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Papers by rachel yifat

The South African journal of communication disorders. Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings, Dec 31, 1985

This study examines the relationship between Auditory Brain Stem, Behavioural Observation and Imp... more This study examines the relationship between Auditory Brain Stem, Behavioural Observation and Impedance Audiometry in a paediatric population. Particular reference is made to the strengths and weaknesses of Auditory Brainstem Audiometry applied to this age group. Results indicate that in some cases diagnosis of hearing loss is made primarily on the basis of this test, while in other cases the test serves as an excellent check on Behavioural and Impedance Audiometry. OPSOMMING Die verhouding tussen ouditiewe breinstamoudiometrie, gedragswaarneming en impedans-oudiometrie is in 'n pediatriese groep ondersoek. Verwysing word gemaak na die voordele en nadele van breinstamoudiometrie vir hierdie ouderdomsgroep. Resultate dui daarop dat vir sommige pasiente die diagnose van 'n gehoorverlies uitsluitlik berus op die uitslag van hierdie toets, terwyl dit in ander gevalle dien as 'n aanduiding van die betroubaarheid van gedragswaarneming en impedans-oudiometrie.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Feb 1, 2016

Although the contribution of perceptual processes to language skills during infancy is well recog... more Although the contribution of perceptual processes to language skills during infancy is well recognized, the role of perception in linguistic processing beyond infancy is not well understood. In the experiments reported here, we asked whether manipulating the perceptual context in which stimuli are presented across trials influences how preschool children perform visual (shape-size identification; Experiment 1) and auditory (syllable identification; Experiment 2) tasks. Another goal was to determine whether the sensitivity to perceptual context can explain part of the variance in oral language skills in typically developing preschool children. Perceptual context was manipulated by changing the relative frequency with which target visual (Experiment 1) and auditory (Experiment 2) stimuli were presented in arrays of fixed size, and identification of the target stimuli was tested. Oral language skills were assessed using vocabulary, word definition, and phonological awareness tasks. Changes in perceptual context influenced the performance of the majority of children on both identification tasks. Sensitivity to perceptual context accounted for 7% to 15% of the variance in language scores. We suggest that context effects are an outcome of a statistical learning process. Therefore, the current findings demonstrate that statistical learning can facilitate both visual and auditory identification processes in preschool children. Furthermore, consistent with previous findings in infants and in older children and adults, individual differences in statistical learning were found to be associated with individual differences in language skills of preschool children.

Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology, 2012

The hypothesis that different subcomponents of auditory working memory are differentially related... more The hypothesis that different subcomponents of auditory working memory are differentially related to early reading skills was tested in 63 Hebrew speaking 4-year-old children, using a battery of early reading (phonological processing and familiarity with written language) and memory (simple and complex spans) tasks. Complex spans accounted for significant amounts of variance on both facets of early reading even after the contribution of simple spans was accounted for. These findings suggest that the unique contribution of complex working memory to early reading can be identified as early as preschool and that the structure of correlations between reading and memory is similar across ages.

Research in Developmental Disabilities, Oct 1, 2015

Currently accepted accounts of SLI emphasize the heterogeneity of this diagnosis, but the interac... more Currently accepted accounts of SLI emphasize the heterogeneity of this diagnosis, but the interactions of language-specific and domain-general processes in the manifestation of SLI are not well understood. In this paper, it is reported for the first time, that the phonological memory and word learning deficits characteristic of children with SLI are exacerbated under conditions that allow typically developing children to benefit from the perceptual context induced by stimulus repetitions. It is also reported that across the range of language abilities tested, the magnitude of the perceptual context effect is correlated Research in Developmental Disabilities 45-46 (2015) 384-399

