Introduction: Dysphonic voice is present in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). The aim of this study was to present outcomes following rehabilitation of patients with UVFP, performed according to a voice therapy protocol. Methods: This prospective study comprised 27 women with UVFP who underwent pre- and post-voice therapy assessment. The mean age of patients was 53.19 ± 10.06 years. The protocol included the following: (1) multidimensional assessment of voice quality before treatment; (2) digital laryngeal manipulation voice therapy; (3) voice therapy evaluation which implied repeated multidimensional assessment of voice. Results: The results showed improvement in voice quality following voice therapy with regard to the parameters of the objective voice analysis (maximum fundamental frequency of voice, minimum intensity of voice, jitter, shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio, and signal-to-noise ratio, p ˂ 0.05), maximum phonation time, subjective analysis of voice, as well as self-assessment of voice quality on all the subscales and overall score (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: Implementing a protocol provides clear guidelines at each stage of the treatment. Voice therapy performed using digital laryngeal manipulation improves the majority of the acoustic and perceptual characteristics of the voice.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) arises as a result of a specific relationship among the anatomical structures that may cause compression in the muscles, nerves, and/or blood vessels in the neck, thereby compromising the local circulation. The aim of the current study was to establish the presence of sleep disturbance and disability in the shoulder, arm, and hand in individuals affected by TOS, as well as to ascertain if there are any differences in these findings relative to TOS-free individuals. The study sample comprised 82 TOS patients and 81 TOS-free individuals aged 19–66 years. Data were gathered by administering the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) instruments. The results showed that both the DASH (t = −13.21, p < 0.001) and PSQI (t = −7.27, p < 0.001) scores obtained by the TOS group were higher relative to the controls and were strongly and positively correlated (ρ = 0.58, p < 0.01). As positive DASH scores may be indicative of TOS, they signal the need for further diagnostic evaluations. In individuals in whom TOS is already diagnosed, high DASH scores imply that further sleep quality assessments are required, as compromised sleep patterns may undermine quality of life.

Cochlear implantation gives children with prelingual severe hearing loss and deafness the opportunity to develop their hearing abilities, speech, language, cognitive abilities and academic skills with adequate rehabilitation. The aim of the research was to analyze verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency and their interrelationship in children with a cochlear implant (CI) and children with normal hearing (NH). A total of 46 children with CI and 110 children with NH, aged 9 to 16, participated in the research. Verbal fluency was assessed using phonemic and semantic fluency, and non-verbal fluency using figural fluency. Arithmetic fluency was assessed using simple arithmetic tasks within the number range up to 100. The results showed that children with CI achieved poorer results in phonemic fluency (z = −4.92; p < 0.001), semantic fluency (z = −3.89; p < 0.001), figural fluency (z = −3.07; p = 0.002), and arithmetic fluency (z = −4.27; p < 0.001). In both groups, a positive correlation was obtained between the measured modalities and types of fluency. In the group of children with CI, a sex difference was obtained on the phonemic fluency test, in favor of girls. The age of children with CI was correlated with arithmetic fluency. Verbal, figural and arithmetic fluency of children with CI speak in favor of the importance of early auditory and language experiences.

Teachers are often mentioned among the key factors in the quality of the teaching process. This research aims to adapt to Serbian the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) Scale, and identify factors that correlate with high levels of perceived efficacy. A total of 288 teachers participated in the research. We conducted a factor analysis and reliability analysis and obtained satisfactory results similar to those of the authors of the scale. We were able to reproduce the three-factor structure that was shown by the authors when the three items were excluded. Correlation analysis results showed that training that contributes to competencies related to the education of children with disabilities and experience in the implementation of inclusive practice is connected with teachers’ self-efficacy. Teachers believe in their professional abilities, knowledge, and skills to work with students with disabilities, but it is necessary to support them in cooperation with experts and parents, as well as to upgrade their skills in behaviour management.

The production of verb tenses leads to better language development of children with cochlear implants. The aim of this study was to assess the acquisition of verb tenses in children with cochlear implants. The sample included 60 children, aged from 9 to 15, with average intellectual abilities. The study group consisted of 30 patients with cochlear implants, with no additional disabilities. The control group consisted of 30 subjects with typical speech - language development and preserved hearing. The acquisition of basic tenses was assessed by 'Corpus for the Assessment of the Use of Tenses' (Dimić, 2003). Significant statistical differences were found in the use of the present tense in children with cochlear implants and hearing children (t=-4.385; p<0.001) as well as in the use of the past tense (t=-4.650; p<0.001), and the future tense (t=-4.269; p<0.001). There was also a significant difference in the use of irregular verb 'go' (t=-3.958; p<0.001), as well as in the combination of the present and the past tense (t=-5.806; p<0.001). The present tense was used correctly by most children with cochlear implants (70%), followed by the past tense (53%), and finally the future tense (23%). Children with cochlear implants, even after several years of re/habilitation, do not reach the grammatical development of children with normal hearing.

Teachers are often mentioned among the key factors of the quality of the teaching process, and it is considered that teachers with experience in working with children with disabilities are more confident in their professional knowledge and skills and have high expectations of their students, despite the fact that some of them may have severe degree of developmental disability. The successful implementation of inclusive education in the sense of placing students with disabilities in classrooms within the regular system of education could contribute to the competence of teachers in this area, but also to their motivation to provide appropriate instructions and assistance. The goal of the research is to determine what type of developmental disabilities teachers most often encountered within the framework of direct work in education. The sample consisted of 288 teachers, and a questionnaire created for the purposes of this research was used. Based on the results of the research, it was determined the presence of differences in the type of disabilities among students included in the regular education system, compared to schools for the education of children with developmental disabilities, as well as a greater presence of children with developmental disabilities in the older grades of elementary school. There are also differences in the experience of teachers employed in urban areas compared to those employed in rural areas.