for acquiring professional competencies for working with chewing and swallowing disorders should be clearly defined. References: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1997-2020). Feeding and swallowing disorders in children. From: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/Feeding-and-Swallowing-Disorders-in-Children/ American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1997-2020). Swallowing disorders in adults. From: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/Swallowing-Disorders-in-Adults/ Groher, M. (2010). Dysphagia: Clinical Management in Adults and Children. Missouri: Elsevier, pp. 18-42. Hardy, E., & Robinson, N. (1999). Swallowing Disorders. Treatment Manual, 2nd ed. Austin, Texas: Proed. Kipping, P., & Ross-Swain, D. (2003). Swallowing Ability and Function Evaluation. Austin, Texas: Proed. Leonard, R., & Kendal, K. (2019). Assessment and Treatment Planning. A Team Approach, 4th ed. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc. Leslie, P., Drinnan, M. J., Ford, G. A. & Wilson, J. A. (2005). Swallow respiratory patterns and aging: presbyphagia or dysphagia? Journals of Gerontolology. Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, March, 60(3), 391-395. Logemann, J. (2007). Dysphagia: Basic Assessment and Management. In: Medical Speech-Language Pathology. A Practitioner’s Guide, 2nd ed., ed by Hiscock, T., New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc, 131-147. Marik, P.E. & Kaplan, D. (2003). Aspiration pneumonia and dysphagia in the elderly. Chest, Jul, 124 (1), 328-336. Murry, T., Carrau, R., & Chan, K. (2018). Clinical Management of Swallowing Disorders, 4th ed. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc. Perlman, A. (2004). Dysphagia, Oral and Pharyngeal. In: The MIT Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders, ed. by R. Kent, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 132-134. Pinder, G., & Faherty, A. (1999). Issues in Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing. In Clinical Management of Motor Speech Disorders in Children, Caruso, A., & Strand, E., eds. New York: Thieme, pp. 281-318. Pokieser, P., & Scharitzer, M. (2012). The Clinical and Radiological Approach to Dysphagia. In: Diagnosis and Treatment, ed by Ekberg, O., Spinger, 201-236. Position Statement on Practice Education during Initial Speech and Language Therapy Education Programmes. From: https://cplol.eu/images/practice-educ_pos_stat.pdf. Shipley, K., & McAfee, J. (2016). Assessment of Neurologically Based Communicative Disorders, 5th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage learning, 525-582. Revised IALP EDUCATION GUIDELINES (Jan 26, 2009). Guidelines for Initial Education in Speech Language Pathology IALP. From: https://ialpasoc.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Revised-IALP-Guidelines-for-Initial-Education-of-SLT.pdf.
Speech and language therapy planning in telepractice
Telepractice is the provision of interventions (diagnosis, therapy, counseling and mentoring) from a distance, in which telecommunications provide the medium for the interactions between the speech therapist, the patient, the latter’s relatives and other professionals. The transition from direct to remote form of speech therapy work requires a reformulation of therapeutic goals and an adaptation of the tasks and the means to achieve them, so as to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy. The aim of the present study is to establish how the impact of telepractice on the components of therapeutic planning is assessed in cases where remote work is the only possible form of speech therapy intervention as well as what is the professionals’ subjective assessment of its advantages and disadvantages based on their own experience. Twenty-three speech therapists from all kinds of spheres were interviewed: education, healthcare, social assistance and private practice. The obtained results can serve as a starting point in the planning of speech therapy strategies in the conditions of telepractice and in the understanding of their main components: temporal, technical and technological, content-related and methodological. References: Boyadzhieva-Deleva, E. (2020). Speech and language therapy in a state of emergency: advantages and disadvantages of telepractice. Knowledge International Journal, vol. 40, No.4, 681-686, ISSN 2545-4439 (for printed version), ISSN 1857-923X (for e-version). Goranova, E. (2020). Telepractice and the biofeedback methodology in assistance to an individual who stutters. A case study. Special Education and Speech & Language Therapy, vol. 1, ISSN 2683-1384, 91-104. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, ASHA. (2019). Telepractice: An Overview. Available from: https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/telepractice/#collapse_2.html. Bachmeyer-Lee, M.H., Kirkwood, C.A., Sheehan, C.M., Gibson, A.L., Shuler, N.J., & Keane, J.A. (2020). Utilizing in-vivo feedback for caregivers training of pediatric feeding protocols. Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, DOI: 10.1002/jaba.693. Curtiss, S., Pearson, J., Akamoglu, Y., Fisher, K.W., Snodgrass, M., Meyer, L., Meadan, H., & Halle, J. (2016). Bringing instructional strategies home: reaching families online. Teaching Exceptional Children, 48(3), 159-167. DOI: 10.1177/0040059915605816. Freckmann, A., Hines, M., & Lincoln, M. (2017). Clinicians' perspectives of therapeutic alliance in face-to-face and telepractice speech-language pathology sessions. International Journal of Speech and Language Pathology, Jun; 19(3): 287-296. DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2017.1292547. Grillo, E. (2017). Results of a survey offering clinical insights into speech-language pathology Telepractice methods. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 9(2), 25-30. DOI: 10.5195/ijt.2017.6230. Hall, N., Boisvert, M., & Steele, R. (2013). Telepractice in the assessment and treatment of individuals with aphasia: a systematic review. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 5(1), 27-38. DOI: 10.5195/ijt.2013.6119. Krikheli, L., Carey, L.B., McDonald, C.E., & Malik, N. (2017). Telehealth use in Speech-Language Pathology: An exploratory scoping review (prepared for Cabrini Health, Victoria). Melbourne: La Trobe University, Participatory Field Placement Report, pp. 1–52. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/563260. Macoir, J., Sauvageau, V.M., Boissy, P., Tousignant, M., & Tousignant, M. (2017). In-home synchronous telespeech therapy to improve functional communication in chronic poststroke aphasia: Results from a quasi-experimental study. Telemedicine Journal and E-Health, 23, 630–639. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28112589. Overby, M. (2018). Stakeholders’ qualitative perspectives of effective telepractice pedagogy in speech-language pathology. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, January-February, 53(1), 101-112. DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12329. Raatz, M., Ward, E., & Marshall, J. (2020). Telepractice for the delivery of pediatric feeding services: a survey of practice investigating clinician perceptions and current service models in Australia. Dysphagia, vol. 35, 378–388. DOI: 10.1007/s00455-019-10042-9. Rangarathnam, B., McCullough, G., Pickett, H., Zraick, R.I., Tulunay-Ugur, O., & McCullough, K. (2015). Telepractice versus in-person delivery of voice therapy for primary muscle tension dysphonia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 24, 386-399. DOI: 10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0017. Snodgrass, M.R., Chung, M.Y., Biller, M.F., Appel, K.E., Meadan, H., & Halle, J.W. (2017). Telepractice in speech-language therapy: the use of online technologies for parent training and coaching. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 38(4), 242–254. DOI: 10.1177/1525740116680424. Wales, D., Skinner, L., & Hayman, M. (2017). The efficacy of telehealth-delivered speech and language intervention for primary school-age children: A systematic review. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 9(1), 55–70. DOI: 10.5195/ijt.2017.6219. Weidner, K., & Lowman, J. (2020). Telepractice for adult speech-language pathology services: a systematic review. Perspectives of the ASHA Special 326 Interest Groups, Vol. 5, 326–338. DOI: 10.1044/2019_PERSP-19-00146.
In support of the professional orientation of schoolchildren with intellectual disability
On the basis of EU policies and the Bulgarian law, the article is focused on opportunities for the provision of guidelines and professional orientation to schoolchildren with intellectual disability within the framework of school education. Different opportunities for getting this group of schoolchildren interested in and acquainted with different professions are presented, as well as for enhancing their motivation for becoming proficient in them. The authors share their own positive experience supported by the views of other practitioners. References: Ministerstvo na obrazovanieto i naukata na Republika Bŭlgariya (2015). Zakon za preduchilishtno i uchilishtno obrazovanie. https://www.mon.bg/upload/23949/zkn_PedUchObrazovanie-izm092020.pdf. Ministerstvo na obrazovanieto i naukata na Republika Bŭlgariya (2018). Zakon za profesionalnoto obrazovanie i obuchenie. https://www.mon.bg/upload/18377/zkn_POO_06112018.pdf. Evropeyski sayuz (2017). Harta na osnovnite prava na ES. V: Spravochnik za Evropeyskia sayuz, S., 2017. OON. KONVENTsIA NA OON ZA PRAVATA NA HORATA S UVREZhDANIA. DV. br. 37 ot 15 may 2012 g. (Ratifitsirana sas zakon, priet ot 41-oto Narodno sabranie na 26 yanuari 2012 g. - DV, br. 12 ot 2012 g. V sila za Republika Bulgaria ot 21 april 2012 g.). Ministerski savet. POSTANOVLENIE 63 NA MS. Obn., DV, br. 32 ot 23 april 1991 g Bogdanova, M. (2015). Professional Orientation and Consulting System for Children with Special Needs in Bulgaria – History and Current Status. Vocational education, Volume 17, Number 1, 47 – 70. Iskrev, D.(2000). Osnovi na profesionalnoto orientirane. Blagoevgrad: Univ. izd. “Neofit Rilski”. Terziyska, P. (2003). Personal social development of mentally retarded pupils in mass school conditions. Pedagogy, No 6, 42 – 50. Terziyska, P.(2006). Obuchenieto po rodinoznanie I prirodoznanie na deca sus specialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti. Studiq V: “Osobenosti v metodikata na obuchenie pri deca sus secialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti”. Blagoevgrad: Univ. izd. “Neofit Rilski”, 3 – 43. Terziyska, P.(2001). Labour education in the primary classes of the school for mentally retarded pupils. Pedagogy, No 7, 47 – 54. Todorov, At., Kostadinov, D.(2010). Koncepciq za korekciq na sistemata za obrazovanie I profesionalno-trudova podgotovka na deca I uchenici s intelektualni zatrudneniq. Organizaciq I upravlenie na uchilishteto I detskata gradina, kn. 2, 133 – 145. Vasilev, D., Merdjanova, Q. (2003). Teoriq I metodika na profesionalnoto orientirane. Sofiq: University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Zamfirov, M., Charalambous, M.(2017). Implementation of Service for Professional Orientation and Realization of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Cyprus. Vocational education, Volume 19, Number 5, 513 – 518.
