Helen Grech

Helen Grech
University of Malta · Faculty of Health Sciences

Ph.D.

About

38
Publications
14,257
Reads
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515
Citations
Introduction
Speech and language challenges in multilingual and mutlicultural children
Additional affiliations
March 2011 - present
University of Malta
Position
  • Professor (Associate)
Education
July 1993 - April 1997
The University of Manchester
Field of study
  • SPEECH ACQUISITION

Publications

Publications (38)
Article
Full-text available
Objective The aim of this study was to develop a screening questionnaire for auditory processing disorder (APD) targeted for the Maltese pediatric population. Method The questionnaire consisted of 25 close-ended questions in which parents rated their child's listening skills. The data was collected from 101 typically developing Maltese bilingual c...
Article
Full-text available
The recognition of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) as a distinct clinical condition that impacts hearing capacity and mental health has gained attention. Although pure tone audiometry is the gold standard for assessing hearing, it inadequately reflects everyday hearing abilities, especially in challenging acoustic environments. Deficits in speec...
Chapter
Full-text available
The Chapter is part of the IALP book publication "The Unserved – Addressing the needs of those with communication disorders", authored by members of the 14 Committees of the IALP, presents ideas to assist all those who work with children and adults who have difficulty in communicating or swallowing in order to improve services for unserved and unde...
Presentation
Full-text available
Updating on EFAS APD working group activities and COVID-19 related difficulties for APD evaluation in Europe.
Presentation
Full-text available
3min update on EFAS APD working group
Article
Full-text available
The opinion article “An Evidence-based Perspective on Misconceptions Regarding Pediatric Auditory Processing Disorder” by Neijenhuis et al. (1) presents a distorted view of the evidence-based approach used in medicine. The authors focus on the amorphous non-diagnostic entity “listening difficulties” not auditory processing disorder (APD) and create...
Article
Forced migration has spread and grown across continents in recent decades. This has had an impact at various levels such as societal communication, health and education priorities, as well as political agendas and economic stability. As a result of the combined forces of migration, globalisation, advances in communication technology and education,...
Article
This commentary discusses the development of the English-Maltese Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (EMASH), a novel bilingual (English and Maltese) writing speed diagnostic assessment battery. The EMASH is an adaptation of the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH), a previously standardized English assessment battery developed by Barn...
Article
Full-text available
Current notions of “hearing impairment,” as reflected in clinical audiological practice, do not acknowledge the needs of individuals who have normal hearing pure tone sensitivity but who experience auditory processing difficulties in everyday life that are indexed by reduced performance in other more sophisticated audiometric tests such as speech a...
Article
[This paper is available, open access, at https://ajslp.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=2629126.] Purpose The aim of this tutorial is to support speech-language pathologists (SLPs) undertaking assessments of multilingual children with suspected speech sound disorders, particularly children who speak languages that are not shared with their SL...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose: The aim of this tutorial is to support speechlanguage pathologists (SLPs) undertaking assessments of multilingual children with suspected speech sound disorders, particularly children who speak languages that are not shared with their SLP. Method: The tutorial was written by the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children’s Speech,...
Article
Full-text available
p>The goal of this paper is to describe the current state, needs and values of migrants with a focus on relevant global issues and Malta as a case study. It also aims to review services offered to these migrants, identify aspects that require attention and draw up a framework that could be applied to enhance services to the culturally diverse popul...
Poster
Full-text available
MULTI-SLI. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, and between practitioners in different countries. Multilateral European project (2013-2015). The MULTI-SLI project was sponsored by the European Commission within the Erasmus+ action of the European Life Long Learning Programme. The participants heiled from seven European countries and were m...
Article
Full-text available
Significance Although much research has been devoted to the acquisition of number words, relatively little is known about the acquisition of other expressions of quantity. We propose that the order of acquisition of quantifiers is related to features inherent to the meaning of each term. Four specific dimensions of the meaning and use of quantifier...
Article
Full-text available
The comprehension of constituent questions is an important topic for language acquisition research and for applications in the diagnosis of language impairment. This article presents the results of a study investigating the comprehension of different types of questions by 5-year-old, typically developing children across 19 European countries, 18 di...
Research
Full-text available
On behalf of the MULTI-SLI project funded by the European Commission (2013-2015), seven EU countries representing Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs), specialized teachers, researchers and other members of multidisciplinary teams, ex-changed their knowledge and information on specific topics regarding the management of multilingual and multicul...
Article
Aims and objectives This study documents early lexical expression in children whose language input in the home was predominantly Maltese, accompanied by regular exposure to English lexical mixing. Bilingualism and language contact were also present at the societal level. The study attempts to determine whether the children’s pattern of vocabulary g...
Article
Full-text available
Investigations of early vocabulary production often employ a single method to measure children's word use. This study examined expressive vocabulary development in children aged 1;0-2;6 years through a combination of picture naming, caregiver report and language sampling. The participants were predominantly exposed to Maltese at home, with gathered...
Article
Limited word production may be the first indicator of impaired language development. The unavailability of normative data and standardized assessments for young Maltese children hinders the identification of early language delays. This study aimed to document Maltese children's expressive vocabulary growth and accompanying range of variation, to as...
Article
A major challenge for the speech-language pathology profession in many cultures is to address the mismatch between the ‘‘linguistic homogeneity of the speech-language pathology profession and the linguistic diversity of its clientele’’ (Caesar & Kohler, 2007, p. 198). This paper outlines the development of the Multilingual Children with Speech Soun...
Article
Full-text available
It is a position statement about Speech Assessment for Multilingual Children Who Do Not Speak the Same Language(s) as the Speech-Language Pathologist. It was put together by The International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech.
Article
This article focuses on the development of a Literacy Assessment Battery for the diagnosis of Maltese children with specific learning difficulties. It forms part of a wider research study involving testing of 549 children in Malta as well as standardisation of the tool. Results of the children's performance and psychometric validation go beyond the...
Article
The study aimed to obtain information about communication in the migrant community in Malta. The objectives were to identify the communication skills of the migrants in terms of language use and exposure; to verify whether members of the migrant community have access to participation, education, socialization and opportunities for gainful employmen...
Article
Full-text available
A total of 241 Maltese children aged 2;0–6;0 years, drawn randomly from the public registry of births, were assessed on a picture naming task to evaluate phone articulation, phonology and consistency of word production. Children were allowed to use the language they chose (either Maltese or English). Ninety-three children (38.6%) were reported by p...
Article
The Communication Therapy (CT) Division of the University of Malta is relatively small and young and is the only local training establishment of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the Maltese Islands. It aims to achieve a distinctive profile of excellence and international standing in the education and training of caring, accountable and autono...
Article
Education in logopaedics and patterns of service delivery for the communication-disordered have expanded over the past decade in the Maltese Islands to address local needs, culture and circumstances. This paper provides an overview of the expansion of trained staff, caseloads and mode of service delivery. Various strategies are reported as having b...

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