Child Language Teaching and Therapy current issue

Storytelling skills of children with specific language impairment

Epstein, S.-A., Phillips, J. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Research has demonstrated that children with specific language impairment (SLI) have difficulties producing oral narratives, particularly features of macrostructural and microstructural organization. In addition, numerous methods of eliciting oral narratives (e.g. visual images and conversation techniques) have been used, with little agreement as to which is the most effective in eliciting optimal narratives in children with and without SLI. The aim of the current study was to investigate the oral narrative skills of children with SLI, focusing on their ability to generate and use elements related to macrostructural and microstructural organization when presented with visual vs. verbal methods of oral narrative elicitation. Eight participants with SLI (mean age 7;7) were recruited from a mainstream school with an attached language unit in the North West of England. The participants produced oral narratives elicited using a wordless picture book and a conversation prompt technique. An examination of the results and raw data suggested that the conversation prompts (verbal method) were more effective at recognizing the oral narrative abilities of children with SLI. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Case against diagnosing developmental language disorder by default: A single case study of acquired aphasia associated with convulsive disorder

Marinac, J. V., Harper, L. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

The aim of this article is to inform the diagnostic kwnowledge base for professionals working in the field of language disorders when classic symptoms, characteristics and sequences are not found. The information reveals the risk of diagnosis with a developmental language disorder (DLD) by default when no underlying cause can be readily identified. Diagnostic history was obtained retrospectively from parental interview and contemporary professional reports. Ten years of diagnostic investigations are reported in time-related sequences. Due to variability and inconsistency in his receptive and expressive language skills, the case-study participant (David) was unable to be reliably assessed using standardized tests. Therefore, numerical data and statistical analyses are not reported. The report, however, details the multitude of investigations and opinions obtained before a definitive diagnosis of acquired aphasia associated with convulsive disorder (AACD) was made. David’s history cautions that diagnosing developmental language disorder when no underlying cause for the impairment is recognized may allow underlying disorders and conditions to progress. Clinicians faced with a child whose skill profile is not consistent with a specific diagnosis or expected criteria are thus advised to pursue a definitive diagnosis rather than accept one by default.

Task-setting at home and in speech and language therapy

Tykkylainen, T. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

The aim of this article is to analyse and describe task-setting in game-like interactions. The task-setting is studied in two contexts: in everyday interaction and in speech and language therapy. The data comprises task interaction between mothers and 5-year-old typically developing children (6 pairs) and task interaction between speech and language therapists and 5-year-old children with specific language impairment (6 pairs). Through detailed examination of data extracts it is shown how mothers and speech and language therapists set tasks. Analysis and comparison of the empirical findings reveal the multimodal and specified character of the speech and language therapists’ task-setting. The use of speech prosody (use of pausing and focal emphasis) and the non-verbal substance of interaction (body behaviour, gestures and the use of therapy materials) play a prominent role. When comparing the task-setting between mothers and speech and language therapists it is evident how practices found in everyday interaction become specialized tools systematically used in the institutional context of speech and language therapy.

Effectiveness of an integrated phonological awareness approach for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)

McNeill, B. C., Gillon, G. T., Dodd, B. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

This study investigated the effectiveness of an integrated phonological awareness approach for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Change in speech, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, word decoding, and spelling skills were examined. A controlled multiple single-subject design was employed. Twelve children aged 4—7 years with CAS participated in two 6-week intervention blocks (2 sessions per week), separated by a 6-week withdrawal block. Nine children with CAS made significant gains in their production of target speech sounds and these demonstrated transfer of skills to connected speech for at least one speech target. Eight children showed significant gains in at least one target phoneme awareness skill, and these children demonstrated transfer of skills to novel phoneme awareness tasks. As a group the children with CAS demonstrated improvement in phonological awareness, letter knowledge, word decoding, and spelling ability. An integrated phonological awareness programme was an effective method of simultaneously improving speech, phoneme awareness, word decoding, and spelling ability for some children with CAS.

Book reviews: Communication, language and literacy from birth to five Brock, A. and Rankin, C: Sage: London (2008) 144pp. Pbk {pound}18.99; ISBN 978 1 4129 4590 5

Freeman, K. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book reviews: Language and literacy development: what educators need to know Byrnes, J.P. and Wasik, B.A: Guilford Press: New York (2009) x + 432pp. Pbk {pound}24.95; ISBN 978 1 5938 5990 9

Paradice, R. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book review: Developing pre-school communication and language Dukes, C. and Smith, M: Sage: London (2007) 128pp. Pbk {pound}19.99; ISBN 978 1 4129 4523 3

Freeman, K. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book review: Getting to grips with word problems Gallow, C: Qed Publications: Stafford (2009) 128pp. Pbk {pound}12.99; ISBN 978 1 8988 7333 4

Martin, V. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book review: Spotlight on language Hannell G: Routledge: London and New York (2009) 123 pp. Pbk {pound}16.99; ISBN 978 0 4154 7311 8

McMinn, J. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book review: Understanding developmental language disorders: from theory to practice: Norbury, C.F., Tomblin, J.B. and Bishop, D.V.M. Psychology Press: Hove (2008) xiii+ 232pp. Pbk {pound} 22.50; ISBN 978 1 8416 9667 9

Gardner, H. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Book review: Handbook of child language disorders Schwartz, R.G. (ed.): Psychology Press: New York and Hove (2009) 590pp. Hbk {pound}55.00; ISBN 978 1 8416 9433 7

Bate, C. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

List of reviewers

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Child Language Seminar City University London 24 and 25 June 2010

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT

Notes on contributors

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:46:08 PDT