Research on the language development of internationally adopted children has increased substantially in the past few years, with a variety of methods used to measure language abilities in this population, including parent and teacher reports, norm-referenced tests, conversational and narrative language samples, and other procedures. These…

School success in the 21st century requires proficiency with expository discourse--the use and understanding of informative language in spoken and written modalities. This occurs, for example, when high school students read their textbooks and listen to their teachers' lectures, and later are asked to demonstrate their knowledge of this complex…

There is growing interest in the role that physical illness and pain might play in exacerbating problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Assessment of these factors, however, is often difficult since many individuals have minimal verbal communication skills. In response to this difficulty, we developed a sequential method…

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with adults with cognitive-linguistic impairments, including aphasia, have long needed an assessment tool that predicts ability to function in the real world. In this article, it is argued that virtual reality (VR)-supported approaches can address this need. Using models of disability such as the…

Recent importance placed upon efficacy research has spawned the development of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Trials Research Group (CSDRG). This group, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was organized by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association to address the need for more treatment efficacy research…

Current assessment models in communication disorders are reviewed, factors involved in meeting the demands of P.L. 94-142 are addressed, and recommended practices as well as future considerations are noted. (CL)

The article addresses some of the primary problems in augmentative communication systems and aids for severely handicapped nonspeaking children. Selection and assessment factors include cognitive, physical, linguistic, and environmental aspects. (Author/CL)

The article describes a model of clinical supervision for speech and hearing services. The model includes a continuum perspective to meet the individual needs of supervisees. A focus on the scientific nature of the supervisory process and an understanding of process components are important factors in model implementation. (Author/DB)

This report describes how augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) automated language activity monitoring can provide clinicians with the tools they need to collect and analyze language samples from the natural environment of children with disabilities for clinical intervention and outcomes measurements. The Language Activity Monitor (LAM)…

Part 1 of this paper recommends procedures and standards for the acoustic analysis of voice in individuals with dysarthria. In Part 2, acoustic data are reviewed for dysarthria associated with Parkinson disease (PD), cerebellar disease, amytrophic lateral sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, unilateral hemispheric stroke, and essential tremor.…

This article describes an environmental inventory, "Analyzing the Communication Environment," which allows the evaluator to analyze the extent to which specific activities encourage functional communication for particular students with severe communication impairments. The inventory may be used to compare different activities across the student's…

A case study of a difficult to manage nonspeaking young man with brain injury is presented. Assessment and intervention indicated severe cognitive-linguistic deficits, severe physical involvement of all extremities, extensive surgical management, visual perceptual and acuity deficits, and behavioral problems. (Author/DB)

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…

Presents a systematic process for completing a language-based curriculum analysis to address curriculum expectations that may challenge students with communication impairments. Analysis of vocabulary and the demands for comprehension, oral, and written expression within specific content areas provides a framework for collaboration between teachers…

Within the congenitally deaf population there exists a sizeable number of individuals who are considered to be traditionally underserved. These individuals are characterized by severe communication deficits irrespective of modality (e.g., speech, sign language, reading, writing). Unfortunately, until now there has not been a comprehensive…