bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Helping Students with Disabilities Deal with Acts of Terrorism
Authors: Friehe Mary J. , Swain Kristine D.
Published: May 2008

Educators and speech-language pathologists have a new and unwanted area for which they need to be prepared. Unfortunately, helping students deal with acts of terrorism now needs to be addressed in the schools. This article discusses the special needs of students with cognitive or language-processing disabilities in dealing with tragedy. Specific suggestions for helping students cope are given for the following areas: feeling safe, handling emotion, and developing understanding.
Effects of Terrorist Attacks on Students with Emotional Problems and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Squires Sandra K.
Published: May 2008

This article discusses the effects of the terrorist attacks on children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. These children may be adversely affected in a number of ways: in-attentiveness, increased restlessness, crying, sleeplessness, use of profanity, and even inappropriate laughter. Several suggestions are offered to support students with emotional and behavioral problems through this stressful time.
Colorful Wishes
Authors: Coufal Kathy L. , Coufal Dayna C.
Published: May 2008

Integration of curricular content areas and infusion of the arts as a framework for helping students make connections and explore concepts has gained support in the education literature throughout the past 20 years. Furthermore, creating learning environments that are consistent with constructivist principles has been promoted as a theoretically viable pedagogical approach. This article explores the products created by third-grade students who used drawing and discussion as precursors to narrative composition. Illustrations of their social stories are included.
Verifying Teacher Perceptions of the Potential Communicative Acts of Children with Autism
Authors: Keen Deb , Woodyatt Gail , Sigafoos Jeff
Published: May 2008

The authors sought to verify teacher perceptions of prelinguistic behavior in eight children with autism. Teachers were first interviewed using the structured protocol of the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts . The results indicated that the teachers interpreted many of the children's gestures, body movements, and facial expressions as if these were forms of communication. Naturalistic and structured observations were then undertaken to verify whether these teacher-identified behaviors did in fact seem to serve a communicative function. Observational data provided some evidence that teachers responded to such acts as forms of communication. This suggests that an interview protocol may be one way to document the form and communication function of existing prelinguistic behaviors in children with autism who are at the early stages of communication development.
Position Statement on Access to Communication Services and Supports
Authors:   National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities
Published: May 2008

This position statement was developed by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities; and it was endorsed by the DCDD Executive Board on April 3, 2002. National Joint Committee member organizations and their respective representatives who prepared this statement include the American Association on Mental Retardation, Mary Ann Romski; the American Occupational Therapy Association, Jane Rourk; the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Beth Mineo Mollica, Rose Sevcik, Diane Paul-Brown (ex officio), and Alex F. Johnson (monitoring vice president); the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness, Lee McLean (chair); RESNA, Kevin Caves; The Association for Persons With Severe Handicaps, Pat Mirenda and Martha Snell; and the United States Society for Augmentative Alternative Communication, David Yoder.
Supporting Documentation for the Position Statement on Access to Communication Services and Supports
Authors:   National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities
Published: May 2008

This technical report was developed by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities. National Joint Committee member organizations and their respective representatives who prepared this statement include the American Association of Mental Retardation, Mary Ann Romski; the American Occupational Therapy Association, Jane Rourk; the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Beth Mineo Mollica, Rose Sevcik, Diane Paul-Brown (ex officio), and Alex F. Johnson (monitoring vice president); the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness, Lee McLean (chair); RESNA, Kevin Caves; The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Pat Mirenda and Martha Snell; and the United States Society for Augmentative Alternative Communication, David Yoder.
Syllable Omission by Two-Year-Old Children
Authors: Levey Sandra , Schwartz Richard G.
Published: May 2008

An eye-gaze and production probe examined the ability of 2-year-old children to perceive and produce minimal pairs of novel trisyllabic words with primary stress on the first or second syllables. The syllables contained dissimilar or similar vowel contrasts to determine if segments affected omission. The results supported a prosodic model, with the children's bias toward a strong-weak-weak prosodic structure and omission more frequent for the first syllable of the weak-strong-weak word pairs. Syllable omission was less frequent for strong-weak-weak word pairs that contained dissimilar vowels, suggesting that segments play a role in syllable omission.
A Phonologically Based Strategy to Improve Word-Finding Abilities in Children
Authors: German Diane J.
Published: May 2008