Topics in Language Disorders, Apr 1, 2014

This article is the result of cooperation between Israeli Jewish and Arab psycholinguists and spe... more This article is the result of cooperation between Israeli Jewish and Arab psycholinguists and speech-language disorders specialists. It presents two facets of the Israeli communications disorders scene: (1) a review of some linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic facets of Hebrew and Palestinian Arabic, two Semitic languages whose speakers live, work, and study together in Israel; and (2) against the linguistic background, a review of the state of the speech-language pathology services provided to Arab and Jewish residents of Israel. Some specific challenges to service providers in communication disorders in Israel are discussed in greater detail. These include the multilingual and multicultural nature of the Jewish society in Israel, the effects of diglossia in Arabic on the development of language and literacy, and the difficulties encountered by the Bedouin population of the Negev region in receiving speech-language pathology services. This review is followed by an overview of frameworks and policies of speech-language pathology services regarding these two languages, based on the findings of a comprehensive mapping study. The mapping study examined the needs of the Arab population as compared with the Jewish population in Israel in the field of communication disorders from the perspective of the service providers: the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in both sectors. The topics covered were as follows: (1) academic studies and professional training; (2) adaptation of assessment and treatment tools both to the Arabic language and culture and to the Hebrew language and Israeli culture; and (3) means for information dissemination about communication disorders. The findings point to notable gaps between the two major sectors in Israeli society. Nonetheless, we hope that the goodwill and deep research commitment of Israeli and Arab scholars in the field of language development and disorders will contribute to the amelioration of this situation and that any development in the field will also be of value to SLPs serving Jewish and Arab clients and their families around the world.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Aug 1, 2012

Previous studies suggest that anchoring, a short-term dynamic and implicit process that allows in... more Previous studies suggest that anchoring, a short-term dynamic and implicit process that allows individuals to benefit from contextual information embedded in stimulus sequences, might be causally related to reading acquisition. Here we report findings from two experiments in which two previously untested predictions derived from this anchoring hypothesis were tested: (a) that anchoring facilitates rapid naming and phonological short-term memory in children prior to the onset of formal reading instruction and (b) that anchoring makes a unique contribution to performance in two early predictors of reading (letter knowledge and phonological awareness). In line with those predictions, naming times were faster and memory spans were longer under conditions that encouraged the use of anchoring processes than under conditions that afforded little anchoring. Furthermore, performance in the anchoring-affording condition predicted significant amounts of variance in phonological awareness and letter knowledge even after controlling for the contribution of the conditions that did not afford anchoring. Therefore, we suggest that anchoring might contribute to the development of reading-related processes during the preschool years independent of the development of specific readingrelated skills such as phonological processing.

Journal of Research in Reading, Oct 18, 2021

BackgroundThe relationship between rapid automatized naming (RAN) and reading has been examined e... more BackgroundThe relationship between rapid automatized naming (RAN) and reading has been examined extensively, but there is still a question as to the reason for the relationship. To reduce involvement of alphanumeric and vocabulary knowledge in RAN, and to possibly reduce phonological demands, researchers have suggested using the RAN sizes that have only two items, that is, naming shapes according to two sizes: ‘little’ or ‘big’. However, despite the RAN sizes advantages, as far as we know, this test is not widely used. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether RAN sizes in kindergarten predict reading speed and accuracy toward the end of first grade among Hebrew speaking children.MethodsA total of 113 Hebrew‐speaking children were assessed twice. In preschool, we collected matrix reasoning, phonological awareness and RAN sizes data. In first grade, these data were recollected along with reading data.ResultsKindergarten RAN sizes accounted for 4% of the variance in reading accuracy and 4% of the variance in reading speed. Phonological awareness accounted for 4% of the variance in reading accuracy only. In first grade, RAN sizes explained 19% of the variance in reading speed, with no significant contribution to accuracy. Phonological awareness still explained 4% of the variance in accuracy.ConclusionsThe results from the current study support the claim that RAN is a unique longitudinal predictor of early reading, over and above phonological awareness. Moreover, rapid size naming may be used to test RAN with less reliance on alphanumeric and vocabulary knowledge. Finally, RAN sizes may be used to predict reading speed in Hebrew.HighlightsWhat is already known about this topic Two of the main precursors of word reading ability are phonological awareness (PA) and rapid automatized naming (RAN). RAN of digits and letters is more strongly related to reading than RAN of colours and objects. The relationship between RAN and reading depends on orthographic regularity. What this paper adds RAN in kindergarten predicts speed and accuracy of reading pointed Hebrew in first grade. Among Hebrew‐speaking children, by the end of first grade, PA contributed a significant unique variance to reading accuracy and RAN sizes contributed a significant unique variance to reading speed. Implications for theory, policy or practice RAN sizes can be used when less reliance on alphanumeric and vocabulary knowledge is needed. Among kindergarten and first grade Hebrew‐speaking children, RAN sizes can be used to predict reading speed.

