Purpose: The purpose of this clinical focus article was to illustrate the potential of employing conversation analysis (CA) as a method for assessing social communication that is neurodiversity affirming. Method: This clinical focus article will provide an overview of CA and explain how it offers a theoretically grounded means of analyzing…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify which morphological markers have the best diagnostic accuracy to identify developmental language disorders (DLD) in monolingual Spanish-speaking children. Method: The participants in this study included 50 Spanish-speaking monolingual children with (n = 25) and without (n = 25) DLD. Data…

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to conduct an evidence-based systematic review (EBSR) of peer-reviewed articles from the last 30 years about the effect of different service delivery models on speech-language intervention outcomes for elementary school-age students. Method: A computer search of electronic databases was conducted to…

Purpose: This study was designed to identify types of complex-sentence meanings (i.e., "content") produced in selected elicitation contexts by typically developing children within 3 different age groups. The research was motivated by the need for additional evidence-based assessments and interventions for children with language disorders. Method:…

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 paper describes an interdisciplinary model for the assessment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that includes families as active participants and collaborators and emphasizes cultural competence and a strengths perspective. Steps in the assessment process are detailed. Preliminary research on the assessment model indicates its…

Challenges current practices in language evaluation for school-aged children with significant hearing loss. It argues for an interactive approach to assessment and offers specific recommendations for the interpretation of test results. Application of current connectionist and competition theories of language acquisition suggests the concept of…

This introduction to a clinical forum on children with speech, language, and hearing difficulties focuses on assessment validity. The paper emphasizes that assessment validity depends on the purpose for which the clinician employs the assessment and the inferences the clinician intends to draw, and that assessment interpretation involves degrees…

This article describes an observational assessment procedure designed for infants, toddlers, and preschool children. The procedure is intended to link assessment with intervention by determining what supports and what compromises a child's performance, through a holistic team assessment involving a speech-language pathologist, motor specialist,…

This paper addresses the issue of when a child should be discharged from language intervention, by integrating the concept of multiple treatment outcomes into existing frameworks of treatment dismissal. Techniques are offered for evaluating a child's progress toward attainment of ultimate, intermediate, and instrumental outcomes. (Author/JDD)

This article discusses the use of dynamic assessment for determining language delays in Latino American preschool children and compares dynamic with traditional assessment. Two case studies of Latino American preschool children (ages three and four) are described to illustrate the increased accuracy in student assessment by using dynamic…

This discussion of problems associated with deriving pragmatic norms for older children and adolescents presents a model for analyzing and comparing pragmatic performance across language tasks. The multilevel model involves the interrelationship of situational, discourse, and semantic contexts--knowing what, to whom, when, and how much to say. (DB)

This article considers the models and beliefs of language clinicians, as reflected by their choice of specific assessment instruments or measurement methods. Differences in construct and philosophy are demonstrated in a review of personality and vocational preference inventories and several subtests of sentence production. (DB)

Low-cost, privately supported voice clinics were developed to perform laryngeal examinations of public school children to identify those needing treatment for voice disorders. This paper describes the model used in implementing the program, the population seen at the clinics, and the logistics involved in clinic operation. (Author/JDD)