Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

Child Language and Development

Child Development & Child Language:
1) Outline the stages and processes in the development of the child and examine factors that influence the course of development.
2) Examine the social contexts of early child development and communication.
3) Provide an introduction to children's speech and language development.
4) Provide an opportunity to observe and interact with typically-developing children and evaluate children's language, social, cognitive and motor development.

Child Study:
1) Provide an opportunity to observe and interact with typically - developing children.
2) Provide the opportunity to practice and consider the validity of a range of data collection techniques (observation, interview, parent report, play based assessment, spontaneous language sampling)
3) Provide an opportunity to evaluate children's language, social, cognitive and motor development.
4) Apply appropriate methods for recording, transcribing and analysing (using computer software) children's speech and language.
5) Provide awareness of issues relating to reliability and validity when evaluating child language.
6) Use appropriate techniques for analysing and synthesising data from multiple data sources and data gathering techniques to create a holistic picture of a child
7) Develop awareness of developmental norms in early childhood and of methods for comparing an individual child to those norms.
8) Enable students to analyse data systematically, to describe data faithfully, to formulate hypotheses, and to use data to evaluate hypotheses.
9) Practice linguistic and phonological analysis of data from a typically developing child in order to increase skills in analysis and also to gain knowledge of typical speech and language development.

For students studying the clinical programmes (BSc Speech & Language Therapy and Masters of Speech and Language Sciences), the HCPC Standards of Proficiency are of relevance. This module addresses aspects of the following standards but is not the only module to do so:

2.7 understand the importance of and be able to obtain valid consent, which is voluntary, informed has due regard to capacity, is proportionate to the to the circumstances and is appropriately documented.

12.7 understand linguistics and phonetics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and all levels of typical processing and the differences for individuals whose home

12.9 understand psychology as relevant to lifespan development and change, typical and impaired communication, and psychological and social wellbeing.

13.2 gather appropriate information

13.4 select and use appropriate assessment techniques and equipment

13.5 undertake a thorough, sensitive and detailed assessment

13.3 analyse and critically evaluate the information collected

13.8 recognise a range of research methodologies relevant to their role

Outline Of Syllabus

Child Development & Child Language:
1) Outline the stages and processes in the development of the child and examine factors that influence the course of development.
2) Examine the social contexts of early child development and communication.
3) Provide an introduction to children's speech and language development.
4) Provide an opportunity to observe and interact with typically-developing children and evaluate children's language, social, cognitive and motor development.
Child Study:
1)       To provide an opportunity to observe and interact with typically - developing children.
2)       To provide the opportunity to practice and consider the validity of a range of data collection techniques (observation, interview, parent report, play based assessment, spontaneous language sampling)
3)       To provide an opportunity to evaluate children's language, social, cognitive and motor development.
4)       To apply appropriate methods for recording, transcribing and analysing (using computer software) children's speech and language.
5)       To become aware of issues relating to reliability and validity when evaluating child language.
6)       To use appropriate techniques for analysing and synthesising data from multiple data sources and data gathering techniques to create a holistic picture of a child
7)       To develop awareness of developmental norms in early childhood and of methods for comparing an individual child to those norms.
8)       To enable students to analyse data systematically, to describe data faithfully, to formulate hypotheses, to use data to evaluate hypotheses.
9)       To practice linguistic and phonological analysis of data from a typically developing child in order to increase skills in analysis and also to gain knowledge of typical speech and language development.

In relation to the RCSLT curriculum guidance, the module covers aspects related to phonetics and linguistics (4.4.1) with a specific focus on phonetics and clinical applications, general linguistics and clinical applications and speech and language acquisition and change over the lifespan. Within psychological and social sciences (4.4.2), there is a focus on psychological development and change and social development.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

The student will be expected to demonstrate
1.       an understanding of the stages and processes of motor, perceptual, social and cognitive development in children and the factors which influence them;
2.       an understanding of the stages and processes of speech and language development and the factors which influence them;
3.       an awareness of the inter-relationships among cognitive, social and communication development.
Child Study:
At the completion of the child study, the student should be able to:
4.       comment appropriately on the developmental progress and individual characteristics of a pre-school child;
5.       interact with, play and converse with pre-school children at an appropriate level;
6.       record and accurately transcribe a sample of a child's language;
7.       use appropriate computer software for transcription and analysis of child language and comment with some knowledge of normal language acquisition on the child's linguistic development.
8.       transcribe phonetically a corpus of data from a typically developing child,
9.       complete phonetic and phonological analyses on both a corpus of transcribed data from disordered speech and the student’s own data from a typically developing child.
10.       from the above analyses, formulate hypotheses regarding the relative impact on intelligibility of the observed phonetic and phonological patterns
11.       ensure that measures taken are reliable and valid.

Intended Skill Outcomes

The student will be expected
1. to interact with, play and converse with pre-school children at an appropriate level;
2. to record, transcribe and analyse a sample of a child's speech and language and consider the resulting data in light of the literature on child language development;
3. to take a developmental case history from a parent in an appropriately professional manner
4. to administer, score and interpret a parent report measure with respect to an individual child
5. to design, complete and interpret the outcome of a play-based assessment probe based on psychological literature and appropriate to a child’s developmental level
6. to synthesise data from multiple sources to create a holistic picture of a child’s development
7. to become aware of issues relating to reliability and validity of assessment instruments;
8. to comment appropriately on the developmental progress and individual characteristics of a pre-school child.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture material, supported guided reading and research and independent study introduce and develop the knowledge outcomes (KO) 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the skills outcomes (SO) 2, 6, 7 ,8

Workshops allow students to learn and practice SO of 2, 7 & 8 and KO of 7, 8, 9, 10

Project work involves students conduct a practical project (a Child Study) in which children are observed and evaluated in naturalistic (home or pre-school) settings and consider their findings in light of information learned in the classroom and in private study. Students use practical skills and theoretical knowledge and are required to synthesise across a range of fields of enquiry and data sources. The fieldwork itself and the self-directed study required to complete the fieldwork and analyse and present the resulting data have the following outcomes. KO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, SO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The child study is a large and challenging piece of work feeding into both theoretical and clinical skills and knowledge base required to be a Speech and Language Therapist. The study involves students conduct a practical project in which children are observed and evaluated in naturalistic (home or pre-school) settings and consider their findings in light of information learned in the classroom and in private study. Students use practical skills and theoretical knowledge and are required to synthesise across a range of fields of enquiry and data sources. The fieldwork itself and the self-directed study required to complete the fieldwork and analyse and present the resulting data have the following outcomes. KO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, SO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Data collection, data analysis, relationship to theory, evaluation of reliability & validity of data, synthesis across domains individuality of approach are all assessed.

General Notes

N/A