Past tense verb production in children with specific language impairment and language-matched children with typical language was compared using language samples and a standardized probe (Rice/Wexler Test of Early Grammatical Impairment). Analyses revealed accuracy and error type differences between elicitation types and groups. Results have important clinical practice implications.

Regular (e.g., jumped) and irregular (e.g., fell) past tense verb acquisition in children with typical language development (TL) occurs between ages 3-5. In children with specific language impairment (SLI), acquisition of these forms is extended and errors in spontaneous conversation may even continue into adulthood. However, there is a lack of consensus as to whether probed or spontaneous language samples give a more accurate representation of a child’s linguistic skills. The first aim of this study was to determine if there were differences in regular and irregular past tense verb production accuracy between two Elicitation Methods: probed vs. spontaneous language sampling. The second aim was to determine if accuracy and error patterns differed between children with SLI and children with TL. The participants included 11 children with SLI (mean age: 5 years) and 20 children with TL (mean age: 3 years 6 months). Each participant received a battery of tests to determine language status. This battery included two elicitation methods for regular and irregular past tense: a probe and a spontaneous language sample. The Rice/Wexler Test of Early Grammatical Impairment probed past tense verb production using picture prompts and a standardized verbal routine. Additionally, a language sample was recorded in which participants told three thematically related stories provided spontaneous productions. The first two stories were read by the examiner first and the child was asked to retell it. The first story was presented in the present tense. The second story was presented in the past tense. The third story was made up by the child based on the pictures and the tense was free to vary. These stories provided the language sample that was then transcribed and coded for a statistical analysis of verb production. Within and between groups ANOVAs revealed statistically significant differences between the probe and spontaneous language samples, with the probe yielding higher accuracy for regular and irregular past tense verb production in both groups. There was no significant Group effect or Group by Elicitation Method interaction. Analysis of the types of errors produced revealed a statistically significant Group by Elicitation Method interaction. Post hoc analysis found for regular past tense verbs, children with SLI produced more stem-form errors than children with TL. For irregular past tense forms, children with SLI produced more stem form errors, while children with TL produce more overregularization errors. The observed pattern of errors is consistent with inclusionary criteria for SLI, the literature, and theoretical foundations. The results add to the literature about the accuracy of probe and spontaneous language sample elicitation methods.

Speech-language pathologists are challenged with providing children with treatment that results in the greatest amount of improvement in the least amount of time. To aid in this challenge, we examined how quickly and efficaciously seven children with a specific language impairment (SLI) learned verbs compared to seven children with typical language (TL) development. Each child was taught the meaning and use of six nonsense verbs. Nonsense verbs were used to ensure that the target verbs had never been heard by any of the participants before the experiment and allowed us to control verb exposure. Each participant received up to four training sessions of 30-minutes each. During these sessions, the examiner utilized naturalistic conversational techniques and play activities with carefully selected sets of toys that corresponded to the meaning of the target words. The training sessions were ended when children demonstrated 100% accuracy in their understanding of the verbs and 50% accuracy in their production during a probe task. All sessions were audio-recorded and the experimenters and childs utterances were reliably coded. Analysis revealed that the two groups received the same input from the experimenter in terms of the number and type of exposures to the verbs. We examined the childrens nonsense verb productions for their rate and quality. Rate of verb acquisition was measured by counting: 1) the number of sessions required before the criteria for learning was met; 2) the number of exposures before childs first spontaneous production of each target verb; and 3) the number of exposures before childs first elicited production of each target verb. Quality of verb acquisition was measured by counting: 1) the number of alternative real verbs substituted for a nonsense verb and 2) the accuracy of transitive target verb usage. Although the results were not statistically significant for any of the measures tested, there was a trend for children with SLI to learn the target nonsense verbs more slowly but just as

