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…

Research on students with foreign language (FL) learning problems is reviewed and the Linguistic Coding Difference Hypotheses is described. The continuum of FL learning is explained and the role of linguistic variables in FL learning is supported. Recent research outcomes and a court decision regarding FL course substitutions are discussed.…

This article describes curricular accommodations in the foreign language for college students with language learning disabilities. Elements of a model program are discussed, including advising, instruction, and efficacy research. The implementation of these components is described with particular reference to modified programs in Italian, Spanish,…

This article explores the effect of augmentative and alternative communication systems on literacy acquisition by young children with severe speech and physical impairments. The possibility of a relationship between the type of graphic symbols used for communication as a preschooler and the child's early reading competency is considered. (DB)

This article presents an interview with Dr. Sylvia O. Richardson, a pediatrician, speech-language pathologist, researcher, scholar, teacher, and clinician, who has been involved in the field of language-learning disabilities for many years. Widely-published in the areas of language disorders and dyslexia, and a former President of the American…

High quality children's literature should be used to facilitate language-learning-disabled children's narrative abilities in the areas of structure, content, values, and aesthetic appreciation. Using the macrostructure of the story can lead to the exploration of feelings and values in real or imagined situations. (DB)

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.…

This article discusses factors that contribute to the difficulties that many postsecondary students with learning disabilities have in meeting the mathematics demands, including: characteristics of learning disabilities in math, inadequate preparation for postsecondary math demands, difficulties with assessment and identification, and…

The article describes components of writing competence for instructors of basic writers (e.g., remedial, disadvantaged, language/learning disabled) emphasizing fluency, clarity, and appropriateness. Implications of research for the teaching of writing (such as the significance of errors) and assessment of writing competence are noted. (DB)

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)

Discussion of communication intervention with very young children who have cochlear implants examines: (1) the developmental appropriateness of materials and procedures; (2) behavior and compliance issues; (3) the need for less didactic instruction and more incidental learning emphasis; and (4) recognition of the home as the primary venue for…

This article proposes that meaning and form (the sound-letter correspondences) are both important in beginning reading, but that initially they should be taught separately. Support for this position is provided, and a two-stage model of preliteracy development is offered, with the first stage emphasizing meaning and the second stage emphasizing…

This article describes language difficulties of college students with language learning disabilities and the types of accommodations that are provided to these students. It presents four language issues that affect the provision of accommodations, points out the differences across universities in the accommodations offered, and provides three case…

Drawing on transition literature of a general nature and specific to language disorders and learning disabilities, this article challenges the efficacy of the existing special education paradigm and contends that changes in institutional policies and practices are needed. The article also discusses roles played by participants in the transition…