ACQ Vol 12 No 3 2010

Resource reviews

Speech pathology resources

Second, if the child goes on to require special education they will not be required to learn a new set of signs. Overall, this resource represents a quick and easy way for parents to learn to use signs with their child and would be a helpful addition to the list of resources that is recommended to parents of young children with speech and language delays. Shprintzen, R.J., & Golding-Kushner, K.J. (2008). Velo-cardio-facial syndrome , Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: Plural publishing. ISBN10: 1 59756 071 5 (includes media DVD), ISBN13: 978 1 59756 071 9; pp. 289; US$89.95; www.pluralpublishing.com Maeve Morrison

Gollan, S. (2009). Sign baby . Sydney: SignBaby Australia; A$29.95. Available at ABC stores or direct from www.signbaby.com.au Nicole Watts Pappas

Presented by popular playschool presenter Sofya Gollan, Sign Baby is an introductory DVD for parents who wish to teach their baby/ young child to sign. The DVD uses Auslan (Australian Sign

Language) and covers 200 everyday signs suitable for use for young children. An introductory section briefly explains the benefits of using signs and shows video clips of young children signing with their parents. Some information is provided regarding how to start using signs with a baby or toddler. The DVD runs for 126 minutes and includes 10 tutorials of approximately 3 minutes each, covering 15–18 signs. The tutorials are organised into functional groups of signs such as “playtime”, “bath and bedtime”, and “food and drink”. The first tutorial, “baby’s first signs” is an excellent starting point and includes the signs “drink”, “milk”, “more”, “finished”, “book”, “teddy”, “sleep”, “no”, “yes”, “nappy”, “poo”, “wet”, “where?”, “hello”, “goodbye”, and “kiss”. Later tutorials include more advanced signs and concepts such as numbers, the alphabet, and colours. An interesting tutorial entitled “manners and concepts” includes signs such as “vomit”, “fart” and “burp”, sure to be a favourite with young boys. The last tutorial includes seven popular nursery rhymes, as Sofya says, “just for fun”. Each sign is presented clearly twice by the presenter and is paired with the verbal and written words. My own 11-month-old son enjoyed watching the tutorials and learnt many of his signs directly from the DVD. However, it is also a clear way for parents to learn individual signs to use with their child. The DVD also includes interviews with three professionals, an early childcare teacher, a sign linguist, and an excellent interview with speech pathologist, Sarah Starr. My only criticism is that the interviews were quite lengthy (43 minutes in total) and while the information included was excellent it may have helped to include a brief summary of the key points, especially the fact that using signs does not delay the emergence of spoken language. Clinically, this is a useful resource to recommend to parents of children with delayed speech and language skills as well as typically developing children. It would also be a wonderful resource for sharing with hearing parents of hearing impaired children who are learning to sign. The use of Australian Sign Language is an advantage of this DVD over other similar resources. First, it enables the child to converse with other sign language users in the community.

This book provides a comprehensive description of the multiple anomaly disorder, velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS), also known as Deletion 22q11 syndrome. The clinical management of many of the anomalies is discussed with an emphasis on the need for transdisciplinary care. The authors have successfully blended scientific knowledge with their extensive clinical

experience to give the reader an up-to-date account of this complex syndrome. The book comes with a DVD with 19 clinical video clips that are referenced throughout the text. Many of the video clips will be of particular interest to those involved in the management of speech in VCFS. The interesting history of the syndrome is covered in the first chapter. The second and longest chapter is dedicated to a description of the anomalies associated with VCFS, including a clear explanation of the speech and language disorder which is typically complex and often difficult to treat. The third chapter covers the genetics of VCFS which serves as an introduction to the subject of genetics, using simple language, as well as discussion around genetic counselling. Chapter 4 covers the clinical management over time of individuals with VCFS and the final chapter covers growth and feeding, and includes weight and height charts. This book is a welcome contribution to the literature. It will be of interest to clinicians working across many fields in the care of individuals with VCFS including speech pathologists, paediatricians, cardiologists, plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists and geneticists. It aims to give the reader insight from many professional perspectives so as to promote true transdisciplinary care. It is easy to read as the majority of the book is written by the two main authors so the language and structure of the content are consistent throughout. The inclusion of the DVD with video clips gives the clinician an additional learning tool. While the book does not claim to be based solely on scientific research, there is inconsistency in the degree and range of referencing across the chapters with some

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ACQ Volume 12, Number 3 2010

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au