Communication is important to all people. Through gestures, body language, writing, facial expressions, speech, and other means, people are able to share their thoughts and ideas, build relationships, and express their needs. When they cannot communicate, their behavior, learning, and sociability can all suffer. Fortunately, augmentative and…

Every year, under the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), millions of children with disabilities receive special services designed to meet their unique needs. Early intervention services are provided through the state to infants and toddlers with disabilities under three years of age and their families. For…

There are many kinds of speech and language disorders that can affect children. This fact sheet will present four major areas in which these impairments occur. These are the areas of: (1) Articulation; (2) Fluency; (3) Voice; and (4) Language. Following a brief narrative on a day in the life of a Speech Language Pathologist, this fact sheet…

One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), this letter discusses issues and current thinking about the nature and causes of the disorder. These include the idea that DAS is a disorder of overall language development or that DAS is a problem of the "motor-programming" system for speech.…

What should parents of a child who stutters do if their child speaks more than one language? Research shows that a child's language skills can affect his or her fluency, according to the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation of America. However, it has not been proven that speaking two languages in the home since birth causes stuttering. If the child is…

One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech, this letter discusses other problems associated with the disorder including language development problems, academic problems, motor skill problems, and chewing and swallowing difficulties. An annotated bibliography of two further readings for parents is…

One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech, this letter discusses the characteristics of the disorder including having been a "quiet" baby, slow and late development of speech skills, problems sequencing sounds and syllables correctly, and problems in correct "voicing". An appended…

Eleven years ago, FPG Child Development Institute (FPG) launched a longitudinal study of a little known form of mental retardation known as fragile X syndrome (FXS). The Carolina Fragile X Project has since grown into a multidisciplinary team studying diverse aspects of the condition, ranging from early identification to school performance. The…

Many young children have speech or language disorders or delays that require the coordinated services of a preschool intervention team. Young children with delayed talking skills benefit when their parents and their preschool teachers collaborate to include assistive technology in home and preschool routines. Assistive technology for communication…

This early intervention kit includes a Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants (CESPI) instruction manual, an early interventionist workbook, and ten parent/caregiver workbooks. The CESPI early intervention program is designed to provide therapists, teachers, other health professionals, and parents with a common-sense, practical guide…

This annotated bibliography covers materials about children at risk because of disabilities and/or abilities. The bibliography includes approximately 560 entries. The following categories are addressed: autism; gifted; handicapped--general and multiple; hearing impaired/deaf; learning disabilities; mental illness; mentally handicapped/brain…