Bernard Camilleri

Senior lecturer - developmental language disabilities

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Communication Therapy (First Class), University of Malta, 1995
• MSc Human communication (Distinction), City University London, 2000
• PhD Language and Communication Science, City University London, 2009

Biography

Bernard Camilleri qualified as a speech and language therapist in 1995 and has practised in a range of settings in Malta and in the UK, including community clinics, language units, special schools for children with complex disabilities and university teaching/research clinics.

He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1997 to carry out an MSc in Human Communication at City University London, specialising in the field of Developmental Speech and Language Disabilities. As part of the MSc he carried out research on the early identification and assessment of pre-school children with speech and language difficulties. In 2002 Bernard received a scholarship from the Department of Language and Communication Science at City University as well as an Overseas Research Studentship from Universities UK, to carry out a PhD on 'dynamic assessment' of children's language, which he completed in 2009. He continues to carry out research in this field and has presented at conferences and published on this topic.

Within the department of Language and Communication Science, Bernard currently lectures on speech and literacy development and on assessment and intervention with individuals with speech, language and communication difficulties.  He is the module leader for "Professional Studies" (SLM005) within the first year of the Postgraduate course in Speech and Language therapy and the director of the "Compass Centre", the in-house teaching and research clinic of the Department of Language and Communication Science.

Research Interests

• Language and cognition
• Natural history of speech and language impairments
• Early identification, assessment and intervention
• Teaching, learning and assessment of clinical skills in speech and language therapy

Selected Publications

• Camilleri B. & Law J. (2007). Assessing children referred to speech and language therapy: Static and dynamic assessment of receptive vocabulary. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology, 9, 312-322.
• Camilleri B. & Law J. (2001). Screening for speech and language impairment: A follow-up of true negatives and false positives. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 36, 493-498.
• Beck J., Camilleri B., Chantrain H., Leterme M., Klippi A., Lehtihalmes M., Schneider P., Vieregge W. & Wijgforss E. (1997) Speech and Language Therapy. In: The Landscape of Future Education in Speech Communication Sciences - Analysis, G. Bloothoft (Ed.). Utrecht: OTS publications.

Selected presentations

• "Assessing children's receptive vocabulary and word-learning potential using a dynamic assessment". Paper presented at the Child Language Seminar, City University London (June 2010).
• "Dynamic assessment of the child with language impairment: overcoming the limitations of static assessment" Seminar presented with James Law and Natalie Hasson at the 4th AFASIC International Symposium (April 2007)
• "A dynamic approach to the assessment of receptive vocabulary" presented at the 10th International Conference of the Association for Cognitive and Educational Psychology (IACEP) in Durham (10-14 July, 2005)
• "Two Clinical Applications of Dynamic Assessment: An International Perspective" at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention in San Diego (18-20 November, 2005)
• "Dynamic assessment of young children with language delay" at the CPLOL Scientific Congress in Edinburgh (5th-7th September, 2003)