June 24, 2005
Chapter 13.
When Language Development Goes Awry
Chapter Thirteen
Fact Formulators
Data Stamp
Kelli C. Jones
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 5:43 pm
There are many problems with standardized tests:
-scores cannot be applied to language behavior that was not on the test, white middle-class makes up the norm, assumptions are made that children did their best on the test.
There are ways to supplement test scores:
-interview parents, use data from other settings in which the child speaks and listens, tape record conversations from home, and transcribe everything that is heard for later listening.
Diagnoses should always be regarded as tentative.
Imitation and reinforcement are much less powerful learning strategies than rule induction or modeling.
Normal learning strategies should be incorporated into the therapy situation whenever possible.
Two approaches to getting children to use strategies may be helpful:
-a) training in cognitive tasks (object manipulation, puzzle solving, conservation tasks, etc.) may sharpen learning strategies to the point they can learn to communicate.
-b) lead the child into interpersonal encounters where language and communication skills are used to accomplish goals.
Clinical conversations often focus too much on correcting particular details instead of noticing ample conversation skills.
Assessment and therapy should always be child-centered.
Data Stamp
Cassandra Y. Deaton
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 10:22 pm
It is extremely difficult to say what is normal for language development. It is even harder to put an age limit on language development because the "norm" for any given age is very broad.
Standardized test scores are not always the best indicator of a child's language development. Supplemental evaluations should be put into place in order to make a valid and credible evaluation. Video taping or audio taping the child in routine situations is a good alternative.
Even children with language disorders should be taught how to communicate through the use of modeling conversations. Conversation can be used during the therapy session for practice. These children need to learn how to communicate in real-life situations, not clinical situations.
People working with children should be aware of the "normal" developmental processes of language acquisition so they can try to help a child with atypical development.
Therapy of language problems should be child-centered and encourage conversation.
Data Stamp
Leia Jackson
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 11:30am
Language test scores often become a substitute for an overall estimate of the child's intellectual and communicative abilities in a wide variety of situations.
Careful testers should supplement standardized test data with other information.
Assessment may be centered in the clinic, but it may be enhanced by incorporating data from other settings in which the child speaks and listens.
Tape-recorded data form home situations can aid diagnosis and treatment.
Most clinicians base most of their therapy on imitation and reinforcement; these learning strategies are much less powerful than rule induction or modeling.
If there is to be carry-over from language therapy to real-life situations, children must master rule-induction learning strategies.
To master the complexities of language, more powerful learning tools are necessary, and
this learning is more likely to occur in more realistic communication situations.
Children learn the most about speech by speaking and listening in ordinary interactive conversations.
Chapter Thirteen
Word Wizards
Data Stamp
Leia Jackson
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 11:30am
1. Evaluate implies that some comparison will be made between a child's language performance and some ideal performance.
2. A standardized test is one for which performance norms have been calculated. The test has been given to a large cross-section of children of different ages, and the performance score of a certain age group has been obtained by averaging the scores of
that specific age group who took the test.
3. Imitation reinforcement is trying to teach a child to talk the same way you would teach another animal to talk, a bird for example, and then being satisfied it the child speaks like a little parrot.
4. A clinical interview is a kind of conversation in which most clinical intervention takes place.
Chapter Thirteen
Cyber Citer Summarizers
Data Stamp
Brooke E. Parker
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 12:55 pm
In order to diagnose a child's speech and language development, they must be evaluated. Clinicians evaluate the child's language. The term evaluate implies that some comparison will be made between the child's performance and what is ideal. Standardized tests help to calculate the norms to determine what level is average. There are issues with this type of testing for language because the students' behaviors and ability to use elaborated sentences are not considered in the standardized tests. Children do not behave normally when they are being tested. Often they become unsure and frightened which leads to little communication.
In order to change the speech by treatment, a problem must be first identified. Once the problem is identified, the task is to help the child speak normally. There are two types of strategies: clinical strategies and therapy as conversation. With clinicians imitation and reinforcement is used. There are two approaches to getting the children to use these strategies. Training in general cognitive tasks and learning interpersonal enocunters will accomplish goals and help guide the child through the intervention. Therapy as conversation is a different approach that seems to be focused on the articulation of the child. If the child misarticulates, then the clinician will correct him.
Data Stamp
Blaire E. Woodward
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 6:52 pm
This chapter is broken up into two parts: diagnosing speech and language problems and treating the speech and language problem. The first step in seeking answers to a child's speech problems is to go to a clinician and have the child evaluated. The evaluation will more than likely be by way of standardized tests. There can be many problems with standardized testing, though, because the statistics can be biased or only based on a certain culture or socioeconomic status. There is also no guarantee that the child performed his or her best on the test at that particular time. Parents and guardians need to be aware of a clinician comparing their child to and basing much of their opinion on standardized tests. Clinicians need to also be aware of the child's standard dialect sounds. Some children have been diagnosed with having articulation or language problems because they do not speak the standard form of English. While some have been mis-diagnosed, there are children who really do have speech problems and a good clinician will be able to properly diagnose it. Other forms of evaluation, such as interviews, can be used for more accurate information.
The two types of treatment discussed in this chapter are different clinical strategies and simply using conversation to help improve a child's speech and language. Clinical strategies include using manipulatives and puzzles to sharpen the child's learning strategies. There has also been much improvement seen in children who are encouraged to talk to people and hold conversations with them. This seems like a simple task, but practice makes better in speech and language problems just like in other areas of our lives.
Chapter Thirteen
Quiz Questors
Data Stamp
Melinda O'Malley
Thursday, June 23, 2005 4:28pm
1. True or False:
1. The term EVALUATE implies that some comparison will be made between a child's
language performance and some ideal performance.
ANSWER: True
2. Communication development unfolds at a uniform rate for all children.
ANSWER: False
3.Imitation and reinforcement are much more powerful for speech therapy than rule
induction or modeling.
ANSWER: False
4. Children's mastering of the complexities of language are more likely to occur in which
setting:
- clinical therapy
- isolation
- realistic communication situations
- with strangers
ANSWER: C
5. The Goldman-Fristoe Articulation Test, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the
Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability are biased toward the speech skills of which group?
- poverty stricken
- middle-class children
- Hispanics
- females
ANSWER: B
*This is the next step toward THE One World Language.
Step Sixteen: *Your proper nouns imprisoned by the Sith.
Planet Gnosis is ruled by Freddie A. Bowles, a professional educator and fellow at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. An independent entity in the CornDancer consortium of planets, Planet Gnosis is dedicated to the exploration of education and teaching. CornDancer is a developmental website for the mind and spirit maintained by webmistress Freddie A. Bowles of the Planet Earth. Submissions are invited.
|
