Child Language Disorders

Evidence Based Practice

An approach to decision making in which practitioners use the best available evidence, along with their expertise and client preferences.

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

A large study investigating a specific protocol or treatment to produce generalized results.

Client Preferences

What is relevant to the client and family regarding their goals.

Clinician Expertise

The application of a clinician's knowledge to an individual case.

Basic Research

Theory-driven research that answers the question of 'WHY?'. It builds theories.

Applied Research

Research that addresses specific questions with clinical relevance and seeks solutions to real-world problems.

Descriptive Research

Research that describes characteristics or behaviors and does not manipulate variables.

Experimental Research

Research that manipulates variables to determine cause and effect relationships.

Standardized Test

A test administered and scored in a consistent or standard manner.

Criterion-Referenced Measures

Assessments that measure specific language skills against a set standard.

Type Token Ratio (TTR)

A measurement of vocabulary diversity calculated by dividing the number of different words by the total number of words.

Mean Length of Utterance (MLU)

A measure of linguistic productivity in children, calculated by the total number of morphemes divided by the total number of utterances.

Morphological Development

The development of the structure and form of words in language.

SALT

Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts - software used to analyze language samples.

Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

A language disorder affecting language skills while leaving other cognitive abilities intact.

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

A newer term for SLI that refers to similar patterns of language impairment.

Pragmatics

The rules governing the use of language in social contexts.

Receptive Language

The ability to understand language as it is spoken or signed.

Expressive Language

The ability to produce language in speech or writing.

Fast Mapping

The process by which children rapidly learn new words with minimal exposure.

Phonological Awareness

The ability to recognize and manipulate the sound structure of language.

Cognitive Ability

A measure of intelligence and the mental capacity for learning and understanding.

Neurobiological Nature

Refers to the biological basis for neurological functions governing language.

Auditory Models

Examples of spoken language provided by clinicians to help children develop language skills.

Conversational Recast

A technique in which the clinician repeats a child's utterance with corrections to model grammatically correct speech.

Focused Stimulation

An intervention technique where a specific grammatical morpheme is modeled frequently in a meaningful context.

Play-Based Therapy

Therapy that incorporates play activities to facilitate language development.

Language Intervention Goals

Targets set during therapy to measure progress and outcomes in language development.

Agent in Behavioral Goals

The individual who performs the action in the objective statements of therapeutic goals.

Behavioral Objectives

Long-term goals outlining expected skills the client should master by the end of treatment.

Instructional Goals

Short-term goals that lead up to achieving the long-term behavioral objective.

Generalization in Therapy

The transfer of learned skills to different contexts outside of therapy.

Language Sampling Techniques

Methods used to collect and analyze a child's spontaneous speech for assessment.

Active System of Working Memory

The memory system engaged to hold and process information temporarily.

Phonological Loop

A component of working memory responsible for processing auditory information.

Episodic Memory

Memory that recalls personal experiences and events.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

A working memory component that processes visual and spatial information.

Central Executive

The part of working memory responsible for managing and coordinating information processing.

Language Disorders

Impairments in language skills manifesting as difficulties in comprehension, production, or both.

Normal IQ range

Historically considered to be centered around 100, with deviations indicating cognitive impairments.

Heterogeneous Population in SLI

The diverse characteristics and symptoms within individuals diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment.

Semantic Development Challenges

Difficulties related to understanding and using vocabulary effectively.

Nonmeaningful Repetitions

Repetitions of stimuli that do not contribute to learning or understanding.

Intervention Activities

Strategies and exercises implemented in therapy to promote language development.

Narrative Skills

The ability to tell stories or recount experiences in a logical and cohesive manner.

Pragmatics in Language Disorders

Refers to social language skills that may be affected in a language disorder, impacting interaction.

Late Talkers

Children who show slower than typical language development but may catch up.

Normal Range for Language Skills

Standard deviations indicating typical language development progress.

Prevalence of DLD/SLI

The rate at which language disorders occur in the general population.

Auditory Comprehension Tests

Assessments designed to evaluate a child's receptive language abilities.

Articulation Tests

Standardized assessments used to evaluate speech sound production.

Phonological Processing Tests

Assessments aimed at evaluating a child's ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in words.

Nonverbal Intelligence Tests

Assessments measuring cognitive abilities without reliance on language skills.

Standardized Norms

Data reflecting the performance of a group used to establish benchmarks for assessments.

Clinical Assessment of Articulation and Phonology (CAAP-2)

An evaluation tool for speech sound production and phonological processes.