This study reports the effectiveness of a three-pronged (segmentation, phonological neighbor cues, and rehearsal) phonologically based strategy designed to reduce the word-finding errors of two third-grade students. A single-subject, multiple-baseline design across participants was employed. The results indicated an improvement in word finding (reduction in naming errors) in single-word contexts that was generalized to sentences and maintained during follow-up maintenance sessions. Furthermore, a self-assessment showed increased confidence in the ability to retrieve treatment words that was not so indicated for nontreatment words. Implications of these findings for both understanding the source of word-finding disruptions and their amelioration are discussed.
Leading the Change Effort
Authors: Goldberg Lynette R. , Williams Peg S. , Paul-Brown Diane
Published: May 2008

This article identifies the potential challenges facing professionals who work or who plan to work with speech—language pathology assistants. Not all speech—language pathologists may agree on these challenges. Recognizing and addressing any challenge that may create a barrier to the effective employment of these assistants is critical in gaining team and administrative support for their successful inclusion in service provision.
Leading the Change Effort
Authors: Goldberg Lynette R. , Williams Peg. S. , Paul-Brown Diane
Published: May 2008

The landscape of service delivery is changing. By adopting an ordered, systematic approach to any change in service delivery, speech-language pathologists can facilitate needed changes, take leadership roles, and gain the necessary team and administrative support for collaborative and functional intervention under varied service-delivery models. This article proposes such a systems approach for dealing with change in the delivery of speech-language pathology services, particularly as it relates to implementing service delivery with speech-language pathology assistants.
Pilot Findings
Authors: Justice Laura M. , Lankford Chris
Published: May 2008

Storybook reading is often credited as an important context in which children attend to and interact with print, thereby facilitating their acquisition of key emergent literacy concepts. To test the assumption that children visually attend to print in this context, this study used eye-gaze analysis to determine the extent to which four preschool children looked at print when being read two storybooks. Results showed that the children rarely attended to print; that is, they seldom fixated on print and infrequently entered "print zones" (areas on storybook pages containing print). There was, however, significant variation in children's visual attention to print when comparing the two books studied, with children attending to and fixating on print at higher rates with the storybook containing more salient print. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings, as well as future research directions, are discussed.
Walking to Medjugorje
Authors: Miller Kevin J.
Published: May 2008

The author recounts his experiences working with the Bosnia Speech and Hearing Project during the summer of 2002. The focus of this project was to evaluate and work with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The team collaborated with Bosnian teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing as well as Bosnian speech-language pathologists in order to share therapy ideas and also to model strategies that parents could utilize in the home to promote speech and language development with their children. The author concludes with reflections on how this trip affected him personally and professionally.
Developing Effective Collaboration Teams in Speech—Language Pathology
Authors: Peña Elizabeth D. , Quinn Rosemary
Published: May 2008

This article focuses on the development of classroom-based collaborative teams. Over the course of an academic year, two speech—language pathology student clinicians worked with classroom teachers and their assistants to implement a collaborative team model of service delivery in a Head Start Program. Examination of clinician and supervisor daily journal entries illustrates the evolving nature of the collaborative team process. Implications for use of classroom collaboration in speech— language pathology training and practice are offered.
Considerations When Working with Interpreters
Authors: Hwa-Froelich Deborah A. , Westby Carol E.
Published: May 2008

With the U.S. population becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse, more and more professionals, such as speech—language pathologists, need to rely on the services of interpreters. Many interpreters have received little or no training, and certification or continuing education activities are often nonexistent. The brief training that is provided comes from a mainstream perspective designed to promote the employer's goals, and the interpreter's perspective is rarely considered. This article describes the current training and certification procedures in place for linguistic interpreters, the continuum of interpreter roles, and how interpreters' perspectives may influence the interpretive interaction.
A Vietnamese Head Start Interpreter
Authors: Hwa-Froelich Deborah A. , Westby Carol E.
Published: May 2008

This is a case study of a Vietnamese interpreter working for a Head Start center in a midwestern city in the United States. The data are from a larger ethnomethodological study involving nine Southeast Asian families, 10 Southeast Asian children, and three Euro-American Head Start staff. The interpreter was expected to play multiple roles as a Head Start interpreter/health service worker, but these roles were neither explicitly designated nor described by the participants. This article describes the different role expectations of the various participants and the conflict that occurred because of these differences. Interpretation of the data includes description of the following cultural constructs: interpreter roles, independence/interdependence, power/distance, and cultural perspectives about time. Implications drawn from this case study are discussed.
Phonetic Inventories and Phonological Patterns of African American Two-Year-Olds
Authors: Bland-Stewart Linda M.
Published: May 2008