schoolchildren with intellectual disability
140 years since the birth of Helen Keller research on a unique personality
The present research is not committed to the chronology of Helen Keller’s life path, but it rather puts the emphasis on the dynamics of the multiple dimensions in the development of her unique personality. The purpose of this research is to analyze systematically and to summarize the fundamental directions that Helen Keller’s activities followed, drawing the attention to unknown and little-known ideas and facts about her life that recent research of others has thrown light upon. The analyzed historical documents show that the initial education of this deaf-blind person does not evolve on the basis of pure chance and spontaneity, but comes in result of the thorough training provided by her remarkable and unconventional teacher Anne Sullivan. It has been found out that she described her pedagogical experience not only in her letters to Hopkins, but in her correspondence with M. Anagnos and in the yearbooks of the School for the Blind in Boston. Helen Keller’s education was based upon 4 major support pillars: the initial experience in the education of the deaf-blind, the psychology of child development at the end of the 19-th century, the influence of Montessori’s methodology and Anne Sullivan’s personal experience and pedagogical intuitiveness. After outlining how she mastered the fundamental concepts, we then follow Keller’s intellectual growth and creative development. On the basis of her diverse social activities we have explored the following: the attitude towards blindness, religion, pacifism and humanism, socialist ideas and feminism, as well as personal life. References: Kelar, H. (2004). Istoriyata na moya zhivot. Balgarska asotsiatsia za obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni detsa, Sofia. Kelar, H. (1995). Istoriyata na moya zhivot. Izdatelstvo „VEDA SLOVENA-ZhG“, Sofia. Radulov, V. (1978). Elena Keler. Narodna prosveta, br. 12, str. 81 – 83. Radulov, V. (1995). Detsata sas spetsialni pedagogicheski nuzhdi v uchilishteto i obshtestvoto. Reklamno-poligrafska kashta „DARS“, Burgas. Radulov, V. (2004). Pedagogika na zritelno zatrudnenite. Universitetsko izdatelstvo „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“, Sofia. Radulov, V. (2017). Istoria na pedagogikata na zritelno zatrudnenite. Izdatelstvo „FENOMEN“. Radulov, V. (2018). Sotsialnata deynost na Helan Kelar. Obuchenie i rehabilitatsia na zritelno zatrudnenite, br. 1, str. 19 - 26. Rosalem, H. (2008). An Salivan: analiz na neynite prepodavatelski tehniki. Obuchenie i rehabilitatsia na zritelno zatrudnenite, br. 1, str 6-12. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M. (2002). Obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni detsa s mnozhestvo uvrezhdania i na slyapogluhi. „Ekoprint“, Sofia. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M. (2004). Obuchenie na slyapogluhi detsa i yunoshi. Universitetsko izdatelstvo „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“, Sofia. American Foundation for the Blind - www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive Brolin, K. (2018). What Does Helen Keller’s Legacy Mean to the Organized Blind Movement and the World Beyond? Braille Monitor, June, 2018. Hudson, M. (2018). "Why Is Helen Keller the Only Blind Person Anyone Knows?" Future Reflections, volume 37, 3, 2018. Lash, J. (1981). Helen and teacher. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy. Dell Publishing Co, New York. Lowenfeld B. (1981). Helen Keller: A Remembrance, Berthold Lowenfeld on Blindness and Blind people. American foundation for the Blind, New York. Macy, J. (1905). The story of my life by Helen Keller with her letters. Doubleday, Page & Company.
The bulgarian sign language act – a necessity for inclusive education
Telepractice and the biofeedback methodology in assistance to an individual who stutters
Telepractice is widely used in the medical practice in developed countries for the provision of healthcare services in general (Balas et al., 1997) and in particular for the provision of consultations, diagnostics and therapy of individuals with speech-language pathology (Mashima & Doarn, 2008; Theodoros, 2008). The objective of the research, presented in the current article, is to examine the possible implementation of a distance Biofeedback training in the course of providing therapy to an individual who stutters via an ‘iFeel Bluetooth HRV’ sensor for home use under a therapist’s supervision. A case study of an individual who stutters is described. The therapy includes specialized Biofeedback equipment (Vezenkov, 2010; 2011) and Preparatory set technique which is used for the modification of stuttering at the moment of its occurrence (Ward, 2006). The therapy includes 6 phases: diagnostics, supervision, Biofeedback training, breathing training with the inclusion of speech tasks, transfer of the new skills into a speech environment and subsequent diagnostics. The initial findings show a 30% decrease of the stuttering frequency immediately after the therapy, thus the stuttering severity was decreased from severe to mild. The severity of the average duration of the three longest spasms and the accompanying movements is also reported to have improved by 40 percent. These preliminary findings suggest that the application of the Biofeedback approach in speech therapy has the potential to ensure the successful provision of Telepractice therapy to clients with stuttering. References: Boyadzhieva-Deleva, E. (2015). Sbornik formulyari za logopedichnata praktika. Pomagalo za studenti po logopediya. Sofiya, UI "Sv. Kliment Ohridski". Goranova, E. G. (2016). Model za kompleksno logopedichno i funktsionalno izsledvane, identifitsirane i diferentsirane na vidove i podvidove plavnostni narusheniya na rechta, Doktorska disertatsiya, UPres "N. Rilski", Blagoevgrad. Simonska, M. (2013). Diagnostika na zaekvaneto v preduchulishtna vasrast (metodichesko rakovodstvo). Izdatelstvo "BON", Blagoevgrad. Vezenkov, S.R. (2011). Prilozhna nevrfiziologia na choveka. EEG feedback and biofeedback. UPres "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad. Vezenkov, S.R., Goranova, E.G. (2013). Somatichna povedencheska terapia. Biofeedback-paradigmi, problemi,prilozhenia, efikasnost. Isdatelstvo Neofeedback, Sofia. American Speech – Language - Hearing Association. (2019). Telepractice: Overview. https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Telepractice/. Balas, E.A ., Jaffrey, F., Kuperman, J., & Boren, A. (1997). Electronic communication with patients: evaluation of distance medicine technology. JAMA. 278(2), 152-159. Carey, B., O’Brian, S., Onslow, M., Block, S., Packman, A. & Jones, M. (2010). Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial of a telehealth treatment for chronic stuttering: The Camperdown Program. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 45, 108–120. Duffy, J.R., Werven, G.W. & Aronson, A. E. (1997). Telemedicine and the diagnosis of speech and language disorders. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 72(2), 1116–222. doi: 10.4065/72.12.111. Harrison, E., Wilson, L. & Onslow, M. (1999). Distance intervention for early stuttering with the Lidcombe Program. Advances in Speech Language Pathology, 1, 31-36. Hill, A. & Theodoros, D. (2002). Research into telehealth applications in speech-language pathology. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 8(4), 187-96. Kully, D. (2000). Telehealth in speech pathology: Applications to the treatment of stuttering. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 6, S39–S41. Kully, D. (2002). Venturing into telehealth: Applying interactive technologies to stuttering treatment. ASHA Leader, 7, 6–7. Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 184–195. Lewis, C., Packman, A., Onslow, M., Simpson, J. & Jones, M. (2008). A Phase II trial of telehealth delivery of the Lidcombe Program of Early Stuttering. American Journal Speech Language Pathology, 17 (2), 139-49. Lowe, R., O'Brian, S., & Onslow, M. (2014). Review of Telehealth Stuttering Management. Folia Phoniatr Logop, 65, 223-238. Manning, W. H. (2000). Clinical Decision Making in Fluency Disorders. Diego, California, Second Edition. Vancouver, Canada: Singular, 114. Mashima, P. A., Doarn, C. R. (2008). Overview of telehealth activities in speech-language pathology. Telemedicine and e-Health, 14, 1101–1117. McGill, M., Noureal, N., & Siegel, J. (2018). Telepractice Treatment of Stuttering: A Systematic Review. Telemedicine Journal and e-Health, 25(5), 359-368. O’Brian, S., Onslow, M., Cream, A. & Packman, A. (2003). The Camperdown Program: Outcomes of a new prolonged-speech treatment model. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 46, 933–946. O’Brian, S., Packman, A. & Onslow, M. (2008). Telehealth delivery of the Camperdown Program for adults who stutter: A Phase I trial. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 184–195. Riley, G.D. (2009). Stuttering severity instrument for children and adults (SSI-4) 4th ed. Pro-Ed, Inc; Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Sicotte, C., Lehoux, P., Fortier-Blanc, J. & Leblanc, Y. (2003). Feasibility and outcome evaluation of a telemedicine application in speech-language pathology. Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 46, 933–946. Theodoros, D. G. (2008). Telerehabilitation for Service Delivery in Speech-Language Pathology. J Telemed Telecare, 14(5), 221-224. Ward, D. (2006). Stuttering and Cluttering. Frameworks for understanding and treatment. New York: Psychology press. Wilson, L., Onslow, M. & Lincoln, M. (2004). Telehealth adaptation of the Lidcombe Program of Early Stuttering Intervention: Five case studies. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 13, 81–93.
