Why did the Conservative Party split in 1846 Essay Example

Why did the Conservative Party split in 1846 Essay When Peel announced that he supported a repeal of the Corn Laws that protected the landed classes it resulted in his resignation and the split of the Conservative Party and arguably therefore Peel was the founder of modern Conservatism (Gash). However although the issue of repeal was the main issue that delivered the final blow to the party, as R Stewart states the rot had set in some years before. The Great Reform Act had created within the Conservatives a party of movement and a party of resistance. One was a more liberal type of conservatism, which aimed to appease to prevent the spread of democracy; the other was anti catholic and protectionist, the old conservatism. It was the clash of these two groupings that led to the eventual split in the party. The split although having many causes had its roots in reform but was pushed up into the sunlight by the arrogant actions of Peel. The repeal of the corn laws, if not the major cause, was most definitely the last straw that finally split the two sides of the party; as R. Stewart describes it for the Conservative party, repeal was a watershed. We will write a custom essay sample on Why did the Conservative Party split in 1846 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why did the Conservative Party split in 1846 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why did the Conservative Party split in 1846 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer To understand the way in which the suggestion of repeal of the corn laws by Peel led to the split in the party we must first look to the causes of the split in opinion between the those in favour of reform and the protectionists. It has been suggested by certain historians such as J. A Thomas that the split over the repeal generally was a class battle between the business and manufacturing classes who tended to favour repeal and the landed classes who tended to be against it due to the relative personal economic benefits that it would bring. However Professor Aydelotte disputes this, removing the issue of class; although he agrees with Thomas that there were a higher proportion of votes among non-landed members than among landed for repeal. However Thomas ignores the issues of party and constituency, within the Conservative party the landed section was not proportionately more opposed than the non-landed, however the section of Conservative MPs that represented the land was, therefore it could be argued that the Tory Mps were not voting for their own interests but that of their constituencies and thus bowing to public opinion, a result of reform? When looking at the national social and economic situations that could be argued led to the idea of repeal and thus party split, one must not ignore the Potato famine in Ireland and economic instability in certain parts of England and Scotland. They required a large amount of food at lower prices, removing the corn laws would enable this, Peels view on this can be seen in his memoirs The minister who foresaw that there would be cruel distress in Ireland from the scarcity of food, might surely advise the removal of restrictions on its import without incurring the reproach of treason and perfidy to his party connections. However many historians have challenged the view that it was the potato famine that made Peels decision to push through repeal, as Boyd Hilton points out in his journal Peel a reappraisal in which he regards the potato blight as merely a pretext for repeal and that it is clear that, some time before the first intimations of famine, repeal had emerged as an end in itsel f. Indeed Peels cabinet itself was not even convinced of the need for appeal following the potato blight. However Peel had seemingly made his mind up and one possible reason for this could have been the popular pressure of public opinion (such as the anti corn law league), this is a likely explanation, this liberal interpretation is highlighted by Hilton who describes it as seeing Peel as a slave not to intellectual fashion but public opinion. We have looked at the economic and social reasons for the differing opinions on the repeal and thus the split in the party but it is now important to look at the role the man who suggested the repeal played. Heavy blame can be placed on Peel not only on the single issue of repeal but also on most other major issues that led to the split of the Conservative party (however these will be addressed later). The most obvious reason blame can be placed on Peel is because it was Peel who was the leader of the government who suggested the repeal, which led to the split in the party. However to really understand why Peel is so much to blame for making the issue of repeal the final straw we must look at his actions leading up to his announcement that he supported repeal. When the Conservative government was elected to power in 1841 it was believed by most Conservative backbenchers to have been won because it and Peel pledged to maintain the Corn Laws and protect the landed class, it was the traditional Conservative doctrine. Evidence of this belief can be found at Benticks reaction to the election results First let me congratulate you (he wrote to Lord Lincoln) that the country has refused to be cajoled by the latest fabrication from the workshop of Whig trickery and delusion The Whig trickery and delusion he spoke of was of course the case for repeal. In fact even the Whigs believed that Peel was one hundred percent behind sustaining the Corn Laws, this can be seen in Lord Monmouths comment that the election of 1841 was being fought between, on one side a free trade party and on the other a protectionist one. It is clear to see from this evidence why so many members of the party felt betrayed by Peels apparently sudden u-turn on the issue of repeal, Benticks reaction clearly reflected the protectionist feeling of betrayal, describing Peel and his accomplices as no better than common cheats. politically lying and pledge breaking. Confidence in Peel was shaken so much not necessarily because he supported repeal (although of course this did play its part) but rather because of the manner in which he had seemingly committed treason against his party and the pride in which he seemed to take in declaring he had devised his scheme of repeal without caring whether or not he would receive the support of the backbenchers. It is this arrogan ce and failure to look to see the future consequences of his actions that made Peel such a danger to his party and inevitably was one of the reasons the split occurred. However there is the opinion amongst some historians that many at the time believed Conservative success at the elections in 1841 derived principally from confidence which the electorate placed in Peels administrative ability. Indeed the Tamworth Manifesto did not mention preserving the Corn Laws or protecting agricultural or landed interests but instead spoke of preserving the integrity of the two Houses of Parliament, the Monarchy and stability; as Gash states it was a constitutional and religious not a social and economic policy. Therefore the extent of Peels betrayal and the extent to which he is to blame may be bought into question, although the fact remains that Peel had publicly announced his support of the Corn Laws. As for the argument that Peel ignored his backbenchers thus causing substantial tension and eventual split; Stewart argues that since the days of Pitt there had been strain within the party between the business men of the cabinet and the squires of the backbenches. Perhaps then Peels arrogance towards