Early Communication and Feeding Disorders, 4.5 credits

For admission to semester 2, students may remain with no more than 15 credits from the previous semester in The Study Programme in Speech and Language Pathology.

Early deviations in communication and deglutition
On completion of this part, the student is expected to be able to:

• Describe how child-specific and environmental factors can interact and contribute to a positive or negative development of children regarding eating, communication and language.
• Account for deviations in prelingual development in relation to communication and language.
• Give examples of how early deviations in communication and feeding can be prevented, identified and treated.
• Demonstrate basic proficiencies in Signs as Alternative and Augmentative Communication (TAKK).

Professional skills 2
On completion of this part, the student is expected to be able to:

• Discuss ethical and legal aspects of the care of newborn and decisions in the early stage of life.
• Observe and describe the interaction during a daily routine in the home of an infant.
• Establish contact with the parents of an infant and inform them about the aim and content of the child observations performed as part of the course.
• Show awareness of and reflect about his/her own posture, respiration, relaxation, articulation and voice function in practical exercises, as well as describe the meaning of these concepts.
• Give examples of principles for constructive feedback as well as discuss how feedback from others can be used in own learning.

The course contains 2 components.

The component focuses on risk factors and protective factors in relation to prevention and detection of early deviations in feeding ability and communication such as attachment, divided attention and babbling of children. Child-specific risk factors (e.g. sensory limitations or medical conditions in the child) as well as adverse environmental factors (e.g. heredity, socio-economic status, parents' communicative style) are treated as well as methods for intervention (e.g. alternative nutrition, parental support, language stimulance, signs as alternative and augmentative communication).

This component includes ethical and legal aspects related to the care of infants - for example prematurity and the risk for associated difficulties with e.g. cognition and language. The component also includes child observations and training of own voice. The child observations include regular observations of one and the same child in its home environment. The focus is on the child's development with respect to communication, motor function, language and personality, and how the child's environment participates in this development. The child observations are presented and discussed at two seminars in small groups. Training of own voice is carried out partly in interactive learning with senior students, partly under supervision by a registered speech and language pathologist. Exercises are supplemented by seminars.

Lectures, exercises, observations and seminars. Exercises, observations and seminars are compulsory unless otherwise stated in the timetable.

In case of absence from compulsory teaching activities, students are responsible for contacting the course coordinator for complementary assignment. The course coordinator decides whether and how absence from compulsory activites can be compensated. Until the student has participated in the compulsory parts (or compensated any absence with assigned tasks in accordance with instructions from the course coordinator) the final study results cannot be reported. Absence from a mandatory education element could mean that the student cannot complete this part until the next time the course is offered.

Individual written assignment, oral presentation as well as attendance at compulsory components.

Student who do not pass the regular examination are entitled to undergo the examination at five more occasions. The third examination is the following regular examination in the course. As examination, the times are counted when the student has participated in the same test. Submission of blank exam is counted as examination. An examination to which the student registered but did not participate in does not count as examination.

Examination can be carried out according to an earlier literature list during a period of one year after the date of a renewal of the literature list. Examination will be provided during a period of one year after a possible closing of the course.

Language of instruction: Swedish.
Course evaluation will be carried out according to the guidelines established by the Board of Higher Education.