Robot- assisted speech and language therapy for children with hearing impairment
Robots become very popular in research on learning, education and rehabilitation especially for children with disabilities. Our paper presents a study of a robot-assisted speech and language therapy session with eleven hearing-impaired children who use cochlear implant(s). The study explores the opportunity of using a humanoid robot for the development of speech, language and listening skills. NAO cannot articulate, therefore, children cannot do lip-reading. We considered that this special characteristic of the robot would provoke the participating children to use actively their listening. Results showed how NAO assisted speech and language therapy sessions with hearing-impaired children who use two different communication modalities – total communication and auditory-oral. References: Arendsen, J., Janssen, J. B., Begeer, S.& Stekelenburg F. C. (2010). The use of robots in social behavior tutoring for children with ASD. In: Proceedings of the 28th Annual European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics (pp. 371-372). New York: ACM. Bacciu, A., Pasanisi, E., Vincenti, V., Ormitti, F., Di Lella, F., Guida, M., Berghenty, M. & Bacciu, S. (2009). Cochlear implantation in children with cerebral palsy. A preliminary report. International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 73 (5), 717-721. Belpaeme, T., Baxter, P., De Greeff, J., Kennedy, J., Read, R., Looije, R., Neerincx, M., Baroni, I. & Zelati, M. C. (2013). Child-robot interaction: Perspectives and challenges. In: International Conference on Social Robotics (pp. 452-459). Cham: Springer. Cifuentes, C.A., Pinto, M.J., Céspedes, N.& Munera, M. (2020). Social Robots in Therapy and Care. Current Robotics Report. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43154-020-00009-2. Cooper, H., & Craddock, L. (2006). Cochlear implants: a practical guide. John Wiley & Sons. Crowe, K., McLeod, S., McKinnon, D. H., & Ching, T. Y. C. (2014). Speech, sign, or multilingualism for children with hearing loss: Quantitative insights into caregivers' decision-making. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 45, 234-247. doi:10.1044/2014_LSHSS-12-0106. Estabrooks, W., Maclver-Lux, K., & Rhoades, E.A. (2016). Auditory-verbal therapy: For young children with hearing loss and their families, and the practitioners who guide them. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing. Estabrooks, W., Morrison, H.M.C. & MacIver-Lux, K. (2020). Auditory-Verbal Therapy: Science, Research, and Practice. Plural Publishing, Incorporated. Fitzpatrick, E. M., Hamel, C., Stevens, A., Pratt, M., Moher, D., Doucet, S. P., Neuss, D.,.... Na, E. (2016). Sign Language and Spoken Language for Children With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics, 137(1), 10.1542/peds.2015-1974. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1974. Flaherty, M. (2015). What We Can Learn from Hearing Parents of Deaf Children. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 39(1), 67-84. doi:10.1017/jse.2014.19. Hamzah, M. S. J., Shamsuddin, S., Miskam, M. A., Yussof, H., Hashim, K. S. (2014). Development of Interaction Scenarios Based on pre-school Curriculum in Robotic Intervention for Children with Autism. International Conference on Robot PRIDE 2013-2014 - Medical and Rehabilitation Robotics and Instrumentation, ConfPRIDE 2013-2014, Procedia Computer Science, 42, 214–221, Elsevier. Homburg, D., Thieme, M. S., Völker, J., Stock, R. (2019). RoboTalk – Prototyping a Humanoid Robot as Speech-to-Sign Language Translator. Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 118839, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL). Hummes, L. E, Bess, F. H. (2008). Audiology and Communication Disorders: An Overview. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Ioannou, A., & Andreeva, A. (2019). Play and Learn with an Intelligent Robot: Enhancing the Therapy of Hearing-Impaired Children. In: IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, (pp. 436-452). Cham: Springer. Ioannou, A., Kartapanis, I. & Zaphiris, P. (2015). Social Robots as Co-Therapists in Autism Therapy Sessions: A Single-Case Study. In: Social Robotics, vol. 9388 of the series Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 255-263. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. Kitani, M., Hara, T., & Sawada, H. (2011). Voice articulatory training with a talking robot for the auditory impaired. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 10(1), 63-67. https://doi.org/10.1515/IJDHD.2011.012. Kitani, M., Hayashi, Y., & Sawada, H. (2008). Interactive training of speech articulation for hearing impaired using a talking robot. Kose-Bagci, H. & Yorganci, R. (2011). Tale of a robot: Humanoid Robot Assisted Sign Language Tutoring. In: 11th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pp. 105-111. IEEE, Bled Slovenia. Lee, H. W., & Hyun, E. J. (2015). The Intelligent Robot Contents for Children with Speech-Language Disorder. Educational Technology & Society, vol.18, No 3, p. 100–113. Malik, N. A., Yussof, H., & Hanapiah, F. A. (2014). Development of imitation learning through physical therapy using a humanoid robot. Procedia Computer Science, 42, 191-197. Marshark, M. & Hauser, P. C. (2012). How Deaf Children Learn: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know. Oxford University Press. Nalin, M., Baroni, I., Kruijff-Korbayová, I., Cañamero, L., Lewis, M., Beck, A., Cuayáhuitl, H., & Sanna, A. (2012). Children's adaptation in multi-session interaction with a humanoid robot. 2012 IEEE RO-MAN: The 21st IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (pp. 351-357). Paul, P. V., & Whitelaw, G. M. (2010). Hearing and deafness. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Polycarpou, P., Andreeva, A., Ioannou, A., & Zaphiris, P. (2016). Don’t read my lips: assessing listening and speaking skills through play with a humanoid robot. In: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 255-260), Springer, Cham. Robins, B., Dautenhahn, K., Boekhorst, R., & Billard, A. (2005). Robotic assistants in therapy and education of children with autism: can a small humanoid robot help encourage social interaction skills? In: Universal Access in the Information Society, 4, 105–120. Springer, Heidelberg. Sawada, H., Kitani, M., & Hayashi, Y. (2008). A robotic voice simulator and the interactive training for hearing-impaired people. BioMed Research International, 1, [768232]. https://doi.org/10.1155/2008/768232. Srinivasan, S. M., Park, I. K., Neelly, L. B., & Bhat, A. N. (2015). A comparison of the effects of rhythm and robotic Interventions on Repetitive Behaviors and affective States of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 18, 51 – 63, Elsevier. Uluer, P., Akalin, N., Kose, H. (2015). A New Robotic Platform for Sign Language Tutoring Humanoid Robots as Assistive Game Companions for Teaching Sign Language. International Journal of Social Robotics, 7, 571–585. Springer, Netherlands. Vo Nhu, T. & Sawada, H. (2017). Text-to-speech of a talking robot for interactive speech training of hearing impaired. 10th International Conference on Human System Interactions (HSI), Ulsan, 2017, pp. 166-171, doi: 10.1109/HSI.2017.8005021. Welling, D. R., & Ukstins, C. A. (2017). Fundamentals of Audiology for the Speech-language Pathologist. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Wood, L. J., Robins, B., Lakatos, G., Syrdal, D. S., Zaraki, A., & Dautenhahn, K. (2019). Developing a protocol and experimental setup for using a humanoid robot to assist children with autism to develop visual perspective taking skills. Paladyn, Journal of Behavioral Robotics, 10(1), 167-179. World Health Organization (2020). http://www.who.int. Zhanatkyzy, A. Turarova, A., Telisheva, Z., Abylkasymova, G. & Sandygulova, A. (2019). Robot-Assisted Therapy for Children with Delayed Speech Development: a Pilot Study. 28th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), New Delhi, India, 2019, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/RO-MAN46459.2019.8956257.
Discussion aspects of the relationship between oral and written language disorders
The current article offers a theoretical analysis which seeks to provide answers to some topical and widely discussed issues in the contemporary theory and practice in the sphere of developmental dyslexia. It discusses the following issues: the degree of correlation between specific language disorders and dyslexia in terms of etiology, signs and symptoms; the early disorders of oral language as predictors of dyslexia emergence; the specifics and age dynamics of these disorders. The conclusion is made that a strong, yet not absolute, interrelation exists between oral and written language disorders and its impact over the diagnostics and therapy in speech therapy and related sciences. References: Asenova, I. (2009). Nevropsihologiya. Blagoevgrad: Sanin – N & N. Loginova, E. A. & Eletskaya, O, V. (2006). Sostoianie leksiko-gramaticheskih komponentov rechi u doshkolnikov s dizortografiey. Logopediya, 4 (14), 22-28. Matanova, V. (2001). Disleksiya. Sofiya: Sofi R. Matanova, V. (2003). Psihologiya na anomalnoto razvitie. Sofiya: Sofi R. Mavlov, L. (2005). Aleksii i agrafii. Sofiya: Romel. Stoiyanova, Yu. (2006). Psiholingvistichni izsledvaniya. Sofiya: Veda Slovena – Zh G. Volkova, L. S. & Shahovskaya, S. N. (2000). Logopediya. Moskva: Prosveshtenie. Yovanovich-Simich, N. (2008). Razvitie na terminologiyata za ezikovi narusheniya. Savremenni tendentsii v spetsialno-pedagogicheskata i logopedichnata terminologiya. Popzlateva, Ts. et al. (Eds.). Sofiya: Veda Slovena- ZhG. Anderson, N. & Shames, G. (2006). Human Communication Disorers: An Introduction (7th Edition). Boston: The Allyn & Bacon. Bishop, D. V. M. & Edmundson, A. (1987). Language-impaired 4-years-olds: distinguishing transient from persistent impairment. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 52, 156-173. Bishop, D. V. M & Snowling, M. J. (2004). Developmental Dyslexia and Specific Language Impairment: Same or Different? Psychological Bulletin, 130 (6), 858-866. Denckla, M. (1972). Clinical syndromes in learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 5, 401-406. Denckla, M. B. & Rudel, R. G. (1976). Rapid „automazed” naming (R.A.N.): Dyslexia differentiated from other learning disabilities. Neuropsychology, 14, 471-479. Galagher, D., Ftith, U., & Snowling, M. J. (2000). Precursors of literacy delay among children at genetic risk of dyslexia. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41 (2), 203-213. Johnson, C. J., Beitchman, J. H., Young, А., Escobar, M., Atkinson, L., Wilson, B., Brownlie, E. B., Douglas, L., Taback, N., Lam, I. & Wang, M. (1999). Fourteen-year follow-up of children with and without speech/language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 42, 744-760. Landerl, K., Ramus, F., Moll, K., Lyytinen, H., Leppanen, P., Lohvansuu, K. ... Schulte-Korne, G. (2013). Predictors of developmental dyslexia in European orthographies with varying complexity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54:6, 686–694. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jcpp.12029. Leonard, L. B. (1998). Children with Specific Language Impairment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/children-specific-language-impairment. Lyytinen, H., Ahonen, T., Eklund, K., Guttorm, T. K., Laakso, M-L., Leinonen, S. ... Viholainen, H. (2001). Developmental pathways of children with and without familial risk for dyslexia during the first years of life. Developmental Neuropsychology, 20 (2):535-554. McArthur, G. M. & Hogben, J. H. (2001). Auditory backword recognition masking in children with a specific language impairment and children with a specific reading disability. Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 109, 1092-1100. Rispens, J. & Been, P. (2007). Subject-verb agreement and phonological processing in developmental dyslexia and specific language impairment. Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 3, (42), 293-305. Thompson, P. A., Hulme, C., Nash, H. M., Hayiou‐Thomas, E. & Snowling, M. J. Developmental dyslexia: predicting individual risk. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 56, Issue 9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpp.12412. Wilsenach, C. (2006). Syntactic Processing in Developmental Dyslexia and in Speech Language Impairment /SLI/ – Doctoral dissertation. Utrecht University (Netherlands). https://www.lotpublications.nl/Documents/128_fulltext.pdf.
