The sudden loss of intimacy can have a dramatic effect on satisfaction in a relationship. As many caregivers shift roles and try to personally adjust to their new reality, a steep drop in intimacy can often simultaneously occurs. Aphasia presents a significant barrier to opening discussions about intimacy and sexual contact. The purpose of this…

"Play" is a word used commonly to refer to children's preferred activities and to some adult activities, and it is often said that play promotes learning. But what is play exactly, and what and how do children learn through play? This essay begins with a description of an evolutionary, practice theory of play by German philosopher and…

This article describes the operation of a Communication Coaching Program, which was designed to provide supports for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) attending the University of Rhode Island. To succeed in college programs, many students with ASDs need access to specialized programming and personnel who are able to foster their…

This article focuses on why and how speech-language pathologists and other professionals can encourage the involvement of parents in teaching social communication skills to their young children. Four main topics are explored: (1) the evidence that many of the children with special needs served by speech-language pathologists and other…

A review of the literature regarding the training of parents as language facilitators for young language-handicapped children includes a description of the University of South Carolina Parent Training Program, which offers short-term training in desirable interactive styles, elicitation of appropriate language, and language facilitative…

This paper views effective communication as an essential component of appropriate social behavior, provides definitions and conceptualizations of social skills and social competence within academic contexts, and describes social skills assessment and intervention procedures for school-age children and youth with and without disabilities.…

This article describes the communication characteristics and needs of adults with severe mental retardation and discusses a transactional approach to intervention for adults who do not communicate symbolically in any mode. The approach promotes communication skill development by considering communicative acts as critical antecedent and consequent…

This paper discusses the use of facilitated communication training with individuals labeled as intellectually impaired, including individuals diagnosed as autistic, at the DEAL Communication Centre in Victoria, Australia. The paper describes the clients, hand use problems addressed by facilitation, literacy, structuring success, fading support,…

A brief description of aspects of Arabic culture that may affect the effectiveness of language intervention is followed by descriptions of Arabic child-rearing practices, attitudes toward disabilities, nonverbal communication, communication style, difficulties experienced in learning English, and suggestions for clinicians working with…

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…