Learning disabilities (LDs) have long been presumed to be a neurological disorder resulting from a deficit in 1 or more cognitive processes. Although the emphasis on cognitive processing disorders has been included in the definition since the term was coined, and although it arguably represents the key distinguishing characteristic of LDs, it also…

The article outlines the parallel development of cognition and language and describes Piagetian-oriented assessment approaches. (CL)

The paper defines the population of primary school age language/learning-disabled children with communication disorders and emotional/behavioral disorders. It then discusses the language demands of traditional treatment methods, assessment and diagnostic procedures, approaches to communication intervention, and treatment modalities; and offers a…

This article presents the Triune Assessment-Intervention Model (TAIM), which uses the constructs of sensemaking and dynamic literacy as its conceptual framework. The model assesses use of semantics/syntax, phonology/orthography, organization, and scripts/schemas rule systems though analysis of oral and literate discourse events, communication, and…

The author reviews methods of studying individuals in context (ecological, phenomenological, and system approaches) and offers suggestions for implementing these approaches in identification, assessment, and intervention procedures for language-disordered children. (CL)

The article examines communication training for handicapped students making the transition from school to adult life in terms of the need for communication training, principles of assessment, and the communication specialist as consultant. (DB)

This paper argues that conventional educational and psychological assessment is not sufficient to identify dyslexia, and that psycholinguistic assessment by clinicians specializing in language is required. Psycholinguistic assessment involves use of testing, clinical observations, and language histories for evaluating complex interactions between…

Explains how many of the narratives told by children are mapped onto frameworks carried in long-term memory. Assessment methods that speech-language pathologists can use to determine whether a child can use narrative frameworks and how to explain the assessment results are discussed. (Author/CR)

This paper views effective communication as an essential component of appropriate social behavior, provides definitions and conceptualizations of social skills and social competence within academic contexts, and describes social skills assessment and intervention procedures for school-age children and youth with and without disabilities.…

This article describes a process known as dynamic assessment used to evaluate children's narrative and expository discourse abilities. These assessment procedures help speech-language pathologists better describe language learning potential of children who are referred for language assessment. How dynamic assessment provides critical information…

This article describes the communication development program of a cooperative association of 55 Illinois school districts, which provides special education services for children and adolescents with low incidence disabilities including severe communication disorders. It examines the program's philosophy, principles, and practices; its authentic…

In two original articles from the inaugural issue of "Topics in Language Disorders", Berlin, Blank, and Rose proposed a model of dialogue complexity on the basis of a continuum of abstractness defined as perceptual-language distance; Carlson, Gruenewald, and Nyberg proposed a triadic model of academic concepts, student language, and…

Narratives of children from different Spanish-speaking backgrounds illustrate that children's atypical narrative performance may reflect individual or cultural differences. It is suggested that static assessments may not differentiate narrative differences from disorders. A dynamic assessment model to predict the child's true language learning…

This article describes individual differences in phases of writing development between typical students and students with language learning problems. Using an illustrative case study of a 10-year-old, the article demonstrates how school-based writing samples can serve as a dynamic tool for analysis of interactions among the linguistic and…

This article discusses how reading and written language samples can be analyzed to provide information about curriculum-based language strengths and needs that can be used recursively to establish student goals and benchmarks, provide intervention, evaluate change, and begin the next round of planning. A case example is presented. (Contains…