This manual describes the Wisconsin Sensorimotor Pointing Assessment (WSPA) for individuals with severe communication deficits complicated by other cognitive or motor disabilities, and provides guidelines for its administration. The WSPA was designed to quantify four categories of sensory and motor abilities necessary for initiating and accurately…

Child-adult dialogues are important in an interactionist approach to acquisition of language behaviors because of the scaffolding provided by adults. Different forms of scaffolding used with children with and without language impairments are reviewed, and research on scaffolding with children aged 4-6 years is reported. Discourse strategies used…

Addressing the California legislative provisions dealing with community college districts' support services or instruction offered through Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS), this report presents the specific amendments, additions, and repeals to Sections 56000 through 56076 of Subchapter 1 of Chapter 7 of Division 6 of Title 5 of the…

This paper discusses the interagency collaboration between a clinical assessment and intervention program for toddlers offered through the psychiatry department of a large metropolitan west coast medical center and a group home for infants and young children who are positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The paper presents the case…

This collection of papers focuses on how adults communicate with children in institutional settings such as public schools and day care centers, and how professionals in the field of communication disorders communicate among themselves. Papers include: "Introduction: Linguistic Theories and Language Interaction" (Madeline M. Maxwell); "Inuit…

This monograph presents language factors related to bilingualism, to assist educators to distinguish normal phenomena due to bilingualism from symptoms of a handicapping condition. The first section, called "The Nature of Bilingualism," discusses the diversity of bilingual students and their dynamic use of two languages, focusing on simultaneous…

This training manual is designed to improve understanding of Chinese American children, their families, and the issues surrounding the assessment process, to assist educators in creating a more appropriate assessment and learning environment for the limited English speaking Chinese American child. Three training modules are included; each module…

A problem solving study focused on the effectiveness of the student speech therapy practicum, part of the speech pathology and audiology program in the Department of Communication Disorders at Hampton Institute (Virginia). The objective was to investigate participants' attitudes toward the program and its problems and provide solutions for…

Based on reporting forms from nearly 500 teachers, the booklet identifies effective materials for use with exceptional learners. Contents are divided into various exceptionality areas (educable mentally retarded, trainable mentally retarded, severely and profoundly retarded, communication handicapped, learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, deaf…

This guide to recent sources of published information in hearing, speech, and communication disorders lists 759 references. The items are arranged in nine major sections and are annotated except when reasons of processing prevent. The section on reviews covers hearing, language, speech, and additional reviews; the section on special serials…

Communication disorders presentations include the following: expectations of the teacher of the deaf for audiological and psychological services to the young deaf child by Doin E. Hicks; questions and answers on stuttering therapy by Frank J. Falck; the knowledge of words of a deaf child by Toby Silverman; and a comparative study of the modality…

This case study presents an assessment-intervention model for augmentative and alternative communication with a head-injured adolescent. The model addresses the client's needs and skills and also provides support and training for caregivers. The case study documents the adolescent's transition through a range of communication systems over a…

This study compared the professional expectations of graduate students in speech and language pathology (SLP) with the employment realities offered by the profession. A total of 89 graduate students enrolled in the SLP program at Valdosta State University (VSU) in Georgia during 1995-97 completed a seven-item questionnaire on employment prospects.…

The number of deaf children with surgically implanted cochlear devices has been increasing since the device was approved in 1989. In rural communities, there may be no one who is knowledgeable about the care of cochlear implants, what to expect of the child's communication abilities, and how to maximize the child's progress. A federally funded…

This introduction to a series of five articles in a clinical forum outlines the forum theme, that culturally/linguistically diverse children can be validly and reliably assessed and treated for communication disorders. The introduction notes the growing population of minority children in the United States and the critical shortage of minority…