Purpose: A limited number of studies have explored the challenges and issues faced by parents with children of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are receiving speech-language services in Malaysia. This study aimed to explore the perceptions, challenges, and experiences of parents whose children with ASD are receiving speech-language therapy services. Methods: Three individual interview sessions were conducted with eight parents of children with ASD. Interviews were transcribed and evaluated using thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes were discovered from the interviews with the parents of children with ASD. These included: (1) a lack of knowledge about ASD, (2) insights into the impacts of ASD on the parents’ lives, (3) their perceived challenges at the time they were seeking speech intervention, and (4) their views about the positive aspects of their children receiving speech therapy. Conclusions: Parents viewed their children’s speech therapy as positive and helpful, but they also perceived barriers and challenges when accessing this therapy. An increase in public awareness about ASD and establishing structured ASD support group could provide helpful resources for parents and may assist them in overcoming these challenges. Future studies should determine coping strategies and solutions for these challenges to provide better support for families of children with ASD.

Introduction: Intensive voice therapy is one of the best evidence-based treatments to improve speech and voice difficulties to individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, accessibility to intensive voice therapy is highly challenging in Malaysia due to the lack of voice specialised speech-language therapists. This study examined the feasibility of using smartphone videoconference to deliver intensive voice therapy to individuals with PD in Malaysia. Methods: Intensive voice therapy was delivered to 11 adults with PD using a smartphone videoconference method via WhatsApp Messenger freeware. The therapy consisted of 12 sessions over four weeks and focused on increasing vocal loudness. Outcomes were assessed using objective, perceptual and quality-of-life measures pre and post treatment. Participant satisfaction with the telerehabilitation method was obtained via the Smartphone-Based Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Significant gains were reported for sound pressure level in sustained vowels and monologue. Perceptual ratings showed significant improvements in overall mean severity and loudness after treatment. Mean scores of speech intelligibility and Voice Handicap Index-10 were significantly better post treatment. Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the smartphone videoconference method. Discussion: Present results suggest that the smartphone videoconference method is feasible to deliver intensive voice therapy to individuals with PD to gain better speech and voice functions. Future studies need to address the standardisation of the system protocol to optimise this novel service delivery method in Malaysia.

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitudes toward communication disorders and speech-language pathology among the general public in Malaysia. A self-developed questionnaire consisting of items related to knowledge and attitudes about communication disorders and speech-language pathology was distributed via Google form and a paper-pencil format. A total of 535 responses were obtained. Descriptive analyses based on the comparison of the demographics to the knowledge and attitude levels were conducted using inferential statistics. More than half of the respondents showed a moderate knowledge level about communication disorders and a high knowledge about speech-language pathology. In terms of attitudes, 67.3% of the respondents perceived a positive attitude towards people with communication disorders, and 86.5% of them were generally positive regarding the profession of speech-language pathology. Health professionals demonstrated a higher knowledge level and more positive attitudes toward communication disorders and speech-language pathology compared to other professions (teachers/services, business, engineers, and jobless/retired). Additionally, respondents with a higher educational level (masters or Ph.D. holders) had greater knowledge about speech-language pathology and more positive attitudes toward communication disorders compared to those who were primary or secondary school graduates. Providing more education and awareness programs about communication disorders and speech-language pathology to the general public should be implemented to improve current practices and expectations in service delivery.

Background/Objective: Limited information is available about public attitudes towards stuttering across Asia. This review considers the key factors and approaches used to measure public attitudes towards stuttering across Asia that have previously been published in order to identify potential research gaps. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework. Results: A total of nine relevant articles, published between 2001 to 2019, were selected for review. Most of the studies used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes (POSHA) as a survey tool. This review yielded studies from Turkey, Kuwait, China/Hong Kong, and Japan. Asian public attitudes towards stuttering were less positive in general, except in Kuwait. Conclusion: Given that limited research has focused on examining the attitudes towards stuttering among the general public in the Asian region, we call for international collaboration to increase research about public attitudes. Such data could assist speech-language pathologists in developing awareness campaigns for better intervention and increased acceptance of individuals who stutter.