Much advice has been published in the last 40 years that has attempted to aid speech-language pathologists in choosing language assessment tools (e.g., Danwitz, 1981 & Darley, 1979 ). Questions have arisen about what tests are actually being used in public schools and the reasons for those tests being used over other tests. The data bank of information is minimal in this area as only one study has appeared in the literature in which Wilson, Blackmon, Hall, & Elcholtz, (1991), conducted a State survey of currently used language assessment instruments. The primary research question to be answered was: What methods of language assessment are being used in Oregon? Secondary questions to be answered were: (a) What factors influence the selection and use of the chosen procedures?, (b) What are the dates of development of the tests used most frequently, (c) By what means do the public school clinicians keep themselves current with new trends and information in the field? There were 567 questionnaires mailed out to Oregon Speech-Language Pathologists who worked in the public school setting and served children 4-9 years of age. Of the 297 respondees, only 4 reported not using any formal instruments for language assessment. Results show 9 main standardized tests were used for measuring expressive language by the majority of the respondents. Listed in order of frequency of use, they are: TOLD, EOWPVT, WORD test, CELF, LPT, SPELT, ASSET, TOPS, and the PLS. For receptive language, also in order of frequency of use, the 1 O main tests were as follows: PPVT, TOLD, CELF, TACL, ASSET, BOEHM, PLS, ROWPVT, BRACKEN, and the LPT. Factors that influenced the selection and use of specific tests included: personal experience; ease of administration; time restraints; budgets and availability of tests and district protocols for assessments. Dates of publication, new and revisions, for both the expressive and receptive tests used ranged from 1983 - 1990. At the time of this survey, the main ways that clinicians were keeping themselves current for new tests on the market were word of mouth from associates, inservices on new tests, and reading new information in journals.

Univ., Diss.--Göteborg, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-160).