This pilot study investigated the phonological skills of 8 African American English (AAE)—speaking 2-year-olds. Spontaneous language samples were transcribed and phonological data were entered into the Interactive System for Phonological Analysis (Masterson & Pagan, 1993) for analyses of phonetic inventory, phonological processes, and word shapes. Data were examined to determine if the phonological patterns seen in AAE-speaking children are indicative of emerging dialectal patterns. Findings provide evidence that 2-year-old AAE-speaking children acquire and use the same phonemes and phonological processes as described in the literature for both AAE-speaking toddlers and toddlers speaking Standard American English (SAE). Although the study participants demonstrated frequent use of phonological patterns consistent with AAE, the results could not categorically distinguish typical phonological development from emergent dialectal features. Clinical implications suggest that although assessment of an African American toddler's phonology need not be different from that of SAE-speaking children, an understanding of typical AAE phonological development is necessary to better differentiate an AAE-speaking toddler with deviant phonological development.
“A Matter of Vocabulary”
Authors: Champion Tempii B. , Hyter Yvette D. , McCabe Allyssa , Bland-Stewart Linda M.
Published: May 2008

Forty-nine 3- to 5-year-old African American children enrolled in Head Start were assessed using the third edition of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Dunn & Dunn, 1997). Their mean score (86.84, SD = 10.96) was significantly lower than the mean for the normative sample, despite the fact that the test's normative sample included minority children. An item analysis revealed that few items were systematically missed by most children. Instead, performance seemed reflective of socioeconomic and/or ethnic patterns of vocabulary usage. Educational and clinical implications are discussed.
The First Words Produced by Children in Bilingual English/Mandarin Chinese Environments
Authors: Levey Sandra , Cruz Denise
Published: May 2008

The first words produced by children in bilingual environments where English and Mandarin Chinese are spoken were investigated. The goal was to determine if verbs would appear in the children's early productions, which would be consistent with the findings for the first words produced by children in monolingual Mandarin Chinese environments. A greater number of nouns than verbs were produced as children's first words in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Although nouns were produced in both English and Chinese, verbs were produced only in Mandarin Chinese.
You Are Going to Be an Author
Authors: Montgomery Judy K. , Kahn Nancy L.
Published: May 2008

Student-composed narratives represent a new adolescent literacy approach in general education and an academic standard in secondary schools. Provided with an intervention of scaffolded story writing, adolescents with significant communication disabilities can write narratives also. A detailed description of the scaffolded story writing process is provided, and four case examples of the written narratives of students with communication disabilities are presented. Implications for speech and language intervention include successfully connecting the IEP goals of students with the core curriculum, engaging students in mixed-ability groups, exposing students to the elements of critical literacy, developing writing skills, and building capacity for other communication behaviors.
The Development of Play in Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children
Authors: Casby Michael W.
Published: May 2008

The developmental domain of play is critical to early intervention efforts. It often may be one of the few areas that can be reliably and validly observed in infants, toddlers, and young children with, or suspected of having, developmental disabilities. It is imperative that professionals involved in early intervention efforts have a deep and broad knowledge and understanding of play. This article, the first in a two-part series, presents a comprehensive, illustrative review of the development of play in infants, toddlers, and young children.
Developmental Assessment of Play
Authors: Casby Michael W.
Published: May 2008

This article is the second in a two-part series. It presents an integrated overview of the construct of play and its development in infants, toddlers, and young children. The author describes developmental levels of play ranging from early sensorimotor— exploratory to symbolic play involving complex and planned multischeme sequences. In addition, functional components of symbolic play—agent, instrument, and scheme—are specified. Finally, the author presents a developmentally based, descriptive, and criterion-referenced protocol for the dynamic assessment of play in infants, toddlers, and young children.
Testing Strategies Involving Least Biased Language Assessment of Bilingual Children
Authors: Saenz Terry Irvine , Huer Mary Blake
Published: May 2008

Increased attention is being given to strategies for the least biased language assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children for whom English is a second language. One main reason is the concern that the administration of language tests in English using current norms is inappropriate for students whose dominant language is other than English. This article discusses a variety of alternative assessment approaches, including renorming a test for the specific population being tested, using dynamic assessment techniques to assess a child's modifiability, using other nonstandardized measures, and modifying standardized tests. Each of these alternatives has advantages and disadvantages. In addition, results from a preliminary investigation using modifications of four subtests of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals—Third Edition (CELF-3) are presented to further the dialogue about language assessment issues. Twenty-eight bilingual Latino children, ages 8 and 9 years, were administered the CELF-3 and the modified version of the test in counterbalanced order. Clinical implications for creating least biased language assessment strategies are included as the authors provide a tutorial on the broad topic of language assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children for whom English is a second language.
Strategies for Addressing the Executive Function Impairments of Students Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Other Drugs
Authors: Watson Silvana M. R. , Westby Carol E.
Published: May 2008

