Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Greek Cypriot Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale.

INTRODUCTION: Assessing pediatric feeding difficulties (PFD) is essential for a child's development to prevent severe consequences. The assessment procedures for PFD may include parents' questionnaires such as the Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale (MCH-FS). The aim of this study was the cross-cultural adaptation of the MCH-FS to the Greek language. METHODS: 100 parents of Greek Cypriot children with PFD (clinical group) and 100 parents of healthy Greek Cypriot children (control group) aged six months to 16 years old participated in the study and completed the MCH-FS. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were implemented for translation and cultural adaptation. RESULTS: The internal consistency was excellent α= 0.85 (ICC: 0.817-0.891). Content validity was significant (S-CVI=1) with an agreement equal to 14. A strong and significant correlation of MCH-FS was computed according to Principal Component Αnalysis (PCA) [14 items ranging between -0.6 and 0.7]. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Factor analysis was equal to 0.91 with substantial correlations (Bartlett's test= 0.001654804). The MCH-FS cut-off point between the two groups was 38.00 [AUC 0.901, (95% CI: 0.859-0.942), p<0.001; sensitivity= 0.800 and 1-specificity= 0.630]. A statistically significant difference between the two groups was observed for the MCH-FS total score, with the clinical group scoring higher [U= 992.00, p< 0.001]. Likewise, the same differences were observed among children with different PFD, H (3) = 96.715, p< 0.001. CONCLUSION: The MCH-FS had good psychometric properties in its current form in Greek. It is suggested that the MCH-FS can be used as a valid tool for children with PFD in the Greek Cypriot population.

Assessing the Impact of Bilingualism on the Linguistic Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Greece: A Scoping Review.

(1) Background and Objectives: This review aims to identify the latest literature on the possible effect of bilingualism on the linguistic skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) residing in Greece. (2) Materials and Methods: The literature was searched in the databases of Scopus and PubMed by selecting articles and by reviewing four studies published in peer-reviewed journals. This Scoping Review is based on the standards of PRISMA recommendations for scoping reviews, while the PCC framework was used as a guide to construct clear and meaningful objectives and eligibility criteria. (3) Results: The publications included in the review addressed a variety of language-related skills, including morphology, the syntax-pragmatics interface, narrative ability, as well as both receptive and expressive language skills. (4) Conclusions: Three out of four studies provide evidence that bilingual ASD children are not disadvantaged compared to monolingual peers but rather enjoy some benefits, to a certain extent, due to bilingualism. However, the number of the reviewed studies as well as the limitations of the studies themselves render this conclusion tentative. Additionally, the findings set guidelines that speech therapists, educators, psychologists, and doctors in the Greek context need to follow when treating or educating bilingual children with ASD.

Using telepractice for language sampling during COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Language sampling is a widely used means of language assessment; it is based on the collection and transcription of a child's language production in various communicative contexts. The need for social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted language sampling and speech and language therapy services in general. The in-person assessment became extremely challenging leading to the immediate increased use of telepractice in speech and language therapy. This scoping review aimed to identify the use of telepractice for language sampling in speech and language therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A scoping review of existing literature was performed to collect evidence on using language sample collection via telepractice. A database search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Mendeley, Electronic, and grey bibliography in 2022. Articles were included if they met the inclusion criteria. The quality of each selected study was assessed using the modified critical appraisal skills program (CASP) checklist. RESULTS: Systematic searches identified 51 studies with six studies in total meeting the inclusion criteria. The results showed that telepractice was a necessary tool during the pandemic of COVID-19 to conduct language sampling in speech and language assessment. CONCLUSION: Speech and language therapists (SLTs) effectively collected language samples through telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, to date, the literature on language sampling via telepractice is limited. The need for SLTs to rely on telepractice for language sampling warrants further investigation.

Validation and cultural adaptation of a Greek Version of Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool 10 (PEDI - EAT - 10) in Greek-Cypriot Parents.

PURPOSE: The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI-EAT-10) is a parents/caregivers screening tool that assesses pediatric patients at risk of penetration and/or aspiration symptoms. The aim of this study was the validation of PEDI-EAT-10 in the Greek language. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 222 parents/caregivers of children with (n = 122) and without (n = 100) feeding and/or swallowing disorders, with age range 3 - 12 years. The children were selected from Cypriot schools and health settings. All parents filled out the PEDI-EAΤ-10 questionnaire and after its initial completion, it was re-administered after 2 weeks. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed in the PEDI-EAT-10 total mean scores between the study's two groups [t (220) = 9.886, p < 0.001]. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha= 0.801) with very good split-half reliability equal to 0.789. A significant and strong test-retest reliability was computed (r = 0.998, p < 0.001). The PEDI-EAT-10 cutoff point was 11.00 (AUC: 0.869, p < 0.001) for children with feeding and/or swallowing disorders in accordance with the PAS scale. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the Greek version of PEDI-EAT-10 is shown to be a valid and reliable screening tool for the assessment of the pediatric population with a risk of dysphagia.

