This paper reports findings of a main study and a corollary study designed to clarify the relationship between interpersonal and intrapersonal language by examining the spontaneous classroom interpersonal verbal output of children 4-5 years old in relation to social class and intelligence. The report presents (1) preparation of the data of the…

Two methods of analysis, logical and psychological (or, loosely, aesthetic and functional) are used to investigate the many kinds of languages man uses to communicate, the ways in which these languages operate, and the reasons for communication failures. Based on a discussion of the nature of symbols, since most languages of communication draw…

A study was conducted to test the utility of a protocol, consisting of 30 pragmatic parameters of language, to evaluate conversational speech from 157 subjects in six diagnostic groups. Four distinct profiles emerged separating the diagnostic groups within which differences in the distribution of pragmatic deficits were identified. (Author/KM)

An intensive early intervention program was evaluated by assessing gains made by 44 special needs children (age 2) in cognition, gross motor, fine motor, receptive language, and expressive language domains. Comparison of actual to predicted posttest scores did not reveal significant gains in any domains. In cognition, gross motor, and fine motor…

Behavior problems, social skill deficits, and language delays were examined in 332 children (age 3), enrolled in Head Start. Boys showed elevated levels of behavioral problems across all measures. Both boys and girls displayed low language scores, with boys significantly lower than girls on both auditory and expressive skills. (Contains…

Twenty-three years of observation and testing of the communication skills of a male with agenesis of the corpus callosum and normal IQ revealed initial weakness in language. Difficulties with fluent speech persisted into young adulthood. With intensive intervention, communication and academic skills developed and the participant completed high…

Explored the connection between emotional expression in the child's family environment and children's social competence with school peers using direct observation of affective dimensions in naturalistic environment (n=50). Reported expressiveness and observed parental affect were both found to be meaningful predictors of children's sociometric…

This study, with 161 children with and without language learning problems, tested the hypothesis that as children's language development matures, factor-analytic structural changes occur that are associated with measurements of fine-grained auditory discrimination, receptive vocabulary, receptive language, speech production, and 3 performance…

A study assessed early literacy skills and expressive and receptive vocabulary skills in 39 Head Start children and correlated skills with measures of caregiver/child interactions observed in the home. Degree of caregiver involvement, rate of language interactions, and participation in early literacy activities were related to literacy and…

Describes the use of secret student/student dialog exchange journals with English-as-a-Foreign-Language students at Tamkang University in Taiwan. This activity helps develop students' fluency and expressive language and increases their awareness of an audience. (Author/VWL)

This study evaluated the effectiveness and desirability of dual communication boards as receptive and expressive forms of communication by 3 deaf-blind students (ages 16-21) in community-based vocational instruction settings. One year after implementation, students and communication partners were successfully using the boards. Use of dual boards…

The PLS-4 (Preschool Language Scale, 4th edition) is a psychometrically sound instrument constructed to assess language skills in children from birth to 6 years 11 months. It is a useful diagnostic and research tool that can be used to identify current comprehension and expressive language skills and can measure changes in language skills over…

Purpose: This study examined the effects of expressive and receptive language levels on initiated and repaired communication acts by prelinguistic children with developmental disabilities. Method: In this descriptive study, participants were 45 children between the ages of 3 and 6 years who had severe delays in expressive communication. Some…

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a screening instrument (the Swedish Communication Screening at 18 months of age; SCS18), derived from the Swedish MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory, in identification of 18-month-old children who will be severely language disabled by 3 years of age, the authors (a) analyzed which SCS18's…

The basic special education curriculum of the Department of Public Instruction of Puerto Rico is designed so that the skills defined can be used to attend to the needs of children with disabilities. This teacher's guide, in Spanish, presents a basic language curriculum to help the child develop the ability to communicate effectively. It includes…