Rosetti Infant Toddler Scale

A criterion-referenced assessment tool for evaluating early language and communication skills.

Behavioral Objectives

Clear statements of what is intended to be achieved as a result of therapy.

Vocab Diversity Measurement

An evaluation related to the variety of words used in a child's speech.

Encouraging Communication

Strategies implemented to prompt a child to engage in verbal interactions.

Assessing Morphosyntactic Skills

The evaluation of a child's ability to use grammatical structures correctly.

Cognitive Development and Language

The relationship between cognitive functioning and language acquisition.

Emergent Literacy Skills

Beliefs, knowledge structures, and experiences that contribute to a child's readiness to read.

Developmental Trajectories

Patterns of progress seen over time in children's development.

Early Intervention Importance

The significance of addressing language disorders in early childhood to enhance language skills.

Play-Based Learning Activities

Learning experiences designed to take place through playful interactions.

Immediate Correction Strategies

Techniques for quickly addressing and correcting language errors in real-time.

Speech-Language Pathology Practices

Professional techniques employed to assess and treat communication disorders.

Collaborative Therapy Sessions

Therapy practices involving work between multiple professionals to support a child's language development.

Parental Involvement in Therapy

The active participation of parents in their child's therapeutic process.

Semantic Mapping

A visual representation of word meanings and relationships to support vocabulary development.

Contextual Language Learning

Teaching language skills within relevant contexts to enhance understanding and application.

Emotional Variables

Psychological factors that can influence a child's performance in language tasks.

Task-Specific Strategies

Approaches tailored to the specific objectives or goals of a learning task.

Motivational Techniques in Therapy

Methods used to engage and encourage clients during therapeutic sessions.

Language Development Milestones

Expected stages of progress in language acquisition typically achieved by children.

Word Acquisition Patterns

Patterns seen in the way children learn and use new vocabulary.

Assessment Validation Procedures

Methods to ensure assessments accurately measure the intended constructs.

Therapeutic Generalization Techniques

Strategies to help children transfer what they learn in therapy to real-world situations.

Role of Play in Language Learning

The significance of play in supporting effective language development.

Skill Reinforcement Strategies

Practices designed to encourage the consistent use of newly learned language skills.

Overall Language Development Assessment

Comprehensive evaluations that consider all aspects of a child's language use and understanding.

How would you define DLD/SLI?

A language disorder that causes limitations in receptive and expressive language. Normal in every way except Language.

Hallmark characteristic is that children have difficulty with

morphology and syntax

What Standard Deviation is considered a known Language Disorder?

-1.25 to -1.5

How did Bruce Tomblin define language disorder?

Language disorder based on how a society would view a language disorder. More severe problems because the individual is being disvalued by society. Looking at a child's level of language skills places her at risk for social disvalue in one or more domains of life functions.

When is DLD/SLI mostly diagnosed?

Preschool age

Do DLD/SLI children have deficits in IQ?

they can show mild or relative deficits in nonverbal cognitive performance and processing speed

Do all children with DLD/SLI have phonology problems? What percentage of children do?

Yes, and 80%

What is Residual DLD/SLI?

The long-term, lasting effects of a language disorder that persist into adolescence and adulthood, even after an individual has undergone years of speech therapy or appeared to "outgrow" their childhood language delays

What is the Prevalence of DLD/SLI ?

7.2% of the population and the 10th percentile

Slow Learner and IQ (70-85)

Yes, I might be a slow talker, don't wait and see.

DLD/SLI and pragmatics (passive communicators and problems with narratives)

If you ask a question they might answer but they won’t initiate communication.

Laurence of Leonard studies .  Where does he teach ?

Laurence of Leonard studies Childhood language Disorders.  Where does he teach Purdue University?

What is the difference between language disorder and language delay? Explain

A disorder is more severe than a delay, you can grow out of a delay, delay is often used for young children.

Phonological Awareness & Literacy--Why is phonological awareness important?

Phonological awareness looks at the smaller sound that is better for language.

How is phonemic awareness different from phonological awareness?

Phonemic awareness is only the sounds in a word and phonological awareness is the sound structure.

What is the development of phonological awareness?

Word level, syllable level, phoneme level

What is Sound Blending, Segmentation, Identifying Initial Sound, Rhyming?

Sound blending: is putting the sounds together

Segmentation: taking the word apart

Rhyming: Hat, bat

Identifying Initial sound: the first sound in a word

What is a standardized Test?

It is a test that has been taken where they get an average score for a test from the age of where the kid should be.

What is a criterion assessment? Language Sample?

The biggest criterion assessment is language sample