Language Disorders: A Functional Approach to Assessment and Intervention

The new fifth edition of Language Disorders offers a comprehensive discussion of language disorders and clinical practice that emphasizes classroom application and evidence-based practice. The text builds a foundation of information about models and disorders and then asks students to apply that information to learning assessment and intervention skills. This text takes a functional, environmental, and conversational approach to assessment and intervention by using the child's natural environment and conversational partners. Unlike other language disorders texts that have a disorder-specific focus, this text takes a logical traverse from assessment through intervention across disorders.   The revised fifth edition is completely updated with current trends and developments in the field and offers an array of practical ideas and useful suggestions for students and speech-language pathologists. The text provides concrete guidelines and procedures for the assessment and training of children as well as training for speech-language pathologists.

Table of Contents:
 Language Disorders: A Functional Approach to Assessment and Intervention, 5/e   Preface ix   Part I:  Introduction 1 1 A Functional Language Approach 3     Role of Pragmatics in Intervention 8     Dimensions of Communication Context  Summary 10     Role of Generalization in Intervention 10     Variables that Affect Generalization Summary 17     Evidence-Based Practice 17     Conclusion 19 2 Language Impairments 21     Diagnostic Categories 22     Information Processing 24     Mental Retardation or Intellectual Diability 26     Language Learning Disability 34     Specific Language Impairment 41     Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism-Spectrum Disorder 48     Brain Injury 55     Maltreatment: Neglect or Abuse 57     Other Language Impairments 61     Conclusion 63     Implications 64   Part II: Communication Assessment 67   3 Assessment of Preschool and School-Age Children with Language Impairment 69     Psychometric Versus Descriptive Procedures 7     Psychometric Assessment Protocols 73     Test Differences 74     Content 74     Misuse of Normative Testing 75     Variables in Test Selection 79     Summary 80     Descriptive Approaches 80      Reliability and Validity 81     Summary 83     An Integrated Functional Assessment Strategy 83      Questionnaire, Interview, and Referral 84     Observation 85     Formal Testing 87     Sampling 97     Assessment for Information-Processing Deficits 98     Conclusion 98 4 Assessment of Preschool and School-Age Children with Language Difference 99      State of Service Delivery 101      Lack of Preparation and Experience 101     Unfamiliarity with Language and Culture 101     Lack of Appropriate Assessment Tools 106     Overcoming Bias in an Assessment 107      Use of Interpreters 108     Alternative Assessment 110     An Integrated Model for Assessment 111      Children with LEP 112     Children with Different Dialects 118     Summary 120    Conclusion 120 5 Language Sampling 121      Planning and Collecting a Representative Sample 122      Representativeness 122     A Variety of Language Contexts 123     Evocative Conversational Techniques 128     Language Sampling of Children with CLD Backgrounds 137     Recording the Sample 138     Transcribing the Sample 140     Collecting Samples of Written Language 143     Conclusion 143 6 Analysis Across Utterances and Partners and by Communication Event 145      Across Utterances and Partners 147      Stylistic Variations 147     Referential Communication 148     Cohesive Devices 151     Communication Event 153      Social Versus Nonsocial 154     Conversational Initiation 155     Topic Initiation 156     Conversation and Topic Maintenance 158     Duration of Topic 161     Topic Analysis Format 162        Turn Taking 166     Conversation and Topic Termination 169     Conversational Breakdown 170     Conversational Partner 173     Conclusion 175 7 Analyzing a Language Sample at the Utterance Level 176      Language Use 177      Disruptions 178     Intentions 179     Content 184     Lexical Items 185     Word Relationships 187     Figurative Language 190     Word Finding 191     Form 192     Quantitative Measures 192     Syntactic and Morphological Analysis 197     Conclusion 215 8 Narrative Analysis 216      Scripts and Narrative Frames 218     Collecting Narratives 218     Narrative Analysis 220     Narrative Levels 221     High-Point Analysis 222     Story Grammars 224     Expressive Elaboration 227     Quantitative Measures 229     Cohesive Devices 230     Reliability and Validity 232          Children with CLD Backgrounds 233     Narrative Collection and Analysis 235     Conclusion 236 Part 3 Intervention 239 9 A Functional Intervention Model 241      Principles 243      The Language Facilitator as Reinforcer 243     Close Approximation of Natural Learning 244     Following Developmental Guidelines 244     Following the Child’s Lead 246     Active Involvement of the Child 247     Heavy Influence of Context on Language 247     Familiar Events Providing Scripts 247     Designing a Generalization Plan First 248      Generalization Variables 248      Training Targets 248     Training Items 250     Method of Training 252     Language Facilitators 255     Training Cues 262     Contingencies 263     Location 264     Conclusion 265 10 Manipulating Context 266      Nonlinguistic Contexts 267      Linguistic Contexts 269      Modeling 270     Direct Linguistic Cues 272     Indirect Linguistic Cues 273     Contingencies 274      Top-Down Teaching 279      Conclusion 281 11 Specific Intervention Techniques 283      Pragmatics 283      Intentions 284     Conversational Abilities 288      Narration 295      Semantics 299     Inadequate Vocabulary 300     Semantic Categories and Relational Words 303     Word Retrieval and Categorization 311     Comprehension 315      Syntax and Morphology 322      Morphology 323     Verb Tensing 323     Pronouns 327     Plurals 328     Articles 328     Prepositions 329     Word Order and Sentence Types 330     Summary 331     Children with CLD Backgrounds 333     Use of Microcomputers 336     Conclusion 338 12 Classroom Functional Intervention 339      Background and Rationale: Recent Educational Changes 340      Inclusion 341     Collaborative Teaching 342     Summary 343     Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist 344      Relating to Others 344     Language Intervention and Language Arts 345      Elements of a Classroom Model 346      Identification of Children at Risk 346     Curriculum-Based Intervention 353     Linguistic Awareness Intervention Within the Classroom 358     Language Facilitation 365      Instituting a Classroom Model 370     Conclusion 374 13 Literacy Impairments: Language in a Visual Mode 375      Reading 377     Reading Problems 377     Children with CLD Backgrounds 379     Assessment of Reading 380     Intervention for Reading Impairment 385      Writing 397     Writing Problems 397      Assessment of Writing 399     Intervention for Writing Impairment 403 Conclusion 408   Appendices A Considerations for CLD Children 409 B Language Analysis Methods 419 C Selected English Morphological Prefixes and Suffixes 443 D Indirect Elicitation Techniques 445 E Intervention Activities and Language Targets 449 F Use of Children’s Literature in Preschool Classrooms 453      Glossary 467 References 471 Author Index 535 Subject Index 549    

About the Author :
Robert E. Owens, Jr., Ph.D., is a professor of speech-language pathology and director of the graduate program in speech pathology at the State University of New York at Geneseo. He is the author of a number of textbooks, book chapters, and articles, including Language Development: An Introduction (Allyn & Bacon, 2007), and the Program for Acquisition of Language with the Severely Impaired (PALS). He has presented approximately 150 professional papers and workshops in both the U.S. and abroad.