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Background and Aim: Rapid automatized naming test is the best tool for screening, assessment and early prevention of reading disorders. Therefore with regard to the importance of this test in anticipation and assessment of reading disorders and absence of valid test in this area in Persian language, the target of study was designing and measuring the validity and reliability of this test.

Materials and Methods: Based on foreign test, items of test have selected with regard to the criterions of Persian language. Then the suggestions of experts in this field were collected. Study was performed in two weeks time-out on fifty students of the governmental and nongovernmental schools of the 12th education area of Tehran and 12 dyslexic children of learning disability centers. Then, to measure the differential power and reliability of the test, the results were analyzed.

Result: Findings indicate high correlation between first and second test. There is also significant difference between two groups (normal and dyslexic) in total time of the test in two stages.

Conclusion: Rapid automatized naming test is valid and reliable in Persian language and is able to distinguish between two groups (normal and dyslexic).

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Background and aim:The current research provides a word association test and determine its validity and reliability in Persian (farsi) language.
Materials and methods: A word association test was administered to a group of twenty girls and twenty one boys that were similar in age and education. Based on Goldfarb's word association test , word stimuli were balanced according to frequency of occurrence (frequent, infrequent), word length (short, long), abstraction level (low , medium, high) ,and grammatical class (noun ,verb, adjective ) . Based on "Recognition basic word's Iranian student in primary school"(nemat zade,1384),180 words were selected. This words scored by experts. Seventy two words were selected . The test administered in oral on the first grade students .Then responses were coded as paradigmatic or sytagmatic . Results were analyzed by Maknamar and Capa test.
Results: Findings show high correlation between first and second test in three grammatical Class (noun, verb, adjective, p=0/001).High correlation exists between two stages of test.
Conclusion: These findings show word association test is valid and reliable .This is usable in assessment of semantic development and language development.

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Back ground and aim: Specific language impairment is one of developmental language disorders in children which have no known etiology. Very few researches have been done about children with this type of disorder in Persian language. The aim of this study is to detect whether there are similarity in language abilities between SLI children and their MLU -m matched group or not.

 Materials and Methods: In this case- control study, the results of speech samples analysis, quotients for composite scores and standard scores of subtests of TOLD, from 12(7 boys and 5 girls) 5-7 years old children with SLI were compared with the results obtained from 12 younger normal (8 boys and 5 girls) children who were matched according to MLU- m with SLI children.

 Results: results show that there are no obvious differences in percent- point average use of words and morphemes in speech between two groups. While the two groups were adapted according to m-MLU, but we found that children with SLI are significantly lower than their MLU matched children in quotients for composite scores of spoken language, organization and semantic and in standard scores of sentence imitation, relational vocabulary and oral vocabulary subtests of TOLD.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that some language skills in children with SLI are lower than their MLU matched peers. Results of this study were not provided evidence to support the hypothesis that children with similar m-MLU have similar language skills too. So it is necessary for clinician to consider it when they work with these children. 

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Back ground and aim: The present study evaluated some language characteristics include: Semantic, Syntax and phonology in children with developmental dyslexia .          

 Materials and Methods: For this cross sectional/analytical study, 40 children between 7 and 8 years old were recruited by  non randomic sampling into 2 groups: 20 children with developmental dyslexia, with mean age of 8.04 years and 20 normal children with mean age 8.11 years. Data were collected using Parents Questionnaire,Teacher Questionnair and selected texts for informal evaluation, and we use Raven test of intelligence and Test of Reading and Dyslexia (NAMA) for diagnosing dyslexic children more carefully. At the end we use Test of Language Development-P:3 for comparing the language characteristics between 2 groups. Data were analyzed using t-test and Mann-Whitney.

 Results: Children with Dyslexia differ from the normal children in some language characteristics include : Semantic, Syntax and phonology. Comparing the means of Picture vocabulary,Oral vocabulary and Relational vocabulary tests were illustrated in 3 distinct features, demonstrated meaninngful difference between 2 groups ( p<0.05 ). Comparing the means of Sentence imitation, Sentence comprehension and Sentence completation tests were illustrated in 3 distinct features, demonstrated meaninngful difference between 2 groups ( p<0.05 ). Comparing the means of Phoneme analyze and Word discrimination tests were illustrated in 2 distinct features, demonstrated meaninngful difference between 2 groups ( p<0.05 ). Only in Word speaking Test there were no significant difference between 2 groups ( p>0.05 ).