Este trabalho possui, como eixo, a investigação de dificuldades apresentadas pela criança, em sua produção escrita, procurando propiciar um melhor entendimento acerca do obstáculo que se interpõe a essa produção. Seu objetivo geral consiste em analisar erros que aparecem em produções escritas da criança, abordando esses erros como marcas do sujeito, na escrita infantil. Possui como objetivos específicos: identificar tipos de erros que aparecem em produções verbais escritas de uma criança; localizar os erros que constituem marcas do sujeito na escrita infantil; aprofundar o estudo dessas marcas do sujeito, concebendo-as como efeito da captura da criança pelo funcionamento (metafórico e metonímico) da língua. Pretendemos, também, destacar pontos relevantes no discurso do outro (familiares e elenco da Escola), no que diz respeito às dificuldades na escrita da criança, à medida que tais pontos venham contribuir para uma melhor compreensão dessas dificuldades. Esta proposta se fundamenta na abordagem da aquisição de linguagem de Cláudia de Lemos (2002) que, a partir de Saussure, Jakobson e Lacan, elege a noção de captura como explicativa da mudança, que ocorre no infans, de sua condição de não falante para uma condição de falante. Trata-se, portanto, de uma captura da criança pelo funcionamento estrutural da língua: os processos metafóricos e metonímicos, proposta a que se filia Sônia Borges (2006, 2011), no seu enfoque da aquisição da língua escrita. Serão também tomados, como fundamento teórico, Pommier (2011a; 2011b) e Lier-DeVitto e Andrade (2011). Pretendeu-se, ainda, abordar efeitos provocados por problemas que ocorrem na produção escrita infantil. A fim de alcançar os objetivos propostos, foram analisadas produções escritas de um sujeito uma criança de 10 anos, aluna do 4 ano do ensino fundamental, que apresenta obstáculos nessas produções sem comprometimento neurológico. A análise e discussão dessas produções 10 textos escritos indicaram que as dificuldades persistentes da criança, ao escrever, não poderiam ser atribuídas a uma falta de habilidade cognitiva, conforme referida por seus familiares e pelo elenco da Escola. Desse modo, pudemos destacar implicações referentes a problemas que ocorrem no percurso de aquisição da língua escrita. Finalmente, acreditamos, portanto, que os resultados desta pesquisa trarão efeitos sobre profissionais que lidam com a questão dos obstáculos que se apresentam à criança, em sua escrita, pretendendo, com isso, trazer uma contribuição a essa área, buscando sugerir que outros tipos de dificuldades de aprendizagem podem ser olhados de uma forma mais contextualizada. Nessa perspectiva, o que a pesquisa traz, em seu bojo, não esgota as contribuições teóricas e práticas deste estudo, uma vez que sugere que o discurso a que as crianças estão expostas e vulneráveis a todo instante o discurso do outro sobre elas, parece revestido de um poder que sugere a elas seus sucessos e fracassos. / This research work has as its axis the investigation of difficulties shown by the child in her/his written production aiming at providing a better understanding of the obstacle that is interposed against such production. Its general objective consists in analyzing errors which appear written production of the children, approaching these errors as onesmarks in the childrens writing. It has as specific objectives: identifying types of errors which appear in the verbal written production of a child; spotting the errors which constitute subjects marks in the childrens writing; deepening the study of these subjects marks considering them as an effect of the capture of the child by the functioning (metaphoric and metonymic) of language. We also intend to highlight relevant points in the discourse of the other (family and school members) concerning difficulties in the childs writing, so that such points may contribute to a better understanding of those difficulties. This proposal is founded on Cláudia Lemoss (2002) approach of language acquisition who, from Saussure, JakobsonLacan elects the notion of capture as explanatory of the change which takes place in the infans going from her/his condition of non-speaker to speaker. It is, therefore, all about a capture of the child by the structural functioning of the language: the metaphoric and metonymic processes, a proposal to which Sônia Borges (2006, 2011) agrees in her approach of written language acquisition. Pommier (2011) and Lier-DeVitto and Andrade (2011). It is intended also to address effects caused by problems that occur in the production child writing. In order to achieve the proposed objectives, written production of a subject were analyzed - a child of 10 years, 4th year student at the elementary school, which features obstacles such productions - without compromising neurológico.A analysis and discussion of these productions - 10 texts written - indicated that the continuing difficulties of the child, writing, could not be attributed to a lack of cognitive ability, as reported by their families and by the cast of Escola.Desse way, we highlight implications for problems that occur in the course of acquisition written language. Finally, we believe, therefore, that the results of this research will bring effects on professionals who deal with the question of the obstacles that are presented to the child, in his writing, intending thereby to make a contribution to this area, seeking to suggest that other types of learning disabilities can be looked at in a more contextualized. In this perspective, the research brings in its wake, does not exhaust the theoretical and practical contributions of this study, since it suggests that the speech to which children are exposed and vulnerable at all times - the speech of others on elastin, it seems coated with a power that suggests to them their successes and failures.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

Research has identified language impairment as a pervasive disability (Bishop & Edmundson, 1987; Greenhalgh & Strong, 2001). Classroom communication behaviors have a role in the maintenance of special education eligibility and functional communication difficulties for young children with language impairment. This paper reviews the theoretical and experimental literature on narrative skills and language impairment as well as empirical support for understanding language delays as part of a group of risk factors that affect child development. The present study describes patterns in the communication skills of a small group of young children with a predetermined diagnosis of language impairment using a case and field mixed methods research design. The study contributes to our conceptual understanding of the pervasive nature of language impairment by focusing on patterns in oral narrative skills and their relationship to communication at school, at home, and in the community. Study results differentiate participants by the severity of utterance formulation difficulties as well as social communication differences and emotional health symptoms to identify patterns. This study was unique in that information from classroom teachers and parents in addition to an analysis of multiple language samples created a thick description of patterns across participants. Discussion elaborates upon patterns in the data and implications for assessment and practice implications for school based services from a speech-language pathologist.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Joanne Rovet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborgs universitet, 2005.