Correlations between some hand motor functions and coordination in primary schoolchildren
Hand motor functions in primary schoolchildren, defined via four tasks within the Teach Handwriting test (Lamont, 2018), depend on gender and age and the degree of their interconnectedness increases from 7-year-old to 10-year-old schoolchildren. References: Matanova, V., Todorova, E. (2013). Rakovodstvo za prilagane na metodika za otsenka na obrazovatelnite potrebnosti na detsata i uchenitsite. Sofiya: Institut za psihichno zdrave i razvitie. Tsenova, Ts. (2014). Praktichesko rakovodstvo po logoritmichna terapiya. Sofiya: Dita M Bulgariya. Benbow, M. (1995). Assessment of hand skills in the primary child. Fairacres, NM, USA: Clinician’s View. https://www.worldcat.org/title/assessment-of-hand-skills-in-the-primary-child/oclc/840836311. Benbow, M. (1995). Neurokinesthetic Approach to Hand Function and Handwriting. Albuquerque, Understanding the Hand from the Inside-Out Developmental Activities Based on Hand Anatomy. https://www.clinicians-view.com/University/PDF/HF01/HF01TextPreview.pdf. Boyle, C. M. (2007). An analysis of the efficacy of a motor skills training programme for young people with Moderate Learning Difficulties. International Journal of Special Education, 22(1), 11–24. Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Florida Department Education. (2012). Assessments of Functional Skills. Florida: State of Florida, Department of State. Case-Smith J., O'Brien J. C. (2010). Occupational Therapy for Children. 6th ed. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier, 275-312. Cohen, E. J., Bravi, R., & Minciacchi, D. (2018). The effect of fidget spinners on fine motor control. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 1–9. Eather, N., Bull, A., Young, M. D., Barnes, A. T., Pollock, E. R., & Morgan, P. J. (2018). Fundamental movement skills: Where do girls fall short? A novel investigation of object-control skill execution in primary-school aged girls. Preventive Medicine Reports, 11(October 2017), 191–195. Exner C. E. (1992). In-hand manipulation skills. In: Case-smith J, Pehoski C. editors. Development of Hand Skills in the Child. Bethesda, MD, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc, 35–40. Exner C. E. (1997). Clinical interpretation of in-hand manipulation in young children: translation of movements. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(9), 729-732. Gaul, D., & Issartel, J. (2016). Fine motor skill proficiency in typically developing children: On or off the maturation track? Human Movement Science, 46, 78–85. Gonzalez, S. L., Alvarez, V., & Nelson, E. L. (2019). Do Gross and Fine Motor Skills Differentially Contribute to Language Outcomes? A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(December), 1–16. Katyal P., Raja K. (2010). Development of a Test of In-Hand Manipulation for children. Journal of Hand Therapy, 23(4), 432–433. Lin, L. Y., Cherng, R. J., & Chen, Y. J. (2017). Effect of Touch Screen Tablet Use on Fine Motor Development of Young Children. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 37(5), 457–467. Miles Breslin D. M., Exner C. E. (1999). Construct validity of the IHM test: a discriminant analysis with children without disability and children with spastic diplegia. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 53(4), 381–386. Missiuna, C., Pollock, N., Egan, M., DeLaat, D., Gaines, R., & Soucie, H. (2008). Enabling occupation through facilitating the diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(1), 26–34. Moskowitz, B. H. (2008). What is the effectiveness of a task-oriented approach compared to a process-oriented approach on handwriting legibility among elementary school children? DOT-EBP, 49, 69–73. Pehosi C., Henderson A., Tickle-Degnen L. (1997). In-hand manipulation in young children: rotation of objects in the fingers. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(7), 544-552. Pitchford, N. J., Papini, C., Outhwaite, L. A., & Gulliford, A. (2016). Fine motor skills predict maths ability better than they predict reading ability in the early primary school years. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(May), 1–17. Pont K., Wallen M., Bundy A. (2009). Conceptualising a modified system for classification of in-hand manipulation. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 56(1), 2–15. Sang-Min, S. (2018). The effect of fine motor skills on handwriting legibility in preschool age children. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 30(2), 324–327. Simpson, A., Al Ruwaili, R., Jolley, R., Leonard, H., Geeraert, N., & Riggs, K. J. (2019). Fine Motor Control Underlies the Association Between Response Inhibition and Drawing Skill in Early Development. Child Development, 90(3), 911–923. Souto, P. H. S., Santos, J. N., Leite, H. R., Hadders-Algra, M., Guedes, S. C., Nobre, J. N. P., ... Morais, R. L. de S. (2020). Tablet Use in Young Children is Associated with Advanced Fine Motor Skills. Journal of Motor Behavior, 52(2), 196–203. Van Waelvelde, H., De Weerdt, W., De Cock, P., Smits-Engelsman, B. C. M., & Peersman, W. (2004). Ball Catching Performance in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 21(4), 348–363. Visser M., Nel, M., Plessis C., Jacobs, S., Joubert, A., Muller, M., Smith B., Heerden T., Soest R. (2016). In-hand manipulation (IHM) in children 6 and 7 years of age: A follow-up study. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(2)1 52–58. Visser, M., Nel, M., Vries, J. de, Klopper, E., Olën, K., & Coller, J. van. (2014). In-hand manipulation of children aged four and five-years-old: translation, rotation and shift movements, in Bloemfontein. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 44(2), 22–28.
Perception of students with special educational needs from their classmates in mainstream class
Inclusive education is a process that is interesting for both studying and observing as it follows the logic and policy for the integration of people with different abilities. A lot of studies focus on examining this process in a mainstream educational setting. The growing numbers of schoolchildren with special educational needs creates the necessary prerequisites for studying different attitudes, interrelations among schoolchildren in a class as well as the role of the mainstream teacher in the process. The current study addresses some of these issues. An attempt is made to describe inclusive education as a multi-faceted process which brings together the children and schoolchildren with special educational needs and their teachers, classmates, peers from the informal community they are part of, parents. The interrelations which evolve among them in the process of learning at a mainstream school are of particular interest. The study attempts at showing the attitudes of mainstream schoolchildren to their classmates with special educational needs, the degree in which they are ready to build any relationship with them as well as the attitudes of the mainstream teachers to the schoolchildren with special needs and to inclusive education as well. References: Andreev, Y. (1994). Oligofrenopsihologia. Sofia: University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Dionisieva, K. (1996). Gluhotata v detska vuzrast: ranno otkrivane I vuzdeistvie. Sofia: Setiva. Dobrev, Zl. (2008). Integriranoto obuchenie na decata sus SOP i resursnite uchiteli - plusove i minusi. SB. Osobenosti na integriranoto obuchenie. Sofia. Dobrev, Zl. (2009). Suvremenni tendencii v integraciata i obuchenieto na deca s umstvena izostanalost. University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Evgenieva, E. (1999). Problemyt za integriraneto na deca s intelektualna nedostatychnost. Pedagogika, 12, 24-32. Evgenieva, E. (2007). Anketno prouchvane sred uchiteli za nachaloto na procesa na integrirane. Specialna pedagogika, 1, 62-74. Kaneva, S. (1985). Pedagogicheska rehabilitacia na deca s cerebralna paraliza. DI “Narodna Prosveta”, Sofia. Karadjova, K. (2010). Determinanti na integriranoto obuchenie pri deca s intelektualna nedostatuchnost. University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia. Ministry of Education and Science, Repulic of Bulgaria (2017). Naredba za priobshtavashto obrazovanie. https://www.mon.bg/upload/22124/nrdb_priobshavashto_izm271219.pdf. Popzlateva, C. (2010). Choveshkata gluhota – socio-kulturna identichnost I profili na lichnostta. Sofia: Es print. Radulov, Vl. (1995). Integriranoto obuchenie I specialnite uchilishta. Shumen: Aksios. Shosheva, V. (2013). Integrirane na decata sus specialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti v usloviata na detskata gradina. Ministerstvo na obrazovanieto, mladejta I naukata, Proekt No BG051PO001-3.1.03-0001. Kvalifikacia na pedagogiqeskite specialisti. Stoyanova, P. (2009). Decata sus specialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti – tehnite semeistva i drugite, SB. Formirane na umenia za suvmestna rabota na deca sus SOP v usloviata na integriranoto obuchenie, Shumen. Terziiska, P. (2005). Integriranoto obuchenie na deca sus SOP. Blagoevgrad: Univ. izd. “Neofit Rilski”. Trosheva, A. (2003). Metodicheski osnovi za ovladiavane na tehnicheskia component na pisaneto pri uchenici s detska cerebralna paraliza. Specialna pedagogika, 2, 35-41. Fazlıoglu, Y. (2014). Autism. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski Univ. Press. Jessup, G., Bundy, A., Broom, A. & Hancock (2018). Fitting in or feeling exluded: the experiences of high school students with visual impairments. Journal of visual impairment and blindness (JVIB), 112(3), 261-273. Rainer, J., Althuser, K. & F. Kallmann (1967). Family mental health problems in a deaf population (2nd edition). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Rezio, G.S., Kayenne, M., & Formigo, R. (2014). Inclusion of children with cerebral palsy in basic education, Physiotherapy [online], 21 (1), 40-46. ISSN 1809-2950. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1809-2950/428210114.
