Background: Many healthcare and educational services providers have undergone a rapid transition from a face-to-face to a tele-practice mode of service delivery in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. This, in turn, has led to a need to understand better the evidence underpinning such moves. Based on a review of existing reviews, this paper…

The importance of effective healthcare communication between healthcare providers and people needing healthcare is well established. People with communication disabilities are at risk of not being able to communicate effectively with their healthcare providers and this might directly compromise their health, healthcare and their right to…

A review of the literature and research on language facilitation with residential retarded populations considers interactive models for facilitating language, the use of communication facilitators, and the content of such training. Two studies demonstrating the beneficial effects of daily caregiver interaction on communication skills are stressed.…

The second of two articles on play reviews the construct of play and its development in typically developing infants, toddlers, and young children. It considers developmental levels of play from early sensorimotor-exploratory to symbolic play involving the functional components of agent, instrument, and scheme. A developmentally based,…

The report integrates findings of an international state-of-the-art study of augmentative communication, focusing on the interaction between a person using a communication aid and an able-bodied, natural speaker. Chapter titles and selected subtopics are as follows: (1) "Beyond Symbols and Switches: The Study of Communication Aid Use";…

Discusses issues related to providing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to young African American children with disabilities and their families. Issues related to the family include stress on the family, communication partners, cultural mistrust, communication needs and values, and language patterns and communication style.…

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…

Acquired severe communication disorders may result from physical impairment, language impairment, cognitive impairment, or combination of impairments. This paper reviews the demographics and characteristics of communication-disordered adults based on etiology, introduces models of assessment and intervention, highlights intervention strategies and…

This monograph presents language factors related to bilingualism, to assist educators to distinguish normal phenomena due to bilingualism from symptoms of a handicapping condition. The first section, called "The Nature of Bilingualism," discusses the diversity of bilingual students and their dynamic use of two languages, focusing on simultaneous…

The report analyzes trends in research and programs in special education. Twelve reviewers from each of the divisions of The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) reviewed abstracts of ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) documents (project reports, research reports, and conference presentations). The ERIC documents resulted from a…