This paper on speech production in children and youth with hearing impairments focuses on ways to foster clear speech throughout the daily classroom routine and curriculum. It describes elements of the program at the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf in Quebec, Canada, such as early intervention, maximal use of hearing, and parent participation.…

This study found that naturalistic conversation training improved the spontaneous speech production of two children (ages three and four) with speech production disabilities. (Author/DB)

The efforts of a speech-language pathologist to foster a collaborative consultation service delivery approach with classroom teachers are described. The approach involved an in-service session for teachers, teachers providing the therapist with classroom curricula and materials, and the therapist observing speech-language-impaired students in the…

Examines factors influencing research-practice gaps in the assessment and treatment of adults with neurologic communication disorders. Both researchers and clinicians are urged to learn alternative research strategies, build partnerships, and take advantage of new information technologies. Strategies are suggested for directly applying, adapting,…

This introductory article discusses factors that have led to changes in speech-language pathology practices, including a better and broader understanding of the human communication process, revised federal guidelines and regulations for special education and related services, and a strong desire to encourage scientific pursuit through…

This article explores concerns of speech-language-pathologists who provide in-classroom speech-language services. Concerns include a fear of "watering down" therapy and becoming like classroom teachers. Two principles are offered to preserve the speech-language-pathologist's role identity and the integrity of services provided: maintaining a…

This article describes the nature and treatment of functional voice disorders in adolescents. It summarizes physiological and psychological changes that occur in adolescence; types of functional voice disorders common to that period; incidence; and possible causes, including risk factors. Three case studies illustrate the importance of careful…

This case study describes a selective mute Mexican American boy, who, at initial referral, had never spoken to peers or teachers at school. Treatment procedures employed shaping and reinforcement of speech in therapy sessions. Sessions involved the psychologist alone, the classroom teacher and psychologist, the boy's best friend and the…

This article analyses how and why cultural diversity is relevant to children with speech and language difficulties and the professionals who work with them. The relevance of various aspects of culture including the development of communication skills, language socialization, adult-child interaction, and epidemiology of speech and language…

Follow-up comparison of a survey of seven speech-language pathologists (SLP) concerning children prenatally exposed to drugs including cocaine (PED+C) with earlier studies found: (1) the numbers of children PED+C seen by SLPs increased; (2) the variety of evaluation instruments used to determine speech-language strengths and weaknesses increased;…

This article introduces a whole-word approach to phonological analysis and demonstrates the approach by conducting an analysis and outlining treatment recommendations for a child with phonological disability. Rationale for using a whole-word approach and also for defining phonological typologies are presented, along with four components of a…

This pilot study compared two treatments for stuttering in preschool-age children. Thirty children were randomly assigned to either a Lidcombe Program (LP) treatment or a Demands and Capacities Model (DCM) treatment. Stuttering frequencies and severity ratings were obtained immediately before and after treatment (12 weeks). The stuttering…

Background: The UK is a multicultural, multilingual society and the majority of paediatric speech and language therapists in England have at least one bilingual child on their caseload. There are many imperatives driving the profession to provide an equitable service for bilingual children. Evidence is beginning to emerge, however, that bilingual…

Purpose: This study compared the influence of speaker-implemented iconic hand gestures and alphabet cues on speech intelligibility scores and strategy helpfulness ratings for 3 adults with cerebral palsy and dysarthria who differed from one another in their overall motor abilities. Method: A total of 144 listeners (48 per speaker) orthographically…

As most special educators endure the periodic legal changes in education and special education, related service providers face the same challenges. These challenges include Inclusion, IDEA 04 regulations, NCLB and curricular related services. This paper presents these challenges and discusses a variety of solutions providing the most appropriate…