Impact of social isolation on everyday life of visually impaired people
Social isolation is challenging for everyone unless it is undertaken as a personal choice. When facing a situation that demands fast adaptation to an unnatural rhythm and daily routine, people start looking for coping strategies. Remote working, studying, communicating and shopping, which have so far been an incidental option, are now the one and only option. The current article reviews measures undertaken by the majority of organizations of and in support of blind people so as to offer up-to-date information to their members/target audience, to provide for their needs for access, to acquaint them with the available alternative forms of studying, communication, social activities and technologies as well as to reduce to the minimum the feeling of isolation. What is the impact of social distancing and isolation on people with visual impairments, do they encounter difficulties in performing everyday activities and how do they cope with the imposed restrictions and measures for the prevention of the spread of the decease? To answer these questions a survey was conducted among 26 individuals with visual impairments which sought to find out their attitude to the restrictive measures, the degree in which they found it possible to perform their daily activities as well as an analysis of the positive and negative impact on their personal lives. References: Radulov, Vl. (2019). Sotsialni problemi na slepotata i slaboto zrenie. Sofia: IK „Fenomen“. Sotiriou, K. (2018). Avtoreferat na disertatsionen trud na tema: “Razvitie na sotsialni kompetentsii u zritelno zatrudneni uchenitsi”. Sofia: SU „Sv. Kl. Ohridski“. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M. (2008). Orientirane i mobilnost, vtoro razshireno i dopalneno izdanie. Sofia: UI „Sv. Kl. Ohridski“. Beecham, J. (2020). The NFB of Colorado Takes the Distancing Out of Social Distancing. Braille monitor, May, Vol. 63, No. 5. Baltimore, Maryland: The National Federation of the Blind. Crossland, M. (2020). What coronavirus crisis means for blind and partially sighted people. The conversation. UK: Academic rigour, journalistic flair. Retrieved June 2020, from https://theconversation.com/what-coronavirus-crisis-means-for-blind-and-partially-sighted-people-136991. Danielsen, C. (2020). Federationism in the Time of the Coronavirus. Braille monitor, May, Vol. 63, No. 5. Baltimore, Maryland: The National Federation of the Blind. Huffman, L. (2020). Access World is Here for You During the COVID-19 Health Crisis. Access World, May. New York: AFB Press. Kendrick, D. (2020). COVID-19: Confessions from a Blind Germaphobe. Access World, May. New York: AFB Press. Lowenfeld, B. (1948). Effects of Blindness on the Cognitive Functions of Children. – In: Berthold Lowenfeld on Blindness and Blind People. Selected Papers by Berthold Lowenfeld (1948). New York: AFB, 1981, 67–78. Pauls, J. (2020). Combat the Tedium of COVID-19 Quarantine with Accessible Games. Access World, May. New York: AFB Press. Rosenblum, L. (2020). Unprecedented Times Call for Unprecedented Collaboration: How Two COVID-19 Surveys Were Created with Input from Across the Field of Visual Impairment to Analyze the Needs of Adults, Students, Teachers, and Orientation and Mobility Practitioners. JVIB, may, v. 114 (3). New York: AFB Press. Walker, C. (2020). Learning in the Time of Covid-19: The Impact on Blind Students of Current Guidance Issued by the US Department of Education Regarding Students with Disabilities. Future reflections, Volume 39, Number 1, Winter. Baltimore, MD: American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. COVID-19: stories told over the phone to the visually impaired in Belgium. Retrieved June 2020, from https://unric.org/en/covid-19-stories-told-over-the-phone-to-the-visually-impaired-in-belgium/. How People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision Can Safely Practice Social Distancing During COVID-19. Retrieved June 2020, from https://www.lighthouseguild.org/newsroom/how-people-who-are-blind-or-have-low-vision-can-safely-practice-social-distancing-during-covid-19/. Tips to Help People with Vision Loss Safely Practice Social Distancing During COVID-19. Retrieved June 2020, from https://www.lighthouseguild.org/vision-health/tips-to-help-people-with-vision-loss-safely-practice-social-distancing-during-covid-19/.
Presentation of the bulgarian translation of the book “Support for persons with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities. Ways for quality life” Bea Maes and Carla Vlaskamp – editors
Early diagnostics of children's language development and prevention of spelling and reading disorders
The article attempts to summarize the results of research that indicate the possibility of non-normative manifestations in the functioning of oral language in upper preschool age to be a reliable predictor with prognostic value for future difficulties in mastering written language. A study of the oral language of 100 children aged 6-7 years shows the leading predictive role of expressive language deficit. The prospective assessment of language development and the recognition of predictors indicating future difficulties in literacy at pre-school age are necessary conditions for prevention, timely therapy and reduction of the manifestations of specific disorders of written language and learning. References: Atanasova-Trifonova, M., Atanasov, D., Peneva, L., Andonova, E., Mutafchieva, M., Kolcheva, N. (2014). Skrining test za trigodishni detsa. Rakovodstvo. Sofiya: Bulvest 2000. Todorova, E. (2005). Diagnostika na ezikov deficit pri disleksiya, chast I. Sofiya: Logopedichen centar Romel. Todorova, E. (2013). Disleksiya. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.facebook.com/dyslexia.kids/posts/2077721382263637. Todorova, E. (2016). Disleksiya: Specifichni narusheniya na sposobnostta za uchene. Sofiya: UI Nov Balgarski universitet. Tsenova, Ts. (2011). Normi za pravilno pisane i skrining na priznatsi za disleksiya pri uchenitsite ot ІІ, ІІІ i ІV klas – Disertatsionen trud. Sofiiski Universitet “Sv. Kliment Ohridski” (Bulgariya). Retrieved May 24, 2021, from http://digilib.nalis.bg/xmlui/handle/nls/2842. Tsenova, Ts. (2019). Logopediya: Opisanie, diagnostika i terapiya na komunikativnite narusheniya. Sofiya: UI “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”. Tsenova, Ts. (2020a). Discussion Aspects of the Relationship between Oral and Written Language Disorders. Special Education and Speech & Language Therapy, 1(2020), 61-74. Tsenova, Ts. (2020b). Prediktori za disleksiya na razvitieto. Godishnik na SU, FNOI, tom 113, red. Kolarova, Ts. i kol., Sofiya: UI ”Sv. Kliment Ohridski”, (pod pechat). Yakimova, R. (2009). Narusheniya na pismenata rech. Praktichesko rakovodstvo za korektsiya (vtoro izdanie), Sofiya: Logopedichen centar Romel. Aaron, P. (1991). Can reading disabilities be diagnosed without using intelligence tests? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 24(3), 178-186, 191. Adlof, S., Hogan, T. (2018). Understanding Dyslexia in the Context of Developmental Language Disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 762-73. Boets, B., Op de Beeck, H., Vandermosten, M., Scott, S., Gillebert, C., Mantini, D. & Ghesquiеre, P. (2013). Intact but less accessible phonetic representations in adults with dyslexia. Science, 342(6163), 1251-1254. doi: 10.1126/science.1244333 Carroll, J., Mundy, I., & Cunningham, A. (2014). The roles of family history of dyslexia, language, speech production and phonological processing in predicting literacy progress. Developmental Science, 17(5), 727-742. doi: 10.1126/science.1244333 Deacon, S., Parrila, R., & Kirby, J. (2008). A review of the evidence on morphological processing in dyslexics and poor readers: A strength or weakness? In G. Reid, A. Fawceti, F. Manis, L. Siegel (Eds.), The Sage handbook of dyslexia (pp. 212-237). London: Sage. Denckla, M. (1972). Clinical syndromes in learning disabilities: The case for "splitting" vs. "lumping". Journal of Learning Disabilities, 5(7), 401-406. Deuster, D., Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, A., Schmidt, C.-M., Matulat, P., Huebner, J., Reichmuth, K., Fiori. A., & Knief, A. (2008). Development and evaluation of the new module ‘communication disorders’ in medical education. Journal Medical Teacher, 30(8), e225-e231. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01421590802216225 DSM-V. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5th Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. https://books.google.bg/books?hl=bg&lr=&id=-JivBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT18&ots=ceWK-7JKvd&sig=arYpqTLny50TDal-fLJnN68aci8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false Duff, F., Reen, G., Plunkett, K., & Nation, K. (2015). Do infant vocabulary skills predict school-age language and literacy outcomes? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(8), 848-56. https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.12378 Hessler, G. L. (2001). Who is really learning disabled? In R. Sornson & B. Sornson (Ed.), Preventing early learning failure (pp. 21-36). Virginia USA: ASCD Alexandria. ICD-10. (2008). International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems – 10th Revision, Version: 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://icd.who.int/en Gathercole, S., Alloway, T., Willis, C., & Adams, A.-M. (2006). Working memory in children with reading disabilities. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 93(3), 265-281. https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/799/1/GathercoleJECP.pdf Loukusa, S., Makinen, L., Kuusikko-Gauffin, S., Ebeling, H., Moilanen, I. (2014). Theory of mind and emotion recognition skills in children with specific language impairment, autism spectrum disorder and typical development: group differences and connection to knowledge of grammatical morphology, word-finding abilities and verbal working memory. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 49(4), 498-507, doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12091 Lovett, M., Frijters, J., Wolf, M., Steinbach, K., Sevcik, R., & Morris, R. (2017). Early intervention for children at risk for reading disabilities: The impact of grade at intervention and individual differences on intervention outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(7), 889-914. doi: 10.1037/edu0000181 Lyytinen, H., Erskine, J., Hamalainen, J., Torppa, M., & Ronimus, M. (2015). Dyslexia – Early Identification and Prevention: Highlights from the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia. Journal Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(4), 330-338. doi: 10.1007/s40474-015-0067-1 Miles, T. (1983). Dyslexia. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publishers. Olson, R. (2002). Dyslexia: nature and nurture. Dyslexia, 8(3), 143-159. doi: 10.1002/dys.228 Pennington, B. (2006). From single to multiple deficit models of developmental disorders. Cognition, 101(2), 385-413. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2006.04.008 Rutter, M., Caspi, A., Fergusson, D., Horwood, L., Goodman, R., Maughan, B., Moffitt, T., Meltzer, H., & Carroll, J. (2004). Sex differences in developmental reading disability: new findings from 4 epidemiological studies. Journal оf the American Medical Association, 291(16), 2007-2012. doi: 10.1001/jama.291.16.2007 Scarborough, H. (1990). Very early language deficits in dyslexic children. Child Development, 61(6), 1728-1743. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1990.tb03562.x Scarborough, H. (2005). Developmental Relationship Between Language and Reading: Reconciling a Beautifil Hypothesis With Some Ugly Facts. In H. Catts & A. Kamhi (Eds.), The Conection Between Language And Reading Disabilities (pp. 3-22). New Jersey, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. Schumacher, J., Hoffmann, P., Schmаl, C., Schulte‐Kоrne, G., & Nоthen, M. (2007). Genetics of dyslexia: the evolving landscape. Journal of Medical Genetics, 44(5), 289-297. Scott, C., & Windsor, J. (2000). General language performance measures in spoken and written narrative and expository discourse of school-age children with language learning disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 43(2), 324-339, doi: 10.1044/jslhr.4302.324 Storch, S., Whitehurst, G. (2002). Oral language and code-related precursors to reading: Evidence from a longitudinal structural model. Developmental Psychology, 38(6), 934-47. Teale, W. & Sulzby, E. (Eds.) (1986). Emergent literacy: Writing and reading. N Jersey: Ablex. Thompson, P., Hulme, C., Nash, H., Hayiou-Thomas, E. & Snowling, M. (2015). Developmental dyslexia: predicting individual risk. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(9), 976-987, doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12412 Timler, G., Vogler-Elias, D., McGill, K. (2007). Strategies for Promoting Generalization of Social Communication Skills in Preschoolers and School-aged Children. Topics in Language Disorders, 27(2), 167-181, doi: 10.1097/01.TLD.0000269931.18881.90 Townend, J. & Turner, M. (Eds) (1999). Dyslexia in Practice: A Guide for Teachers. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Troia, G. (2011). How Might Pragmatic Language Skills Affect the Written Expression of Students with Language Learning Disabilities? Topics in Language Disorders, 31(1), 40-53, doi: 10.1097/TLD.0b013e31820a0b71 Wanzek, J., & Vaughn, S. (2007). Research-based implications from extensive early reading interventions. School Psychology Review, 36(4), 541-561.
Social-sexual education of students and youth with multiple disabilities
Socio-sexual education of students and young people with multiple disabilities is a topic that provokes a lot of discussion, both among the professional community and society as a whole. As a society, we continue to feel uncomfortable about sexuality and disability. That is why it is not uncommon for misunderstandings and confusions in socio-sexual development and upbringing to stem from these different ideas that people have about sexuality. All this requires to enrich the pedagogical experience in this field and to offer modern educational programs in social and sexual education for students and young people with many disabilities. Clear rules, specific training and impact guidelines, as well as appropriate practical training for school staff and the family are very important in providing appropriate social and sexual training to a child with multiple disabilities. Good policies and guidelines reduce the risk of real abuse or suspicion. A holistic approach to social and sexual education may take longer, but ensures success in providing sexual education to this group of students and young people. References: Stoynova D., Dobreva K., & Kangalova, G. (2006). Rakovodstvo za obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni detsa s dopalnitelni uvrejdania. ARDNZ, Sofia. Tzvetkova – Arsova, M. (2002). Obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni s mnojestvo uvrejdania I na sljapogluhi. Ekoprint, Sofia. Tzvetkova – Arsova, M. (2015). Pedagogika na detsa I utchenitsi s mnojestvo uvrejdania. IK “Fenomen”, Sofia. Kapperman, G., & Kelly, S. (2013). Sex Education Instruction for Students Who Are Visually Impaired: Recommendations to Guide Practitioners. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June, 226-230. Krupa, C., & Esmail, S. (2010). Sexual health education for children with visual impairments: Talking about sex is not enough. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 104, 327-337. Miller, T. (1994). Social/sex education for the deafblind. New Bruswick, Canada. Miller, T. (1999). Social/sex education for children and youth who are deafblind. Toronto, Canada, University of Toronto Press. Moss, K., & Blaha, R. (2001). Introduction to Sexuality Education for Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind and Significantly Developmentally Delayed. Retrieved from https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/intoduction-sexuality-education/. Schuster, C.S., (1986). Sex education of the visually impaired child: The role of parents. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 80(4), 675-680.
About the attitudes of the authors of scientific publications
Development of digital resources to promote students' practical training and remote learning
Pedagogical technologies in mastering calendar-temporal vocabulary in the training of students in Bulgarian sign language
The article outlines the outcomes of an experimental study, aimed at identifying the features of mastering calendar-temporal vocabulary by hearing students via applying specific pedagogical technology in the teaching of BGSL as a second language (E2). Recruited are 180 volunteers, aged 18-32 years - hearing students (all female) who have studied the basics of BGSL as a second sign system. Depending on the applied pedagogical technology, the participants were divided into two groups: control (KG) and experimental (EG). The content of the tested training tool is a symbiosis between representation of motor-spatial structures, representation of knowledge, and graphical coding, offering reliable information about the sign units, which have a strongly abstract character. The diagnostic check of the skills for using calendar-temporal vocabulary was made by setting a linguistic task, including the performance of signs expressing temporal meanings, which were conditionally distributed into 8 categories on a semantic basis. The analysis of the results identified statistically significant differences in the sign production of students from KG and EG in 6 semantic categories (<0.01, <0.05). In 3 of them the obtained data were an indicator of a high level of significance (<0.001). The results clearly demonstrated the positive effect of the applied pedagogical technology in the presentation of signs denoting calendar-time concepts. References: Angelova, P. (2018). Vtori ezik za detsa, Reader za uchiteliya, Izd. “Elias Kaneti”. Balkanska, N. (2009). Kohlearnata implantatsia v detska vazrast – prilozhenie, rehabilitatsia, obuchenie, S. Balkanska, N., Lozanova, Sl., Dionisieva, K. (2020). Metodichesko rakovodstvo za obuchenie po balgarski zhestov ezik v preduchilishtna I nachalna uchilishtna vazrast, MON, S. Jangozova, Sp., Mosheva, M., Staikov, L. (2006). Balgarski zhestomimichen rechnik, IK Kurazh – Tishina, S. Lozanova, Sl. (2018). Balgarskiyat zhestov ezik kato predmet na lingvosemiotichno izsledvane – metodologiya I izvodi, Nauchni I prakticheski aspekti na priobshtavashtoto obrazovanie: materiali ot Iyubileina nauchna konferenciya s mezhdunarodno uchastie, Universitetsko izdatelstvo “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, 260-269. Lozanova, Sl. (2002). Predpostavki za razvitie na bilingvizma kato metod za obuchenie na detsa s uvreden sluh, Sptsialna pedagogika, UI, Sofia. Popzlateva, Ts. (2017). Vavedenie kam rechnik na balgarskiya zhestov ezik. V: Rechnik na balgarskiya zhestov ezik, MON, S. Popzlateva, Ts. (2020). Nevropsihologichni determinant na verbalnata komunikatsiya s usten I zhestov ezik, Obrazovanie i izkustva: Tradicii i perspektivi, Sbornik dokladi ot Nauchno-prakticheska konferenciya, posvetena na 80-godishninata ot rozhdenieto na prof. d-r Georgi Bbizhkov, Universitetsko izdatelstvo “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”, 469-478. Saeva, Sv., Stoiyanova, I. (2020). Pedagogichesko rakovodstvo za poodgotovka na prevodachi po balgarski zhestov ezik, MON, S. Tisheva, J. i kolektiv (2017). Teoretichno opisanie na gramatikata na balgarskiya zhestov ezik, MON, S. Trosheva-Asenova, A. K. (2008). Zakonomernosti v ovladiyavaneto na zhestoviya ezik ot detsata s uvreden sluh, Spetsialna pedagogika, 13(1), 46-55. Trosheva-Asenova, A. (2013). Zhestova komunikatsiya i kohlearna implantatsiya, Godishnik na Shumenskiya Universitet, tom, XVII D, UI “Episkop Konstantin Preslavski”, 38-43. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M. (2015). Pedagogika na detsa I uchenitsi s mnozhestvo uvrezhdaniya, IK “Fenomen”, S. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M., Borisova, D., Parapanov, Sv. (2020). Metodichesko rakovodstvo za obuchenie na sliyapo-gluhi po balgarski zhestov ezik i alternativni sredstva za komunikatsiya, MON, S. Zamfirov, M. (2016). Osobenosti na neverbalnata komunikatsiya pri uchenitsi sas sluhovi narusheniya v usloviyata na integrirana uchebna sreda, VI esenen nauchno-obrazovatelen forum Modernizatsiya na obrazovanieto 11-12 noemvri. Baus, C., Carreira, M. & Emmorey, K. (2013). When does iconicity in sign language matter? Language and Cognitive Processes, 28(3), 261-271. Bochner, J. N., Samar, V. J., Hauser, P. C., Garrison, W. M., Searls, J. M. & Sandrs, C. M. (2016). Validity of the American Sign Language discrimination test, Language testing, 33(4), 473-495. Brentari, D., Copolla, M., Mazzoni, L. & Goldin-Meadow, L. (2012). When does a system become phonological? Handshape production in gesturers, signers, and homesigners, Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, 30(1), 1-31. Channon, R. (2002). Signs are single segments, Phonological representations and temporal sequencing in ASL and other signed languages, Sign Language and Linguistics, 5, 99-102. Emmorey, K., Borinstein, H., Thompson, R. & Golan, T. (2008). Bimodal bilingualism, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 11(1), 43-61. Fenlon, J., Denmark, T., Campbell, R. & Woll, B. (2007). Seeng sentence boundaries, Sign Language and Linguistics, 10, 177-200. Ortega, G. & Morgan, G. (2010). Comparing child and adult development of a visual phonological system, Language, Interaction, & Acquisition, 1(1), 67-81. Ortega, G. & Morgan, G. (2015). Input processing at first exposure to a sign language, Second Language Research, 1-21. Quinto-Pozos, D. (2008). Teaching American Sign Language to hearing adult learners, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 137-158. Rosen, R. (2004). Beginning L2 production errors in SL Lexical phonology, Sign Language and Linguistics, 7, 31-61. Supalla, T., Hauser, P. C. & Bavelier, D. (2014). Reproducing American Sign Language sentences: Cognitive scafolfing in working memory, Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1-16. Thompson, R. L., Vinson, D. P. & Vigliocco, G. (2010). The link between form and meaning in BSL: Lexical processing effects in a phonological decision task, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 36(4), 1017-1027.
