3 / 56
Complex communication needs
The editorship of the
Journal of Clinical Practice in
Speech-
Language Pathology
(JCPSLP) brings many rewards. From a personal point of
view, it not only encourages extensive professional networking, both nationally and
internationally, it also enhances my knowledge across the speech pathology range
of practice areas. The current edition of
JCPSLP
is a perfect example. Complex
communication needs is an area of clinical practice I knew little about when Kerry
and I set the topic back in July 2011. Since then, we have been in contact with
specialists from around the country and New Zealand to gather up-to-date,
evidence based, clinically relevant copy related to complex communication needs.
We trust this edition of
JCPSLP
portrays just how complex some of our clients’
communication needs can be and how we as speech pathologists may assist
these clients in communicating their wants, needs, values, beliefs, and feelings.
Leigh, Sutherland, and Howe start with a thought-provoking study into the
experience of intimacy and intimate communication by adults with acquired
communication disorders who use augmentative and alternative communication
(AAC); a topic that has not received much attention in the past. Johnson and
colleagues remind us that every person, including people with severe–profound
intellectual disabilities, has the human right to communicate. The authors highlight
the importance of acknowledging “the inherent value of all communication, whether
intentional or not intentional” (p. 67), and explain the clinical practice of collaborative
transaction and intervention supports. Clendon and Westerveld emphasise the
importance of vocabulary selection for children with complex communication needs
who use AAC devices. Based on a comparison of databases of spoken and written
language samples from typically developing children, the authors developed lists of
the most frequently occurring words, two-word, and three-word phrases that may
be useful to AAC professionals working with 5- to 7-year-old children.
Hemsley has done an excellent job in summarising some of the ethical issues
clinicians may face when working in the area of AAC, and the informal writing style
of the “Ethical conversations” makes her discussion a pleasure to read. As always,
our “Clinical insights” articles provide us with examples of novel clinical practices.
More specifically, McQueen explains a project aimed at “capacity building” for
people with complex communication needs and Loh describes the introduction of
Key Word Sign and Gesture in Singapore. Although these “Clinical insights” articles
do not receive the official peer-reviewed label, the reader can rest assured that they
do undergo an informal but stringent, blind peer-review process. As a result, only
“Clinical insights” articles of the highest quality end up being published.
Thanks again to all our contributors, including the authors of “Around the
journals”, “Resource reviews”, “Webwords”, and the “Top 10” columns. We firmly
believe that it is this mix of copy that will make
JCPSLP
stand out among the most
popular speech pathology publications in the world.
From the editors
Marleen Westerveld and Kerry Ttofari Eecen
57
From the editors
58
The experiences of intimacy by adults
with acquired communication disorders
who use AAC
–
Angela Leigh, Dean
Sutherland, and Tami Howe
64
Assessing communication in people with
severe–profound disabilities:
Co-constructing competence –
Hilary Johnson, Jo Watson, Teresa Iacono,
Karen Bloomberg, and Denise West
69
Research note:
Comparing spoken and
written vocabulary use in typically developing
children: Informing vocabulary selection for
children with complex communication needs
–
Sally Clendon and Marleen Westerveld
72
Peer-group consultation
–
Christa
Carey-Sargeant and Lindsay B. Carey
79
Clinical insights:
Making Key Word Sign and
Gesture happen in Singapore: Findings from
a pilot study –
Eva Wei-Lyn Loh
83
Clinical insights:
Capacity building and
complex communication needs: Challenges
and strategies –
Andrea McQueen
88
Ethical issues in augmentative and
alternative communication
–
Bronwyn Hemsley
93
Webwords 43:
Augmentative and alternative
communication –
Caroline Bowen
95
Research update:
Communication
intervention for children with autism
–
Jeff Sigafoos, Dean Sutherland,
Larah van der Meer, Debora Kagohara,
and Donna Achmadi
97
Research update:
Activities and participation
of children with cerebral palsy –
Cristina Mei
98
The Communication Access Network
–
Karen Bloomberg and Denise West
100
Our Top 10 resources for working with
children with complex communication
needs
–
Yooralla Early Childhood Services
Speech Pathology Team
103
Top 10 resources from Scope’s
Communication Resource Centre
105
Around the journals
108
Resource reviews
Contents
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.auJCPSLP
Volume 14, Number 2 2012
57