The author describes how she has used computer technology as an aid to intervention with young children who have language difficulties. The approach features appropriate language goals, play contexts, and the use use of synthesized speech output. (CL)

Research in language and communication deficits is briefly cited, and three guidelines for choosing and implementing communication therapies for the learning disabled student are described. (JW)

The Interactive Diagnostic Model, intended to facilitate disability interaction between teacher and clinician on behalf of the young language handicapped child, is described. Four levels of interaction are discussed: identification, diagnosis, management, and follow-up. (JW)

The study assessed the use of Blissymbols in the spoken and signed language development of 10 school-aged (mean age 11.5 years) children with developmental dysphasia of whom four also were mildly retarded. The students' expressive abilities in signed and spoken words were initially assessed before the Bliss teaching began, and then again after 1…

Teachers can deal with language disordered children through discourse analysis, a conversational teaching process aimed at getting children to talk. Steps include selecting a topic to talk about during the remedial language session, having teacher and child take turns talking about the topic, using requests to constrain the child's responses so…

This article outlines some critical skills needed in referential communication (the ability to provide and understand specific information) and reviews some of the deficits found in referential communication skills of learning disabled and/or language impaired children. Suggested therapy procedures based on training studies are also provided.…

The article reviews research and its clinical implications concerning children with speech, language, and communication disorders who also have or are at risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. Issues addressed include differential diagnosis, prevention, intervention, and the role of speech-language pathologists. (Author/DB)

This article offers a working definition and an overview of the critical components of collaborative consultation, including theoretical foundations, competencies, and model components. It focuses on the role of the speech language pathologist within various models and as a participant in a five-step problem-solving procedure. (DB)

This article presents a case study of a child with Hunter's syndrome, a genetic disorder often resulting in a degeneration of speech and language functioning and hearing loss. The study demonstrates the typical delay in diagnosis and shows how a team approach can maintain such a child in a regular public school setting. (Author/DB)

The manual offers criteria as guidelines in determining pupil eligibility for speech and language services in New Jersey. Criteria were originally developed by a task force of speech-language specialists and special education administrators, were then reviewed by public school speech-language specialists, and were subsequently revised. Criteria…

Ten head-injured adults were compared to normal adults on a narrative picture description task. Subjects were similar in amount of pertinent content expressed, narrative length, and rate of speech, but were significantly slower in rate of information imparted as they required lengthier and slower verbal outputs to convey essential information.…

Sixty bilingual Mexican American children (20 language disorderd, 20 not qualifying for placement, 20 comparison) between the ages of 7-10 from 2 school districts in southern New Mexico participated in the study to develop and validate an assessment procedure to determine language disorders in Spanish/English bilingual children. An ex post facto…

This introduction to the special issue summarizes issues raised in the nine subsequent contributed papers, which discuss research findings on communication and language development in persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. The paper stresses the direct relevance of the research for prevention, assessment, intervention, and…

The research evaluation project attempted to assess the effectiveness of new state (Kansas) guidelines for determining eligibility and placement of students in the areas of learning disabilities (LD), behavioral disorders (BD), and speech/language; and to assess the effectiveness of preassessment instructional programming options and screening…

This paper addresses the issue of when a child should be discharged from language intervention, by integrating the concept of multiple treatment outcomes into existing frameworks of treatment dismissal. Techniques are offered for evaluating a child's progress toward attainment of ultimate, intermediate, and instrumental outcomes. (Author/JDD)