Language Needs of Population Served

Author(s):  
Samuel S. David ◽  
Priscilla Gibson ◽  
Patience Togo Malm

Language mediates every aspect of social work, and the ability to communicate effectively with and about clients is a paramount responsibility that rests with the social worker. This responsibility extends to clients who do not speak, understand, read, or write fluently in the dominant language, either because they speak other languages or because of communication-related disabilities. This category may include individuals with learning disabilities, speech disorders, aphasia, autism spectrum disorders, specific language impairment, and physical impairments that impact language production, among other conditions. Primary concerns include disparities in access to services; the need for training on working with interdisciplinary teams; minimizing bias, micro-aggressions, and stereotyping; and issues related to translation, interpretation, and intercultural communication. In addition to these concerns, linguistically diverse populations are often excluded from research, resulting in gaps in knowledge about their needs. Service accommodations for language minorities tend to focus on translation and interpretation; however, research suggests that social workers also need to understand and guard against unconscious bias, and learn to use affirmative language to support the well-being of clients rather than pathologizing them. Clients with communication disabilities, on the other hand, may have distinct or overlapping needs, and service organizations rarely address the language support needs of these two populations within one unified framework. Service providers may waste precious time and effort navigating multiple, overlapping policy directives. Information on the policy context in the United States and the European Union related to language rights and language access provides a background for this topic.

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Lindsay Gething

Both the life expectancy and numbers of older people with intellectual disabilities are growing. Until recently, ageing with a disability had not been a major consideration for Australian policy makers and service providers. The situation was similar in countries such as the United States of America and United Kingdom where, unlike aged care, disability policy and practice had not evolved to meet needs. Ageing with long standing disability has now been specified by the Australian government as a priority area. This paper reports results of consultations held with consumers, their organisations, service providers and government in order to explore quality of life and service provision issues for people with long standing disabilities. It reports these issues and uses themes emerging from consultations to structure previously published information specifically related to ageing with an intellectual disability. Seven broad themes are discussed which relate to: life experiences; attitudes, skills and knowledge of consumers; attitudes skills and knowledge of community and service providers, the nature of service provision; the ageing of family care givers; financial security; and ageing in place. It is concluded that disadvantages and barriers experienced throughout life influence well being and quality of life in old age.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Jose ◽  
Patricia George-Zwicker ◽  
Louise Tardif ◽  
Aaron Bouma ◽  
Darlene Pugsley ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Little research describes the everyday challenges and needs of autistic adults. In order to fill this data gap, the CONtiNuity of carE and support for autistiC adulTs (CONNECT) project set out to learn about the health and well-being of autistic adults as well as their service and support needs. To do so, CONNECT welcomed autistic adults and caregivers of autistic adults as members of the research team, alongside researchers, policy-makers, service providers and health professionals. Autistic adults were involved in every stage of the research project and participated in team meetings held several times a year as well as in numerous email exchanges. Methods Two feedback questionnaires were designed for this study: one for the scientific co-researchers and one for the autism community co-researchers (the project’s “patient partners”). Although the surveys varied from one another, they probed respondents to provide critical and constructive comments on issues that were central to their engagement in CONNECT. Four scientific co-researchers and four autism community co-researchers filled out the questionnaires. A comparative analysis was carried out on the responses provided to the open- and closed-ended survey questions as well as on complimentary data collected from the team’s documents. Results CONNECT was seen as a positive experience for both groups. Highlights included: helping tailor and design research and its relevant materials to better suit the needs of the autistic community; establishing relationships and creating long-lasting friendships with other autistic adults; gaining a better understanding of the research process; and forging new connections with regional, national and international stakeholders. Areas for improvement include: establishing clear roles, responsibilities and expectations from the start; outlining a strategy to address unforeseen changes in project leadership; and creating a platform allowing for the involvement and participation of a more representative sample of adults on the autism spectrum. Conclusions While not without its challenges, CONNECT demonstrates that a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach engaging autistic adults can be an effective model for conducting research on adult autism. Autistic adults and their caregivers can make the research process more open and accessible and make its outputs more relevant, useful and meaningful to the wider autistic adult community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 239694152097150
Author(s):  
Magda Di Renzo ◽  
Federico Bianchi di Castelbianco ◽  
Elena Vanadia ◽  
Massimiliano Petrillo ◽  
Lidia Racinaro ◽  
...  

Background and aims The daily challenges of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder affect many areas of everyday life and parental well-being, as well as parents’ ability to manage the needs of the family and the child concerned. A better understanding of parents’ perception of their child’s characteristics can allow better support for them and individualize intervention protocols in a more accurate way. The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the perception of stress by parents of children with autism compared to parents of children with specific language impairment. Methods The parents of 87 children aged between 2 and 6 years were included in this study, 34 children with a specific language impairment diagnosis and 53 children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD) or at risk of developing it. They were asked to complete a self-report on perceived stress and rating scales on adaptive/problematic behaviours, executive functions and sensory profile of the child. Results The results reveal that parents of ASD children, compared to the control group, showed significantly higher levels of stress, mainly due to the difficulty of managing unexpected events, the feeling of loss of control over one's life and the fear of not being able to cope with the adversities they were experiences. The most critical area, both for ASD and control group, concern the executive function related to emotional reactions. Conclusions Thus, we argue that the difficulties in self-control, sensory modulation and emotional regulation, represent an element of stress for parents of children with developmental disorders. Implications: Regarding the difficulties of children with ASD, supporting the ways in which caregivers adapt to the signals of children is an important strategy, which has now become a key element of treatments for autism mediated by parents.


