Practise patterns of Malaysian speech-language pathologists in managing children with speech and language delay/disorder

• Published in: International journal of speech language pathology Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 560 - 570
• Main Authors: Joginder Singh, Susheel, Chan, Min Yen, Ahmad Rusli, Yazmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01-12-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Child; Children; Collaboration; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delayed language acquisition; Female; Humans; Language Development Disorders - therapy; Language disorders; Malaysia; Male; Practice; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Questionnaires; Speech disorders; Speech Language Delay; Speech therapists; Speech-language Pathologist; Speech-language pathologists; Speech-Language Pathology - methods; Speech-Language Pathology - standards; Surveys and Questionnaires; Malaysia; Practice; Speech Language Delay; Malaysia; Speech-language Pathologist
• ISSN: 1754-9507; 1754-9515
• DOI: 10.3109/17549507.2016.1139624

Purpose: Children with speech and language delay/disorder (SLD) in the developing language stage (DLS) are one of the largest populations served by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in paediatric settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the practise patterns adopted by Malaysian SLPs when managing these children.
Method: A web-based questionnaire was developed to obtain information about SLPs' practises during assessment, planning and treatment.
Result: A total of 53 SLPs completed the questionnaire. When assessing the children, participants either always or usually involved parents, suggesting that they understood the importance of family involvement in services provided. When planning goals, the SLPs relied mostly on their clinical experience and less on research evidence. Participants reported that, most often, they employed a one-to-one approach when providing treatment. There was, however, great variation in the frequency of treatment provided, reflecting the different workplaces of participants.
Conclusion: Generally, findings from this study indicated that some practises employed by Malaysian SLPs when managing children with SLD in the DLS are on par with the best practise guidelines, but there is still room for improvement in certain areas such as team collaboration and evidence-based practise. Clinical and research implications are discussed.