the backbenchers was nothing out of the ordinary and we should be careful about how much blame we place on Peel. However Gash makes the important point that in the days of Pitt he could afford major defeats as he had the crown to fall back upon, but by the time of Peel parliament had far more authority in making the controversial administrative decisions and therefore Peel needed the support of his party. Perhaps if Peels actions and attitude towards the repeal of Corn Laws had been the only way in which he acted slightly tyrannically, as some of protectionists described his actions, then the party may not have become so unstable; however it was not. The other major issue in which Peels decisions contributed significantly to the split in the Tory party was the way in which he handled the situation of Catholicism and Ireland; Once again the backbenchers were left unconsulted and their opinions ignored. There was a certain tradition within the Conservative party of anti-Catholicism and attacks on the Irish, Catholicism was seen by the Anglican, protestant Conservatives to be a threat to Anglican dominance which had already been substantially weakened by Catholic Emancipation and the Great Reform Act of 1832. The greatest example of these attacks on the Catholic Church in Ireland came from the quarterly reviews, which mounted the most extreme attacks. At first, although not joining in on the anti Irish and Catholicism, Peel and the leaders were at least wise enough not to disassociate themselves from it; this split therefore as Stewart puts it was papered over. However, it did not last, the biggest controversy was caused by the Mounoth Act, described by T. F Kebbel as one of the most pitiful incidents in the whole history of Toryism. The decision by Peel to increase and make permanent a grant of money to the Catholic Irish college of Mounoth nearly split the party there and then. Peel was on such dangerous ground because anti-Catholicism was to be the nerve centre of protectionist policy, anti Catholicism was inexplicitly linked with the right of the party and the Ultras, for Peel to act as he did meant a gulf now appeared between the liberal Peelites and the anti catholic, protectionist right of the party. The sheer unpopularity of the act can be seen through the 3000 petitions that Peel received against the act, most of which came from his own party. The disgruntlement of the right wing of the party was made worse by the fact that Peel had refused to grant money on a number of occasions to the Anglican church, for example The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. This clearly sent out a message of the declining influence of the Anglican church that it could no longer collect aid from the state by right; the fact that the Roman Catholic church on the other hand was receiving money paid for by English taxes greatly angered many Conservatives. Sir Robert Inglis went so far as to proclaim not just that this issue could result in the split of the Tory party but of the Union itself. Disraelis speech on the matter did more to add to the gulf that was forming within the party, describing Peel as a great middleman e is a man who bamboozles one party and plunders the other. Although this issue played an important role in if not opening, widening the gulf in the party, it is important to note that the party stayed in tact after this affair, does this then suggest that the gulf it caused was not in fact all that important? This is not the case, for as is pointed out by Stewart, the party held together during the late 1830s and early 40s due to a common respect for and recognition of the necessity of Peels leadership, by the end of 1844 that bond was gone. Therefore just because the party did not split at this point it does not make Peels actions here any less destructive than his actions during the repeal of the Corn Laws. One slightly longer-term factor that must be taken into consideration for which Peel is not quite so responsible for is the effect that the Great Reform Act and growing liberalism played on the party. Certainly the party had changed since the Reform Act, proof of this lies in the posts held by the Ultras and those on the far right of th e party such as Graham and Lord Staley who held minor positions. Anna Gambles brings up the idea that the reform had resulted in a modernised Conservatism which had adapted to the reform act of 1832 against a protectionist alternative. Certainly it can be argued that Peel represented this more liberal type of Conservatism, who just as the Whigs had advocated reform to prevent revolution and democracy so to Peel and his liberal Tories saw free trade as a necessary concession to new interests in society, a concession which would save the aristocracy from an outright radical assault. Here the knock on effects of the Reform Act can clearly be seen, the new interests in society being those newly enfranchised middle class men. However others such as the Duke of Richmond saw repeal as a further step towards democracy I ask you, will they stop here? It is the first step; they feel that it is the yeomanry of England that stand between them and the democratic principles which they wish to carry out. As Gambles rightly suggests after the Great Reform Act protectionism gained new significance as an economic instrument with which governments could represent and balance propertied interests with the reformed constitution. It was for the right of the party the last great barrier against the reform act protecting the landed classes; it is therefore no wonder they fought so passionately if helplessly to defend it. Just as during the great debate around the reform act had caused splits in the party in 1832, these same splits were re-emerging but were also more apparent. The question raised by the influence of the reform act is whether or not a Conservative party is justified in carrying out changes it has already resisted; is Peel justified in going back on his policies? It raises the question of whether Peel did betray his party because of a lack of intelligence as Disraeli so often attacked him for, a lack of seeing the future consequences of his actions therefore making Peel mostly responsible for the split in the conservative party or was it in fact a well thought out adaptation to the constitution to prevent revolution and protect the landed classes? Peel was an opportunist, a number of historians agree with this view such as Anna Ramsay, however Peels great weakness was his arrogance and failure to see future consequences of his actions made him the solely most important factor in the split of the Conservative party. The way In which he acted was at times despotic even tyrannical, not only on the issues of corn and Ireland but on numerous other occasions such as the attempt by parliament to reduce the working hours in factories, the act was passed but Peel threatened to resign and thus the act was reversed. Peel could have and did get away with acting in this way many a number of times but his failure was that he did not know when to stop his ever increasing liberal actions that to his colleagues on the backbenches smacked of democracy. Peel and the liberal Tories were children of the reform of parliament, the reformed Tories, the problem was that the rest of the party took a reactionary approach to the reform act, one that Peel foolishly thought he could ignore. Would the Conservative party have split without then potato famine and other economic factors leading up to the repeal? Yes, would it have split without the actions of Peel? Eventually yes, as rot had already set in before Peel came to office but it is unlikely it would have happened so soon.

