communication difficulties
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Autism ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 136236132110689
Author(s):  
Nisha Narvekar ◽  
Virginia Carter Leno ◽  
Greg Pasco ◽  
Mark H Johnson ◽  
Emily JH Jones ◽  
...  

Autism is diagnosed based on social and communication difficulties, restricted and repetitive behaviours and sensory anomalies. Existing evidence indicates that anxiety and atypical sensory features are associated with restricted and repetitive behaviours, but cannot clarify the order of emergence of these traits. This study uses data from a prospective longitudinal study of infants with and without a family history of autism ( N = 247; Elevated Likelihood N = 170 and Typical Likelihood N = 77). Longitudinal cross-lag models tested bidirectional pathways between parent-rated infant fear/shyness and perceptual sensitivity at 8, 14 and 24 months, and associations between these domains and parent-rated restricted and repetitive behaviours and social communication scores at 36 months. In addition to within-domain continuity, higher levels of fear/shyness at 14 months were associated with higher levels of perceptual sensitivity at 24 months. Higher levels of both fear/shyness and perceptual sensitivity at 24 months were associated with greater restricted and repetitive behaviours and social communication scores at 36 months. Results demonstrate the directionality of developmental pathways between fear/shyness and perceptual sensitivity in infancy and toddlerhood, but question theories that argue that these domains specifically underlie restricted and repetitive behaviours rather than autism. Identifying how early emerging anxiety and sensory behaviours relate to later autism is important for understanding pathways and developing targeted support for autistic children. Lay abstract Restricted interests and repetitive behaviours are central to the diagnosis of autism and can have profound effects on daily activities and quality of life. These challenges are also linked to other co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and sensory sensitivities. Here, we looked at whether early emerging signs of anxiety and sensory problems appear before symptoms of autism by studying infants with a family history of autism, as these infants are more likely to develop autism themselves. Studying infant siblings provides an opportunity for researchers to focus on early developmental markers of autism as these infants can be followed from birth. This study found that early infant signs of anxiety (e.g. fear/shyness) predicted later perceptual sensitivity, and those infants who scored higher on fear/shyness and sensitivity were more likely to experience more persistent repetitive behaviours, but also social and communication difficulties in toddlerhood. Early signs of anxiety and perceptual sensitivity may thus relate to both later social difficulties and repetitive behaviours. These findings support the importance of further research exploring the causal links between these domains in relation to autism, resulting in increased understanding of children who go onto develop autism in the future and guiding early interventions and supports.


2022 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 706-716
Author(s):  
Admira Beha ◽  
Sanela Čajlaković Kurtalić ◽  
Amila Petrović

 The occurrence of stress in the workplace is frequent and present in all areas of work. Population deaf workers are at some risk when it comes to the impact of stress in the workplace. The research aims is to determine factors that directly cause stress in the working environment deaf and hearing workers. The sample consisted of 30 deaf workers and 33 hearing workers. For the needs of the research, the measuring instrument of the International labor organizations was used (2003). Research results show that isolated stressors factors are more common in a subsample of deaf subjects. Fear of losing a job, fatigue and short deadlines, lack of support from colleagues and managers, constant change of obligations, feeling insecurities, fear of position in the firm, and communication difficulties are isolated causes of stress in deaf workers. Workflow errors are associated with a feeling of fear and insecurity, they appear due to their insufficient information due to communication difficulties.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Bronwyn E. A. Moorhouse ◽  
Erica R. Mainprize ◽  
Jacinta M. Douglas ◽  
Caroline A. Fisher

Abstract Background: Social connection is often impacted by acquired brain injury (ABI), contributing to isolation and compromised mental health. Group therapy is thought useful in this context. For those experiencing cognitive communication challenges, finding alternative ways to engage is also valuable. Art therapy may offer pro-social support through shared activity, self-expression, organic subject matter and enduring visual prompts. Method: A multiple A-B-A single case experimental design compared participation in sports discussion and art therapy groups on a long-stay secure unit. Nine individuals with ABI and complex combinations of communication, cognitive and mental health needs were studied. It was hypothesised that for some individuals, participation would be greater in art therapy than sports discussion groups. Results: Results from six individuals with at least five measurement points per phase are reported. Tau statistics revealed significant interphase differences for three individuals. Significantly less participation was recorded for two individuals in art than sports discussion, however they still appeared invested in the art groups. The remaining participant, with the most severe communication difficulties, avoided all baseline sports discussion groups, but participated in almost all art groups, with significant increase between initial sports discussion and art phases. Conclusion: Further research is warranted regarding the potential art therapy offers for group engagement, particularly where complex challenges render traditional talking-style groups less appropriate. Furthermore, disparate and complex needs in severe ABI require diverse, well-designed groups offering different opportunities and responding to individual strengths and motivations. More research into such approaches may increase group participation in this challenging cohort.


2022 ◽  
pp. 163-186
Author(s):  
Vítor Simões-Silva ◽  
António Marques ◽  
Catarina Pinho ◽  
Diana Gonçalves Pereira ◽  
Joana Ferreira Oliveira ◽  
...  

Gamification is a recent technique in software development that allows the application of game principles to non-game contexts and environments. In an increasingly technological world, gamification has now higher popularity, and it is currently used in several technologies. One of the health conditions where gamification can bring great benefits is in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a persistent neurodevelopmental disorder that can be characterized briefly by deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication, difficulties in interaction, and manifestation of stereotyped movements or interests. In the case of ASD, the programs, software, or the mobile applications should focus on the development of intrapersonal (such as motivation) and interpersonal (social skills) skills. Therefore, gamification can be useful in cases of ASD, but it is necessary to increase the analysis of the potentialities and needs for improvement of technologies and applications available on the market.


2022 ◽  
pp. 173-195
Author(s):  
Donatella Ciarmoli

Persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may present a loss of cognitive functioning, memory impairments, communication difficulties, obstacles to perform daily activities, disorientation, and challenging behaviours. Currently, there is no cure for AD. However, there are valid treatments to alleviate AD-related symptoms and to reduce the burden on carers; for example, the effectiveness of the use of assistive technology (AT) has been seen. The aim was to provide, in this chapter, an overview of the newest empirical evidences available on the use of AT-based programs to improve the independence and the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. A selective literature review was carried out considering Alzheimer's, assistive technologies, dementia, quality of life, and caregivers. Empirical data demonstrated the effectiveness and the suitability of the AT interventions allowing participants to improve their quality of life, as well as to mitigate the mental and physical burden of their caregivers.


2022 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32
Author(s):  
Alejandra Palma ◽  
Verónica Aliaga-Castillo ◽  
Luz Bascuñan ◽  
Verónica Rojas ◽  
Fernando Ihl ◽  
...  

Background Deaths in the intensive care unit (ICU) represent an experience of suffering for patients, their families, and professionals. End-of-life (EOL) care has been added to the responsibilities of the ICU team, but the evidence supporting EOL care is scarce, and there are many barriers to implementing the clinical recommendations that do exist. Objectives To explore the experiences and perspectives of the various members of an ICU care team in Chile regarding the EOL care of their patients. Methods A qualitative study was performed in the ICU of a high-complexity academic urban hospital. The study used purposive sampling with focus groups as a data collection method. A narrative analysis based on grounded theory was done. Results Four discipline-specific focus groups were conducted; participants included 8 nurses, 6 nursing assistants, 8 junior physicians, and 6 senior physicians. The main themes that emerged in the analysis were emotional impact and barriers to carrying out EOL care. The main barriers identified were cultural difficulties related to decision-making, lack of interprofessional clinical practice, and lack of effective communication. Communication difficulties within the team were described along with lack of self-efficacy for family-centered communication. Conclusion These qualitative findings expose gaps in care that must be filled to achieve high-quality EOL care in the ICU. Significant emotional impact, barriers related to EOL decision-making, limited interprofessional clinical practice, and communication difficulties were the main findings cross-referenced.


2021 ◽  
Vol LXIV (6) ◽  
pp. 585-597
Author(s):  
Margarita Gocheva ◽  
◽  
Nikolay Kasakliev ◽  
Elena Somova ◽  
◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our way of life, affected many industries, and had a major impact on education. The paper presents observations and analyses of the challenges raised by the short adaptation time of the learning process and the caused technical, academic, and communication difficulties. An overview of the distinctive features of e-learning during crises, with special attention to communication, feedback and pedagogical approaches in an electronic environment, has been made. Empirical research of the opinion of students and teachers about online learning was conducted. The used research methods are survey and direct observation. Special attention is paid to the results of the survey, which are presented and discussed in detail.


2021 ◽  
pp. 201010582110686
Author(s):  
Teck W. William Go ◽  
Hoi T. Mok ◽  
Sanchalika Acharyya ◽  
Darlin C. Suelo ◽  
Eu C. Ho

Communication difficulties can, and often do, create barriers between patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). We examined the perceptual differences between patients and caregivers; and HCWs with regards to their perceived communication vulnerabilities and identified communication needs in a tertiary hospital. A survey was conducted in selected outpatient settings among patients, their caregivers and HCWs, in a cross-sectional study. Respondents rated the reasons and frequency of encountering the communication difficulties during a hospital visit. Fifty-four percent of patients and caregivers cited poor hearing in the presence of noise, while HCWs cited patient’s poor vision (87%) as their primary communication barrier that requires improvement. Majority of HCWs (90%) had encountered patients who presented multiple communication barriers a quarter of the time. A third of HCWs felt that such encounters were especially challenging during communication, with very limited strategies available to deal with such communication vulnerable individuals. Patients, caregivers and HCWs universally experience communication challenges, even if their perceived barriers to communication happen to differ. Such perceptual difference between patients and HCWs may lead to inconsistent use of communication strategies by HCWs, potentially compromising patient’s healthcare needs. Nonetheless, the onus is on healthcare providers to bridge this communication gap to improve patient care.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261761
Author(s):  
Ritsu Kitagawa ◽  
Sachiko Kuroda ◽  
Hiroko Okudaira ◽  
Hideo Owan

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the world economy in various ways. In particular, the drastic shift to telework has dramatically changed how people work. Whether the new style of working from home (WFH) will remain in our society highly depends on its effects on workers’ productivity. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effects of WFH on productivity are still unclear. By leveraging unique surveys conducted at four manufacturing firms in Japan, we assess within-company productivity differences between those who work from home and those who do not, along with identifying possible factors of productivity changes due to WFH. Our main findings are as follows. First, after ruling out the time-invariant component of individual productivity and separate trends specific to employee attributes, we find that workers who worked from home experienced productivity declines more than those who did not. Second, our analysis shows that poor WFH setups and communication difficulties are the major reasons for productivity losses. Third, we find that the mental health of workers who work from home is better than that of workers who are unable to work from home. Our result suggests that if appropriate investments in upgrading WFH setups and facilitating communication can be made, WFH may improve productivity by improving employees’ health and well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 485-490
Author(s):  
Jamara Hignett

Communication formulates a large part of a consultation and as a practitioner, it is vital to communicate effectively with a patient. Jamara Hignett provides an overview of the communication barriers that affect medication adherence in patients with learning disabilities Having a disability that affects communication can cause particular problems in primary care as inadequate communication can lead to the wrong diagnosis, poor assessments and inadequate health care ( Murphy, 2006 ). All patients are entitled to accessible and appropriate information on prescribed medication to facilitate a deeper understanding of the benefits and harms of treatment ( Grime et al, 2007 ). Reasonable adjustments should be made for learning difficultly patients and this can be in the form of easy reads guides that incorporate larger text, simple information and pictorial explanations. Communication passports are a tool used by people with learning disabilities; these provide both a practical and person-centred approach to passing on key information about people with complex communication difficulties ( Nursing Times, 2018 ). They provide information about the communication needs and health needs of a patient which is useful to assist in bridging the communication gap between nurse practitioner and patient. In a time of technological advancements, a move towards digital passports would be more beneficial with regular updates from the multidisciplinary team. This in turn can be shared across numerous health platforms the patient might come into contact with, allowing the nurse practitioner to better prepare for the patient prior to their consultation. Education on learning disabilities is an area of training that is lacking in general practice; there have been no provisions made to make the training mandatory. Incorporating mandatory yearly staff training will ensure nurse practitioners have the tools and knowledge to adapt communication techniques during a consultation.


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