Este estudio de tipo observacional transversal tuvo como objetivo analizar la autopercepción vocal de mujeres sin disfonía diagnosticadas con síndrome de hiperlaxitud articular (SHA). Participaron sesenta y cuatro mujeres de 24.06 ± 3.45 años que fueron distribuidas, según criterios de inclusión y exclusión, en dos grupos de treinta y dos participantes cada uno: el primero, integrado por mujeres sin SHA y, el segundo, compuesto por mujeres con diagnóstico de SHA. La autopercepción vocal fue evaluada en sus dimensiones física, funcional y emocional mediante la aplicación de la Escala de Disconfort del Tracto Vocal, la Escala de Síntomas Vocales y el Índice de Desventaja Vocal. Los resultados mostraron que las mujeres con SHA obtuvieron puntajes significativamente más altos en todas las dimensiones analizadas. Asimismo, se evidenció que este grupo experimentó con mayor frecuencia e intensidad síntomas como tensión y dolor durante la fonación. En conclusión, los resultados del presente estudio sugieren que las mujeres con SHA presentan una peor autopercepción vocal en las dimensiones física, funcional y emocional en comparación con mujeres sin SHA.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is characterized by persistent language difficulties that frequently extend to reading. This scoping review synthesized evidence on the reading performance of school-aged children with DLD (7–12 years), focusing on decoding (accuracy and fluency) and reading comprehension at both literal and inferential levels. Following JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus. Nineteen studies were included (12 cross-sectional and 7 longitudinal). Most studies reported decoding difficulties, although these appeared less pronounced in transparent orthographies. Within decoding, accuracy was more affected than fluency. Fluency was less frequently studied and generally appeared relatively preserved, except in cases of comorbidity with dyslexia. Reading comprehension was consistently reduced, with greater difficulties in inferential than in literal processes. Longitudinal studies showed that although children with DLD improve their reading over time, they continue to lag behind typically developing peers. Overall, the evidence suggests a reading profile characterized by reduced decoding accuracy and difficulties in inferential comprehension. As this is a scoping review, causal relationships cannot be established; however, the findings highlight the need for interventions targeting both decoding and reading comprehension, particularly decoding accuracy and inferential comprehension.
La educación postsecundaria o universitaria constituye un desafío relevante para los jóvenes adultos con trastorno del espectro autista, en parte debido a la limitada disponibilidades de servicios de apoyo vinculados a sus necesidades en la comunicación e interacción social. Es por esto que el presente estudio describe el diseño, la validación de contenido y el pilotaje inicial de un programa de entrenamiento en la comunicación e interacción social, intervención virtual dirigida a jóvenes universitarios con autismo. En la primera fase, el programa fue construido a partir de revisiones sistemáticas y programas internacionales validados, y posteriormente evaluado por 12 expertos mediante los criterios de suficiencia, claridad, coherencia y relevancia, donde se obtuvo una valoración favorable. En la fase de pilotaje, participaron cuatro jóvenes con autismo; 1 hombre y 3 mujeres, a quienes se aplicaron dos cuestionarios autoadministrados de habilidades sociales validados en población chilena en formato pre y post intervención. Los resultados mostraron una tendencia global hacia la mejora, aunque con variaciones individuales y heterogéneas entre los participantes. Estos hallazgos sugieren que las intervenciones virtuales estructuradas pueden constituir una alternativa pertinente para fortalecer las habilidades sociales en jóvenes universitarios con autismo, lo que resalta al mismo tiempo la necesidad de continuar desarrollando y validando programas culturalmente contextualizados para la educación superior.
En los últimos años se han desarrollado programas de intervención y enseñanza de la lectura en niños con trastorno del espectro del autismo (TEA) basados en el método fonético que son aplicados con tecnologías que permiten personalizar las intervenciones. El objetivo de este estudio se centra en analizar la efectividad de una intervención intensiva y personalizada a través del softwareINVENTAPALABRAS (Muñoz et al., 2025) para abordar las dificultades lectoras en un niño con TEA (nivel de apoyo 1), centrándose en los componentes del National Reading Panel (NRP, 2000) y en el entrenamiento de la denominación rápida automática (RAN). La intervención tuvo una duración de 35 horas, distribuida en tres fases: (a) evaluación pretest, (b) entrenamiento de los cinco elementos propuestos por el NRP y RAN de colores, objetos y números, y (c) evaluación postest. Los resultados mostraron una mejora en conciencia fonológica, con incremento de la puntuación global de 4,01 a 5,94, una reducción del tiempo en tareas de RAN y mejoras en precisión, velocidad lectora y comprensión. En conclusión, este estudio muestra y respalda que una intervención informática, estructurada e individualizada que aborde las deficiencias en el procesamiento fonológico y la RAN podría ser eficaz para mejorar las dificultades lectoras en el TEA.