Students who have been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs are susceptible to a range of developmental problems— from mild to severe. In this article, the authors review critical learning and behavioral problems of children exposed prenatally to alcohol and other drugs, with a specific focus on executive function deficits. They discuss various risk factors associated with prenatal drug exposure so that educators may better understand the nature of the problem and choose more effective classroom interventions that address the executive function deficits of these students. Many of the suggested interventions are also appropriate for developing executive functioning in students with attention-deficit disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism, and other disorders associated with deficits in executive functions.
Educators of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Involved in Due Process Hearings
Authors: Learned Lessons , Miller Kevin J. , Connolly Michael J.
Published: May 2008

Educators confront many challenges in working with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, but no challenge causes more anxiety than being called upon to be a witness in a special education due process hearing. The authors review issues related to communication modality and placement of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, discuss reasons that school districts end up in due process hearings, and cite pertinent court cases. They also offer suggestions that may help educators to provide effective testimony and conclude by highlighting positive outcomes that can result from a hearing, regardless of the decision rendered.
Addressing Literacy
Authors: Lance Dee M. , Beverly Brenda L. , Evans Lea Helen , McCullough Kim C.
Published: May 2008

As speech—language pathologists work more directly and in concert with educators to address reading problems in school-age children with language-based learning disabilities (LLD), knowledge of current methods in reading instruction will become critical. Eight methods found to be effective with typically developing children and children with LLD are outlined. Word identification is best trained using methods that rely upon knowledge of letter—sound correspondences in varying syllable contexts and word attack skills using letter—sound decoding and analogy. When learning reading comprehension, students benefit from methods that address vocabulary skills and text-level comprehension monitoring.
Phonological Awareness in Spanish
Authors: Gorman Brenda K. , Gillam Ronald B.
Published: May 2008

In the United States, more than 2 million children in Grades pre-K through 6 speak Spanish as their primary language. Approximately 50% of these students receive academic instruction in Spanish. This tutorial provides research-based recommendations for presenting phonological awareness tasks to children who receive literacy instruction in Spanish. The authors also discuss how phonological awareness development may differ between monolingual children learning Spanish and monolingual children learning English, and the implications of these differences for choosing appropriate phonological awareness tasks for Spanish speakers.
Helping One Deaf Student Develop Content Literacy Skills
Authors: Howell Jennnifer Johnson , Luckner John L.
Published: May 2008

The development of reading skills is regarded as the highest priority area in contemporary education. Yet for many students who are deaf or hard of hearing, this is the academic area of greatest difficulty. Adding to this problem is the current demand that all students master higher levels of knowledge in content areas. In an effort to support students' needs to become literate and master content, professionals are teaching students content literacy strategies. Explicit teaching and practice of these strategies can help students become more comfortable with reading textbooks, improve their ability to succeed in content classes, increase their comprehension, and build a foundation for lifelong learning. The authors of this article present the case report of an action research study conducted with one deaf student who excelled in a general education setting through the use of content literacy strategies.
Over the Brink of the Millennium
Authors: Wallach Geraldine P.
Published: May 2008

In this article, the author reviews the state of the art in school-age language learning disabilities. Some of the key connections among language, learning, and reading disabilities are outlined. The challenges facing speech and language professionals and other specialists who work within and outside of postmillennium classrooms are presented, and several solutions are offered. A “good news”/“bad news” metaphor is used to summarize the advances and roadblocks that exist in both research and practice in language learning disabilities. The centrality of language in literacy and academic success is emphasized throughout the discussion. Professionals are encouraged to evaluate the appropriateness and relevance of their language intervention decisions and to take a hard look at some of the popular ideas in school-age language disorders that require further scrutiny.
Effects of a Multiple Linguistic and Prescriptive Approach to Spelling Instruction
Authors: Kelman Margot E. , Apel Kenn
Published: May 2008

Current research in spelling development emphasizes specific linguistic factors that provide the foundation for spelling abilities. These factors are addressed in the case of a fifth-grade student with spelling difficulties. The student participated in a short-term intervention program focused on increasing spelling skills by incorporating multiple linguistic factors that underlie spelling development. Specifically, prescriptive assessment results led to an intervention plan targeting orthographic knowledge and phonemic awareness skills. The student demonstrated clinically significant improvement in spelling performance. Word-level reading ability also improved without direct reading instruction. Results of the case study suggest a multiple linguistic approach to spelling instruction may improve spelling and other literacy skills.
Detecting the Ambiguity of Sentences
Authors: Smith Cairns Helen , Waltzman Dava , Schlisselberg Gloria
Published: May 2008

