Purpose: According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), prevention, identification, assessment, and intervention of children who are learning to read and write are within the scope of practice for school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Furthermore, for SLPs who work in the school setting, it is not uncommon to…

This study evaluated the voiced/voiceless phonation time for /s/ and /z/ for 11 children (ages 5-10) with vocal pathology and 11 normal speaking children. Results showed no difference in /s/ durations between groups, but /z/ durations and s/z ratios were significantly different. Results are discussed in relation to task construction, instructional…

The paper examines the need to analyze free expression as part of an overall expressive language evaluation in school aged children. Seven language characteristics are identified which may help in recognizing disorders of self-expression. (Author/PHR)

The article describes a 10-stage symbolic play language scale and relates the language concepts and structures associated with each developmental play stage. (PHR)

This article considers issues concerning the use of IQ tests for identifying children with learning and/or language disabilities and concludes that the historically prominent role of IQ tests for identification of these children is conceptually and psychometrically unwarranted. (DB)

The paper describes a diagnostic teaching procedure for use with children who have persistent /r/ errors. Rationale for the procedure includes a two-category typology of children with persistent /r/ errors and an analysis of articulatory gestures associated with a child's attempts to say /r/ correctly. (PHR)

Ten African-American children, aged five to six, who speak Black English Vernacular were administered three standard English articulation tests. Results showed that a failure to take the issue of dialect variation into account substantially increased the likelihood of misdiagnosing normally speaking African-American children as having articulation…

The school speech pathologist's function as a member of an interdisciplinary team responsible for diagnostic and prescriptive program planning and placement for children with language-learning problems is described. (LH)

The paper describes the referral, diagnostic, interventive, and evaluative procedures used in a self-contained behaviorally oriented noncategorical program for preschool children with speech and language impairments and other developmental delays. (CL)

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…

With a speech-language pathologist as consultant, volunteers provided language/concept enrichment to 22 kindergarten students who had low screening scores in the areas of articulation, language, and concepts. Microcomputer software programs were used to teach quantity, quality, time/sequence, nouns, and verbs. Teachers felt that 41 percent of the…

A model for assessing the interactive sources of communication development in young children is proposed, focusing on the reciprocal behaviors of both adults and children. The model integrates theoretical and empirical findings and is designed for parallel diagnostic and treatment purposes in five areas: social play, turn taking, nonverbal…