Distribution of Physicians, Nurses, and All Workers by Place of Birth and Training, 2006 and 2016

Purpose In 2011, the United Nations estimated there were between 180 and 220 million youth with disabilities living around the world, and 80% of them resided in developing countries. Over the last 6 years, this number has increased significantly, and now, over 1 million people live in the Caribbean with some form of disability such as communication disorders resulting in complex communication needs (CCN). Method This publication discusses the benefits of an exploratory, descriptive, nonexperimental study on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) classroom integration training for 8 special educators in the Bahamas who work with children with CCN. Results The results of this study revealed that 100% of the participants reported the study to be effective in increasing their knowledge and skill in the area of implementing AAC into their classrooms, enhancing their ability to team teach and incorporate AAC opportunities for all students with CCN within their classrooms, and increasing their knowledge and skill overall in the areas of AAC and CCN. Conclusion The findings highlight an important area of potential professional development and training that can be replicated in other English-speaking Caribbean territories focused on AAC classroom integration training program for special educators who teach students with CCN.

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A Qualitative Examination of User Perceptions of User-Driven and App-Controlled Hearing Technologies

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2019_aja-19-0022 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 993-1005 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gitte Keidser ◽

Nicole Matthews ◽

Elizabeth Convery

Keyword(s):

Hearing Aids ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Hearing Aid ◽

New Technology ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Semistructured Interview ◽

User Perceptions ◽

Template Analysis ◽

Training And Support ◽

And Training

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine how hearing aid candidates perceive user-driven and app-controlled hearing aids and the effect these concepts have on traditional hearing health care delivery. Method Eleven adults (3 women, 8 men), recruited among 60 participants who had completed a research study evaluating an app-controlled, self-fitting hearing aid for 12 weeks, participated in a semistructured interview. Participants were over 55 years of age and had varied experience with hearing aids and smartphones. A template analysis was applied to data. Results Five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) prerequisites to the successful implementation of user-driven and app-controlled technologies, (b) benefits and advantages of user-driven and app-controlled technologies, (c) barriers to the acceptance and use of user-driven and app-controlled technologies, (d) beliefs that age is a significant factor in how well people will adopt new technology, and (e) consequences that flow from the adoption of user-driven and app-controlled technologies. Specifically, suggested benefits of the technology included fostering empowerment and providing cheaper and more discrete options, while challenges included lack of technological self-efficacy among older adults. Training and support were emphasized as necessary for successful adaptation and were suggested to be a focus of audiologic services in the future. Conclusion User perceptions of user-driven and app-controlled hearing technologies challenge the audiologic profession to provide adequate support and training for use of the technology and manufacturers to make the technology more accessible to older people.

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Effect of Computerized Auditory Training on Speech Perception of Adults With Hearing Impairment

Perspectives on Aural Rehabilitation and Its Instrumentation ◽

10.1044/arri20.3.91 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 91-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rachel Pizarek ◽

Valeriy Shafiro ◽

Patricia McCarthy

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Speech Perception ◽

Literature Review ◽

Low Cost ◽

Experimental Designs ◽

Auditory Training ◽

Hearing Impairments ◽

Communicative Disorders ◽

And Training

Computerized auditory training (CAT) is a convenient, low-cost approach to improving communication of individuals with hearing loss or other communicative disorders. A number of CAT programs are being marketed to patients and audiologists. The present literature review is an examination of evidence for the effectiveness of CAT in improving speech perception in adults with hearing impairments. Six current CAT programs, used in 9 published studies, were reviewed. In all 9 studies, some benefit of CAT for speech perception was demonstrated. Although these results are encouraging, the overall quality of available evidence remains low, and many programs currently on the market have not yet been evaluated. Thus, caution is needed when selecting CAT programs for specific patients. It is hoped that future researchers will (a) examine a greater number of CAT programs using more rigorous experimental designs, (b) determine which program features and training regimens are most effective, and (c) indicate which patients may benefit from CAT the most.

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Training-the-Trainer on Assistive Technology for Cognition (ATC): Current Practices

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld23.2.90 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 90-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laurie Ehlhardt Powell ◽

Tracey Wallace ◽

Michelle ranae Wild

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Assistive Technology ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Online Training ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Train The Trainer ◽

Rehabilitation Professionals ◽

Remote Locations ◽

Training Package ◽

And Training

Research shows that if clinicians are to deliver effective, evidence-based assistive technology for cognition (ATC) services to clients with acquired brain injury (ABI), they first need opportunities to gain knowledge and experience with ATC assessment and training practices (O'Neil-Pirozzi, Kendrick, Goldstein, & Glenn, 2004). This article describes three examples of train the trainer materials and programs to address this need: (a) a toolkit for trainers to learn more about assessing and training ATC; (b) a comprehensive, trans-disciplinary program for training staff to provide ATC services in a metropolitan area; and (c) an overview of an on-site/online training package for rehabilitation professionals working with individuals with ABI in remote locations.

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Clinical Update: Pain and Suffering

Guides Newsletter ◽

10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2003.janfeb02 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 5-5

Author(s):

Sheila Wendler

Keyword(s):

Subjective Experience ◽

Personal Injury ◽

Treatment Interventions ◽

Medical Expenses ◽

Affective Component ◽

Pain Behaviors ◽

The Social ◽

Patient’S Experience ◽

Pain And Suffering ◽

And Training

Abstract Attorneys use the term pain and suffering to indicate the subjective, intangible effects of an individual's injury, and plaintiffs may seek compensation for “pain and suffering” as part of a personal injury case although it is not usually an element of a workers’ compensation case. The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Fifth Edition, provides guidance for rating pain qualitatively or quantitatively in certain cases, but, because of the subjectivity and privateness of the patient's experience, the AMA Guides offers no quantitative approach to assessing “pain and suffering.” The AMA Guides also cautions that confounders of pain behaviors and perception of pain include beliefs, expectations, rewards, attention, and training. “Pain and suffering” is challenging for all parties to value, particularly in terms of financial damages, and using an individual's medical expenses as an indicator of “pain and suffering” simply encourages excessive diagnostic and treatment interventions. The affective component, ie, the uniqueness of this subjective experience, makes it difficult for others, including evaluators, to grasp its meaning. Experienced evaluators recognize that a myriad of factors play a role in the experience of suffering associated with pain, including its intensity and location, the individual's ability to conceptualize pain, the meaning ascribed to pain, the accompanying injury or illness, and the social understanding of suffering.

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