A comparative analysis of the views on online and distance learning of special education teachers, teaching students with special educational needs in Bulgaria and Greece
The article outlines the results from a cross-cultural study, conducted in 2020-2021 among special education teachers, working with children and students with special educational needs (SEN) in online and distance form in Bulgaria and Greece. Different aspects of the practical work of the special education teachers are outlined: their preparedness for such form of work, their views on the competencies they should have, their opinions on the effectiveness of the online and distance learning, the types of online platforms they use, the difficulties they encounter, etc. References: Naredba za priobshtavashtoto obrazovanie. Prieta s PMS No 232 ot 20.10.2017 g., obn., DV, br. 86 ot 27.10.2017 g., izm. i dop. DV. br.92 ot 27 oktomvri 2020 g. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M., Tomova, M. (2021). Novi kompetentnosti na spetsialnite pedagozi, podpomagashti priobshteni detsa i uchenitsi sas spetsialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti (SOP) v usloviyata na onlayn i distantsionno obuchenie, Obshtouniversitetska nauchna konferentsia „IZMERENIA NA KOMPETENTNOSTTA“, Sofia, dekemvri 2020 g., UI „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“, 315-332. Tsvetkova-Arsova, M., Tomova, M., Antoniu, A. (2021). Rabota s detsa i uchenitsi sas spetsialni obrazovatelni potrebnosti (SOP) v usloviyata na onlayn i distantsionno obuchenie v Bulgaria i Gartsia – sravnitelno prouchvane, vtora nauchno-prakticheska konferentsia „OBRAZOVANIE I IZKUSTVA: TRADITSII I PERSPEKTIVI“, Sofia, noemvri 2021 g., UI „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“, 476-489. Zakon za preduchilishtnoto i uchilishtno obrazovanie, obn. DV. br.79 ot 13.10.2015 g., izm. i dop. DV. br. 82 ot 18.09.2020 g., publ. 18.09.2020 g. Baglama, B., Yikmis, A., Demirok, M. S. (2017). Special Education Teachers' Views on Using Technology in Teaching Mathematics. European Journal of Special Education Research, 2 (5), 120-134. doi:10.5281/zenodo.839032. Baglama, B., Yikmis, A., Demirok, M. S. (2017). Special Education Teachers' Views on Using Technology in Teaching Mathematics. European Journal of Special Education Research, 2 (5), 120-134.doi: 10.5281/zenodo.839032. Balkist, P. S., Agustiani, N. (2020). Responses of students with special needs to online mathematics leaning during pandemic, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1657 (2020) 012031IOP Publishing doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1657/1/0120311. Carter, R. A. Jr., Rice, M., Yang, S., & Jackson, H. A. (2020). Self-regulated learning in online learning environments: Strategies for remote learning. Information and Learning Sciences, 121(5/6), 321-32. Melhado, W. (2021). SEN students in the time of remote learning. https://www.teacherhorizons.com/advice/sen-students-in-the-time-of-remote-learning/, retrieved on 1 November 2021. Minaeian, J., Osborne, A. (2020). Supporting learners with Special Educational Needs online, Cambridge Professional Development, https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/images/supporting-learners-with-sen-online-transcript.pdf, retrieved on 18 November 2021. Petretto, D. R., Carta, S. M., Cataudella, S., Masala, I., Mscia, K. L., Penna, M. P., Piras, P., Pistis, I., Masala, C. (2021). The Use of Distance Learning and E-learning in Students with Learning Disabilities: A Review on the Effects and some Hint of Analysis on the Use during COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 17, 92–102, doi: 10.2174/1745017902117010092. Rice, M. F. (2018). Supporting literacy with accessibility: virtual school course designers’ planning for students with disabilities. Online Learning, 22(4), 161-179. Villano, M. (2020). Students with special needs face virtual learning challenges, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/24/health/special-needs-students-online-learning-wellness/index.html, retrieved on 29 May 2021. Young, J., Donovan, W. (2020). Shifiting Special Needs Students to Online Learning in the COVID-19 Spring, Challenges for Students, Families, and Teachers. Pioneer Education Policy Brief, Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, ERIC Collection, June 2020, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED605503, retrieved on 27 May 2021.
students with special educational needs (SEN)
Based on the analyzed new sources, including speeches and greetings to various institutions, this study presents little-known facts from the life path of the unique teacher Anne Sullivan - from the poorhouse to the world fame, earned with the training of the great deafblind Helen Keller. The principles and stages in the so-called Sullivan's "Conversational approach", aimed at overcoming the formal structure of education, based on the real needs of the deafblind child, are systematized. Without overstating the verbal speech in her original concept, she succeeds to find the optimal balance between nonverbal and verbal communication. Ann Sullivan's views about general education and the school of the future and her attitude to the social problems are still relevant today. References: Kelar, H. (2004). Istoriyata na moya zhivot. Balgarska asotsiatsia za obuchenie na zritelno zatrudneni detsa, Sofia. Radulov, V. (2017). Istoria na pedagogikata na zritelno zatrudnenite. izdatelstvo „FENOMEN“, Sofia. Radulov, V. (2020). 140 godini ot rozhdenieto na Helan Kelar, prouchvane varhu edna unikalna lichnost. „Spetsialna pedagogika i logopedia“, tom 2, 2020. Bell, A. (1903). Letter from Alexander Graham Bell to Annie Sullivan, April, 2, 1903. https://www.loc.gov/resource/magbell.12800108/?st=gallery. Braddy, N. (1933). Anne Sullivan Macy: The Story Behind Helen Keller. Doran, NY. Keller, H. (1955). Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy. AFB New York. Lash, J. (1981). Helen and teacher. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy. “Dell Publishing Co” New York. Macy, J. (1905). The story of my life by Helen Keller with her letters. Doubleday, Page & Company. Sullivan, A. (1886). Anne's Commencement Speech at the Perkins School for the Blind (June 1, 1886), The Helen Keller Kids Museum. https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/online-museums/helen-keller-museum. Sullivan, A. (1894). Account in her address at Chautauqua, in July, 1894, at the meeting of The American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. Sullivan, A. (1915). Anne's Speech November Seventh, 1915, of San Francisco the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Sullivan, A. (1931). Address delivered before the World Conference on Work for the Blind in New York (April 2, 1931). Sullivan, A. (1932). Education in the Light of Present-Day Knowledge and Need, Speech at Temple University (February 15, 1932).