El Procesamiento Auditivo Central (PAC) se define como la eficiencia y la eficacia con que el Sistema Nervioso Central utiliza la información auditiva, modulado por funciones cognitivas de nivel superior. Los Potenciales Evocados Auditivos (PEA) de media y larga latencia se han consolidado como herramientas neurofisiológicas objetivas que reflejan la velocidad y robustez del procesamiento neuronal. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar la aplicación de los PEA de media y larga latencia como herramientas objetivas para estudiar la eficiencia del PAC, las habilidades cognitivas de nivel superior y las adaptaciones neuroplásticas inducidas por la experiencia de alta demanda lingüística y cognitiva. Para este objeto se realiza una revisión narrativa de 81 documentos. La evidencia confirma que el entrenamiento musical se asocia a mayor amplitud y menor latencia del P300, indicando eficiencia en atención y velocidad de procesamiento. Bilingües y músicos presentan mayor densidad de materia gris y mayor plasticidad cerebral dependiente de la experiencia. El Auditory Middle Latency Response (AMLR) constituye un biomarcador sensible de la integridad talamocortical, útil para identificar trastornos del PAC incluso cuando las respuestas de tronco encefálico se encuentran dentro de parámetros normales. Los PEA de media y larga latencia constituyen herramientas objetivas y sensibles para analizar la eficiencia del PAC, las habilidades cognitivas de nivel superior y las adaptaciones neuroplásticas inducidas por la experiencia de alta demanda lingüística y cognitiva, siendo el P300 el indicador más consistente de la plasticidad cognitiva y atencional, y el AMLR un biomarcador sensible de la integridad talamocortical.
Research and professional practice related to intervention programs with inclusive communication objectives highlight the need for intervention practices that have been endorsed by criteria for effective outcomes. This paper analyzes the types of intervention practices and highlights the importance of effective practices in inclusive communication, especially for groups of people with complex communication needs. The results of an analytical study conducted using the Delphi method with groups of professionals with expertise in communication and language interventions for people with complex communication needs are presented. The aim is to extract common elements among effective practices that would be useful for designing effective intervention programs for people with these characteristics. The results of the study are complemented by the incorporation of first-hand experiences from professionals with expertise in communication and language intervention programs for people with complex communication needs.
The preterm neonate presents with immature oral reflexes and ineffective coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing. These alterations can lead to serious complications such as penetration and aspiration. The role of the speech-language pathologist is to ensure a safe feeding route and a transition toward full oral feeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using the preterm nipple (WS-1 code 01319) in habilitation and/or rehabilitation therapy for feeding in preterm infants. A longitudinal, descriptive, and comparative study was conducted. Using simple random sampling, a sample of 90 preterm infants was obtained. The intervention consisted of stimulation of the orofacial musculature, non-nutritive sucking exercises, and the use of Pigeon WS-01 preterm nipples. The control group was composed of 23 preterm infants who underwent the same exercises but used a traditional nipple. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Araucan & iacute;a Sur Health Service. Among the findings, in the group of preterm newborns who used the WS-01 nipple, 81% were discharged with the removal of the nasogastric tube (NGT) and oral feeding within the first 12 days, compared to only 9% in the control group that did not use the nipple. The use of the nipple has proven to be an effective tool that reduces hospitalization days and shortens the transition time from NGT to exclusive oral feeding, which can be complemented with breastfeeding.
Phonological development in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) follows a complex and extended trajectory, characterised by marked intra-individual variability that compromises both intelligibility and communicative participation. This study explores such complexity through a multidimensional framework grounded in Non-Linear Phonology, integrating segmental and suprasegmental measures including Whole Word Match (WWM), Word Shape Match (WSM), Stress Match (SM), and Percentage of Consonants Correct (PCC). The overall aim was to characterise the phonological development of 30 Chilean children and adolescents with DS, aged 5 to 20 years, divided into three age groups. Phonological samples were elicited using the Spanish Phonology Test (Bernhardt et al., 2016) and analysed with Phon 3.5 software (Hedlund y Rose, 2020). Analyses of variance, individual profiling via Z-scores, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were conducted. Results indicated significant differences across age groups for all metrics, with greater progress observed in childhood and relative stabilisation during adolescence. At the individual level, profiles were highly heterogeneous, with dissociations emerging across metrics. PCA identified a primary dimension of phonological accuracy and a secondary dimension related to stress patterns. These findings underscore the importance of applying comprehensive phonological assessments that address multiple dimensions of speech, in order to design interventions tailored to the specific phonological profiles of individuals with DS.
