As a group, the language impaired children demonstrated deficits in comprehension when compared to the normal language children. However, both groups scored near the ceiling on several tests, and on most tests that did differentiate the two groups, the mean scores of both groups were above the norms. (Author)

Evaluation of questionnaires on the expressive communication skills of 211 individuals with severe mental retardation (including both children and adults in a variety of residential settings) revealed a wide range of communication abilities, with a significantly larger percentage of adults than children communicating at symbolic levels. (Author/DB)

Examines whether the type of pictorial stimulus affects the quality of an individual's written expression. Compared a pictorial stimulus to a conventional line drawing stimulus in its ability to evoke writing samples. Results of 50 respondents, ages 13 to 46, indicated that the type of prompt used in an assessment of written expression makes a…

Proposes three dimensions of lexical competence: partial to precise knowledge; depth of knowledge; and receptive to productive use ability. The relationship between the two knowledge dimensions and the acquisition of word meaning is considered, with emphasis on the complexity of the semantization process and on the need for redefining lexical…

Used a genetic design to investigate association between physical aggression and language development in 19-month-old twins. Found a modest but significant correlation between aggression and expressive vocabulary. Substantial heritability was found for physical aggression. Quantitative genetic modeling suggested that the correlation could not be…

The study compared the deviant, repetitive language of 33 males (9 with Down syndrome, 12 with fragile X syndrome, and 12 with autism). Results indicated that males with fragile X syndrome manifest deviant, repetitive language that is distinct from males with either Down syndrome or autism. (DB)

Argues that a consensus is emerging that rhetorical axiology is the most important goal in teaching composition. Proposes a metatheory about the components necessary to a theory of composition. Uses the metatheory to clarify the role of a philosophy of composition. Argues that composition studies in the 1980s moved toward a homogeneity of purpose…

The study found that college student writers with learning disabilities (N=35) produced better coherent written text than did underprepared non-disabled students. LD writers appeared to understand text structure like normally achieving writers but, like the underprepared writers, they experienced difficulty in the production process. (Author/DB)

Explores: (1) expression in talking, particularly as it expands the writing process; (2) spoken traces of culture filtering into writing; and (3) richness and color of expression as writing motivators. Describes four strategies for improving writing instruction that recognize the orality of composition and the duality of language. (SR)

Parents are provided with directions for making inexpensive mini-communication boards for children with expressive communication problems, and suggestions are provided for training the child in board use. Small pictures or objects selected to reflect the child's vocabulary needs are mounted on a simple board, allowing the child to express his…

This review considers aspects of normal mental storage and retrieval, storage and retrieval in disordered word finding, possible causes of word finding disorders, and clinical implications in both storage and retrieval components. Implications call for attention to increasing word knowledge, storage strength, naming accuracy and speed, retrieval…

This article argues that word finding problems of children with dyslexia reflect deficits that underlie both naming and reading problems. Research on the co-occurrence of reading and word finding problems is reviewed, and a four-phase research program is reported. Findings focus on the causal relationship between naming speed deficits and reading…

This study examined keyword signing (KWS), a communication approach used with nonspeaking individuals. Acoustic measures and judgments of 20 adult listeners were used to evaluate KWS and Spoken-Only narratives. KWS narratives were produced with a slower articulation rate, because of increased pause and speech segment duration and increased pause…

This study examined the relationship between prelinquistic vocalization and expressive vocabulary one year later in 58 toddlers (ages 17- to 34-months old). Rate of vocalizations, rate of vocalizations with consonants, and rate of vocalizations used interactively were all positively related to later expressive vocabulary. (Author/DB)

Vocabulary growth from age 2 to 3 years was studied in 28 late talkers, using expressive vocabulary inventories reported bimonthly on the Language Development Survey (LDS). (Author/VWL)