CoDAS ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-275
Author(s):  
Ingrid Ya I Sun ◽  
Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes

INTRODUCTION: The child's inclusion in his/her social-cultural context is very important to his/her adaptation and well-being. The family has a major role as a facilitator of this process. Therefore the difficulties of these families in communicating with children with communication disorders are an important issue to be assessed in order to support orientations to families.PURPOSE: The present study aimed to identify and compare communication difficulties perceived by parents of children with Down Syndrome (DS), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI).METHODS: Information was gathered with the use of a questionnaire with 24 questions regarding the perception of parents about their child communication disorders and the difficulties they identify. The questions were divided into four domains: 1 - Parents' personal difficulties; 2 - Parents' impression about themselves regarding their child; 3 - Parents' impressions about other persons' reactions to their child and 4 - Parents' impression about their child. Sixty parents were the subjects of this study: 20 had children with DS, 20 with SLI and 20 with ASD. All children had ages between 6 and 12 years.RESULTS: It was possible to observe that there was significant difference between the parents of ASD children with those of DS and SLI on the second, third and fourth domains.CONCLUSION: The questionnaire is effective to the identification of the communication disorders of ASD children based on their parents' reports but not to other developmental disorders.


Author(s):  
Pamela Samuelson

For more than two decades, internet service providers (ISPs) in the United States, the European Union (EU), and many other countries have been shielded from copyright liability under “safe harbor” rules. These rules apply to ISPs who did not know about or participate in user-uploaded infringements and who take infringing content down after receiving notice from rights holders. Major copyright industry groups were never satisfied with these safe harbors, and their dissatisfaction has become more strident over time as online infringements have grown to scale. Responding to copyright industry complaints, the EU in 2019 adopted its Directive on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market. In particular, the Directive’s Article 17 places much stricter obligations on for-profit ISPs that host large amounts of user contents. Article 17 is internally contradictory, deeply ambiguous, and harmful to small and medium-sized companies as well as to user freedoms of expression. Moreover, Article 17 may well violate the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the United States, Congress commenced a series of hearings in 2020 on the safe harbor rules now codified as 17 U.S.C. § 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In May 2020, the U.S. Copyright Office issued its long-awaited study on Section 512, which recommended several significant changes to existing safe harbor rules. The Study’s almost exclusively pro–copyright industry stances on reform of virtually every aspect of the rules notably shortchanges other stakeholder interests. Congress should take a balanced approach in considering any changes to the DMCA safe harbor rules. Any meaningful reform of ISP liability rules should consider the interests of a wide range of stakeholders. This includes U.S.-based Internet platforms, smaller and medium-sized ISPs, startups, and the hundreds of millions of Internet users who create and enjoy user-generated content (UGC) uploaded to these platforms, as well as the interests of major copyright industries and individual creators who have been dissatisfied with the DMCA safe harbor rules.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-93
Author(s):  
Tamás Szádeczky

The term information security evolved to cybersecurity nowadays, which emphasises the interdependence of information assets and the importance of cyber-physical systems. Parallel to this, the need for appropriate management of the EU and government strategies and new public administration tasks also appeared. In the European Union, the first measure concerning this issue was the establishment of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) in 2004, mostly with consultative tasks. The first official cybersecurity strategy in the EU, called the Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace, was accepted in 2013. Afterwards, ENISA’s role has been strengthened as well as its range of tasks were broadened. Beside the critical infrastructure protection efforts, the Network Information Security (NIS) directive and related legislation were a giant leap towards a common level of cybersecurity in the community. The formation of an EU Cybersecurity Act and filling NIS with more practical guidance is an ongoing process nowadays. Despite being a post-socialist country, Hungary is in the first line of legislation on cybersecurity in the community. Since 2005 there were several government decrees, from 2009 the first act-level rules on the information security of some governmental services. Based on the National Security Strategy, the National Cybersecurity Strategy was formed in 2013. The same year the first information security act applicable to all government, local government, governmental data processing and critical infrastructure service providers has come into force. The alignment of the National Cybersecurity Strategy to NIS directive happens these days. Thus, the regulation of cybersecurity in the EU and in Hungary are heading in the right direction, but the practical implementation today is far away from the strategic objectives. The community is lagging far behind the United States of America and China, just to mention the most important players in the field.


