The nature of research on speech communication in asymmetrical interactions, such as those between a speech therapist and patient, is discussed and some general approaches to therapy are noted. The situation of the aphasic is then considered, in which intervention is particularly difficult due to the lack of some important aspects of interpersonal…

Child-adult dialogues are important in an interactionist approach to acquisition of language behaviors because of the scaffolding provided by adults. Different forms of scaffolding used with children with and without language impairments are reviewed, and research on scaffolding with children aged 4-6 years is reported. Discourse strategies used…