PLOS ONE, May 16, 2011

Background: Recent studies suggest that human auditory perception follows a prolonged development... more Background: Recent studies suggest that human auditory perception follows a prolonged developmental trajectory, sometimes continuing well into adolescence. Whereas both sensory and cognitive accounts have been proposed, the development of the ability to base current perceptual decisions on prior information, an ability that strongly benefits adult perception, has not been directly explored. Here we ask whether the auditory frequency discrimination of preschool children also improves when given the opportunity to use previously presented standard stimuli as perceptual anchors, and whether the magnitude of this anchoring effect undergoes developmental changes. Methodology/Principal Findings: Frequency discrimination was tested using two adaptive same/different protocols. In one protocol (with-reference), a repeated 1-kHz standard tone was presented repeatedly across trials. In the other (no-reference), no such repetitions occurred. Verbal memory and early reading skills were also evaluated to determine if the pattern of correlations between frequency discrimination, memory and literacy is similar to that previously reported in older children and adults. Preschool children were significantly more sensitive in the with-reference than in the no-reference condition, but the magnitude of this anchoring effect was smaller than that observed in adults. The pattern of correlations among discrimination thresholds, memory and literacy replicated previous reports in older children. Conclusions/Significance: The processes allowing the use of context to form perceptual anchors are already functional among preschool children, albeit to a lesser extent than in adults. Nevertheless, immature anchoring cannot fully account for the poorer frequency discrimination abilities of young children. That anchoring is present among the majority of typically developing preschool children suggests that the anchoring deficits observed among individuals with dyslexia represent a true deficit rather than a developmental delay.

In this paper we describe a pilot study for an intervention aimed at enhancing social skills in h... more In this paper we describe a pilot study for an intervention aimed at enhancing social skills in high functioning children with autism. We found initial evidences that the use of a social interaction and may lessen the repetitive behaviors typical of autism. These positive effects also appear to be transferred to other tasks following the intervention. We hypothesize that the

International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, Nov 1, 2010

The primary targets of this book seem to be clinical researchers working in the field of clinical... more The primary targets of this book seem to be clinical researchers working in the field of clinical pragmatics. Nevertheless, large sections of it are relevant to clinicians working with patients with pragmatic impairments and postgraduates interested in the field of clinical pragmatics. The book starts off with Cummings's working definition of clinical pragmatics. Cummings sees clinical pragmatics as a neighbouring discipline of pragmatics, which is still a relatively recent development in the history of linguistics and clinical communication sciences. While developmental stages in the acquisition of domains such as morphology, syntax, and phonology are well documented, there are no comparable milestones in the acquisition of pragmatics. The consequences are that pragmatic interventions consist of ad-hoc groups of techniques with no clear theoretical basis and few clinical outputs. The notion of pragmatics that Cummings employs is one that is deeply rooted in the use of language. This is reflected in Cummings's working definition that refers to clinical pragmatics as the study of the ways in which language use for communicative purposes can be disrupted. Cummings rejects strongly the tendency of clinical pragmatics investigators to identify pragmatics with communication and claims that this tendency has its origins in the Chomskyan distinction between competence and performance which forces pragmatics into the domain of performance. The argument is that pragmatics is integrated within the linguistic competence in the same way that the knowledge that enables one to form grammatical, meaningful sentences is part of the linguistic competence. Cummings claims that the emergence of clinical pragmatics is the result of the realization of clinical researchers and practitioners that the assessment and treatment of language disorders disproportionately emphasized structural language skills, overlooking the ways language skills are used in a range of communicative situations. After stating the rational and purposes of the book, Cummings discusses some basic concepts and theories in pragmatics, such as speech acts, implicatures, deixis, and the like. The problem with this section is that, on the one hand, it is not detailed enough for readers unfamiliar with these concepts, but, on the other hand, it is too general for readers well acquainted with the field. Clinical pragmatics is presented as a multidisciplinary area, converging with various fields such as speech-language pathology, education, psychology, and psychiatry. Chapters 2 and 3 provide an overview of pragmatic disorders. Chapter 2 focuses on developmental pragmatic disorders in four clinical populations (developmental language disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, mental retardation, and emotional and