In this study 538 children composed 1 oral and 1 written fictional story in both 2nd and 4th grades. Each child represented 1 of 4 diagnostic groups: typical language (TL), specific language impairment (SLI), nonspecific language impairment (NLI), or low nonverbal IQ (LNIQ). The stories of the TL group had more different words, more grammatical complexity, fewer errors, and more overall quality than either language-impaired group at either grade. Stories of the SLI and LNIQ groups were consistently stronger than were those of the NLI group. Kindergarten children with language impairment (LI) whose standardized test performance suggested normalization by 2nd grade also appeared to have recovered in storytelling abilities at that point. By 4th grade, however, these children's stories were less like the children with TL and more like those of children with persistent LI than they had been in 2nd grade. Oral stories were better than written stories in both grades, although the greatest gains from 2nd to 4th grade were generally made on written stories. Girls told stronger stories than did boys at both grades, regardless of group placement. It is concluded that story composition tasks are educationally relevant and should play a significant role in the evaluation of children with developmental LI.

In this study, the author examined the effects of training four parents from low-socioeconomic environments to use Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) with their young children with language impairment. The investigator used a modified Teach-Model-Coach-Review method to teach parents to use the following EMT strategies during 8-10 individualized, home-based sessions: matched turns, expansions, time delays and milieu teaching prompts. A single-case multiple-baseline design across-behaviors replicated across four parent/child dyads was used to evaluate the parents' use of the EMT strategies. Child language outcomes were also assessed using pre- and post-intervention language samples. All parents learned and demonstrated use of each language support strategy to set criterion levels. Results from this study indicated a functional relation between the brief parent-implemented language intervention training and parents’ use of language support strategies. Additionally, all four children demonstrated gains in expressive language. Additional research is needed to assess fidelity and dosage of parents’ use of strategies on specific child language outcomes and to determine how to facilitate maintenance of parents’ use of strategies over time.

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a Midwest urban public school system have experienced barriers that prohibit the effective use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The result has left some students with speech language impairments (SLI) without the communication skills for meaningful relationships and success in and out of school. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to determine the perceived barriers of 8 local school SLPs regarding the successful implementation of AAC and their suggestions for addressing the problem. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the SLPs. Data collection and analysis were grounded by Ely's conditions of change theory to better understand what conditions were not being met for implementing AAC. The findings suggested that SLPs and teachers lacked the needed knowledge, experience, and time to properly implement AAC. The participants also indicated the need for more participation and commitment from their colleagues, school leaders, and the students' family members, which would also require additional training and collaborative planning time. The recommendations are that school administrators provide additional training and time for SLPs, their colleagues, and students' family members to learn how to properly help students with SLI use AAC in the classroom. The results of this study could help students with SLI by increasing the use of AAC in the school setting, home, and community. This could increase learning opportunities, student achievement, and relationships for students using AAC.