Syndromic microphthalmia type 3, associated with a mutation in the SOX2 gene, is a rare congenital condition that is usually accompanied by multisystem alterations and significant impairment of neurological, sensory, and communicative development. The aim of this case report was to characterize language and communication in a six-year-old child diagnosed with syndromic microphthalmia type 3 and bilateral congenital blindness. A speech-language assessment was conducted through direct observation in a natural context, complemented by the application of standardized instruments for pediatric populations and visual impairment. The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale, the Leonhardt Scale, the Reynell-Zinkin Scales, and the Functional Communication Classification System (CFCS) were administered. The results demonstrated a global developmental delay, with communicative functioning equivalent to a developmental age below twelve months. Absence of functional verbal language was observed, along with limited use of vocalizations and gestures, few symbolic abilities, and marked dependence on adults to sustain interaction. According to the CFCS classification, the child was placed at Level IV, corresponding to an inconsistent communicator even with familiar partners, despite preserved communicative intent and relative strengths in nonverbal and pragmatic communication. In conclusion, this case confirms that mutation of the SOX2 gene is associated with a severely compromised and heterogeneous communicative profile, in which nonverbal communication constitutes a central axis for speech-language intervention and for the planning of early, specialized, individualized, and continuous support.
study aims to explore the relationship between the perception of vocal handicap, experiences of stress, anxiety, and bodily tension in contexts of high emotional demand or stress, as well as to analyze differences in these parameters between patients with acquired vocal fold lesions (AVFL) and congenital vocal fold lesions (CVFL). A sample of 201 patients was analyzed, each undergoing a differential diagnosis using videolaryngostroboscopy. Additionally, the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) was administered to assess the perception of vocal handicap, along with an ad hoc questionnaire designed to evaluate experiences of anxiety, stress, and bodily tension in different parts of the body. A strong and significant correlation was identified between stress, anxiety, and various bodily tension variables. The results revealed significant differences between AVFL and CVFL patients in their experiences of anxiety and certain areas of bodily tension, particularly in regions related to vocal production. AVFL patients reported greater tension in the jaw, neck, and cervical areas, as well as a higher overall perception of bodily tension. Conversely, CVFL patients scored higher on the VHI-10, reflecting a greater perceived vocal handicap. These findings highlight the need for differentiated therapeutic approaches based on the type of dysphonia. They also emphasize the importance of addressing both physical and psychological aspects in the clinical management of these patients to improve their quality of life and therapeutic outcomes
Evidence of sex differences in verbal fluency tasks has yielded divergent results. Several studies suggest that women retrieve more exemplars from the living things domain, while men perform better in the object domain. These differences have been explained either by the influence of evolution on conceptual organization or by the different cultural interests between sexes. However, studies conducted with children remain scarce. The aim of the present study is to compare the performance of preschool-aged boys and girls on a semantic fluency task, to examine whether sex-based differences exist. Data were collected across 13 semantic categories from both semantic domains. The results identified a significant advantage for girls in the living things domain, primarily due to their superior performance in body parts. Girls also retrieved a greater number of exemplars of clothing, colors, and kitchen utensils. These findings may be interpreted as evidence of the early cultural impact on semantic processing and conceptual organization.
Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI), with a new and free Spanish online resource for families and therapists. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of an online intervention using this ESDM-based online resource, while doing online group meetings with a therapist. The intervention was completed after 8 group meetings, where they gathered with a therapist to clarify questions, present new topics, and share their experiences. The study evaluated satisfaction with the intervention, engagement, and use of naturalistic strategies in mother-child interaction, and mothers' perceptions of changes in their child. Five autistic children under 40 months and their mothers participated. Mother-child behaviors were analyzed before and after the program through video recordings, while satisfaction and personal perceptions were analyzed with online surveys and semi-structured interviews. All participants completed the program and reported high satisfaction with the contents and meetings. They noted improvements in their use of naturalistic strategies and in engagement during interactions. Mothers felt more involved and observed positive changes in their children's attention and communication. There were noted small changes in the mother-child interactions even after such a brief intervention. Online and short interventions can ease burdened healthcare systems, providing cost-effective family support. This is a first experience using this evidence-based resource in this country.
