The author reviews methods of studying individuals in context (ecological, phenomenological, and system approaches) and offers suggestions for implementing these approaches in identification, assessment, and intervention procedures for language-disordered children. (CL)

Examines the reasons and myths surrounding the Ebonics controversy, which concerns the use of the English dialect spoken by many African-American children in Oakland, California, schools as a strategy for teaching Standard American English. Implications for diagnosing and educating special-education students whose primary dialect is Ebonics are…

This article presents evidence that the broad population of children classified as chronically ill is at increased risk for psychoeducational and language-learning disorders. It describes six health conditions in which language-learning disorders are often present and explores challenging issues for transdisciplinary service delivery. (Author/CR)

This paper argues that conventional educational and psychological assessment is not sufficient to identify dyslexia, and that psycholinguistic assessment by clinicians specializing in language is required. Psycholinguistic assessment involves use of testing, clinical observations, and language histories for evaluating complex interactions between…

This article describes a process known as dynamic assessment used to evaluate children's narrative and expository discourse abilities. These assessment procedures help speech-language pathologists better describe language learning potential of children who are referred for language assessment. How dynamic assessment provides critical information…

Current research supporting the language basis of dyslexia is reviewed, suggesting that phonological processing deficits are at the core of dyslexia and less pronounced reading problems. The role of higher-level language functioning and phonological processing is considered in an expanded view of the language basis of reading disabilities.…

This article describes individual differences in phases of writing development between typical students and students with language learning problems. Using an illustrative case study of a 10-year-old, the article demonstrates how school-based writing samples can serve as a dynamic tool for analysis of interactions among the linguistic and…

This article discusses how reading and written language samples can be analyzed to provide information about curriculum-based language strengths and needs that can be used recursively to establish student goals and benchmarks, provide intervention, evaluate change, and begin the next round of planning. A case example is presented. (Contains…