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Sep 15, 2009

Learning disabilities (LD) – the unexpected academic difficulties experienced by many otherwise t... more Learning disabilities (LD) – the unexpected academic difficulties experienced by many otherwise typically developing persons – are highly heterogeneous in nature. Thus, while at the academic level 80–90% of individuals with LD suffer from poor reading fluency and/or accuracy, at the cognitive level multiple processes are implicated including language, attention, perception and memory. Similarly, at the biological level many brain systems and processes are affected. In the auditory system alone, individuals with LD were shown to process sound abnormally at all levels of the auditory pathway from the brainstem to high level cortical areas. Taken together, current research suggests that a single core deficit model is unlikely to account for the aetiology of LD and furthermore, that the observed pattern of academic strengths and weaknesses is affected little by differences in underlying processes. Therefore, it appears that different underlying vulnerabilities result in similar academic outcomes. Key Concepts Auditory processing Physiological and perceptual processing of the acoustic elements of sound such as its duration, frequency, rate of presentation, etc. Co-morbidity The concurrent occurrence of two disorders. In the present context, an individual diagnosed with LD is more likely to be diagnosed with another form of learning or attention disorder compared to an undiagnosed individual. Language disorders Disorders that involve the processing of linguistic information such as phonology, grammar and semantics. May reflect difficulties in expression, comprehension or both. Perceptual anchor A mental representation of recently perceived stimuli that can be used to ease the perception of ongoing stimuli. Phonological processes Processes related to the linguistic analysis of the basic units of speech such as the ability to segment words to syllables, phonemes or units that are thought to structure sound to convey linguistic meaning, or to remember a string of speech sounds in short-term memory. Working memory The ability to perform cognitive operations (e.g. repeating in backwards order) on items held in short-term memory. Keywords: learning disabilities; dyslexia; auditory processing

Journal of Child Neurology, Feb 1, 2007

Behaviour & Information Technology, Jul 9, 2019

Joint narratives are often used in the context of reconciliation interventions for people in soci... more Joint narratives are often used in the context of reconciliation interventions for people in social conflict situations, which arise, for example, due to ethnic or religious differences. The interventions aim to encourage a change in attitudes of the participants towards each other. Typically, a human mediator is fundamental for achieving a successful intervention. In this work, we present an automated approach to support remote interactions between pairs of participants as they contribute to a shared story in their own language. A key component is an automated cognitive tutor that guides the participants through a controlled escalation/de-escalation process during the development of a joint narrative. We performed a controlled study comparing a trained human mediator to the automated mediator. The results demonstrate that an automated mediator, although simple at this stage, effectively supports interactions and helps to achieve positive outcomes comparable to those attained by the trained human mediator.

Journal of Child Neurology, Jun 5, 2009

Cerebral palsy, typically diagnosed in childhood, clearly continues into adulthood. This study de... more Cerebral palsy, typically diagnosed in childhood, clearly continues into adulthood. This study describes the longterm medical, functional, educational, and psychosocial outcomes of people with cerebral palsy. Of the 203 people with cerebral palsy diagnosed and treated at the Child Development Center in Tel Aviv between 1975 and 1994, 163 (80%; age range 8-30 years, mean age 18.9 years, and median age 19 years) participated in a crosssectional telephone survey. Half the respondents have chronic health problems: 78% report they experience gross motor disability, of whom 22% are wheelchair users; 30% to 50% need help in various activities of daily living; 35% have mental retardation; 79% completed 12 years or more of schooling; 78% live with their parents; 25% have served in the army; 23% have a driver's license; and 23% work in competitive employment. The large majority is involved in varied leisure activities and report a high level of life satisfaction.

