Although emotions are often seen as key to maintaining rapport between speech-language pathologists and their clients, they are often neglected in the research and clinical literature. This neglect, it is argued here, comes in part from the inadequacies of prevailing conceptual frameworks used to govern practices. I aim to show how six such…

This commentary reviews the articles in this theme issue and analyzes American Sign Language (ASL) bilingual approaches to supporting children with deafness in acquiring English text skills. Also discussed are theoretical explanations for how bilingual contexts may contribute to progress in English literacy and spoken English. Issues for the…

Suggests the need for a new profession called sign pathology to help deaf children who experience difficulty in acquiring a signed language. It offers a framework for the development of professional sign language pathologists, while differentiating between disorders related to signed language acquisition and bilingual language pedagogy for deaf…

Rebuts the monolithic view of language in which languages are discrete entities which clash in bilingual communities by suggesting that immigrant communities tend to develop mixed vernaculars in which children may well achieve fluency in the language of the larger society. Circumstances under which such fluency does not develop are identified.…

Differences and similarities between oral and written communication as applied to writing instruction are discussed with examples of divergent oral and written styles among speakers of nonstandard dialects, code switching between speech and writing, convergence and divergence in the development of writing skills, and the role of talking in writing…

After describing the principles of culturally compatible education, the characteristics of Native American and mainstream narrative discourse are compared, and teaching the structure, content, and style of mainstream narratives is advocated. A program designed to facilitate Native American elementary school children's abilities to comprehend and…

Current thinking about language, learning, and literacy are discussed, focusing on such themes as: literacy as a part of language learning, understanding text and written language modes, the "metas" in language and cognition, and maintaining a clinical focus in classroom contexts and beyond. Four researcher-clinicians offer observations about…

This article addresses the concept of communication and social role including dimensions of speaker-listener relations, speaking options in these relations, and implications of language/learning-disabled individuals' failure to appreciate these dimensions and options. (DB)

Reviews claims proposing that knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) facilitates reading development in deaf children. It offers support for one such claim although it argues that the relationship does not develop naturally but must be cultivated through experiences that serve to direct attention to correspondences between different language…

Critically examines the traditional notion of American Sign Language/English bilingualism. This model is contrasted with the "ASL/English as a spoken language" bilingual model in which the modality constraints facing the deaf child are presented as the fundamental issue for ASL/English bilingualism. Empirical and applied research supporting the…

Research and clinical data regarding concomitant speech and language problems in children who stutter are reviewed, along with theoretical models explaining this interrelationship. A framework is presented for the differential evaluation of children who stutter, involving four areas of assessment: case history, fluency assessment, language skills…

Theories of writing development put forth by C. Bereiter (1980), B. Kroll (1981), and K. Perera (1984) are reviewed and presented as frameworks for practitioners working with students having language learning disabilities (LLD). The theories are considered with regard to the assessment of written language, and written language intervention…

The literature on how children begin understanding subjectivity and point of view in fictional stories is considered. Examination of the oral stories of a five-year-old child indicated the ability to depict the beliefs, intentions, feelings, and perceptions of the story characters. Implications for assessment and interventions to help children…

The need to teach precursors to literacy as part of preschool language therapy with language-disordered children is stressed. Assessment and intervention approaches include developing the child's ability to use language in instructional contexts and facilitating language awareness (such as word and phonological consciousness). (DB)

Addresses issues in the persistent gaps between the generation and use of scientific knowledge in educational and therapeutic practices in language disorders. Two science-practice linkage models are discussed for applicability to improved practice. Strategies for integrating research with practice are considered, with case studies illustrating the…