The authors of this article report on a preliminary study of 18, 4- and 5-year-old children, followed by a longitudinal study of 44 children, who were tested in the first, second, and third grades. The children's ability to detect the ambiguity of lexically ambiguous sentences (e.g., “The children saw the bat lying by the fence”) and structurally ambiguous sentences (e.g., “The girl tickled the baby with the teddy bear”) was assessed in the preliminary study and in Experiments 1 and 2, which were conducted when the children were in the first and second grades, respectively. Ambiguity detection skill was found to be related to first-grade reading readiness and to second- and third-grade reading achievement. The results suggest that the detection of lexical ambiguity develops in first grade, correlates highly with reading readiness measures, and is a strong predictor of second-grade reading ability, indicating that it is a precursor of reading skill. In this study, the ability to detect structural ambiguity emerged in second grade and was a predictor of third-grade reading ability. Clinical implications for the use of ambiguity detection tasks to identify children who are at risk for reading difficulty are discussed.
Project SEEL
Authors: Culatta Richard , Culatta Barbara , Frost Meghan , Buzzell Krista
Published: May 2008

Custom-made digital media are rich, varied, and motivational early literacy materials. An important component of Project SEEL (Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy Instruction) was the use of tailor-made digital books and activities in the reading curriculum. Project SEEL team members created computerized materials in Spanish to relate to children's personal experiences and highlight target literacy patterns. These materials gave the children additional exposure to literacy patterns and added variety to the instruction. In this article, the authors describe the rationale for developing digital materials and explain how they were created and integrated into the literacy curriculum for a Spanish kindergarten class.
Three Aspects of Cultural Influence on Communication
Authors: Hwa-Froelich Deborah A. , Vigil Debra C.
Published: May 2008

Children acquire communication skills within a socially and culturally influenced context. Communication professionals need to be aware of the ways cultural differences influence communication. This article describes the influence of cultural backgrounds on communication patterns along a continuum of behaviors. The purpose is to review relevant literature as an operating framework for professionals providing services to children and families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Project SEEL
Authors: Culatta Barbara , Setzer Lee Ann , Wilson Candy , Aslett Richard
Published: May 2008

This article presents preliminary outcome data collected as Project SEEL (Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy Instruction) was implemented in a dual-language kindergarten classroom. Information regarding the children's progress, participation in instructional activities, and performance on trained versus untrained targets was obtained, along with parent and child satisfaction data. The authors transcribed and analyzed videotaped segments of interactions, collected samples of the children's reading and writing, interviewed the children and their parents, and monitored the children's progress. The children made gains in skills, demonstrated high interest in the activities, and made relevant contributions to the coconstruction of texts in the story enactments. No differences between reading and writing of trained versus untrained targets were found, however, most likely because the children had acquired generalized phonics skills by the time the comparisons were made.
An E-Supervision Model
Authors: Dudding Carol C. , Justice Laura M.
Published: May 2008

In this article, the authors describe the implementation and use of two-way interactive videoconferencing for supervising student clinicians. They provide a rationale for and describe the e-supervision model as it has been implemented within a public school setting. A description of the technical and equipment needs is included for individuals interested in implementing a similar program. The authors also discuss the identified strengths and weakness of the model and implications for clinical training. This information may be of interest to professionals engaged in supervision and members of graduate training programs, especially persons who are developing a distance learning component.
Minimal Hearing Impairment
Authors: Goldberg Lynette R. , Richburg Cynthia McCormick
Published: May 2008

This article addresses five commonly stated misperceptions concerning the effects of minimal hearing loss on the education of children. Helping educators and other professionals recognize these and other possible misperceptions is the first step in appropriately educating children with minimal hearing loss. Making educators and other professionals aware of the need for proper diagnoses and management strategies is crucial for the achievement of effective educational outcomes for these children. Furthermore, resolving these misperceptions will assist in reducing the financial and psychosocial costs frequently associated with the education of these children.
Addressing the Language and Literacy Needs of Vulnerable Children
Authors: Justice Laura M. , Pence Khara L.
Published: May 2008