<p>I denna studie analyseras skriftspråksutvecklingen hos sex elever i riskzonen för läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Syftet med studien är att klarlägga vilken roll specialpedagogiska insatser spelar för elevers skrift-språkliga utveckling. Har innehållet i stödet någon betydelse för elevernas utveckling och vad händer när stödet uteblir? Studien fokuserar på tidig kontra sen identifiering av elevernas läs- och skrivsvårigheter samt påföljande insatser. I detta sammanhang analyseras också hur dessa insatser påverkar elevernas självförtroende och motivation för skolarbetet. Resultatet tyder på att det inte främst är tidpunkten för insatserna som är det mest betydelsefulla för en positiv utveckling, utan snarare innehållet i stödet. Det är det språkliga stödet, anpassat till elevernas specifika svårigheter och utvecklingsnivå, som är den avgörande faktorn. Detta stöd bygger på träning i fonologisk medvetenhet, korrela-tionen mellan fonem och grafem, uppbygg-nad av ordförrådet och utvecklande av effektiva lässtrategier. Tidpunkten för insatserna är inte generaliserbar utan beroende av problemets art och det enskilda barnets förutsättningar. Det framkommer i studien att det skedde en positiv utveckling av läs- och skrivförmågan i samtliga fall, oavsett om de var tidiga eller sena. Det skedde även en positiv social utveckling. De tre barnen som fick sena insatser fick emellertid genomgå en period med flera negativa följdverk-ningar, men så snart de språkliga insatserna kom till stånd vändes den negativa trenden och arbetsglädjen byggdes successivt upp. Specialundervisning, där språket inte spelar någon central roll, visade sig i denna studie inte ge någon större effekt. Resultaten från studien visar på ett övertygande sätt att det är av yttersta vikt att de barn som ligger i riskzonen för läs- och skrivsvårigheter får en omsorgsfull språklig utredning gjord till exempel av logoped. Elevens problem bör utredas i grunden så att rätt hjälp kan anvisas till varje enskild elev. Det måste också finnas en koppling mellan utredningen och de pedagogiska insatserna. Studien visar även att det är viktigt att det finns tillgång till pedagoger med ändamålsenlig kompetens för att uppnå önskvärt resultat. Mycket i denna studie tyder på att tidsmarginalerna är små i barnets tidiga utveckling. Man måste därför studera tidpunkten för insatserna mera specifikt i förhållande till barnets utvecklingsnivå och problemets art för att barnet ska få hjälp på rätt nivå så att läsinlärningen blir framgångsrik. Studien understryker betydelsen av meningsfullhet, god självbild, motivation och sammanhang för eleverna.</p><p>This study investigates the development of the reading and writing ability of six pupils in danger of developing reading and writing disabilities. The purpose is to investigate the effects of remedial teaching on their reading and writing abilities. How much does the contents of the teaching matter, and what happens when remedial teaching is not forthcoming? The focus is on comparing the consequences of early vs. late discovery of the disability, and of the ensuing measures taken. The self confidence and motivation of the pupils are also analysed in this context. My results imply that the content of the remedial teaching is of greater importance to a favourable development than an early discovery. The crucial factor is the adaptation of the linguistic support to the specific problems and developmental level of each individual pupil. The support consists in developing phonological awareness, phonem-graphem correlation, vocabulary and efficient reading strategies. As for the timing, no generalised conclusions can be made. The outcome is dependent on the nature of the problem, and of the preconditions and capacities of the individual child. The study shows that there was a positive development of the reading and writing ability in all six cases, regardless of whether the discovery of the disability was early or late. There was also a positive social development. In the three cases where the remedial teaching came late, the children went through a period that had several adverse consequences, but as soon as the supportive measures were initiated the negative trend was broken, and the joy of learning developed gradually. Remedial teaching where the focus was not primarily on linguistic development did, however, seem to have little effect. This study demonstrates clearly how vital it is that children in danger of developing reading and writing disabilities are carefully examined by, e.g., a speech therapist. Their individual problems must be thoroughly investigated, so that the supportive measures can be tailored to suit their needs. Hence, the examination must be closely linked to the pedagogical efforts. The study also shows that access to pedagogues with an adequate competence is crucial to the achievement of a favourable result. There are strong indications in this study that the time windows are quite narrow in the early development of a child. The timing of the remedial teaching must be more specifically studied, and related to the developmental level and specific problems of each individual child, in order to achieve an optimal reading development. This study emphasises the importance to the pupils of relevance, a positive self image, motivation and coherence.</p>

<p>Speech intervention for children with language impairment aims to both strengthen specific language skills and to reinforce the ability to participate in interactional contexts. Children with language impairment often have problems in interaction; therefore the contributions of the conversational partner are of great importance. Thus, the demands are high on the speech and language pathologist (SLP) for sense and cohesion in intervention. The aim of the present study was to examine how SLPs and children with language impairment interact in language intervention. An approach influenced by Conversation Analysis was used in order to identify various phenomena that occurred, and their effect on the structure of the interaction was analyzed.</p><p>Four SLPs, two men and two women, were enrolled in the study.  They participated in intervention with two children with language impairment each, i.e. eight conversations. The analysis showed that different forms of feedback and different repair strategies had an impact on the interaction. In addition, it was shown that the interactions contained several situations related to social face work.  Both differences and similarities were found between the participants in the analyzed material. Different interactional patterns of the SLPs appeared to affect the outcome of the intervention in different ways.</p> / <p>Logopedisk intervention för barn med språkstörning har för avsikt att både stärka de specifika språkförmågor som brister och att göra barnet mer redo för kommunikativa sammanhang. Språkstörning hos barn innebär ofta svårigheter i interaktionen med andra, därför är samtalspartnerns agerande av stor betydelse. Således är kraven på logopeden stora för att skapa mening och sammanhållning i interventionen. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka hur logopeder och barn med språkstörning interagerar vid behandling av språkstörning. Ett arbetssätt influerat av Conversation Analysis användes för att belysa olika fenomen som förekom i interaktionen och vilken inverkan dessa hade på interaktionens struktur.</p><p>I studien deltog fyra logopeder, två män och två kvinnor med två behandlingsbesök av barn med språkstörning vardera, således åtta samtal. Intressanta fenomen som förekom var olika typer av återkopplingar, reparationer och ansiktshotande situationer. Det förelåg både skillnader och likheter mellan deltagarna i det analyserade materialet. Logopedernas olika interaktionsmönster förefaller påverka interventionen på olika sätt.</p>

Der vorliegende Tagungsband enthält alle Beiträge des 1. Herbsttreffens Patholinguistik, das am 24.11.2007 an der Universität Potsdam stattgefunden hat. Sowohl die drei Hauptvorträge zum Thema „Der Erwerb von Lexikon und Semantik – Meilensteine, Störungen und Therapie“ als auch die Kurzvorträge promovierter Patholinguisten sind ausführlich dokumentiert. Außerdem enthält der Tagungsband die Abstracts der präsentierten Poster. / These proceedings contain the contributions presented at the “1st Herbsttreffen Patholinguistik” that took place on November 24, 2007 at the University of Potsdam. Three main lectures focused on "The acquisition of lexicon and semantics - milestones, impairments, and intervention". In addition, the proceedings contain short presentations on patholinguistic research and the abstracts of the presented posters.

This paper explores the interaction of children with language impairment (LI). The present essay is a conversation analytic study of child-child and child-therapist dyads. The aim was to explore in what ways children with LI reach common understanding. Another purpose was to investigate if there are differences in interaction between dyads with children with LI and dyads with children with LI and speech language therapist. Seven children, three girls and four boys, with LI participated in the study. All the children are enrolled at a language unit. The dialogues were recorded, transcribed and analysed. The results revealed no differences in the children’s length of utterance between the child-child dyads and the child-SLT dyads. Another important finding was that it became more of a course of event in the play between child and SLT in contrast to the child-child dyads, where the communication more concerned one or a couple of objects. In general, the children managed to initiate, respond, give feedback, negotiate and make requests of clarification and repair utterances in conversation with each other. One important conclusion is that conversation analysis could be used in identification of strengths and weaknesses in children’s communication. The knowledge from the analyses ought to be applicable in intervention with children with LI. / Föreliggande studie behandlar hur barn med språkstörning interagerar. Vidare är den en samtalsanalytisk studie av samtal barn-barn och barn-logoped. Syftet var att studera hur gemensam förståelse uppnås i kommunikation samt att undersöka om skillnader förelåg mellan de två samtalstyperna. Sju barn, tre flickor och fyra pojkar, med generell språkstörning deltog i studien. Samtliga går på språkförskola i södra Sverige. Samtalen spelades in, transkriberades samt analyserades. Resultaten visade att barnen initierade och responderade, återkopplade, förhandlade, begärde förtydligande samt reparerade yttranden relativt väl. Vidare framkom ingen skillnad i yttrandelängd hos barnen beroende på vem de kommunicerade med. Barnen upprätthöll ett samtalsämne tämligen adekvat. I logopedbarnsamtalen utvecklades samspelet mer till ett längre händelseförlopp, till skillnad från barnbarnsamtalen, där samtalen centrerades kring ett eller ett par föremål. Samtalsanalys förefaller vara ett bra verktyg vid bedömning av kommunikation. Metoden visar barns språkliga styrkor och svagheter i vardagligt samspel. Samtalsanalysens resultat kan därefter användas för att träna social interaktion i vardagen, och där torde logopeden ha en betydande roll gällande handledning av kommunikativ träning.