Six steps are delineated in a sytematic approach to analyzing prepositions: (1) reference resource collection, (2) syntactic evaluation, (3) semantic evaluation, (4) resource consultation, (5) meaning definition, and (6) systematic instruction (such as comprehension before production, from simple to complex grammar, and from concrete to abstract).…

Two methods (signs presented with or without accompanying verbal label) of training autistic children to use manual signs were compared. The efficacy of training in both treatment conditions was demonstrated but no clear differences in acquisition speed across conditions were apparent. (Author/CL)

The development of children's riddling and narration skills is analyzed from an ethnographic perspective which focuses on the communication and interaction aspects. Narrative competence is considered in terms of paradigmatic structures, syntagmatic organization, and narrational contexts. (CL)

The central importance of pragmatics in the developing language of hearing impaired infants and young children is considered, and implications for early intervention of research on context, communicative intent, discourse rules, and phonology are discussed. (CL)

Analysis of errors on naming and recognition tasks performed by 34 children (4-12 years old) with language disabilities revealed a specific problem with naming rather than a more general vocabulary deficit and indicated four major types of errors, the most frequent of which were semantic substitutions. (CL)

In a study of the use of grammatical morphemes by 10 hearing-impaired children (5-15 years old) and 10 normal-hearing children matched on the basis of mean length of utterance, results revealed no significant differences in correct grammatical morphemes used and identical order of acquisition for both groups. (Author/CL)

Four autistic or autisticlike preschoolers participated in a study which indicated the effectiveness of sequential implementation of imbedded instruction rather than tutoring on enhancing the acquisition of yes/no responses. (CL)

The study examined the performance of four autistic boys trained to a criterion of 80 percent correct on noun labels. After training, one set of labels was reviewed twice a week for nine weeks (summer vacation); the other set received no additional training. Performance on both sets was then retested. Data are seen to support need for year-round…

Learning disabled boys' (N=25) communication skills were less effective than those of their normally achieving peers. Specifically, LD Ss talked more but said less than normally achieving Ss, appeared more comfortable doing than describing, and were less effective adapting messages to the needs of the listener. (Author/CL)

The effects of the highly structured Distar language program and the semistructured Schiach program were compared on two groups of socially disadvantaged children in a day nursery. (Both programs attempt to assist young, learning-delayed children.) There were no major statistically significant differences between the two groups. (SK)

Analysis of spontaneous language samples of eight children (4-11 years old) diagnosed with developmental verbal apraxia (motor speech disorder) revealed that at least some of the errors could not be attributed to motor speech and/or phonologic limitations but rather indicated concomitant syntactic disorders. (Author/CL)

Prevalence of specific comprehension, expressive, and general language delay varied for 2.0 to 4.3 percent. General language delays were the most stable. Every type of language delay at each age was associated with significantly higher prevalence of low intelligence or reading difficulties at age seven than among the total sample. (Author/CL)

The article on the effects of social and linguistic environment on language learning in children reviews findings on child-centered interaction styles, touching upon interactional style and language processing and cross-cultural studies of interactional style. (CL)

Research on emergence of language is briefly reviewed and its implications for visually handicapped children noted. A longitudinal study of three congenitally blind infants suggests the need for caution in applying normal developmental theories to the situation. (CL)

Learning disabled students were taught to use the LOGO computer graphics language in an integrated fourth- and fifth-grade setting. Instructional strategies (such as providing many reviews) along with the intrinsically motivating nature of LOGO were thought to be responsible for the success. (CL)