Thallium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Thallium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements ThalliumBasic Facts Atomic Number: 81 Symbol: Tl Atomic Weight: 204.3833 Discovery: Crookes 1861 Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p1 Element Classification: metal Discovered By: Sir William Crookes Discovery Date: 1861 (England) Name Origin: Greek: thallos (green twig), named for a bright green line in its spectrum. Thallium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 11.85 Melting Point (Â °K): 576.6 Boiling Point (Â °K): 1730 Appearance: soft bluish-gray metal Atomic Radius (pm): 171 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 17.2 Covalent Radius (pm): 148 Ionic Radius: 95 (3e) 147 (1e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.128 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 4.31 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 162.4 Thermal Conductivity: 46.1 J/m-sec-deg Debye Temperature (Â °K): 96.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.62 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 588.9 Oxidation States: 3, 1 Lattice Structure: hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 3.460 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.599 Uses: infrared detectors, photomultipliers Source: obtained as a by-product of Zn/Pb smelting References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952) Periodic Table of the Elements

Body of Stalin Removed From Lenins Tomb

Body of Stalin Removed From Lenins Tomb After his death in 1953, Soviet leader Joseph Stalins remains were embalmed and put on display next to Vladimir Lenin. Hundreds of thousands of people came to see the Generalissimo in the mausoleum. In 1961, just eight years later, the Soviet government ordered Stalins remains removed from the tomb. Why did the Soviet government change their mind? What happened to Stalins body after it was removed from Lenins tomb? Stalin's Death Joseph Stalin had been the despotic dictator of the Soviet Union for nearly 30 years. Though he is now considered responsible for the deaths of millions of his own people through famine and purges, when his death was announced to the people of the Soviet Union on March 6, 1953, many wept. Stalin had led them to victory in World War II. He had been their leader, the Father of the Peoples, the Supreme Commander, the Generalissimo. And now he was dead. Through a succession of bulletins, the Soviet people had been made aware that Stalin was gravely ill. At four in the morning of March 6, 1953, it was announced: [T]he heart of the comrade-in-arms and continuer of genius of Lenins cause, of the wise leader and teacher of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union, has ceased to beat.1 Joseph Stalin, 73 years of age, had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died at 9:50 p.m. on March 5, 1953. Temporary Display Stalins body was washed by a nurse and then carried via a white car to the Kremlin mortuary. There, an autopsy was performed. After the autopsy was completed, Stalins body was given to the embalmers to prepare it for the three days it would lay-in-state. Stalins body was placed on temporary display in the Hall of Columns. Thousands of people lined up in the snow to see it. The crowds were so dense and chaotic outside that some people were trampled underfoot, others rammed against traffic lights, and some others choked to death. It is estimated that 500 people lost their lives while trying to get a glimpse of Stalins corpse. On March 9, nine pallbearers carried the coffin from the Hall of Columns onto a gun carriage. The body was then ceremoniously taken to Lenins tomb on the Red Square in Moscow. Only three speeches were made - one by Georgy Malenkov, another by Lavrenty Beria, and the third by Vyacheslav Molotov. Then, covered in black and red silk, Stalins coffin was carried into the tomb. At noon, throughout the Soviet Union, came a loud roar - whistles, bells, guns, and sirens were blown in honor of Stalin. Preparation for Eternity Though Stalins body had been embalmed, it was only prepared for the three-day lying-in-state. It was going to take much more preparation to make the body seem unchanged for generations. When Lenin died in 1924, Professor Vorobyev had done the embalming. It was a complicated process that resulted in an electric pump being installed inside Lenins body to maintain a constant humidity.2 When Stalin died in 1953, Professor Vorobyev had already passed away. Thus, the job of embalming Stalin went to Professor Vorobyevs assistant, Professor Zharsky. The embalming process took several months. In November 1953, seven months after Stalins death, Lenins  tomb was reopened. Stalin was placed inside the tomb, in an open coffin, under glass, near the body of Lenin.   Secretly Removing Stalin's Body Stalin had been a dictator and a tyrant. Yet he presented himself as the Father of Peoples, a wise leader, and the continuer of Lenins cause. After his death, people began to acknowledge that he was responsible for the deaths of millions of their own countrymen. Nikita Khrushchev, first secretary of the Communist Party (1953-1964) and premier of the Soviet Union (1958-1964), spearheaded this movement against the false memory of Stalin. Khrushchevs policies became known as de-Stalinization. On February 24-25, 1956, three years after Stalins death, Khrushchev gave a speech at the Twentieth Party Congress that crushed the aura of greatness that had surrounded Stalin. In this Secret Speech, Khrushchev revealed many of the horrible atrocities committed by Stalin. Five years later, it was time to physically remove Stalin from a place of honor. At the Twenty-second Party Congress in October 1961, an old, devoted Bolshevik woman, Dora Abramovna Lazurkina stood up and said: My heart is always full of Lenin. Comrades, I could survive the most difficult moments only because I carried Lenin in my heart, and always consulted him on what to do. Yesterday I consulted him. He was standing there before me as if he were alive, and he said: It is unpleasant to be next to Stalin, who did so much harm to the party.This speech had been pre-planned yet it was still very effective. Khrushchev followed by reading a decree ordering the removal of Stalins remains. The further retention in the mausoleum of the sarcophagus with the bier of J. V. Stalin shall be recognized as inappropriate since the A few days later, Stalins body was quietly removed from the mausoleum. There were no ceremonies and no fanfare. About 300 feet from the mausoleum, Stalins body was buried near other minor leaders of the Russian Revolution. Stalins body was placed near the Kremlin wall, half-hidden by trees. A few weeks later, a simple dark granite stone marked the grave with the very simple, J. V. STALIN 1879-1953. In 1970, a small bust was added to the grave. Notes As quoted in Robert Payne,  The Rise and Fall of Stalin  (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1965) 682.Georges Bortoli,  The Death of Stalin  (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1975) 171.Dora Lazurkina as quoted in  Rise and Fall 712-713.Nikita Khrushchev as quoted in  Ibid  713. Sources: Bortoli, Georges.  The Death of Stalin. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1975.Hingley, Ronald.  Joseph Stalin: Man and Legend. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1974.Hyde, H. Montgomery.  Stalin: The History of a Dictator. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971.Payne, Robert.  The Rise and Fall of Stalin. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1965.