Author(s):  
Lori Wilkinson

Seen positively, transnationalism enriches the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of many countries and enhances the exchange of goods and services in the increasingly globalized economy. Seen negatively, transnationalism creates disunity in terms of introducing new ethnic, linguistic and religious traditions in developed countries, and poses risks to security and national well being. This paper examines citizenship conceptions, policies and practices directed towards transnational migrants within the European Union, the United States, and Canada. D’un point de vue positif, le transnationalisme enrichit la diversité culturelle, linguistique et religieuse de plusieurs pays et il accroît les échanges de produits et services dans une économie de plus en plus mondialisée. D’un point de vue négatif, le transnationalisme crée des pertes d’unité par l’introduction de nouvelles traditions ethniques, linguistiques et religieuses dans les pays développés, de même qu’il pose des risques à la sécurité et au bien-être national. Cet article examine les conceptions de la citoyenneté, les politiques et les pratiques à l’égard des migrants transnationaux dans l’Union européenne, aux États-Unis et au Canada.


Author(s):  
Daniel W. Bromley

The emergence of authoritarian governments in much of Europe, the British vote to leave the European Union, and widespread political anger in the United States suggest that anxiety and uncertainty now threaten to undermine stable democracies. Decades of stagnant household incomes and growing inequality are casting doubt on the benefits of capitalism. Meanwhile, millions of desperate migrants streaming north out of Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa further jeopardize political stability in the wealthy metropole. We have here an explanation for why the world finds itself in widespread dysfunction. First, there is a dominant culture of possessive individualism. This attitude has fostered political opposition to taxes, to higher wages for vast numbers of workers, and to various programs that would ease the economic burden on beleaguered households. Meanwhile, a culture of managerial capitalism suppresses wages and salaries, embraces automation, and moves jobs overseas. Voters have taken the measure of contemporary capitalism and are unimpressed. Many of the disillusioned have turned to authoritarian braggarts to rescue them from their misery. Xenophobia stalks the land. Escape from this crisis requires that the isolated acquisitive individual rediscover a sense of loyalty to others—as neighbors, as colleagues, and as participants in a shared social process of living rather than merely consuming. Escape also requires that the private firm be reimagined as a public trust in which the economic well-being of employees becomes a central part of its purpose. In the absence of these dual transformations, capitalism as we know it cannot endure.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6529-6529
Author(s):  
D. Cella ◽  
M. D. Michaelson ◽  
J. C. Cappelleri ◽  
A. G. Bushmakin ◽  
C. Charbonneau ◽  
...  

6529 Background: In an international, randomized phase 3 trial (Figlin et al, ASCO. 2008), sunitinib showed superior progression-free survival (the primary endpoint) and objective response rate over IFN-α (11 vs. 5 mo and 47% vs. 12%, respectively; p < 0.000001) as first-line mRCC therapy, with a median overall survival of more than 2 years. Here, we report the final health-related QOL results from this trial. Methods: 750 treatment-naïve mRCC patients were randomized 1:1 to receive sunitinib 50 mg orally once-daily in recurring cycles of 4 weeks on drug and 2 weeks off or IFN-α 9 MU subcutaneously thrice-weekly. QOL was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), which has 4 subscales, the FACT-Kidney Symptom Index-15 item (FKSI-15), which includes a Disease-Related Symptoms (FKSI-DRS) subscale, and the EQ-5D questionnaire's utility index (EQ-5D Index) and visual analog scale (EQ-VAS). The primary QOL endpoint was FKSI-DRS. Higher scores indicated better outcomes. Patients completed questionnaires on days 1 and 28 of each cycle. Data were analyzed for the intent-to-treat population using mixed-effects models (MM), supplemented with pattern-mixture models (PMM). We also compared QOL of patients in the United States (US) with patients in the European Union (EU; France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom). Results: Patients on sunitinib reported better FKSI-15 and FKSI-DRS scores than those on IFN-α, with a significant difference in the overall means across cycles (4.06 and 2.36, respectively; p < 0.0001; MM). Similarly, differences in means for FACT-G (and all subscales), EQ-5D Index, and EQ-VAS all significantly favored sunitinib (p < 0.05). Based on pre-set, required minimum score differences, between-treatment differences in the mean scores were clinically meaningful for FKSI-15, FKSI-DRS, FACT-G, and the FACT-G functional well-being subscale. Between-treatment differences were similar for both the US and EU populations. Across all analyses, results from PMM were similar to those from MM. Conclusions: Sunitinib provides superior QOL over IFN-α, in addition to superior efficacy, as first-line mRCC therapy. [Table: see text]


2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1634) ◽  
pp. 20120393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtenay Frazier Norbury

Skilled sentence production involves distinct stages of message conceptualization (deciding what to talk about) and message formulation (deciding how to talk about it). Eye-movement paradigms provide a mechanism for observing how speakers accomplish these aspects of production in real time. These methods have recently been applied to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and specific language impairment (LI) in an effort to reveal qualitative differences between groups in sentence production processes. Findings support a multiple-deficit account in which language production is influenced not only by lexical and syntactic constraints, but also by variation in attention control, inhibition and social competence. Thus, children with ASD are especially vulnerable to atypical patterns of visual inspection and verbal utterance. The potential to influence attentional focus and prime appropriate language structures are considered as a mechanism for facilitating language adaptation and learning.


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