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, Dec 22, 2021

Journal of interactional research in communication disorders, Apr 3, 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' reflexive expressions (REs) referring to what h... more The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' reflexive expressions (REs) referring to what has been said or about to be said by the child, and directed at Typically Developing (TD) preschool and kindergarten children and at children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD) who attend language-based kindergartens. Specific aims included (a) identifying the use of REs in teachers' talk during circle-time meetings (in language-based kindergartens, and regular preschool or kindergarten); (b) characterizing the REs based on their form and function; and (c) identifying the similarities and differences between REs directed toward TD children and those directed toward children with DLD. Thirty-one circle-time sessions were recorded: ten at preschools for TD children, ten at kindergartens for TD children, and 11 at language-based kindergartens. Verbal interactions were transcribed and analyzed, using the Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES), and coded for categories of REs. Six major categories of REs were identified, with some categories emerging more frequently than others. Two categories differentiated teachers' talk to TD children from those directed to children with DLD-metalinguistic expressions and requests for reported speech. These findings highlight the idea that in order to meet children's

First language, Aug 1, 2008

The aim of the present study was to reveal the criteria of conversational appropriateness display... more The aim of the present study was to reveal the criteria of conversational appropriateness displayed to children (age range: 3;01—4;09 and 5;0—6;05) through adults&#39; metapragmatic comments in preschool and kindergarten settings. The study focused on two categories of comments: violation of a discourse maxim and discourse management. The results indicate a distinct pattern of use of metapragmatic comments by the adults. Teachers tend to conduct the discourse mainly by allocating turns to the children and to indicate the violation of the degree of informativeness (maxim of quantity), signaling to the children the shortcomings of their responses. Considering the differences between the educational frameworks of the two age groups (preschool vs. kindergarten) we expected to find that teachers&#39; comments reflect their acknowledgement of the level of the children&#39;s developing conversational skills. However, this expectation was not met in any of the categories and subcategories of metapragmatic comments. The findings lead us to discuss their impact on the children&#39;s pragmatic and conversational skills that are still in the process of forming.

Researchers in the field of exploration geophysics have developed new methods for the acquisition... more Researchers in the field of exploration geophysics have developed new methods for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of gravity and magnetic data, based on detailed investigations of bore wells around the globe. "Fractal Models in Exploration Geophysics" describes fractal-based models for characterizing these complex subsurface geological structures. The authors introduce the inverse problem using a fractal approach which they then develop with the implementation of a global optimization algorithm for seismic data: very fast simulated annealing (VFSA). This approach provides high-resolution inverse modeling results - particularly useful for reservoir characterization. This title serves as a valuable resource for researchers studying the application of fractals in exploration, and for practitioners directly applying field data for geo-modeling. It discusses the basic principles and practical applications of time-lapse seismic reservoir monitoring technology-application rapidly advancing topic. It provides the fundamentals for those interested in reservoir geophysics and reservoir simulation study. It demonstrates an example of reservoir simulation for enhanced oil recovery using CO2 injection.

中华创伤杂志, Sep 15, 2003

Objective To study the characteristics and the occurrence rule of road traffic accidents in the c... more Objective To study the characteristics and the occurrence rule of road traffic accidents in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning province, in order to provide evidence for further control and prevention of traffic accidents. Methods The relative data of traffic accidents in 2001 in Shenyang collected from the Traffic Administration Bureau were analyzed statistically and discussed. Results (1) In 2001, the road traffic accidents occurred more frequently in September, October and December than in other months in a year and during 9:00-12:00,14:00-16:00 and 18:00-20:00 in a day. (2) More traffic accidents (83.5%, 5 428/6 497) occurred on the road with unavailable traffic lines or signs. About 56.1% (3 642/6 497) of the total accidents occurred on the mixed transect roads. (3) Among all the causes for traffic accidents, human factors accounted for 97.2% (6 316/6 497), while vehicle drivers for 95.9% (6 228/6 497). (4) The most vulnerable population on the road were pedestrians, cyclists and passengers with age mainly between 21-50 years. Conclusions It is necessary and urgent to improve and strengthen the traffic administration on the road with high occurrence of traffic accidents at the rush hours and carry out education on traffic safety so as to decrease the frequency of traffic accidents caused by human factors.

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs