This article reviews research on children with specific language impairment (SLI), a significant limitation in language ability in the absence of accompanying hearing impairments, low nonverbal intelligence, or neurological damage. Research is discussed on the heterogeneity of the children with SLI, diagnostic criteria for SLI, auditory…

This article provides background and current information on the emergence of recently acknowledged concepts in what has been termed the "oracy to literacy continuum" and its relevance to language specialists, including speech-language pathologists, and others. Deficits of phonological processing and the need for phonological awareness training are…

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 summarizes the National Research Council's conclusions concerning key developmental milestones in the various domains relevant to reading success, including phonological awareness, letter identification, the alphabetic principle, automatic word recognition, and comprehension strategies. Beneficial opportunities for preschoolers and…

This article presents evidence that the broad population of children classified as chronically ill is at increased risk for psychoeducational and language-learning disorders. It describes six health conditions in which language-learning disorders are often present and explores challenging issues for transdisciplinary service delivery. (Author/CR)

This article identifies issues in phonetic transcription of speech samples for speech language pathologists. Important terms and concepts from articulatory/clinical phonetics are reviewed and guidelines are provided for streamlining the process of whole-word live transcriptions and for refining transcriptions by incorporating features from…

This article offers a framework for collecting and analyzing speech samples to evaluate the phonological skills of young children, or of older children with delayed speech. A protocol for phonetic transcription is provided along with a discussion of the use of diacritics. The special problems of transcribing "fuzzy speech" are addressed. (Contains…

This article addresses the special problems of transcribing vowels in the evaluation of speech samples. It reviews the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols and diacritics for transcribing vowels and discusses their importance in the transcription of disordered speech and dialect variation. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

This article reviews conventions for transcribing suprasegmental features in spoken English. It proposes that symbols based on the International Phonetic Alphabet and its recent extensions be supplemented, in the area of intonation, by selected tonetic stress marks and examples of the autosegmental notation used in the Tone and Break Indices…

This article reviews major approaches to the transcription of disordered speech using the International Alphabet (IPA). Application of selected symbols for transcribing non-English sounds is highlighted in clinical examples, as are commonly used diacritic symbols. Included is an overview of the IPA extensions for transcription of atypical speech,…

This article develops the concept of communicative participation as a means of analyzing the outcomes of language intervention with young children, including those with disabilities, in everyday contexts such as preschool. The construct's five interrelated layers are identified: (1) life-world participation, (2) participant structure, (3)…

Assessment methods adapted from qualitative research including ethnographic interviewing and journal writing were applied to the case of an adult with aphasia. By analyzing reports of the client and significant others over the course of treatment, changes in social participation and psychosocial well being were documented. These descriptive data…

This article on speech-language therapy argues that new emphases on the client's life participation, involvement in clinical decision making, and cultural sensitivity should be seen as additions rather than alternatives to therapeutic impairment-oriented approaches. It proposes that the client's progression toward life goals be the standard used…

This article discusses some specific outcome measures for social communication problems exhibited by school-age children. Measures are discussed relative to (1) a model for viewing abilities essential for social communication and (2) a framework for sampling these abilities across four different contexts. A case example applies these outcome…

This article urges a shift in intervention approaches with students who have communication disorders to include sociocultural activities. Data reported support the integration of sociocultural learning and apprenticeship in the current paradigm of intervention practices. Discussion considers intervention practices as development in context,…