Innovative language and literacy interventions—those that facilitate change in a way that is theoretically and conceptually different from historical trends—face interesting challenges in the age of evidence-based practice, in which policymakers and professionals endorse interventions that have undergone randomized clinical trials. The current push to use only interventions for which there is adequate scientific support can undermine the use of conceptually and theoretically well-grounded innovative approaches by practitioners. To provide the most powerful solutions for children and families requiring language and literacy interventions, we must be prepared to challenge science with our innovations, especially innovations that have demonstrated promise in observational, feasibility, and early efficacy studies.
Facilitating Literacy Using Experience Books
Authors: Pakulski Lori A. , Kaderavek Joan N.
Published: May 2008

Children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) are particularly vulnerable for later reading problems. This article describes the use of experience books, associated with the Language Experience Approach (LEA), as a motivating and linguistically appropriate literacy tool for young children who are DHH. The authors explain how remediation strategies enhance early literacy interactions with children who are DHH and demonstrate how experience books can be used in a way that mitigates potential weaknesses of LEA. A case study is presented that demonstrates how experience books provided opportunities for implicit and explicit language and literacy teaching and learning in one family with children who are DHH.
Parental Scaffolding of Children's Phonological Awareness Skills
Authors: Skibbe Lori , Behnke Michelle , Justice Laura M.
Published: May 2008

This study examined mother—child verbal exchanges during phonological awareness (PA) tasks embedded into storybook reading sessions. The aims of the research were (a) to determine how mothers scaffolded their children's task performance, (b) to characterize the stability of maternal scaffolding over four sessions, and (c) to study the relation between maternal scaffolds and children's developing PA competencies. Five mothers and their 4-year-old children with language difficulties read a storybook four times during a 1-week period. The storybook included nine questions (e.g., What sound does bear start with?) for mothers to ask their children to help them develop PA. Coding of maternal scaffold quantity and type, as well as children's task performance, was conducted to characterize scaffolding over time and to measure children's developing PA competence. Results showed that mothers used a variety of directive and responsive scaffolds to help their children perform the PA tasks but preferred phonological cues, which provided models of phonological concepts, and praise, which provided affirmation of performance. The three children of mothers who used more scaffolds overall and who decreased their scaffolds over sessions (including directives) were able to perform independently and accurately on more PA tasks at the end of four sessions than the other two children. We hypothesize that both directive and responsive scaffolds serve complementary purposes when used by mothers to scaffold children's PA learning. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
A Fair Hearing for All
Authors: McPherson Bradley , Brouillette Ron
Published: May 2008

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Christoffel Blindenmission, initiated a campaign to make hearing health care more affordable in developing countries. As part of this initiative, WHO has issued guidelines on appropriate minimum requirements for the technical performance of hearing aids, earmolds, and delivery services. Godisa Trust is a not-for-profit agency working to meet and exceed WHO's recommendations. Based in southern Africa, Godisa assembles and markets inexpensive, European-designed hearing aids with a dedicated solar-powered battery recharger. This article outlines the major implications of the work of Godisa and other organizations for people with hearing disabilities who live in developing countries.
Preschool Word Learning During Joint Book Reading
Authors: Ard Lisa M. , Beverly Brenda L.
Published: May 2008

Adults naturally comment and pose questions during joint book reading (JBR), a recognized context for vocabulary acquisition. An original story containing 10 nonsense words mapped to novel referents was read to 40 typically developing preschoolers. Children who heard scripted questions and comments identified approximately two more words than children in a control group, and the groups who heard comments named more new words than the control and questions-only groups. Unlike investigations of synonym learning during JBR, comments appeared more effective than questions. Future research will address an exposure advantage for comments and extend results to children with language impairment.
Structured Communicative Play Therapy for Targeting Language in Young Children
Authors: Eisenberg Sarita
Published: May 2008

Although recent evidence has shown that conversational contexts may be more effective in achieving spontaneous use of language targets, many clinicians continue to employ more structured and less naturalistic contexts for their therapy. The purpose of the current article is to present a therapy approach that is structured, yet incorporates the communicative aspects of more naturalistic language therapy.
School-Age Children's Self-Assessment of Oral Narrative Production
Authors: Kaderavek Joan N. , Gillam Ronald B. , Ukrainetz Teresa A. , Justice Laura M. , Eisenberg Sarita N.
Published: May 2008

This study examined aspects of self-assessment, a metacognitive ability, and oral narrative production in 401 children between 5 and 12 years of age. Oral narrative production was evaluated through the administration of the Test of Narrative Language (TNL). Self-assessment of narrative performance was determined by asking children to self-evaluate their ability to “tell a good story” by pointing to one of five pictures from a “very happy face” (rating of 5) to a “very sad face” (rating of 1). Analysis of the data demonstrated that (a) older children (≥ 10 years of age) were more accurate than younger children in their ability to self-evaluate narrative performance; (b) there was a significant difference in narrative production skills between children who rated themselves as poor performers (self-rating of 1 or 2) and children who were high self-raters (≥ 3); (c) narrative self-evaluation varied in relation to gender, with males tending to more frequently overestimate their narrative ability; and (d) children with poor narrative ability were more likely to overestimate the quality of their narrative production than good narrators were. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
Childhood Vestibular Disorders
Authors: Mehta Zarin , Stakiw Daria B.
Published: May 2008

There is a growing body of evidence that childhood disorders affecting the vestibular system, although rare, do exist. Describing symptoms associated with the vestibular mechanism for children may be difficult, resulting in misdiagnosing or under-diagnosing these conditions. The pathophysiology, symptoms, and management options of the more common childhood disorders that may affect the vestibular system are addressed in this article. Vestibular problems associated with fetal alcohol syndrome and vestibular deficits in children who are deaf also are discussed. Vestibular deficits can affect not only a child's health but also the child's ability to learn, as well as the child's overall academic achievement. It is important for professionals working with children to recognize signs and symptoms associated with vestibular disorders because appropriate diagnosis and treatment are crucial for positive outcomes.
Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions of Language and Literacy Development, Speech—Language Pathologists, and Language Interventions
Authors: Shaughnessy Anne , Sanger Dixie
Published: May 2008

A survey study examined the perceptions of 484 kindergarten teachers in one midwestern state regarding language and literacy development, roles and responsibilities of speech—language pathologists (SLP), and teacher-delivered interventions in the classroom. Quantitative and qualitative findings from a 36-item survey revealed that the majority of respondents had professional preparation, appreciated the importance of language development, recognized some indications of atypical language development in young children, and supported language development in their classrooms. Furthermore, participants had positive impressions of SLPs' expertise. Although educators and SLPs face challenges in collaborating to serve children with language-based literacy problems, findings suggested teachers were positive about their shared roles. Participants welcomed opportunities to collaborate with SLPs in areas of language and literacy.
Literacy Transition Strategies for Upper Elementary Students With Language-Learning Disabilities
Authors: Montgomery Judy K. , Hayes Latisha L.
Published: May 2008

Learning to read is the number one education priority in this nation. For the most part, upper-elementary students with language-learning disabilities (LLD) have not been included in the many regional and state initiatives to improve reading achievement and instruction. This article discusses how our knowledge and research about teaching beginning reading effectively to young children in the general education classroom can be applied to students in Grades 4 through 6. Stages of reading acquisition in LLD, key transition points, and a comprehensive set of strategies for general and special educators and other professionals (e.g., speech—language pathologists) to foster literacy in older beginning readers are offered.
A Group Intervention Model for Speech and Communication Skills in Patients With Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Manor Yael , Posen Jennie , Amir Ofer , Dori Nechama , Giladi Nir
Published: May 2008

Various speech and voice disorders affect 70% to 85% of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Speech treatment is generally conducted on an individual basis, with family member involvement. Clinical experience indicates that many patients do not practice treatments at home or apply the learned techniques in everyday situations. An eight-session, task-oriented group intervention with PD patients who also had learned speech techniques individually prior to this program is described. Preliminary observations using subjective and objective measures indicate improvement in voice characteristics, self-perception of speech intelligibility, communication skills, and application of these skills in everyday communication situations.
Intervention to Improve Expressive Grammar for Adults With Down Syndrome
Authors: Hewitt Lynne E. , Hinkle Angela S. , Miccio Adele W.
Published: May 2008

Recent investigations have supported the ability of persons with Down syndrome to continue learning language on into adulthood. The importance of intervention to increase communicative competence is evident—what is not known is the effectiveness of such intervention. The authors report here on a series of case studies that investigated a language intervention that targeted syntax for adults with Down syndrome. The intervention used a hybrid approach combining naturalistic intervention contexts with structured elicitations of targets. Three adults with Down syndrome, ranging in age from 29 to 52 years, participated in 12 treatment sessions targeting grammatical morphemes. Results indicated that all three participants increased their use of target structures in obligatory contexts.
Expressive Communication Strengths of Adults With Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities as Reported by Group Home Staff
Authors: Cascella Paul W.
Published: May 2008