Contemporary Supply Chain Management and Consultancy management Essay

Contemporary Supply Chain Management and Consultancy management techniques - Essay Example This helps these businesses to achieve maximum efficiency because they worry less about these aspects of business because they focus more on adding value to their customers. In order for a business to reap the benefits of supply chain management, it is important for a business to identify suppliers that are able to deliver value as intended meaning that the process of seeking suppliers has to be a rigorous one. Many businesses have to come to understand the potential that supply chain management (SCM) has to their operations because when implemented effectively can help them in achieving competitive advantage in the markets that they exist in (Monczka, Handfield, Giunipero & Patterson 2015, 349). The concept of SCM has gained popularity because business entities developed a keen eye on delivering quality to the markets they serve and also based on the need to manage the materials that are used in product developed. Also the need to manage logistics as a way of creating value for the customers being served by a business has further propelled the inclusion of SCM as part of business operations. Based on this overview, this essay will focus on influencing understanding and application of appropriate management frameworks that can be essential in the planning and control of goods and services by having the aspects of quality, quantity and cost analysis in mind. Further, the paper will also seek to create an understanding of the tools and techniques that exists that can help in achieving efficiency in the supply chain managerial decision making under supply chain management. In relation to consultancy management techniques, the essay will identify data and information sources that are relevant to the decision making process and also analyze this information so as to support the decision making process. Further, emphasis will be on communicating the

New Media Audiences and Technologies Research Paper

New Media Audiences and Technologies - Research Paper Example Firstly I will discuss the new media then I will discuss the positive and negative impacts of new media. Further on I will discuss the audiences of new media and the technologies which, are used by the audiences and the media. The methodology I have written this research paper by using the qualitative research method. Qualitative research is the observational method, consists of observation by looking at people’s action, interviewing and recording. This is totally different from the quantitative method because, in the quantitative method, data is collected through the scientific research method. I have written that research paper by observing people’s everyday activities while using new media and technologies. I have observed teenagers who have between 11to 19 years. I have also observed middle age people who are in between 35 to 45. I have also asked some questions to people for collecting the data. For the data collection, I have also used secondary data collection me thod in which I have read several books, articles, and newspapers for finding the analyses and conclusion. Findings and Analyses New media New media consist of youtube, Socializing websites, Google, Netvibes, Pageflakes, SpringWidgets, your minis, Flicker, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, wikis etc as well as personal homepages like on My Space and Facebook. Through YouTube, you can easily upload and download a high technology colored video within a minute. From the social networking sites, you can upload thousands of photos which are saved in your personal id and there is no fear of losing them. As well as from social networking sites you can easily communicate with your family, friends, and relatives and you can easily know that what is going on in their lives. New technologies And Audiences As we know new technologies are emerging like plasma televisions have introduced having cinema’s style vision, outstanding voice quality as well as wireless remotes. I have observed various people who are using new technologies for surfing media and have some authentic analysis. When you are watching movies and other programmers’ on plasma television you are feeling that you are present in that place. As well as plasma television also have microphones which can hear your voice when you say on the television starts showing vision and when you say off television shuts down without any touch. The interaction is developing more and more with the passage of time. Instead of that now the audiences are using home gateway box with their televisions and with that gateway box. You have to on TV digital recording service from the cable operators. In every month customer gives 50$ to cable operators for that service and during the commercials, with your wireless remote you can instruct the home gateway box to find, download and play your favorite program. From the internet you can also play any game online as well as you can shop for any product online, you can select, orde r and buy (Living Stone, 2003). Nature of audiences is also changed. Readers of newspapers have become minimized. Before the new media people are used to read the newspaper on the daily basis for getting updates. Now the readers of the newspaper are in a less amount as compared to before because the new media has been introduced in which internet plays a key role. On the internet there are various newspaper agencies which publish all news bulletins however, you can say all news agencies are doing that so.  

Alternative Communication Intervention In Children Health And Social Care Essay

Alternative Communication Intervention In Children Health And Social Care Essay Children and youth who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or spinal cord injury (SCI) may have temporary or permanent disabilities that affect their speech, language and communication abilities. Having a way to communicate can help reduce a childs confusion and anxiety, as well as enable them to participate more actively in the rehabilitation process and thus, recover from their injuries. In addition, effective communication with family, care staff, peers, teachers and friends is essential to long-term recovery and positive outcomes as children with TBI and SCI are integrated back into their communities. This article describes how rehabilitation teams can use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technologies (AT) to support the communication of children recovering from TBI and SCI over time. 1. Introduction Children and youth who sustain a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or a spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience sequealae that can affect their ability to communicate effectively. In early phases of recovery, many children with TBI and SCI are unable to use their speech or gestures for a variety of medical reasons related to their injuries. As a result, they can benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions that specifically address their ability to communicate basic needs and feelings to medical personnel and family members and ask and respond to questions. AAC approaches may include having access to a nurses call signal; strategies to establish a consistent yes no response; techniques that help a child eye point to simple messages; low-tech boards and books that encourage interaction with family members and staff; communication boards with pictures or words; and speech generating devices (SGDs) with preprogrammed messages, such as I hurt Come h ere, Help me please! Whens mom coming? As children with TBI and SCI recover from their injuries, many no longer will need AAC. However, some children face residual motor, speech, language and cognitive impairments that affect their ability to communicate face-to-face, write or use mainstream communication technologies (e.g., computers, email, phones, etc.). A few may require AAC and assistive technology (AT) throughout their lives. Having access to communication through AAC and AT enables these children to participate actively in