Maram Al-Khaledi

Purpose: Job satisfaction impacts employee work performance, productivity, and retention. We investigated levels of job satisfaction among Arab speech-language pathologists (SLPs) across different ...

Purpose: The aim of this series of case studies was to determine (1) the impact of the Lidcombe Program on early stuttering in Arabic-speaking preschool children, (2) whether adaptations are necessary when implementing the treatment program in Kuwait, and (3) the opinions of Arab parents about the treatment program. Method: This paper reports case studies of six Kuwaiti preschool age children who stuttered, aged 4;9–5;11 years (median 5;3 years), and were treated with the Lidcombe Program. The treatment program was administered in Arabic. The outcome measures included percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) and severity ratings (SR), treatment times, and parent report. Results: Four children completed both stages of the treatment program. Significant changes in the speech of all four children were noted, reaching below 1.0%SS. The treatment was completed in a median of 10.5, 1-hour clinic sessions, and a median of 136.5 days from commencement of the treatment program. Conclusion: Findings suggest that this Western program is applicable and effective with a Kuwaiti population when presented in Arabic.

Background: The loss of language and the inability to communicate effectively as a result of aphasia often affects community participation. Within the World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, disability is recognised as a dynamic interaction between the individual's health condition, such as aphasia, and his or her personal and environmental factors. There has been little research identifying the environmental facilitators and barriers to participation for people with aphasia in the community, and no research focusing on the perspective of service industry workers. Aims: This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to community participation for adults with aphasia from the perspective of service industry workers. Methods & Procedures: Eight focus groups were conducted with 24 service industry employees. Transcripts of the focus group discussions were analysed using qualitative content analysis procedures, and barriers to and facilitators for participation of people with aphasia were identified. Outcomes & Results: Results revealed that the participation of people with aphasia in the community can be affected by many environmental factors within three broad categories: (1) people environmental factors, (2) physical environmental factors, and (3) business or organisational environmental factors. Conclusions: Service industry employees were able to identify a range of factors that would act as barriers and facilitators for people with aphasia. Some of the more significant findings include the lack of other people's awareness about aphasia, the willingness of service industry workers at the individual level to accommodate people with aphasia, and the difficulty in making the necessary system, policy, and procedural changes at the organisational level. Speech pathologists are encouraged to assist service industry providers to be more aphasia‐friendly through education and training, in addition to assisting people with aphasia to become self‐advocates.