This study documents the communication strengths of 14 adults who resided in community group-home settings through the use of staff informant reports. These participants had as many as 12 different communication forms (e.g., reaching gestures, body orientation, facial expression, leading gestures, eye gaze, vocalizations) and 11 different communication functions (e.g., conveying emotional state, making a choice when one was presented, requesting desired objects and people, conveying protest). The author compares his results to an earlier report (McLean, Brady, McLean, & Behrens, 1999) to demonstrate that caregiver report was as clinically useful as structured sampling in identifying the communication repertoires of these individuals. The author also discusses clinical implications with regard to the role of the speech— language pathologist and communication assessment in the adult community group-home setting.
Parent Perceptions of Communication Behaviors at Formally Assessed Stage Transitions in Young Children at Risk for Being Nonspeaking
Authors: Matthews-Somerville Rochelle C. , Cress Cynthia J.
Published: May 2008

The authors compared parent-perceived communication behaviors for formally assessed stages longitudinally for 42 infants at risk for being nonspeaking. They compared perceived communication behaviors at assessed transitions to communicative stages (intentional behavior, intentional communication, symbolic communication) and found systematic differences between parent observations and formal observations of early skills. Parents' perceptions of an increase in their children's communicative signals and functions tended to occur at different points relative to each formally assessed transition. The results indicate that early communication transitions are not single qualitative shifts but a continuum of skills that are gradually developed and differently interpreted according to the means of observing the change.
Nonbiased Assessment of English Language Learners
Authors: Roseberry-McKibbin Celeste , O'Hanlon Laureen
Published: May 2008

In 1990, public school speech—language pathologists (SLPs) all over the United States were surveyed regarding service delivery to English language learner (ELL) students. In 2001, the survey was replicated with a larger national sample (N = 1736). Results from surveys in both decades showed that one of the most frequently encountered service delivery problems indicated by respondents was “lack of nonbiased appropriate assessment instruments.” In 2001, respondents indicated that in terms of continuing education training, their greatest area of interest was in the topic of “Less biased methods and materials for distinguishing language differences from language disorders.” Thus, the purpose of this tutorial is to describe current principles and methods for nonbiased, appropriate assessment of ELL students with potential language-learning disabilities.
The Development of the Early Expository Comprehension Assessment (EECA)
Authors: Hall Kendra M. , Markham Janet C. , Culatta Barbara
Published: May 2008

In the present study, the authors investigated the initial development of the Early Expository Comprehension Assessment (EECA) by examining its reliability. The EECA consists of a compare/ contrast passage, manipulatives to represent the information in the paragraph, and three response tasks (Retelling, Mapping , and Comparing ). The authors administered two comparable versions of the measure to 37 children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. They then analyzed the data using a mixed-models analysis of variance for repeated measures, a maximum likelihood estimate of variance components, and a post hoc equivalent-forms (Version A and Version B) reliability test. Results indicated that version and order had no significant effect and that both forms were equivalent, suggesting that the EECA is reliable.
Determining the Adequacy of Tests of Children's Language
Authors: Andersson Luanne
Published: May 2008

The author discusses five key issues related to the adequacy of tests of children's language. Within each key issue, she asks test adequacy questions, accompanied by criteria for determining adequacy. The author also reviews the information found in the manuals for four norm-referenced, standardized tests of language development to illustrate application of her adequacy questions; results for all questions for each test are summarized in tabular form. A table containing all adequacy questions is provided in the Appendix as a review guide; clinicians may apply the guide to other tests of children's language.
A Guideline for Applying Systematic Reviews to Child Language Intervention
Authors: Hargrove Patricia , Lund Bonnie , Griffer Mona
Published: May 2008

This article focuses on applying systematic reviews to the Early Intervention (EI) literature. Systematic reviews are defined and differentiated from traditional, or narrative, reviews and from meta-analyses. In addition, the steps involved in critiquing systematic reviews and an illustration of a systematic review from the EI literature are detailed.
Neuropsychological Aspects for Evaluating Learning Disabilities
Authors: Semrud-Clikeman Margaret
Published: May 2008

This review surveys the empirical literature for assessments of learning problems in children from a neuropsychological perspective. An evaluation of children with learning problems must consider measures of working memory, attention, executive function, and comprehension (listening and written), particularly for children who do not respond to intervention. These constructs must be tied to intervention techniques, and their connections must be empirically verified. The response-to-intervention (RTI) perspective provides excellent support for the process in young children but is still developing the process for students above the second grade. This review provides information about the existing research on neurobiological correlates of learning disabilities, possible areas for further evaluation, and the link to the RTI movement.