the rehabilitation process and ultimately, in their families and communities. Without an ability to communicate effectively, children with TBI and SCI will face insurmountable barriers to education, employment, as well as establishing and maintaining relationships and taking on preferred social roles as adults. All AAC interventions aim to support a childs current communication needs while planning for the future (Beukelman and Mirenda, 2005). However, the course of AAC treatment for children who sustain TBIs and SCIs is different because of the nature of their injuries is different. In addition, the focus of AAC interventions will differ for very young children (e.g., shaken baby syndrome) who are just developing speech and language and for those who were literate and have some knowledge of the world prior to their injuries (e.g., 16 year-old involved injured in a motor vehicle accident). For young children, the AAC team will focus on developing their language, literacy, academic, emotional, and social skills, as well as ensuring that they have a way to communicate with family members and rehabilitation staff. For older children, AAC interventions build on residual skills and abilities to help remediate speech, language and communication impairments as well as provide compensatory strategi es that support face-to-face interactions and ultimately communication across distances (phone, email) with team members, family and friends. AAC intervention goals seek to promote a childs active participation in family, education, community and leisure activities and aim to support the establishment and maintenance of robust social networks (Blackstone, Williams, and Wilkins, 2007; Light and Drager, 2007; Smith, 2005). While a variety of AAC tools, strategies and techniques are available that offer communication access, successful AAC interventions for children with TBI and SCI also require that medical staff, family members and ultimately community personnel know how to support the use of AAC strategies and technologies because the needs of these children change over time. Speech-language pathologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physiatrists, pediatricians, and rehabilitation engineers work collaboratively with the childs family and community-based professionals to establish, maintain and update effective communication systems. Ultimately, the goal is for children to take on desired adult roles; AAC can help them realize these goals. 2. Pediatric TBI and AAC AAC intervention for pediatric patients with TBI and severe communication challenges is an essential, complex, ongoing and dynamic process. AAC is essential to support the unique communication needs of children who are unable to communicate effectively. It is complex because of the residual cognitive deficits that often persist and because many children with TBI have co-existing speech, language, visual, and motor control deficits (Fager and Karantounis, 2010; Fager and Beukelman, 2005). AAC interventions are ongoing and dynamic (Fager, Doyle, and Karantounis, 2007) because children with TBI experience many changes over time and undergo multiple transitions. Light et al. (1988) described the ongoing, three-year AAC intervention of an adolescent who progressed through several AAC systems and ultimately regained functional speech. DeRuyter and Donoghue (1989) described an individual who used many simple devices and a sophisticated AAC system over a seven month period. Additional report s describe the recovery of natural speech up to 13 years post onset (Jordan, 1994; Workinger and Netsell, 1992). 2.1. AAC Assessment and Intervention Assessment tools can help identify and describe the cognitive, language and motor deficits of patients with TBI and provide a framework for AAC interventions. The Pediatric Rancho Scale of Cognitive Functioning (adapted by staff at Denver Childrens Hospital in 1989) is based on the Ranchos Los Amigos Scale of Cognitive Functioning (Hagan, 1982). Table 1 describes general levels of recovery, based on the Pediatric Rancho Lost Amigos Scale, and gives examples of AAC intervention strategies that rehabilitation teams can employ across the levels as described below. Levels IV and V. AAC Goal: Shaping responses into communication In the early phase of recovery, pediatric patients at Levels IV and V on the Pediatric Rancho Scale are often in the PICU, the ICU, acute hospital or acute rehabilitation environment. At Level V (no response to stimuli) or Level IV (generalized response to stimuli) AAC interventions focus on identifying modalities that children can use to provide consistent and reliable responses. For example, staff can use simple switches (e.g., Jelly Bean ®, Big Red ® and Buddy Button from AbleNet), latch-timers (e.g., PowerLink ® from AbleNet) and single message devices (e.g. BIGmack ® and Step Communicator ® from AbleNet) to support early communication (see Table 1 for some examples). Because childrens early responses may be reflexive rather than intentional, the family and medical/rehabilitation team can also use AAC technologies to encourage more consistent responses. Families provide valuable input about the kinds of music, games and favorite toys a child finds motivating. The team c an then use these items to evoke physical responses from the child. For example, if the family identified the battery-operated toy Elmo ® from Sesame Street ®, the rehabilitation team might present Elmo singing a Sesame Street song and then observe to see if the childs responds. If the child begins to turn her head when Elmo ® sings, the team might attach a switch with a battery interrupter to the toy and ask the child to hit the button and play the Elmo ® song. In doing so, the team can learn several things. For example, the team may note that a child is able to follow commands, indicating cognitive recovery. The team may also begin to consider alternative access methods for children with severe physical impairments, i.e., head movement may become a reliable way to operate an AAC device or computer in the future. It is difficult to predict whether a child will recover natural speech during early stages of recovery. 2.2. Middle Levels II and III: AAC Goals: Increase ability to communicate with staff, family and friends and support active participation in treatment Pediatric patients at Levels III (localized response to sensory stimuli) and II (responsive to environment) become more engaged in their rehabilitation programs as they recover some cognitive, language and physical abilities. During this phase, long-term deficits that affect communication become apparent (e.g., dysarthria, apraxia, aphasia, attention, initiation, memory, vision, spasticity). Dongilli, Hakel, and Beukelman (1992) and Ladtkow and Culp (1992) also report natural speech recovery in adults after TBI at the middle stages of recovery. Continued reliance on AAC strategies and technologies is typically due to persistent motor speech and/or severe cognitive-language deficits resulting from the injury (Fager, Doyle, and Karantounis, 2007). AAC interventions at these levels focus on using a childs most consistent and reliable response to communicate messages, encourage active participation in the rehabilitation process and increase interactions with family and staff. AAC interventions always take into account the childs developmental level and interests. Table 1 gives some examples of AAC technologies employed during these Levels III and II. For example, Jessica was admitted to the hospital at 18-months with shaken baby syndrome. At Level II, she began responding to her parents by smiling and laughing and also began to manipulate toys with her non-paralyzed hand when staff placed a toy within her intact field of vision. However, she did not exhibit any speech or imitative vocal behaviors and her speech-language pathologist noted a severe verbal apraxia. Nursing staff and family members noted that Jessica seemed frustrated by her inability to express herself. Prior to her injury, she could name over 30 objects (toys, pet s, favorite cartoon characters) and was beginning to put two word sentences together (Momma bye-bye, Daddy