Script training programme can improve the social and linguistic development of children with difficulties. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects that this intervention has on the skills of a five-years-old child with autism disorder spectrum and some of the factors that condition it. The program was applied in two contexts during eight and seven sessions. The teacher and the child participated in the first one, in the second, furthermore, the child's peers. A pre-post design was used to analyze the effects of the program and a concurrent multiple baseline design across behaviors, to verify that the changes observed were due to the intervention program. The dependent variables were linguistic skills:-mean length of utterance (MLU), maximum length of utterance (MxLU) and some grammar structures-and social skills: the duration of the interactions, using another person's name, play invitations, greetings, and courtesy statements. The results showed an improvement in all the dependent variables, that this improvement was greater in the second context of intervention, and that there were significant correlations between the relevant grammar structures and the teaching episodes. The role played by the adult, the peers and the "experiences scenes" are argued.
Central auditory processing disorder is characterized by difficulty interpreting acoustic signals, generating problems in efficiently and effectively processing auditory information through the skills of attending, discriminating, recognizing and understanding. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the acoustic-linguistic intervention model in the rehabilitation of patients with central auditory processing disorder. In this retrospective, descriptive and comparative study, 36 records of patients diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder who received six months of therapy between 2013 and 2023 were reviewed. Descriptive analysis was performed (mean, standard deviation, percentage and frequency), to determine the difference between groups, Chi-square and Wilcoxon were calculated to determine the difference in the performance of the pre-and post-intervention psychoacoustic tests with a significance of p<0.05. The performance of all patients on most psychoacoustic tests was significantly better at six months of therapy. The group of children presented a greater number of psychoacoustic tests with significantly better performance after the intervention. As a conclusion, the acoustic-linguistic intervention model favors the habilitation and rehabilitation of central auditory processing disorder.
Speech-language pathology practice with older adults includes the assessment and intervention of cognitive-communicative disorders (CCD). This scope of practice involves evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, counseling, health promotion, prevention, and interprofessional collaboration. In Chile, the prevalence of cognitive decline in the older population has increased; however, research on speech-language pathology practices addressing CCD secondary to major neurocognitive disorder (MaNCD) remains scarce, with a predominant focus on dysphagia. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical practice of speech-language pathologists who work with older adults with CCD secondary to MaNCD, from the perspective of professionals in the Maule Region of Chile. Aqualitativestudywith a phenomenological design and descriptive-interpretative scope was conducted, using semi-structured interviews with twelve speech-language pathologists experienced in this field. Data were organized through thematic coding using Atlas.ti software. For interpretation, both aprioristic and emergent categories were considered. Analysis was carried out through investigator triangulation. Results indicate that speech-language pathology practice is structured around four main categories: disciplinary knowledge, assessment, treatment, and other professional services. Although actions are aligned with internationallyvalidated guidelines, the clinical approach varies significantly depending on the professional's context and experience, resulting in heterogeneous practices adapted to local conditions. This study highlights the need to strengthen a comprehensive approach to CCD in older adults with MaNCD in real-world clinical settings.
Narrative comprehension skills, especially inferential comprehension, are essential for reading development and academic learning. In autism, however, research has predominantly focused on narrative production, leaving the systematic study of comprehension-particularly in Spanish-speaking contexts- in the background. The present study aimed to describe and compare literal and inferential narrative comprehension skills in Spanish-speaking autistic children and their typically developing peers. Participants were 42 students aged between 6 years and 7 years 11 months: 9 autistic children with below-average structural language (ALB), 12 autistic children with structural language within the average range (ALM), and 21 typically developing children (TD), all from schools in the municipality of Santiago, Chile. An ad hoc instrument was designed to assess narrative comprehension, including literal and inferential questions based on an audiovisual narrative. Results showed that TD outperformed ALM in inferential and total comprehension, whereas ALB scored significantly lower than both groups in literal, inferential, and total comprehension. In inferential questions, differences between the autistic groups were concentrated in thought and evaluative inferences, with ALM performing better, while emotional inferences were challenging for both subgroups. These findings highlight the need to consider structural language level when assessing narrative comprehension in autism and to design culturally relevant instruments for this population.