The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI - EAT - 10) is a clinical screening tool to assess pediatric patients at risk of penetration and/or aspiration reported by parents or caregivers.This study is a cross cultural translation of PEDI - EAT - 10 in Greek language and it is proven to have excellent internal consistency, reliability, and validity.The use of PEDI ­ EAT ­ 10 will be a very useful utility for health professionals in rehabilitation settings.

Exploring the diagnostic accuracy and applicability of the Gugging Swallowing Screen in children with feeding and/or swallowing disorders.

BACKGROUND: The Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) is a bedside dysphagia screening tool that has been designed to determine the risk of aspiration in acute stroke patients. There is no evidence in the literature for the GUSS for the pediatric population. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of GUSS as a screening tool in the Greek language for children with dysphagia. METHODS: Eighty-Greek-Cypriot children aged 3-12 years who had dysphagia participated in this retrospective study. The translated into Greek GUSS was administered twice (pre- and post-therapy) to each patient throughout 24 sessions of dysphagia therapy. KEY RESULTS: The GUSS showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.826), good test-retest reliability (rs = 0.767), convergent validity compared to the Greek Pediatric Eating Assessment tool-10 (PEDI-EAT-10) total score (rs = -0.365), and inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.863). A total cutoff points equal to 13.00 was also calculated. Aspiration was identified by the GUSS with low sensitivity and high specificity (PPV 100%, NPV 57%, LR+ NA, LR- 0.79); dysphagia/penetration was identified with high sensitivity and low specificity (PPV 33%, NPV 100%, LR+ 0.102, LR- NA). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: The pediatric version of GUSS has been found to be a valuable tool in identifying the risk of aspiration as that of adults. It proved to be used as a good screening guide for selecting and confirming the existence of dysphagia from instrumental assessments. This is the first study of the pediatric version of GUSS, and future studies on this topic are needed.

Preliminary Validation of the Children's Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS) and the Auditory Processing Domain Questionnaire (APDQ) in Greek Cypriot Children.

BACKGROUND: Identification of auditory processing disorders is achieved using questionnaires along with linguistic, non-linguistic, and auditory processing tests. Notably, the questionnaires "Children's Auditory Performance Scale" (CHAPS) and "Auditory Processing Domain Questionnaire" (APDQ) are widely recognized and used. The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the CHAPS and APDQ in Greek Cypriot children. METHODS: The CHAPS and APDQ questionnaires were completed by parents of 40 Greek Cypriot children, 16 typically developing (TD) children, and 24 children with a history of Speech Sound Disorders (SSDs). RESULTS: There were significant differences between the two groups on both questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha was calculated at α = 0.922 for the CHAPS total score and α = 0.926 for the APDQ total score. The Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis provided a cut-off point equal to -0.30 (AUC 0.849, p < 0.001) for CHAPS and a cut-off point equal to 90.00 (AUC 0.820, p < 0.001) for APDQ. Significant positive Spearman ρ correlations were observed between the CHAPS and APDQ (ρ = 0.639, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The CHAPS and APDQ can identify distinct auditory processing characteristics between in children with SSDs and TD children.

Healthcare Students' Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Peers with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

PURPOSE: The present study investigates healthcare students' affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes toward hypothetical peers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the effect of the ASD label on their attitudes. METHODS: The MAS scale for ASD persons in the postsecondary education (Matthews et al., 2015) was translated and adapted in Greek according to the guidelines of World Health Organization (2016). Participants (n = 444) were randomly divided into three equal groups and completed their demographic information. Each participant read the three vignettes of the Greek-adapted MAS scale describing a communicative interaction with one hypothetical fellow student with autistic characteristics in three different social situations but in each group, the vignette's character was labeled differently (High-functioning, typical college student, and no-label). RESULTS: Students in the High-functioning group demonstrated more positive affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes toward the vignette characters than students in the no-label condition. Furthermore, students in the typical student group reported more rejective behaviors toward the vignette characters than students in the high-functioning group, implying that atypical behavior evokes rejection and stigmatization, while the label did not. Male students presented more positive cognitive attitudes across study groups in comparison to female students, while previous contact with individuals with ASD did not seem to impact significantly attitudes. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicate that knowledge of an ASD diagnosis leads to greater acceptance and have important implications for future research, disability policy makers, and university support services.