home). AAC interventions included the introduction of a BIGmack ®, a single-message speech generating device (SGD) that enabled the staff and family members to record a message that Jessica could then speak during her daily activities(e.g., more, bye-bye, turn page). Because the BIGmack ® is a colorful, large and easy to access SGD, Jessica was able to press the button despite her upper extremity spasticity and significant visual field cut. Within a month, Jessica had progressed to using a MACAW by Zygo ®, an SGD with eight-location overlay that staff programmed with words she had used prior to her injury (e.g., mommy, daddy, more, bottle, book, bye-bye). Staff also designed additional overlays to encourage her language development by providing vocabulary that enabled her to construct two-word combinations (e.g., more crackers). Jessica began to express herself at a developmentally appropriate level, but she had residual memory deficits that required cuing and support from her communi cation partners. For example, initially, she did not recall how to use her AAC system from session to session so staff needed to reintroduce it each time. However, after several months, Jessica began to search for her SGD to communicate. Jessica, like many children with TBI at this level, was able to learn procedures and strategies with repetition and support (Ylvisaker and Feeney, 1998). 2.3. Level II and Level I. AAC Goals: Support transitions, recommend AAC strategies and technologies for use at home and in the community As pediatric patients transition from Level II (responsive to environment) to Level I (oriented to self and surroundings), they often move from an acute rehabilitation facility to an outpatient setting, home or a care facility. Thus, before discharge, AAC teams will conduct a formal AAC assessment and provide long-term recommendations for AAC strategies and technologies that can enable children to be integrated successfully back into community environments. Table 1 illustrates the types of AAC technologies and strategies employed at Levels II and I, as described below. For children who continue to use AAC and AT when they return to their communities, the rehabilitation team identifies a long-term communication advocate. This person, often a family member, becomes actively involved in AAC training and collaborates with rehabilitation staff to prepare the childs educational staff, extended family and other caregivers (Fager, 2003). Having a link between the rehabilitation team and community professionals is essential because most teachers and community-based clinicians have limited experience working with children with TBI and may need support to manage the cognitive and physical deficits often associated with TBI. For example, McKenzie, a 12 year-old with a severe TBI secondary to a car accident, was quadriplegic with severe spasticity and no upper extremity control. She also had cortical blindness and significant communication and cognitive impairments. As she recovered, McKenzie used a variety of AAC systems (e.g., thumbs up/down for yes no, two B IGmacks ® to communicate choices, and a scanning Cheap Talk by Enabling Devices with four messages to participate in structured activities). Prior to discharge, the rehabilitation team conducted a formal SGD evaluation and recommended the Vmax by DynaVox Mayer-Johnson, a voice output device. McKenzie was able to access the device via a head switch mounted to the side of the head rest on her wheelchair. Using auditory scanning, she could create and retrieve messages. Because she was literate prior to her injury and could still spell, the staff set up her device to include an alphabet page as well as several pages with pre-programmed messages containing basic/urgent care needs, jokes and social comments. Family and friends participated in her rehabilitation and learned to use tactile and verbal prompts to help her participate in conversational exchanges. Due to her residual cognitive deficits, however, McKenzie had difficulty initiating conversations and remembering where pre-stored messages were in her device. When prompted, she would respond and initiate questions and could engage in conversations over multiple turns. Over time, she began to participate in meaningful, social interactions, often spelling out two-three word novel phrases using her alphabet page While her parents were renovating their home to handle her wheelchair, McKenzie transitioned to a regional care facility that specialized in working with young people with TBI. The acute rehabilitation team identified McKenzies aunt as her AAC advocate because she had participated actively in earlier phases of McKenzies recovery, was proficient with the maintenance (charging, set-up and basic trouble-shooting) of the Vmax and could customize and program new messages into the system. The care facility staff met with McKenzies aunt weekly so they could learn how to support McKenzies use of the SGD. Specific training objectives included maintenance and basic trouble-shooting, set up, switch-placement and how to program new messages to use in specific and motivating activities. Staff learned how to modify the placement of her switch when McKenzie became fatigued or her spasticity increased. Additionally, McKenzies school staff (special education coordinator, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, and one of her regular classroom teachers) visited McKenzie at the rehabilitation and the care facilities to help prepare for her return home and learned how to support her in school, given her physical and cognitive limitations. 2.4. AAC themes in TBI When working with pediatric patients with TBI, three AAC themes emerge. 1. Recovery from TBI is dynamic and takes place over time. In early stages of recovery, most children with TBI have physical, speech, language and cognitive deficits that affect their communication skills. Depending on the nature and severity of their injuries, however, most recover functional speech, although some will have life-long residual speech, language and communication deficits. Acute rehabilitation teams can employ AAC interventions to support communication, as well as monitor the childs changing communication abilities and needs over time. 2. The cognitive-linguistic challenges associated with TBI make AAC interventions particularly challenging for rehabilitation staff, as well as for families, friends and school personnel. Because of the complex nature of the residual disabilities caused by TBI, collaborations among rehabilitation specialists, family members and community-based professionals are essential. Some children with TBI require AAC supports throughout their lives. Family members, friends and school personnel rarely know how to manage their severe memory, attention and/or initiation deficits that can affect long-term communication outcomes. 3. There is a need to plan carefully for transitions. Children with TBI will undergo many transitions. While research describing these transitions in children is not available, reports of the experiences of adults with TBI describe multiple transitions over time. Penna et al. (2010) noted that adults with TBI undergo a significant number of residence transitions particularly in the first year following injury and Fager (2003) described the different transitions (acute care hospital, outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, home with adult daycare services, and eventually assisted living) for an adult with severe TBI experienced over a decade, documenting significant changes in his cognitive abilities, as well as his communication partners and support staff. Children with TBI are likely to experience even more transitions over their lifetimes. 