Gestural joint attention behaviors, personal pronoun use, and spontaneous communicative behavior were compared in 11 autistic children and 11 children with developmental language delay (DLD). DLD children responded correctly to joint attention interactions more often and their spontaneous gestural behavior was more communicative and…

The findings of language development studies in normally developing children (from birth to school age) and in children who deviate from the norm in physiological and cognitive development are outlined and compared. (LH)

Described is an interdisciplinary diagnostic treatment program for children with moderate to profound language retardation due to mental retardation or more specific dysfunction. Noted are program characteristics including a 1-week testing program, concern with the mental health status of the family, and the stress on the development of…

Rates of verbalizing by three children exhibiting moderate to severe language delays (delays of six months to two years) were increased through the systematic use of mands for verbalization, models for verbalization, and contingent positive consequences following utterances. Daily samples of each child's speech were collected during free play…

The construction and validation of the Early Language Milestone Scale for children at risk for developmental disability are described. It is concluded that delayed achievement of early language milestones strongly suggests the presence of a significant underlying developmental disability. Journal Availability: See EC 152 486. (Author/SEW)

Developmental language disorders in preschool children are described. Levels of linguistic functioning are defined, and clinical language disorders are presented. Implications for the school psychologist are discussed, with an emphasis on assessment of verbal and non-verbal functions. (SLD)

The study evaluated prediction of language quality using 3 approaches (neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and combination) with 37 developmentally delayed children (ages 5-9). Results indicated that these children had language and speech delays that showed substantial relationships to their verbal cognitive abilities and fine motor skills, in addition…