language disorders lecture 2 review

Bloom and Leahy Model

explains language through form, content, and use

Form

how language is structured

1. phonology: sound system

2. morphology: word parts and grammatical markers

3. syntax: word order and sentence structure

application:

• the child says “Doggy eat” instead of “The dog is eating”. the child is able to get their idea across, but the sentence is grammatically incomplete. there may be a problem with form here, mainly morphology and syntax

content

what language means:

• vocabulary

• concepts

• semantic realtionships

application:

• child says “I did that thing with the stuff”. The sentence is basic, but the message is vague. the child may need more precise vocabulary to express the idea clearly.

Use

how language is used socially:

• requesting

• commenting

• asking questions

• turn-taking

• topic maintenance

• repairing communication breakdowns

application:

• a child has a strong vocabulary and grammar but often changes the subject and struggles to adjust their language to the listener.

ex: a child says, “yesterday, he walked to school”. What component is affected?

Form. the child omits the past-tense -ed. the child may have difficulty with grammatical morphology

ex: a child speaks in complete sentences but uses vague words and struggles to explain what things mean. which component may be affected?

Content. the child may have difficulty with vocabulary, concepts, or semantic relationships

ex: a child uses correct grammar but interrupts others and struggles to maintain conversations. which component may be affected?

Use. the child may have difficulty with turn-taking and topic maintenance

can a child have strong grammar but weak social communication?

Yes. they can have strong form but difficulty with use

why should an SLP examine all 3 components?

Because language includes structure, meaning, and social purpose. looking at only one component may miss other communication difficulties.

what 3 questions should an SLP ask when analyzing language?

• content: what does the child mean?

• form: how is the message structured?

• use: how is the message being used?

what does “Doggy eat” tell us about form?

the utterance is short and has immature sentence structure. it is missing grammatical elements, like an article and auxiliary verb

• Mature version: “The dog is eating”

what does “doggy eat” tell us about content?

the meaning is understandable. the child communicates an agent-action relationship: the dog is eating

what does “doggy eat” tell us about use?

its communicative purpose depends on the context. it should be a comment, answer, a request, or a pretend play statement

why shouldn’t you interrupt an utterance based on grammar alone?

because grammar doesn’t tell the whole story. you must also consider the meaning and communicative purpose

ex: a child says “two cat” instead of “two cats”. which component is most directly involved

form: the child omits the plural “-s” a grammatical marker

ex: a child says “give me the thing” because they cannot remember or select the specific word they want. which component might be involved?

content. the difficulty may involve retrieving the precise vocabulary needed to express the intended meaning.

ex: a child has excellent vocabulary and produces grammatically correct sentences but struggles to take turns during conversations. which component is most directly involved?

use. the difficulty involves social communication and turn-taking

ex: a child says, “doggy eat” while playing with a toy dog. can you conclude that the child has difficulties with all 3 components?

no, you need more info. the sentence suggests immature form, but the child may communicate the intended content clearly. use depends on the communicative context.

ex: a child tells a story with correct grammar and appropriate vocabulary but changes the topic repeatedly, making it difficult for the listener to follow. which component may be affected?

use. the child may have difficulty with topic maintenance and organizing communication for the listner.

an SLP wants to determine whether a child understands word meanings, constructs sentences correctly, and uses language appropriately with others. which model could organize this evaluation?

the Bloom and Leahy Model. it organizes languages into form, content, and use