Development of Bulgarian sign language dictionary to support deaf people in crisis situations
The purpose of the article is to present a methodology for developing a Bulgarian sign dictionary for communication during crisis situations. Linguistic data are extracted according to basic lexicographical principles for creation of sign dictionaries relying on observations on real-life usage of the signs. In specially organized seminars with deaf moderators, carried out in the form of free discussion on the Zoom communication platform, deaf people and users of the Bulgarian sign language are provided with the opportunity to communicate without interference from the Bulgarian verbal language. The extracted data are processed manually on the specialized program ELAN to describe all usage variants of the signs on different topics important for the crisis communication. In its final version, the dictionary contains 600 units and it clearly demonstrates that there is no complete correspondence between the vocabulary units of the Bulgarian verbal and the Bulgarian sign language. There are many key concepts related to crisis communication that have no corresponding signs. References: Lozanova, Sl., Iv. Stoyanova. (2016). Interkulturni i sotsiolingvistichni osobenosti na zhestoviya ezik v obshtnostta na khorata s uvreden slukh v Bŭlgariya. Sbornik Paisievi cheteniya: Ezik, literatura i interkulturna komunikatsiya, 2016:290-302. Lozanova, Sl. (2015). Semiotichni aspekti na verbalno-zhestoviya bilingvizŭm pri detsa s ureden slukh. Disertatsiya za prisŭzhdane na nauchnata stepen „doktor”, Nov bŭlgarski universitet. Lozanova, Sl. (2018). Bŭlgarskiyat zhestov ezik kato predmet na lingvosemiotichno izsledvane – metodologiya i izvodi. sb. Nauchni i prakticheski aspekti na priemashtoto obrazovanie, UI Sv. Kliment Okhridski, 260-269. Tisheva Ĭ., V. Khristova, V. Zhobov, G. Dacheva, Kr. Aleksova, P. Angelkova, TS. Popzvateva, YU. Stoyanova. (2017). Rechnik na bŭlgarskiya zhestov ezik. Izd. Izkustvo i obrazovanie. MON., Sofiya. Accessed: https://mon.bg/upload/21132/Rechnik_bg_zhestov_ezik.pdf. Bond, Fr., Foster, R. (2013). Linking and extending an open multilingual Wordnet. In Proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (Volume 1: Long Papers), pages 1352–1362, Sofia, Bulgaria. Association for Computational Linguistics. Crasborn, O., Sloetjes, H. (2008). Enhanced ELAN functionality for sign language corpora. In Proceedings of LREC 2008, Sixth International Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation. Fellbaum, C. (ed.). (1999). WordNet: an Electronic Lexical Database. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Fenlon, J., Schembri, A., Johnson, T., Cormier, K. (2015). Documentary and Corpus Approaches to Sign Language Research. In The Blackwell Guide to Research Methods in Sign Language Studies, ed. by E. Orfanidou, B. Woll & G. Morgan, 156–172. Oxford: Blackwell. Koeva, Sv. (2010). Bulgarian Wordnet – current state, applications and prospects. Bulgarian-American Dialogues, 120–132. Lucas, C., Clayton, V. (1989). Language contact in the American Deaf community: The sociolinguistics of the Deaf community. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Intellectual functioning in children with specific learning disorders
The article outlines the results of a study on the specific features, similarities and differences in intellectual functioning in children with specific learning disabilities. The focus is on the heterogeneity of intellectual functioning, whereas the questions of causality and localization of deficits are subordinated to the task of gaining a better understanding of the qualitative aspects of the intellectual profile and their potential compensatory role in providing appropriate interventions and support strategies. Features of the components of measured intelligence in two groups of disorders (specific reading disorder and mixed disorder of scholastic skills) are explored, and the findings are transposed into a comparative perspective in order to differentiate significant similarities and differences. Emphasis is placed on the qualitative interpretation of test scores, the applicability of which provides a more in-depth, sophisticated, and tailored understanding of each of the clinical groups studied. The underlying hypothesis is that such an approach has significantly better power in the differential diagnosis and can provide valuable information in the process of developing and implementing therapeutic and educational strategies. References: Avt. kol. (2008). Balgarska standartizatsia na test za inteligentnost za detsa HAWIK-R 1983. Sofia: Natsionalen centar za opazvane na obshtestvenoto zdrave. Mezhdunarodna klasifikatsia na bolestite, X reviziya (1998). Sofia: Natsionalen centar za kompleksno izsledvane na choveka. Polnareva, N., Terziev, D., Avramova, A. (2007). Detska Psihiatriya. V Psihiatriya, psihologiya I psihoterapiya. Sofia: UI Meditsina, 275-335. Polnareva, N. (2013). Razstroistva na detskata I iunosheskata vazrast. V Psihiatriya: Uchebnik za student I spetsializirashti lekari. Sofia: Meditsina I fizkultura, 411-443. Terziev, D. (2022). Nevrorazvitiini razstroistva v detska I iunosheska vazrast. Sofia: Steno. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Bannatyne, A. (1974). Diagnosis: A note on recategorization of the WISC scaled scores. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 7, 272–273. Dudley-Marling, C., Kaufman, N., Tarver, S. (1981). WISC and WISC-R profiles of learning disabled children: A review. Learning Disability Quarterly, 4, 307–319. Frank, G. (1983). The Wechsler Enterprise: An Assessment of the Development, Structure and Use of the Wechsler Tests of Intelligence. Oxford: Pergamon. Giofrè, D., Cornoldi, C. (2015). The structure of intelligence in children with specific learning disabilities is different as compared to typically development children. Intelligence, 52, 36-43. Gutkin, T. B. (1979). WISC-R scatter indices: Useful information for differential diagnosis? Journal of School Psychology, 17, 368–371. Kaufman, A. (1979). Intelligent testing with the WISC-R. USA:John Wiley & Sons. Kaufman, A. S. (1981). The WISC-R and learning disabilities assessment: State of the art. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 14, 520–526. Meeker, M. (1975). Glossary for SOI Factor Definitions: WISC-R Analysis, Available from SOI Institute, 2 14 Main St. , El Segundo, California. Naglieri, Jack. (1982). Interpreting WISC-R and McCarthy scatter: A caution. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 7, 90-94. Schiff, M. I. V. L., Kaufman, A. S., Kaufman, N. L. (1977). Scatter Analysis of WISC-R Profiles for Learning Disabled Children with Superior Intelligence, 400–404. Smith, M. D., Michael Coleman, J., Dokecki, P. R., Davis, E. E. (1977). Recategorized WISC-R Scores of Learning Disabled Children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 10(7), 437– 443. Wechsler, D. (1974). Wechsler intelligence scale for children—revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Family-mediated early intervention – natural communication model supporting interaction child – parent in early childhood
Family-mediated early interventions (FMEI) as a natural communicative model is effective in addressing the needs of children with developmental disabilities and enhancing parents’ competence in supporting parent-child social interactions. The article presents 2019 cross-sectional study conducted in Varna, Bulgaria with 40 parents and 40 children participating. The study aims to explore the relationship between FMEI service use, parental capacity and children’s social functioning and adaptive skills. Results indicated a significant progress in 2–3-year-old children. FMEI prove to be effective and meaningful for parents and their children. References: Able-Boone, H. (1996). Ethics and early intervention: Toward more relationship focused interventions. Infants and Young Children, 9 (2), 13 - 21. Almirall, D., DiStefano, C., Chang, Y. C., Shire, S., Kaiser, A., Lu, X., et al. (2016) Preschool deployment of evidence–based social communication intervention: JASPER in the classroom, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 2211–2223. Baxendale J. & Hesketh. A (2003) Comparison of the effectiveness of the Hanen Parent Programme and traditional clinic therapy, International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. 38 (4), 397-415. Fiese, B. H. (1992). Dimensions of family rituals across two generations: Relation to adolescent identity, Family Process, 31, 151–162. Goods, K. , Ishijimma, E., Chang, Ya., Kasari, C. Preschool based JASPER intervention in minimally verbal children with autism: Pilot RCT. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 43, 1050–1056. Hancock, T. B., & Kaiser, A. P. (2006). Enhanced Milieu Teaching. In R. McCauley & M. Fey (Eds.), Treatment of Language Disorders in Children, pp. 203-233. Baltimore: Paul Brookes. Hoff, E. (2006). How social contexts support and shape language development. Developmental Review, 26 (1): 55-88. Kaale, A., Fagerland, M. W., Martinsen, E. W., & Smith, L. (2014) Preschool-based social communication treatment for children with autism: 12-month follow-up of a randomized trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24472253/. Kaiser A. (2011). KidTalk: Naturalistic Communication Intervention Strategies for Parents and Teachers of Young Children. Kaiser, A., & Roberts, M. (2013). Parent-implemented enhanced milieu teaching with preschool children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 56, 295–309. Kochanska, G, Forman, D. & Coy, K. (1999). Implications of the mother-child relationship in infancy for socialization in the second year of life. Infant Behavior and Development, 22 (2), 249-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-6383(99)00009-0. Landry, S. H., Smith, K. E., Miller-Loncar, C. L., & Swank, P. R. (1997). Predicting cognitive-linguistic and social growth curves from early maternal behaviors in children at varying degrees of biologic risk. Developmental Psychology, 33, 1040–1053. Landry, S. H., Denson, S., & Swank, P. R (1997). Effects of medical risk and socioeconomic status on the rate of change in cognitive and social development for low birth weight children. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology, 19, 261–274. Lucyshyn, J. M., Irvin, L. K., Blumberg, E. R., Laverty, R., Horner, R. H., & Sprague, J. R. (2004). Validating the construct of coercion in family routines: Expanding the unit of analysis in behavioral assessment in families of children with developmental disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 29, 104–121. Martini, M. (2002). How mothers in four American cultural groups shape infant learning during mealtimes. Zero to Three, 22(4), 14–20. Moore, H.W., Barton, E.B., & Chironis, M. (2014). A program for improving toddler communication through parent coaching. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 33, 212-224. Roberts, M. & Kaiser, A. (2011) The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: a meta-analysis. Am J Speech Lang Pathol, 20(3):180-99. Epub 2011 Apr 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21478280/. Waddington. H, Reynolds J. et all. (2021). The effects of JASPER intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism: the international journal of research and practice, 2021, Vol.25 (8), p.2370-2385. Research gate. Weisner, T. S. (2002). Ecocultural understanding of children’s developmental pathways. Human Development, 45, 275–281. Zimmerman F. J., Glilkerson, J., Richards. J., Christakis., D., Gray, Sh. (2009). Teaching by Listening: The Importance of Adult-Child Conversations to language development. Pediatrics, 124 (1):342-9.