This weekend, a new baby named Ellen came to the Haven. We have Saturday and Sunday off, but I like to spend my weekends there anyway, so I got to meet her on Saturday. She is a month and a half old and very undernourished. The first time I saw her, she had an IV port in the side of her head because she had diarrhea and was vomiting all her food, so she was dehydrated and needed fluids via IV. She is eating well at night, but during the day she is uninterested in eating, and leaks or spits up everything she does eat. She also tends to fall asleep during feeding time. She is not doing well. We hope something can be done to save her, but she needs lots of prayers.
For my research project, I’m doing a phonetic inventory (looking at what speech sounds they can make) on children between the ages of 18 and 30 months old. In order to do so, I’m using a small recording device called a LENA. It goes in the pocket of a special vest, right at the child’s chest. Once you complete the recording, you plug it into the computer and a program will interpret the data to tell you the number of child vocalizations, conversational turns, and adult words, as well as the audio environment (meaningful speech, distant speech, TV, noise, and silence). You can listen to the recording and view the data by days, hours, or five-minute intervals. All you have to do is press record on the LENA, put it in the vest, put the vest on the child, and take it back when you’re done. That sounds simple enough.
The first day I put a LENA on a child, I returned after lunch to find the child wearing a different outfit and the LENA was nowhere in sight. When I asked the auntie in the room about the vest I put on Bennett, it took three times to get her to understand what I was saying because her English is not great. She handed me the recording device, but said the vest was in the washing machine. I still haven’t found it, so I will have to go through the closets in Haven 3 soon. Luckily we have four vests. The next day, the LENA stayed on the child all day. On the third day, I forgot to take the LENA off the child before bath time, and it turned up missing again once the child returned from his bath. Luckily, I was there, so I could ask the auntie where it was and I found it in the dirty clothes pile in the bathroom before it ended up in the wash again. The language barrier has definitely made this project much more difficult than I had anticipated.
I hope all is going well in the States. I'm not coming home this time. Love, Ashley
where did you get the LENA? It sounds like and AMAZING device :) Any great findings from your research thus far?
ReplyDeleteP.S. please do come home...you know how much our conversations entertain me :)
I agree with Amy the Lena sounds really neat. How did you find out about this useful tool?
ReplyDeleteWhat all different things are you guys doing with the first baby you mentioned who has an IV?
I am in love with the picture you posted! I wish I could see more! I'm sorry you are having a tough time getting the recordings, but the mishaps are all rather entertaining. Have you tried telling the best English speaking Auntie that they are important and you need the vests, so spread the word to the other aunties? And I agree with Amy! Come home.. at least until you graduate! Then you can go be the babies' speech teacher!
ReplyDeleteThe picture is of one of the Haven 1 kids, Wesley wearing a LENA vest. We are teaching him to say Tessa's name.
ReplyDeleteI first heard about the LENA at an ASHA convention, but it was Dr. Weaver's idea to use it to record the kids. I haven't started an analysis of phonemes yet, but the kids here are below the American average in vocalizations, conversational turns, and adult words.
Today baby Ellen had a rough day. Her veins collapsed because she is so dehydrated, so they couldn't put in her IV drip. They started her on a new medication that will hopefully control the diarrhea, but in the meantime the feeding group worked with her today, mostly trying to get her to take her bottle, and using a z-vibe to help her with sucking the bottle (and to help her stay awake while she eats). Keep praying for her!
Miss you, Ashley! My mom made dark chocolate brownies and I said, "Ashley makes us brownies when we watch Glee!" Awww, Ellen and all of the other kids will be in my prayers! Are LENAs readily available to most clinicians, or did you have to apply for a grant to get one?
ReplyDeleteThe LENA sounds absolutely A-MAZ-ING! Where did you get one of those? Are you starting to see a trend with your results?
ReplyDeleteThe picture is adorable! Its so good to get to see some of the kids yall work with, i feel that it helps connect us better with ya'll and the awesome work ya'll are doing!! I want a LENA!! How do the children feel about wearing a vest, do they mind or do they like it??
ReplyDeleteAshley! that picture is adorable!! Are the children bothered by the vest or do they pretty much ignore them? Did Ellen come to the Haven because she was malnourished or did one of her parents pass away? Do you know her back story. Ellen is definitely in my prayers. I hope you keep us updated about her progress!
ReplyDeleteShayna
How is the hungry baby doing??? Hopefully better! I wonder why she is spitting up so often, maybe GURD? Do they have meds that can be given to the babies to help when they are sick?
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