Screening for spoken language disorders during a school medical check-up in Niigata Prefecture

Abstract

  We surveyed the current situation and methods used, as well as the status of educational institutions regarding medical check-ups, with the aim of increasing the level of interest toward the medical examination of spoken language in Niigata Prefecture and for increasing the implementation of such examinations at the time of medical check-ups. We administered a questionnaire survey to 20 members of the school health committee and found that 65% of them performed speech and language disability screening, and that 15% of them used picture boards. One member advised that his school performed medical examinations using a method of screening for speech and language disorders as part of the school health program. He asked the students to vocalize the phrase, “The name is XX,” and tested them using a picture board. The results revealed that the health examinations lasted approximately 10 seconds longer when a picture board was used, than when it was not used. The rate of detection of speech disabilities using this method was 1.3%, which was higher than the rate seen in Niigata City until that time.
  As a countermeasure taken in Niigata Prefecture, if a speech disability is detected during a medical examination, the subjects attend speech therapy training, as required, in a resource classroom. Some subjects may also require detailed examination at higher-level medical institutions. Going forward, we hope to work together with the school health committee, in particular, to increase our knowledge of spoken language abnormalities, and make further efforts to establish and increase usage of speech and language screening in Niigata Prefecture.