Conclusion: In regard with these findings, accurate and deep evaluation of language by speech therapist is essential for dyslexic children and also speech therapy with focus on language skills can be clinical treatment, parallel to the traditional methods, in children with dyslexia.

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 Background and aim: Dyslexia is a language learning disorder which leads to some impairment in written language including reading and spelling. Children with dyslexia are mostly suffering in areas like Morphology, Phonology, semantic and pragmatic. Thus the main purpose of this study is to investigate the morphological awareness, as a significant aspect in reading components (Speed, accuracy and understanding) in which the children are impaired. 

Material and Methods: In the current study, 27 dyslexic students and 57 normal students in second grade of primary school participated. Existence of dyslexia was determined through administrating a reading test of "Nama", and in order to be sure that none of the students of normal group has language deficit, the language development test "TOLD" was administrated on normal students. In order to assess morphological knowledge of participants, a morphological awareness test was administrated too. In addition to determine the reading speed, accuracy and comprehension, the "NAMA" subtests were employed. Data obtained, were analyzed with the help of inferential statistical methods such as linear Pearson correlation coefficient test, Spearman test, Normal Kolmogrov - Smirnov test, T-test and linear regression test (ANOVA).

Result: Correlation coefficient between morphological awareness and reading speed in whole sample was calculated to be -0.9158, that of morphological awareness and reading accuracy was 0.9514, and that of morphological awareness and reading comprehension was 0.926. This shows significant correlation among morphological awareness and components of reading skill. While the same correlation coefficients, in dyslexic children were respectively -0.689, 0.1403 and 0.1062. It shows that there was not significant relationship in dyslexic children. The T-test also indicated that morphological awareness, reading comprehension skills, reading speed and reading accuracy skills had significant meaningful differences between two groups.

Conclusion: morphological awareness, reading speed, accuracy and comprehension, were in a lower level among dyslexic children in comparison with normal children, and this can be regarded as one linguistic aspect that can be effectual in reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. However among the dyslexic children whose difficulties were limited to the word level (e.g. dyslexic group sample), morphological awareness did not have any influence on their reading skills.Key words: Morphological awareness, reading speed, reading accuracy,reading comprehension, dyslexia

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Background and Aim: Impairment of noun retrieval is common among aphasic patients, but some of previous studies represent differences between noun retrieval ability of various aphasia syndromes. Current study investigates and compares the picture naming ability of 4 patients with fluent and non-fluent aphasia. 

Materials and Methods: Present study investigated the naming ability of 2 fluent and 2 non-fluent aphasic patients with oral picture naming test. This test contains line drawing of 109 nouns. Patients were asked to name each picture with a single word. Responses were classified according to Philadelphia Naming Test scoring system as correct and semantic, formal, mixed, non-word, unrelated and others error (no response, description/circumlocution, miscellaneous error). Then, the data were investigated in terms of descriptive statistics and analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: The score of non-fluent aphasics was more than fluent ones. The percentage of semantic errors in fluent group and no responses among non-fluent patients were more than the other types. Despite of personal differences, all error types were found in responses of patients. The difference between score and error types in fluent and non-fluent patients was not significant (p .05).

Conclusion: This scoring system can define a variety of word retrieval errors. The fluent aphasics have more noun retrieval problems than non-fluent patients. Although, there are differences between two groups, but error type in picture naming is not a precise factor for distinguish between various aphasia syndromes and there is similarity in impaired underling mechanisms and naming behavior of them.    

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Background and Aim: The current research was performed to investigate validity measurement of Persian version of stuttering prediction instrument (SPI) in children among 3-8 years old who stutter and determination of its reliability.
Materials and Methods: Translation of the SPI Test was examined by using IQOLA's translation protocol and equalization. Then for determination of it's logical validity, expertise views were collected by means of the method of Lawasche content validity. 52 children who stutter were examined by SPI test and also SSI3 test and the cooper stuttering chronicity prediction checklist for determination of construct and concurrent validity. Internal stability was examined by using alpha ration and finally at the end, Persian version of SPI was completed by twice examination of 15 stutterer children with duration of 7-10 days concerning examination of reliability of test-retest. */1-+
Conclusion: Existing strong and meaningful correlation between SSI3 and SPI test and also between cooper chronicity prediction checklist and SPI test are indicative of good convergence of each part in SPI test. Finally, these analyses verify that all parts of the test are benefiting from proper reliability and validity.

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Abstract

Background and Aim: The human needs speech for making relationship, he achieves speech with linguistic structure including sound, word and more important than other the sentence. In Persian grammar, there are different types of sentences including: imperative, question, active, passive, exclamation. A childe makes sentence with single-word, telegraphic speech and then with composing names and verbs and propositions in his stage of growing and finally he expresses the passive, conditional, compound sentences. Because of no previous study has been done about the age of comprehension passive sentences in Persian language so we decided to run the comprehension passive sentences on normal children. And we got the age of growth about it in normal children then we compared it in hearing impaired children. The aim of this study was to compare for comprehension passive sentences in normal children 3 to8 years old with hearing impaired children 8years old.

Materials and Methods: A total of 691 normal children 3 to 8 years old in central Tehran and 18 hearing impaired children in special schools participated in this test. At first the test was conducted on 30 children, and proved its reliability. This test had 15sets of three pictures and child must show one of those three pictures. At first, two sets of three pictures were performed to child as example and practice then the passive sentence was expressed about it Colloquial and child must show it and if he/she couldn’t ,the examiner showed the correct picture and showed next picture as be offered to children should be familiar with the test. The child was described that he/she looked at pictures carefully and showed the correct picture after reviewing all the pictures. In continue, 15 pictures of this test were executes and examiner recorded the results.

Results: The highest number of correct responses were for normal children 8years old (Average: 13.93) and other records were in order for children 7 years old (Average: 12.51), 6 years old (Average: 9.37), 5 years old (Average: 8.09), 4 yeas old (Average: 5.31), 3 years old (Average: 3.61) and the lowest record of correct responses was for the hearing impaired children. The result of this study showed that there is a significant relationship among the ability of comprehension passive sentences and age, birth order, parents education (p<0.05) but there is no significant relationship between ability of comprehension passive sentences and their gender (p>0.05) and there is a significant deference between the average of percentage of responses and comprehension passive sentences in hearing impaired children in all the range of ages except 3 years old (p=1.000). It means that hearing impaired children in comprehension passive sentences are similar to children 3 years old.

Conclusion: The result of this study showed there is a significant relationship among the ability of comprehension passive sentences and age, birth order, parents education but there is no significant relationship between ability of comprehension passive sentences and their gender. The results of this study showed the ability of comprehension passive sentences in hearing impaired children 8 years old is like normal children 3 years old too.

Keywords: Passive sentences, Comprehension, Normal children, Severe hearing loss, The Persian language

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Background and Aim: Oral feeding difficulties are common in children with cerebral palsy. Early oral motor interventions may improve oral feeding skills in these children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of intervention duration of oral motor stimulation on feeding skills in spastic cerebral palsy.

  

Materials and Methods: Twelve children with spastic cerebral palsy 2-7 years aged were participated into two groups A and B. Children in the group A received oral-motor stimulation for 12 session(3 days per week) and group B received stimulation program for 24 session(3 days per week).Feeding skills was assessed using Oral Motor Assessment Scale (OMAS). Data were analyzed using Friedman and Mann-Whitney tests.

  

Results : The results of the study revealed a significant improvement in feeding skills for both groups. The B group had significantly advanced in mouth closure, lip closure on utensil and sucking straw than children in group A (P<0.05). The difference between two group in control of food during deglutition, mastication and control of liquid during deglutition was not significant (P>0.05).There was difference in the total score of feeding skills was not significant between the two groups (P>0.05).

  

Conclusion: Oral-motor intervention might be improved feeding performance in children with cerebral palsy but continuation (increased duration) of intervention improved specific components of feeding behaviors.

  

Key Words: Spastic cerebral palsy, Feeding skills, Oral motor stimulation

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Background and Aim: Theory of mind as a cognitive component is the foundation of our ability to explain or predict the behavior of ourselves and others which is done through the attribution of mental status. This ability damaged in deaf children and its development is fast in girls. The aim of this study was to study theory of mind in 5-6 years cochlear implant children and its relation with gender and age of cochlear implant (CI).

Materials and Methods:  This study is descriptive and cross-sectional. Eighteen Farsi speaking children CI children and 18 normal development children aged 5-6 were participated in this study. The normal children were selected from living area of CI children. They were selected through available and easy sampling method. These children had no sensory or speech disorders. The basic theory of mind was tested in these children.

Results: Theory of mind was significantly different in both groups (p = 0.00). The comparison between girls and boys did not show significant difference in normal (p= 0.321) and CI children (p =0.231). There was no significant relationship between the age at CI and theory of mind scores (p=0.100).

Conclusion: Hearing impairment has influence on basic theory development in CI children. Age of implantation and gender had no effect on development of theory of mind.

Keywords: Theory of mind, Cochlear implant, Farsi language.