Elza Imnadze

Workshop Hearing impairments, Assessment and Intervention

In Summer 2019 in the framework of the EU funded ERASMUS+ project ABC-Assisting Better Communication, Speech and Language Therapist from ONO Academic College, Israel, Adi Twik delivered 3 day workshop at Ilia State University: Hearing impairments, Assessment and Intervention.

Public lecture was attended by master students of Communication, Speech and Language Therapy at Ilia State University, as well as by specialists working in the field of language intervention.

Video

Video prepared as a part of the project aiming to raise awareness about professionals from education-rehabilitation science and about study process at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation of UNTZ. Video has been designed and developed by UNTZ and screened via social media. The main outcome is that broader public is introduced SLT specifics via video clips linked to social media and television. This material rise understanding for this specialty in the public and also give viewers some important concepts and massages about education-rehabilitation science and SLT, in an easily comprehensible language and style.

http://erf.untz.ba/web/promotivni-video-edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski-fakultet/

E- books in Bosnian

As a part of activities of the Erasmus + Assisting Better Communication project, 5 e-books have been published and are available to all students and professionals dealing with speech and language disorders. E-books are available on the website of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation of the University of Tuzla:

http://erf.untz.ba/web/biblioteka/e-knjige/

The following books have been published:

1.Duranović, M., Jovanović-Simić, N., Begić, L., Mrkonjić, Z., Rahmanović, D. (2019). Jezik i jezički poremećaji (Language and language disorders). Univerzitet u Istočnom Sarajevu: Medicinski fakultet Foča.

2. Duranović, M., Begić, L., Jovanović-Simić, N., Rahmanović, D. (2018). Komunikacija i mucanje (Communication and sttutering).  Univerzitet u Istočnom Sarajevu: Medicinski fakultet Foča.

3. Begić, L., Duranović, M., Jovanović-Simić, D. (2018). Osnove disfagija (Basics of dysphagia).  Univerzitet u Istočnom Sarajevu: Medicinski fakultet Foča.

4. Jovanović-Simić, D., Duranović, M., Babac, S. (2018). Sluh (Hearing). Univerzitet u Istočnom Sarajevu: Medicinski fakultet Foča.

5. Jovanović-Simić, D., Duranović, M., Petrović-Lazić, M. (2018). Govor i glas (Speech and Voice). Univerzitet u Istočnom Sarajevu: Medicinski fakultet Foča.

 

 

Communication tools, phonology and language flesh cards

Country context appropriate communication tools and language and phonology flash cards on Bosnian language for work with individuals (children and adults) with speech and language disorders have been developed:

  • three board games on Bosnian languages specifically developed for persons with speech and language disorders;
  • five set of comics on Bosnian languages;
  • set of baby-books and sequence stories on Bosnian languages;
  • flesh cards;
  • different set of exercises for work with clients with motor speech disorders;
  • different set of exercises for work with clients with dyslexia;
  • different set of exercises for work with clients with dyscalculia.

Different app games are selected and uploaded on ipads and used in work with children with speech and language disorders.

Online application is developed with designed pictorial and digital materials. All developed material is uploaded in the application what is available to all professionals and students who are signed and has access to the application.

Code of Ethics

In February 2019 Association of Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina accepted Code of Ethics. The document was developed by the Department of Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology of the University of Tuzla in consultation with speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and supports the mission of SLPs to protect and serve the public by regulating, supporting, and ensuring competent, ethical practice of SLPs and audiologists in B&H.

Brochures

Students from the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology of Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Tuzla during May in 2018 and 2019, raised awareness of communication disorders. This mounth is marked throughout the world as the “Better Listening and Speaking” month. Through a relaxed and informative dialogue with the citizens of Tuzla, they emphasized the importance of preventing, timely detecting and treating hearing impairment and speech and language difficulties. They also distributed brochures with information on the domain of speech therapists and audiologists, and tips on when to seek the help of speech therapists or audiologists.

Assessment tools

  • Assessment tools for swallowing disorders are translated and adopted in Bosnian (GUSS- Gugging screening of swallowing, EAT – 10 screening test of swallowing, Water Swallowing Test).
  • Different tests for assessment of language skills are translated and adopted for Bosnian (Test of pragmatic skills, Shulman, B.B.; Form for assessment of pragmatic skills, Goberis D; Test of language development – TOLD-P:4, Phyllis, L., Newcomer, Donald, D. Hammill).
  • Early Screening of Dyslexia (DEST-2), Nicolson, R, Fawcett, A., 2004, is translated and adopted in Bosnian, and validity of test was analyzed as a part of master thesis.
  • With respect of characteristics of Bosnian and results of different researches, test for screening dyslexia and dyscalculia for elementary school children was developed, and 700 participants in elementary schools all around Bosnia and Herzegovina have been assessed in two points with aim of standardization of this test in Bosnian as a part of master thesis.
  • Social Language Development Test-Elementary:Normative Update (SLDT-E:NU) Bowers L, Huisingh R, LoGiudice CM, 2016 has been translated and dopted in Bosnian and will b validated as a part of PhD thesis

Assessment tools already standardized for Croatian are purchased for the Department of Speech and Language Pathology of the University of Tuzla and are ready for use in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

  • Komunikacijske razvojne ljestvice KORALJE Kovačević M, Jelaska Z, Kuvač Kraljević J, Cepanec M, 2012
  • Peabody slikovni test rječnika PPVT/IIIDunn LM, Dunn LM, Kovačević M, Padovan N, Hržica G, Kuvač Kraljević J, Mustapić M, Dobravac G, Palmović M, 2009
  • Test razumijevanja gramatike TROG Bishop DVM, Kuvač Kraljević J, Hržica G, Kovačević M, Kologranić Belić L, 2014
  • ePOTJEH Kuvač Kraljević J u suradnji sa: Hržica G, Padovan N, Kologranić Belić L, Olujić M, Matić A, Srebačić I, Peretić M, 2017
  • Test za deficit pažnje/hiperaktivni poremećaj ADHDT Gilliam JE, 2006
  • Procjena psihomotoričkog razvoja – RPM Čuturić N, 2007
  • Nove Reynell razvojne jezične ljestvice – NRDLS-HR Reynell JM i Huntley M, 2019
  • Kratko ispitivanje mentalnog statusa – MMSE-2 M. F. Folstein, S. E. Folstein, T. White i M. A. Messer, 2011

Assessment tools in English are purchased and will be translated and adopted in Bosnian:

  • CMAT: Comprehensive Mathematical Abilities Test Hresko WP, Schlieve PL, Herron SR, Swain C, Sherbenou RJ, 2003
  • FDA-2: Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment. Second Edition Enderby P, Palmer R 2008
  • ABA-2: Apraxia Battery for Adults-Second Edition Dabul BL, 2000
  • Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech Yorkston K, Beukelman D, Traynor C, 1984
  • LDDI: The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory Hammill D, Bryant B, 1998
  • PLSI: Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory Gilliam JE, Miller L, 2017
  • Test of Pragmatic Language-Second Edition (TOPL-2) Phelps-Terasaki D, Phelps-Gunn T, 2007
  • Swallowing Ability and Function Evaluation SAFE Kipping P i Ross-Swain D, 2003

Speech- Language Therapy Application in Bosnian

Speech therapist application was created as one of the activities of the Erasmus + project “Assisting Better Communication” funded by European Commission with aim of improving the speech-language therapist’s practical work. The speech-language therapy application is available online. Each user will have their own profile, where they have to be registered and get their username and password. The application itself contains a part that allows users to enter anamnestic data for each client and that part is locked and visible only to the user who entered that data. The user is able to have for each client a separate form in which enter the data. These data are stored and can be modified and new data can be entered. The second part contains a scheduler in which the user can enter his obligations, that is, a plan of work with clients by dates. Clicking on the patient in the planner will open a form with client information. The third part is in which the material for working with clients is uploaded. This section is organized into sections (perception, flash card, numbers, letters, etc.). The material is uploaded in pdf. All users have access to the aforementioned section, which will be open to all who have signed up and will have the opportunity to use all the materials entered and to upload the materials.
The speech therapy application is available at the following link:

http://logoped.erf.untz.ba

Significant improvement of practical and research work at the Department of Speech Therapy and Audiology

The Department of Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences purchased equipment worth 18,000 euros as part of the Erasmus + project “Assisting better communication” funded by the European Commission. Books, tests for assessment of speech-language status, laptops, i-pads, software, headsets, were acquired in order to better educate students in the exercises, to acquire practical knowledge in accordance with modern trends and achievements, as well as to conduct scientific research on the second and third a cycle of study that will be competitive and published in eminent journals. The acquisition of a smart board will allow for the advance  theoretical instruction too.

International Conference – Speech and language Therapy

On 3-4 October, 2019, International Conference in Communication, Speech and Language Therapy was held  in Batumi, in frames of ERASMUS + project  ABC Erasmus + ABC- Assisting Better Communication. During the conference members of the project consortium from Netherlands, Portugal and Israel presented topics on such important issues as : Promote communication development in children with multiple disorders, professional ethics in speech and language therapy, language development in children with hearing impairments, family involvement and early intervention, aphasia, voice disorders, language flexibility disorders, clinical supervision and early literacy. The conference was attended by language and speech therapists from the Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal, Israel, Bosnia&Herzegovina and Georgia.

On October 5-6, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University hosted the final workshop of the project consortium. The four-day conference was opened by University Rector Merab Khalvashi, Project Coordinator Nino Tsintsadze, Dr. Isabel Amaral and Dr. Marlene Jansen. The goal of the project “Promoting Better Communication” was to develop / enhance the language and speech therapy profession by offering quality courses and programs in communication, language and speech therapy profession.