Intralingual adjustment consider identifying sociopragmatic equivalences between the source and target community. The objective of this article is to describe the intralingual adjustment process to Colombian Spanish, as well as the appearance validity of the Phonetic-Ponological Assessment Test. To this end, a team of expert speech-language pathologists was formed for the three phases of intralingual adjustment, using a mixed-language design. The adjustment criteria were obtained from the compilation, adjustments, and approval of a team comprised of five speech-language pathologists from different regions of Colombia, a speech-language pathologist with a Master's degree in Linguistics and a PhD in Education, two speech-language pathologists with expertise in speech sounds, and the principal author of the test. Most of the items analyzed achieved an inter-rater agreement percentage greater than 80%, and for those that did not, adjustments were made to reflect linguistic equivalences. The appearance validity phase was satisfactory, and the intralingual adjustment process was considered successful, highlighting the importance of adapting tests that, despite being in the same language, present cultural particularities that warrant adjustment.
Reading comprehension in adolescence depends not only on linguistic proficiency but also on higher-order cognitive processes, among which executive functions (EF) play a key role. This study aimed to examine the relationship between EF and reading skills in a sample of 136 students from Bogot & aacute; (Colombia), aged between 14 and 20 years. A cross-sectional observational design was employed using the PROLEC-SE-R battery to assess reading skills at the lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels, along with computerized neuropsychological tests to measure sustained attention (SART), working memory (Digit Span), and non-verbal abstraction (Raven's Progressive Matrices). Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between performance on EF tasks and various components of reading. Specifically, sustained attention and inhibitory control were linked to a greater ability to detect syntactic and semantic inconsistencies, while working memory was associated with more accurate processing of complex grammatical structures and overall text comprehension. These findings suggest that EF contribute in distinct ways to reading processes, reinforcing their role in grammatical organization, attentional regulation, and meaning integration.
La microftalmia sindrómica tipo 3, con mutación del gen SOX2, es una condición congénita poco frecuente que suele estar acompañada de alteraciones multisistémicas y un compromiso significativo del desarrollo neurológico, sensorial y comunicativo. El presente reporte de caso tuvo como objetivo caracterizar el lenguaje y la comunicación en un niño de seis años con diagnóstico de microftalmia sindrómica tipo 3 y ceguera congénita bilateral. Se llevó a cabo una evaluación logopédica mediante observación directa en un contexto natural, acompañada de la aplicación de instrumentos estandarizados para población infantil y discapacidad visual. Se emplearon la Escala de Lenguaje Infantil Rossetti, la Escala Leonhardt, la Escala Reynell-Zinkin y el Sistema de Clasificación de la Comunicación Funcional, CFCS. Los resultados demostraron retraso global del desarrollo, con un nivel de funcionamiento comunicativo equivalente a una edad de desarrollo inferior a los doce meses. Se observó ausencia de lenguaje verbal funcional, uso limitado de vocalizaciones y gestos, pocas habilidades simbólicas y una marcada dependencia del adulto para sostener la interacción. En la clasificación CFCS, el niño se ubicó en el nivel IV, correspondiente a un comunicador inconsistente incluso con interlocutores conocidos, aunque con intención comunicativa preservada y fortalezas relativas en la comunicación no verbal y a nivel pragmático. En conclusión, este caso confirma que la mutación del gen SOX2 se asocia a un perfil comunicativo severamente comprometido y heterogéneo, en el que la comunicación no verbal constituye un eje central para la intervención logopédica y la planificación de apoyos tempranos especializados individualizados y continuos.
Las investigaciones y la práctica profesional con relación a los programas de intervención con objetivos de comunicación inclusiva ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de contar con prácticas de intervención que hayan sido avaladas por criterios de eficiencia en sus resultados. En este trabajo se analizan los tipos de prácticas de intervención y se destaca la relevancia de contar con prácticas eficientes en comunicación inclusiva especialmente para los colectivos de personas con necesidades complejas de comunicación. Se presentan los resultados de una investigación analítica realizada mediante el método Delphi con grupos de profesionales expertos en intervención en comunicación y lenguaje en personas con necesidades complejas de comunicación. El objetivo del presente trabajo es extraer los elementos comunes a las prácticas eficientes que sean de utilidad para el diseño de programas de intervención destinados a personas con necesidades complejas de comunicación. Se complementan los resultados del estudio con la incorporación de experiencias vivenciadas procedentes de profesionales expertos en programas de intervención sobre comunicación y lenguaje en personas con necesidades complejas de comunicación.