3. Pediatric SCI and AAC Pediatric patients with SCI often have intact cognitive skills and severe physical disabilities that can interfere with their ability to speak. In addition, they often have significant medical complications and may be left with severe motor impairments that make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to write, access a computer or participate in the gaming, online and remote social networking activities embraced by todays youth (e.g., texting, email). A subgroup may also present with a concomitant TBI sustained as a result of the fall, car accident or other traumatic event that has changed their lives. For them, AAC treatment must reflect guidelines that take into account both SCI and TBI. As with TBI, the growth and development inherent in childhood and adolescence and the unique manifestations and complications associated with SCI require that management be both developmentally based and directed to the individuals special needs (Vogel, 1997). Initially, AAC interventions typically focus on ensuring face-to-face communication when speech is unavailable or very difficult; over the long term, however, enabling children to write and engage in educational, recreational and pre-vocational activities using computers and other mainstream technologies becomes the focus. 3.1. AAC Assessment and Intervention The ASIA standard neurological classification of SCI from the American Spinal Injury Association and International Medical Society of Paraplegia (2000) is a tool that rehabilitation teams frequently use to assess patients with SCI because it identifies the level of injury and associated deficits at each level. This can help guide the rehabilitation teams clinical decision-making process for AAC interventions. As shown in Table 2, children with high tetraplegia (C1-C4 SCI) have limited head control and are often ventilator dependent. They often require eye, head, and/or voice control of AAC devices and mainstream technologies to communicate. While switch scanning is an option for some, it requires higher-level cognitive abilities, endurance, and vigilance and may be inappropriate for very young children and those who are medically fragile (Wagner and Jackson, 2006; McCarthy et al., 2006; Peterson, Reichle, and Johnston, 2000; Horn and Jones, 1996). Children with low tetraplegia (C5-T1 SCI) demonstrate limited proximal and distal upper extremity control. If fitted with splints that support their arm and hand, some are able to use specially adapted mouse options (e.g., joystick mouse, switch-adapted mouse, trackball mouse), large button or light touch keyboards and switches to control technology. These children are also candidates for head tracking and voice control of AAC devices due to the fatigue and physical effort involved in using their upper extremities. For example, a multi-modal access method to AAC technology and computers may include voice control to dictate text, hand control of the cursor with an adaptive mouse to perform other computer functions (e.g., open programs), and an adaptive keyboard to correct errors that are generated while dictating text. This multi-modal approach can be more efficient and less frustrating than using voice control alone for these children. Table 2 provides examples of appropriate access options to AAC and mainstream techn ologies. 3.2. Supporting face-to-face communication For children with high tetraplegia, being dependent on mechanical ventilation is frightening especially when they are unable to tolerate a talking valve (Padman, Alexander, Thorogood, and Porth, 2003). Thus, providing these children with a way to communicate is essential to their recovery and sense of well-being. As children with lower levels of injury are weaned from a ventilator, they may experience reduced respiratory control and be unable to speak (Britton and Baarslag-Benson, 2007). Medical specialists can provide access to AAC strategies and technologies, which enable these children to communicate their wants, needs and feelings throughout the day. This allows them to interact with direct care staff, participate in their rehabilitation process, and maintain relationships with family and friends. Pediatric rehabilitation teams may use a range of AAC strategies and technologies to support face-to-face communication in children with SCI. Some examples include low tech communication boards used with eye gaze or eye pointing, partner-dependent scanning, an electro larynx with intra-oral adaptor, or laser light pointing to a target message or letter on a communication board (Britton and Baarslag-Benson, 2007; Beukelman and Mirenda, 2005). Introducing AAC and AT technologies early in the recovery process, particularly for children who demonstrate high tetraplegia, will also begin to familiarize them with approaches they may need to rely on extensively throughout their lives, even after speech returns. For example, Jared, a 17-year-old high school senior, sustained a SCI in a skiing accident at the C2 level. In addition to his injuries, he developed pneumonia and a severe coccyx wound during his hospitalization, which lengthened his hospital stay. He was unable to tolerate a one-way speaking valve due to the severity of his pneumonia and decreased oxygenation during valve trials. Although Jared had minimal head movement, he was able to control an AccuPointà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ head tracker to access his home laptop computer and spell out messages he could then speak aloud using speech synthesis software. He used his AAC system to indicate his medical needs to caregivers and later reported that having the ability to communicate helped alleviate some of the anxiety he experienced due to his condition and extended hospitalization. After Jared recovered the ability to use a talking valve, his work with the AccuPointà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ focused on computer access to meet written and social communi cation needs. Once his wound had healed, he was able to return home 11 months later. At that time, all of his classmates had graduated. Using the AccuPointà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, Jared was able to complete his GED at home and enrolled in online classes at the local community college. 3.3. Supporting written communication and education At the time of their injury, some pediatric patients with SCI are pre-literate, others are developing literacy skills, and others have highly developed literacy skills. However, most children with tetraplegia will require the use of assistive technologies to support written communication because their injuries preclude them from using a pencil and/or typing on a traditional computer keyboard. In a report describing the educational participation of children with spinal cord injury, 89% of the children with tetraplegia relied on AAC to support written communication needs (Dudgeon, Massagli, and Ross, 1996). For example, Max, a 6 year-old boy who suffered a C6 SCI after an All Terrain Vehicle accident, was reading age-appropriate sight words and developing his ability to write single words prior to his injury. After the initial recovery period, formal testing revealed that Max had no residual cognitive or language impairments. However, he faced significant barriers not only to his continued development of age-appropriate reading and writing skills, but also to his ability to learn and do math, social studies, science, play games, use a cell phone, etc. Due to his tetraplegia, he needed ways to access text and write, calculate, draw and so on. Max learned to access a computer using a large button keyboard, joystick mouse, and adaptive hand-typers (cuffs with an attached stylus that fit on the ulnar side of the hand and allow the user to press the keys of a keyboard) to support writing activities and computer access. During rehabilitation, he was able to continue with his schoolwork by dev eloping the skills to use the technology and keep up with his classmates. He returned home during the summer and participated in an intense home tutoring program. By the fall, he was able to join his classmates and was able to perform at grade level in all classes. Essential to Maxs future educational success and development, as well as his future employment, may well depend on his ability to write, calculate and perhaps even draw using a variety of assistive technologies that support communication. 3.4. Support social participation and pre-vocational activities Access to assistive and mainstream technologies not only facilitates participation in education, but also has implications for future employment as these children transition into adulthood. Assistive and mainstream technologies are now available at modest cost that can help individuals with SCI to compensate for functional limitations, overcome barriers to employability, enhance technical capacities and computer utilization, and improve ability to compete for gainful employment In addition, these technologies also provide access to life-long learning, recreational activities and social networking activities. Specifically, computers are described as great equalizers for individuals with SCI to engage in employment opportunities and distant communication (McKinley, TewksBury, Sitter, Reed, and Floyd, 2004). Social participation in the current technological age includes more than face-to-face communication. Social participation has expanded with the popularity of social networking sites (e.g., Facebook à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢and MySpaceà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢), video web-based communication (e.g., Skypeà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢) and instant communication and messaging (e.g., Twitterà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢). Advances in the field of AAC have allowed individuals with the most severe injuries access computer technologies to engage in these social communication activities. For example, Crystal was a 10-year-old who sustained a C1 SCI due to a fall. Crystals injury left her with no head/neck control and her only consistent access method to computerized technology was through eye tracking. With an ERICA eye gaze system from DynaVox Mayer-Johnson, Crystal quickly became independent with computer access. She emailed and texted her friends and family daily, communicated via her Facebookà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ account, and engaged in onli ne gaming programs with her friends and siblings. This technology allowed her to begin to communicate again with her school friends while she was still undergoing acute rehabilitation. Maintaining these social networks is an essential component to emotional adjustment children with SCI go through after sustaining a severe injury (Dudgeon, Massagli, and Ross, 1997). Additionally, Crystals friends began to understand that while her impairments were severe, she was essentially the same person with the same interests, humor, goals, and expectations as before her injury. 3.5. AT/AAC themes in SCI When working with pediatric patients with SCI, three AAC themes emerge. 1. For those with high tetraplegia, AAC may facilitate face-to-face as well as distant and written communication needs, depending on the developmental level of the child. Introducing AAC technology early, when face-to-face communication support is needed, helps the child become familiar with the technology they will need to rely on after natural speech has recovered. 2. Return to an educational environment is a primary goal with many children with tetraplegia returning to school within an average of 62 days post discharge (Sandford, Falk-Palec, and Spears, 1999). Development of written communication skills is an essential component to successful educational completion and future vocational opportunities (McKinley, Tewksbury, Sitter, Reed, and Floyd, 2004). 3. Introduction to methods of written and electronic communication provides an opportunity for patients with SCI to engage in social networks through email, texting, and social networking sites. As these children with severe physical disabilities face a life time of potential medical complications (Capoor and Stein, 2005), the ability to maintain and develop new social connections via electronic media allow them to stay connected during times when their medical conditions require them to be house or hospital-bound. 4. Conclusion Communication is essential for continued development of cognitive, language, social, and emotional skills. Children with TBI and SCI have physical and/or cognitive-language deficits that interfere with typical communication abilities. Their communication needs are supported through AAC strategies and technologies. A myriad of technology options are available that not only support face-to-face interactions, but equally important distant social networking and educational activities. AAC interventions in the medical setting that not only support communication of basic medical needs, but also facilitate engagement in social, educational, and pre-vocational activities will result in successful transition to home, school and community environments for these children.

Tama Speed Cobra Pedals Review

Camco, DW and Ludwig have all produced such beasts, as has Japanese drum giant Tama. Its Iron Cobra pedal is truly a drum world icon, having been relied on by countless big-name artists on the world's biggest stages over many years. But now comes a new pretender in the form of the Speed Cobra, with features borrowed from its well-regarded older sibling and a host of innovative design tweaks to boot. Tama's tagline for the Speed Cobra is ‘Extreme Velocity, Serious Power'. As such the Speed Cobra's new features have two simple goals in common – to increase speed and to increase aggressive response. Tama points out that these two aims have traditionally been mutually exclusive, with fast pedals losing some power, and powerful models reacting slower than some would like. So what solutions do Tama offer? Well to start with, a quick overview of the features which the Speed Cobra shares with the Iron Cobra. Such things include the Oiles bearing hinge (as used in the aerospace industry no less), the patented Cobra Coil spring – which is located beneath the footboard to quickly return it to its default position after each stroke – and the Vari-Pitch beater holder that enables adjustment of the footboard link angle independently of the beater angle. To that already impressive mix, the Japanese company has added several significant new features. The first and most obvious of these is the ‘Fast Foot' footboard. Longer than on the Iron Cobra, the Fast Foot board is designed to increase speed of response but at the same time require less effort than previous designs. In addition, the face of the board is smooth to reduce friction, which Tama reckon will improve control. On top of this there's an impressive new bearing assembly in the shape of the Fastball bearing on the end of the drive shaft, a true round sprocket (which Tama have named, brilliantly, ‘LiteSprocket') that's evidently 40 percent lighter than the Iron Cobra's, and the new Projector Beater. The beater allows the choice of narrow or wide ‘striking surfaces' simply by changing the head angle – go for punchy, defined attack with the former or a fatter, fuller response with the latter. All this talk of new features (and we haven't touched on the chain drive's new Recessed Setting which increases the angle of attack for super speed and light action, nor the new ‘Super Spring', designed to offer less resistance at the beginning of the pedal stroke) has left us little space to discuss the actual build quality of the Speed Cobra. Fortunately, little space is required for this, as it is stunningly good. The Speed Cobra is beautifully engineered and does the Cobra name proud. If your eyebrows headed skyward at the number of clever feature names Tama has bestowed on the Speed Cobra, a word of warning. For sure, it's easy to dismiss ‘Speed Spring' or ‘LiteSprocket' as marketing waffle, but when pressed into action the Speed Cobra does a fantastic job of silencing the cynical. For starters it's an incredibly smooth-rolling pedal. An objective appraisal of the impact of the new bearing mechanisms, for example, is well out of the scope of a review like this, but subjectively it feels wonderful. .For metal drummers dishing out high-bpm double bass battery, the Speed Cobra could be your new best friend. But that's not to say Tama's newbie is a one-trick pony. It's so well-conceived and built – with the kind of near-endless adjustment that high-end pedals offer these days – that it could be pressed into service in any genre with aplomb.