ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS FOR COGNITIVE COMMUNICATION IMPAIRMENT AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Background of the Study: The aim of the present research was to examine the assessment practices of Speech-Language Pathologists for Cognitive Communication Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional survey method, a convenient sampling technique. Research was carried out from January 2021 to June 2021. The sample size was n=21, out of which n= 9 (42.8%) participants, each from Rawalpindi and Islamabad n= 3 (14.4%) participants from Lahore filled in their responses. Medium; being Online, the questionnaire was distributed either through email, WhatsApp or Facebook MessengerApp. SLPs who were undergraduates or who had no experience working with TBI clients were excluded. Questionnaire included 12 items. Responses of research participants were recorded using Google Forms and presented in the form of n (%). The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, and chi-square analysis was performed to confirm the association between settings, city of practice and years of experience through Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22.0. Results: Speech-Language Pathologists reported that they routinely assessed (62% each) Receptive and Expressive communication. However; less than half of the participants routinely evaluated domains like verbal pragmatic skills (43.3%), functional communication (33.3%) and phonemic awareness (33.3%). SLPs assessed their clients by employing tests like MoCA (55.62%), Quick Aphasia Battery (18.75%), Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA Protocol) (14.35%) and a combination of Formal (48%) and Informal (52%) clinical interviews. Conclusion: Informal discourse assessment is incorporated more frequently as compared to informal discourse evaluation in assessment practices of Speech-Language pathologists of Pakistan for cognitive communication impairment followed by traumatic brain injury.

Rules on Digital Trade in the Light of WTO Agreements

The World Trade Organization has been reluctant to respond to the different issues that come up due to integrating the digital economy into cross-border trading. The multilateral system’s slow reaction is principally due to the complicated, multifarious character of the digital economy or digital trade and country conflict over Regulation of the internet and digital growth problems. Agreements on International trade, especially those negotiated at the WTO agreements, are critical in establishing a protected, reliable, and dependable worldwide regulatory structure for digital trades. However, the framework of WTO was created before digital Trade arose. Unfortunately, there is no clear concept of digitalization in the norms of the WTO, especially GATS. The thesis will seek to explain how the World Trade Organization and, especially, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade implement data-restrictive policies and whether the WTO’s regulations can balance internet policy goals and Trade. It emphasizes the interdependence of the three essential concepts of internet governance that apply to cross-border flows of data, particularly security, privacy, and internet openness. It then presents a theoretical structure for aligning the General Agreement on Trade and Services with all those three objectives in order to enable an open and predictable structure for effective internet policies and digital trade. According to the dissertation, this approach is used with three types of data-restrictive measures: Cybersecurity related data restrictive, privacy related data restrictive measures, and online content control. This thesis demonstrates that the General Agreement on Trade and Service (GATS) can be implemented and interpreted wisely to comply with principles of security, privacy, and internet openness. For instance, commitments contained in the GATS's schedules of commitments can be understood technologically neutrally, allowing for either internet of openness or trade liberalization. Additionally, GATS access to market, National regulations, and non-discrimination’ standards (subject to pertinent exemptions and commitments from Member states) usually facilitate the opening of cross-border data exchange, thereby increasing the internet's openness. Moreover, under GATS's exceptions, Panels can differentiate between measures ostensibly related to online content control, privacy, and Cybersecurity and those necessary to accomplish these goals. Panels must take into account technical and legal information when conducting a comprehensive examination of data-restrictive measures under GATS provisions, such as reliance on knowledge and experience concerning the internet regulation. Due to the lack of international agreement on internet policy issues and the relatively archaic structure of GATS, the provisions of GATS are limited in their conformity with the concepts of security, privacy, and internet openness. Along with providing a more relevant interpretation of current GATS regulation, this dissertation suggests a multipronged strategy for further aligning GATS with the security, privacy and internet openness principles. For this purpose, it is essential to ensure that GATS clauses on transparency and mutual recognition are used effectively, that WTO law reforms are enacted to include a focus on cross border flows of data, and that alternatives to customary multilateral pathways, such as the creation of a non-binding WTO declaration on the flow of data and improved regulatory cooperation within pertinent global organizations, are considered. GATS, for Example, cannot solve all the problems relating to the data flow. However, this thesis argues that GATS can play a more significant part in stabilizing trade and policy of internet goals.