Purpose: We explore the extent to which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are operating under assumptions about speech, language, and literacy that are not supported by evidence or are contradicted by evidence. Method: SLPs (N = 106) marked the degree to which they endorsed or rejected four true and 11 myth (i.e., false) statements on a visual…

Purpose: This article is concerned with the growing body of international evidence indicating that adolescents in contact with the youth justice system are likely to have severely compromised oral language skills, receptively and expressively. A smaller, but persuasive, literature also points to poor literacy skills in this population. Language…

Purpose: This study focused on whether developmental communication disorders exist in American Sign Language (ASL) and how they might be characterized. ASL studies is an emerging field; educators and clinicians have minimal access to descriptions of communication disorders of the signed modality. Additionally, there are limited resources for…

In response to Leonard (EC 300 867), this paper views children with specific language disorders as a heterogeneous group consisting of distinct subtypes, accounted for by differing causal factors which are important to identify. (Author/DB)

This article presents an overview of the normal anatomy and physiology of the pediatric larynx, followed by some examples of pediatric voice disorders that were chosen to exemplify the alterations to the laryngeal anatomy and the subsequent modifications to laryngeal function. Vocal fold nodules are primarily reviewed due to their high incidence…

One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), this letter discusses issues and current thinking about the nature and causes of the disorder. These include the idea that DAS is a disorder of overall language development or that DAS is a problem of the "motor-programming" system for speech.…

In response to Leonard (EC 600 867), the article suggests that Leonard's idea that many language-impaired children merely represent the low end of the normal distribution of language ability does not eliminate neuropathology as one possible primary cause of language impairment. (Author/DB)

In response to Leonard (EC 600 867), this article stresses the importance of understanding the cause of specific language impairment and proposes a test which would compare the language abilities of siblings of language-impaired children to the expected values. A model containing two sources of causation is proposed. (Author/DB)

This article questions the idea that children diagnosed as "specifically language-impaired" suffer from a defect in a mechanism involved in language learning. An alternative view is offered, that many of these children are limited in language ability just as others are limited in musical, spatial, or kinesthetic abilities. Assessment and…

This article examines possible causes or intensifications of vocal fatigue in adolescent singers. Factors considered include the adequacy of the singing technique, the strenuousness of the musical task, the physical singing environment, the singer's general condition, and the expectations imposed by the musical leader. Possible management…

The symptoms of Meniere's disease, including tinnitus, fluctuating hearing loss, and vertigo, present specific problems in the school setting. The paper reviews the literature on Meniere's Disease in childhood, focusing on incidence, symptoms, diagnosis, etiology, treatment, and implications for management in the school environment. A case study…

Discusses what children with developmental language disorders should be called, how they should be defined, and how we might differentiate children with specific language impairments from other children with developmental language disorders. The lack of congruence between clinical and research constructs is discussed. (Author/CR)

This article reviews 19 common myths in voice therapy. Issues examined include developmental factors, iatrogenic voice disorders, breathing habits, optimum pitch, palate training, and etiology based on perceptual cues. More referral, assessment, and decision making are needed, as well as development of standards for the management of voice…

This introductory article discusses following articles that consider how phonology interacts with other aspects of language and language learning and the role of this interaction in language acquisition. It addresses the interaction between phonology and the lexicon, phonological representations and morphophonemic alternations, and the interaction…

Resonance disorders can have a variety of causes but the appropriate evaluation includes a speech pathology evaluation and may require a videofluoroscopic speech study or nasopharyngoscopy assessment. Treatment may include surgery or the use of prosthetic devices, and usually speech therapy. An interdisciplinary approach is best. (Author/DB)